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Sharlene Martin, President
Sharlene Martin, Literary Manager/Producer
Sharlene Martin began her business career in 1985 by founding Helping Hands, an employee placement agency, and shortly thereafter was named Entrepreneur Magazine’s Homebased Entrepreneur of the Year. That led to the Harvard Business School using her agency, Helping Hands, as a case study for their students.
Born, raised and schooled in Connecticut, she was later recognized with the title of Entrepreneur of the Year by the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. She was also honored and presented with the Spirited Woman Award in New York City in 1987 by Sherry Lansing for supporting women in the workplace. Sharlene sold her company when she moved to California in 1990 and spent several years at various key creative positions in the entertainment industry while raising her two children. In 2003, after a meeting with a screenwriter/author (who later became her husband!) she was encouraged to form her own literary agency---Martin Literary & Media Management.
She chose to primarily represent adult nonfiction, a genre she continues to love to this day, although Martin Literary & Media Management has a team of eight who represent all popular genres of books.
Sharlene has represented some of the top true crime books in publishing and conducts her business with a strict policy that any crime-related book she represents must always be told to benefit the victim, never the perpetrator.
Many of Sharlene's authors have had their books boosted as serial reprints in prestigious publications such as Readers' Digest, People Magazine, WHO, and the London Times. Other client appearances include 60 Minutes, The TODAY Show, The View, Fox and Friends, Good Morning America, The Early Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, Discovery Channel, Inside Edition, The 700 Club, ET, The Insider, ABC Nightline, Dr. Phil, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN, HLN, Discovery ID and Fox News and the former OPRAH show.
She is actively doing business with major film and TV companies for adaptations of her clients' books, and shares the MLM Book to Film-TV Rights Catalog with key people in the entertainment industry on a quarterly basis. It’s also updated with new sales weekly at www.MartinLit.com/film-tv.
Sharlene is a member of the Producers Guild of America (pga), and has adapted books from MLM clients including one of the top Hallmark Hall of Fame's acclaimed movie, Front of the Class, starring the late
Treat Williams, Patricia Heaton and James Wolk.
Some of her producing credits include:
*Executive Producer of Lifetime’s movie, The Pregnancy Project, which garnered the two top
Imagen Awards, for Best Primetime Movie/Special and Best Actress (Alexa Vega). Currently streaming
on HULU.
*Co- Creator/Producer of the reality series, DEADLY SINS for Discovery ID. Ran six seasons.
*Co-EP for the season of specials, EPIC MYSTERIES for Discovery ID.
*Executive Producer with Outpost Entertainment for A&E’s documentary OJ: Guilty in Vegas.
*Executive Producer for Apple TV+ straight to series one-hour scripted highly acclaimed mystery, HOME BEFORE DARK, directed and executive produced by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), based on her client, Hilde Lysiak, a 14-year-old crime reporter and publisher of the Orange Street News, and author of the Scholastic Branches six book series, Hilde Cracks the Case.
*Executive Producer on Secrets of a Marine’s Wife for Sony Television at Lifetime.
She is currently in development on a number of projects based on her clients books and enjoys collaborating with screenwriters, producers, directors and production companies. See full credits at www.IMDB.com (Sharlene Martin (1) )
Additionally, she is co-author with her husband, bestselling author Anthony Flacco, on the books Publish Your Nonfiction Book (Writer's Digest Books) and Literary Fails: Totally (sic)!
Publishers, editors, writers and entertainment execs consistently express their joy in working with someone who is such an avid fan of great writing and an enthusiastic guardian and representative of her clients' work. She employs this personal touch in all her business relationships and credits it with her proven record of success.
Follow Sharlene on Twitter: @MartinLitMgmt
Lindsay Guzzardo, Senior Literary Manager - Adult Fiction
Through tenures at Amazon Publishing, Guideposts Books, and Penguin/Signet, Lindsay Guzzardo acquired and edited numerous bestselling titles to fantastic customer and trade reviews, particularly in commercial fiction, women's fiction, and romance.
Now a Literary Manager of adult fiction, Lindsay applies her comprehensive market knowledge and keen editorial instinct to identify and nurture exciting new talent for MLM.
She will consider any adult fiction with a clear, marketable, compelling hook, and strong voice. Her personal tastes align with the following wish list, but she would never shut herself off to The Next Big Thing!
Lindsay is also interested in working with proven genre writers (i.e. previously published, award-winning/nominated, placement in contests, strong platform, etc.) from the elevator pitch onward. Bring her your pitches and she will help direct you which one to pursue, or she can provide you with one to flesh out into a proposal.
She loves:
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Fiction that elevates diverse/marginalized voices
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WWII-era fiction
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Retellings of classic stories (either modern retellings or classic stories told from a different character’s perspective)
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Beach reads
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Fiction exploring family dynamics and relationships (particularly mothers/daughters and sisters)
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Amish romance/fiction
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Cozy, charming, small-town romance/fiction
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Rich, evocative historical fiction
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Fiction featuring historical figures
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European-set fiction, any era and tone
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Dark psychological and domestic suspense
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Family dramas that interweave past and present
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Gorgeous, lyrical literary fiction
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Wholesome, clean fiction and romance
Please submit to Lindsay via Query Manager: https://querymanager.com/query/Lindsay_Guzzardo
Note: Periodically, she pauses incoming queries to tend to her current queue.
Follow her on Twitter: @LindsayGuzzardo
Read interview with Lindsay here: https://darlingaxe.com/blogs/news/book-broker-lindsay-guzzardo
Jen Newens, Senior Literary Manager
Children’s, MG/YA, Kid's Graphic Novels, and Adult Food & Drink
At different phases of her publishing career, Jen has been an author, editor, and publisher, giving her experience in all sides of the business. She comes to us after a seven-year stint as publishing director at West Margin Press, an Ingram Content Group company. There, she acquired a wide range of different genres, but holds a special place in her heart for young people’s literature. She began to acquire graphic novels in 2019 and sees it as an exciting and burgeoning way to tell children’s stories.
A subject matter expert in food and drink titles, Jen spent two decades as a cookbook editor and writer (she even went to culinary school!). She’s experienced in working with celebrity chefs, business owners, cooking brands, and food bloggers, as well as accomplished home cooks.
In her role as Senior Literary Manager, Jen applies her 360-view of the publishing business to MLM, seeking out fresh, original voices and developing exciting new talent. On the children's side, Jen is interested in picture books with sharp writing and compelling messages; MG/YA stories that resonate with the challenges faced by today’s youth; and graphic novels with quirky narration and original art. In the food and drink space, Jen is keen to find original takes on popular topics, books that reveal a riveting personal story, and books with a health and wellness slant.
The following are on Jen’s current wishlist, but she’s always open to hearing new ideas.
Childrens/MG/YA/Graphic Novels
• Books that portray historically excluded voices, disability, neurodivergent characters, LGBTQ topics
• Regional books with national crossover potential
• Author/illustrators with strong storytelling skills and a clear vision
• Children’s activity books
• Quirky and humorous stories
• Cat content (she’s crazy for cats)
Adult Books
• Cooking
-New takes on current trends
-Chef books (especially underrepresented groups)
-Weeknight Cooking
-Food Bloggers with Unique Stories
• Drinks (mocktails and the NA lifestyle; fresh takes on wine and cocktails)
• Health, Wellness, Diet, and Chronic Illness
• Lifestyle topics
• Self-help
Please submit queries here: http://QueryManager.com/JenNewens
Follow her on Twitter @JenNewens
Picture Book Spotlight | Agent Spotlight: Jen Newens
Delia Berrigan Fakis, Senior Literary Manager, Emeritus - Adult Nonfiction
Delia is currently closed to submissions.
I can still remember when I was a little girl, sitting on my daddy’s lap in our wicker rocking chair, listening to him read The Monster at the End of This Book, and somehow magically doing Grover’s voice all the way through.
Now, I don’t know if that’s at the root of why I became obsessed with books. My dad also indoctrinated me at a young age with a love of poetry and we’ve both gone through many frayed editions of Oscar Williams’s Immortal Poems of the English Language. It was perfectly normal to hear me quoting Keats, Auden, Houseman, Dickinson, and Shakespeare at high school and college parties.
I grew up in Washington, DC, earned my BA in English from Drew University in Madison, NJ and my MS in Publishing from New York University in New York City. I spent the first 15 years of my career at John Wiley & Sons, the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency, and was subsequently recruited to Hallmark Cards, Inc. headquarters in Kansas City to help lead the book division.
Now I’m thrilled to have joined a team of brilliant women at Martin Literary Management while also pursuing my J.D. with a concentration on intellectual property.
I’m most interested in representing Adult Nonfiction in the areas of:
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Business
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Thought Leadership
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Memoir
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True Crime
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Narrative Nonfiction
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History and Current Affairs
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Religion and Spirituality
If you’re a leader in your field and know how to reach your audience, I want to hear from you! If you have a distinct voice, a handle of the craft, and something unique to share with the world, send me a query.
I will also take on select projects that strike my personal interest the areas in literary and commercial fiction, mysteries, and children’s picture books.
Submit query letters to Delia@MartinLit.com
Follow me on Twitter @primarilyprose
Kristen Terrette, Literary Manager
Kristen is a literary manager excited to build her list featuring titles in middle grade, young adult, female-driven crime thrillers, faith-based books, and the occasional picture book with an author/illustrator.
She has a BA in Early Childhood Education and MA in Theology and Religious Studies which led her into children’s ministry for many years. Eventually, her lifelong love of books and authors drew her back to her original dream of entering the publishing world. Kristen is a multi-published author and freelance writer. She’s held such positions as the Blog Manager for a national women’s ministry and the Social Media Manager for a publishing house. All these components landed her a spot in the coveted Writers House Intern Program. There, she received valuable hands-on agenting and publishing experience which she brings into her new position.
Kristen has long been a voice for diversity. She’s written extensively on topics of racial reconciliation and unity and is a facilitator of groups around these topics in her church. In all her focused genres, she welcomes books with BIPOC or disabled main characters and diverse friendships. She believes books change people in all the best ways and that every child should see themselves in the pages.
Middle Grade (All subgenres except Sci-fi): Kristen hearts Middle Grade. She would love to see books tackling themes like abandonment, bullying, loneliness, comparison, divorce, and body image but done so by instilling hope, growth, and healing. Send her the creepy, horrifying, supernatural, fantastical, historical, and contemporary. She is ready to see it all.
Young Adult (All subgenres except Sci-fi): Kristen’s background in writing YA and her extensive reading in this genre has given her a great love and understanding of it. Grab her attention within the first couple of pages. Send her books with first loves, unique friendships, interesting and/or challenging family dynamics, and hard-hitting subject matter (race relations, suicide, abuse, divorce, etc.) but leave her with a satisfying (not necessarily happy!) ending.
Women’s Crime Thriller: Kristen loves a good thriller with a woman main character, so send her the smart, tough, and brave lady crime solvers. If she can’t figure out what’s going to happen next or what the ending will be, you’ve gotten her attention.
Faith-Based Fiction and Memoirs: Kristen loves a good redemption or forgiveness story, a historically accurate saga, a clean and beautiful, yet realistic love story, or a memoir that has her crying and laughing within the span of a few pages. Surprise her with the beauty of God’s grace.
Picture Books with Authors/Illustrators: Picture books are an important part of establishing a love for literature at an early age, though, at this time, Kristen is only looking for authors who are also illustrators. If your work fits these criteria, she’d love to see it.
True Crime Nonfiction: Kristen falls asleep every night with Forensic Files or Dateline playing on the TV. She has always been fascinated by true crime stories happening to everyday people in everyday towns. From white-collar crime to murders and mayhem, Kristen wants to see your full proposal.
Kristen is not a good fit for Science Fiction (even in MG or YA), books with any political agenda, extremely foul-mouthed characters, or gratuitous sex scenes.
Submit query letters to: https://querymanager.com/query/2703
Follow her on Twitter: @KTerrette
Rick Lewis, Literary Manager
Rick Lewis represents authors of Graphic Novels with Illustrators (he grew up reading and loving them) as well as speculative fiction titles in the Adult and YA categories, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism.
Before joining Martin Literary Management, he was editor-in-chief at Uproar Books, where he worked closely with debut authors to edit and launch award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels such as the gothic fantasy Asperfell by Jamie Thomas, the dark sci-fi comedy Always Greener by J.R.H. Lawless, and the YA contemporary fantasy Foretold by Violet Lumani.
Before joining the literary world, Rick spent nearly two decades as a professional writer, first in television news and then in marketing. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he lived for 25 years before recently moving to Charlottesville, VA., with his spouse and two children.
Rick is looking for novels that feature complex, realistic characters in highly imaginative worlds. Give him genuine emotions and meaningful struggles, but also at least a touch of science, magic, or the supernatural that captures the imagination while illuminating the real world.
Please submit queries via Query Manager and follow him on Twitter.
Mara Cobb- Junior Literary Manager
On my fifth birthday, I read two Junie B. Jones books in one sitting. It wasn't long after that when my grandmothers, both voracious readers, took it upon themselves to hunt for books I would love just as much as the Junie B. series. By age six, I was reading Nancy Drew mysteries. At seven, I was working my way through the Bobbsey Twins and Little House in the Big Woods, followed by Little Women. My favorite books have always been those that keep me on the edge of my seat in excitement and those that allow me to feel the full scope of human emotions as I read late into the night.
After earning my master's degree in English, achieving over fifty publications, and serving as the editor-in-chief for a small literary journal, I completed a year-long publishing internship learning the ins and outs of Martin Literary Management. I am thrilled to become part of the MLM family and am most excited about coming alongside fresh and seasoned writers to help them reach their full potential.
Currently, I am looking for Adult Nonfiction and Women's Driven Fiction. For Women's Driven Fiction, I am particularly interested in books with strong female heroines who are in their 20s. The gap between YA Fiction and Adult Fiction is one that I am passionate about continuing to bridge. I also am looking for Christian Fiction, Christian Romance (think Hallmark-style), and Christian YA.
Please submit queries via Query Manager and follow me on Twitter:@MaraCobbWrites
Anthony Flacco, Editorial Consulting, Ghostwriting
Anthony Flacco is the author of five nonfiction books and five historical novels, including the New York Times bestseller Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six. His book, Tiny Dancer: The Incredible True Story of a Young Burn Victim’s Journey from Afghanistan is an international bestseller. Anthony holds an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. He is a winner of the Walt Disney Studios Screenwriting Fellowship and spent a year writing for the Touchstone Pictures division.
He is a member of the Writers Guild of America. www.anthonyflacco.com.
2023-2024 Interns
Emma Caplinger is an intern assisting president and literary manager/producer Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary and Media Management. She is currently a sophomore at Seattle University pursuing a double-major in English literature and psychology. Emma comes from a family of readers and, because of this, has always had a deep love for reading and writing.
As a child, Emma often woke up with her nose in a book after falling asleep while staying up too late reading. Now, she especially loves poetry and personal essays, but enjoys both reading and writing anything from journalistic articles to cheesy romance novels.
Nick Friesen is an editorial intern assisting Literary Manager Lindsay Guzzardo. He is currently a junior at Seattle University, double majoring in creative writing and film studies. Nick started reading at a very young age and has yet to stop! Throughout his youth, he spent hours upon hours reading and writing his own fantasy novels and short stories.
Today, that passion for the fantastic is still alive, but his tastes have changed slightly. He typically reads a wide range of nonfiction, poetry, and novels of all sorts.
Michael Berry is an editorial intern assisting Literary Manager Kristen Terrette. He is a junior majoring in Creative Writing at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. The pursuit of good stories has led him to a variety of books, TV, and the occasional TTRPG. Michael hopes a career in copyediting is waiting for him at the end of the line, but relishes the journey all the same.
He enjoys reading and writing fiction the most, predominantly fantasy with a hint of sci-fi. The best stories take the familiar and twist it just beyond the point of recognition.
Rachel Waldrop is an editorial intern assisting Literary Manager Kristen Terrette. She is a senior majoring in creative writing and minoring in psychology. She attends Berry College in Rome, GA and plans to graduate in Fall 2023. Post-graduation, she hopes to pursue a career as an editor for a publishing house or literary journal.
In her free time, Rachel loves to write humorous Young Adult novels and short stories. She also loves to read both YA and Middle Grade books of all genres, particularly contemporary, romance, and fantasy. Her favorite authors include Sarah Dessen, B.B. Alston, and Leigh Bardugo.
Daniela Naldoken is an editorial intern assisting literary manager Rick Lewis. Born in Vienna, Austria, she moved with her family to Switzerland; Washington, DC; and Mexico City, where she worked at the U.S. Embassy for three years. Now, she’s pursuing an Interdisciplinary Studies degree with a concentration in Writing at the University of Virginia.
She’s an avid reader of novels—especially suspense, fantasy, science fiction, and horror—in both English and German. She writes fantasy short stories and poetry, and plans to pursue a career in publishing.
William Stone (He/Him/His) is an editorial intern assisting Senior Literary Manager Jen Newens. He is pursuing his BA in English at UC Berkeley. William balances his heavy university reading list with plenty of light and fun queer comedy and romance novels; everyone should have a little Wilde with their Woolf.
Outside of work and school, William likes to write comedy and satire, chill with his cat, cycle around San Francisco, and peruse the museums.
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Riley Rogers is an editorial intern assisting junior literary manager Mara Cobb. Working as an editor by day and writer by night, Riley is entirely immersed in the world of the written word—and she wouldn't have it any other way.
She is fondest of books written by, for, and about women. Though she gravitates toward nonfiction, she can never say no to action-packed, female-led science fiction and firmly believes that one can never go wrong when pairing strong female characters with interstellar exploration.