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Sharlene Martin, President
Sharlene Martin, Literary Manager/Producer
Sharlene Martin began her career after college by going to work for American Airlines as a flight attendant and then working her way up to one of twelve recruiters in the USA hiring flight attendants in the NY, NJ, CT area. She is credited with hiring some of the very first male flight attendants for AAL. In 1984, shortly after the birth of her first child, she founded Helping Hands, the first nanny placement agency in America, 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 in entrepreneurism.
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.
Kristen's Accepts these genres:
Young Adult (All subgenres except Sci-fi): My background in writing YA and extensive reading in this genre has given me a great love and understanding of it. Grab my attention within the first couple of pages. Send me 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 me with a satisfying (not necessarily happy!) ending.
Crime Thrillers/Suspense/Mystery: I love a good thriller with a woman main character, so send me the smart, tough, and brave lady crime solvers. I love serial killers. I love small town and big cities. I love relatable and quirky characters. If I can’t figure out what’s going to happen next or what the ending will be, you’ve gotten my attention.
Horror: Creep me out. Make me scared to read the story at night.
Romance: I am currently open to all subgenres of this category. Surprise me.
New Adult: I love college stories! And humorous young twenties. Send me these!
Women's Fiction/Historical Fiction: I am picky in my tastes here. I tend to lean to lyrical stories in these genres, but I'm open to all. I LOVE diverse stories in this area! I love new structures, interesting and surprising POVs. Send me all and I'll take a look.
Faith-Based Fiction and Nonfiction: I love a good redemption or forgiveness story, a historically accurate saga, a clean and beautiful, yet realistic love story, or a memoir that has me crying and laughing within the span of a few pages. Surprise me with the beauty of God’s grace. I also love bible studies and devotionals. :)
True Crime (Nonfiction): I'm obsessed with true crime. If you've got a story, tell me about it...
Illustrators: I am open to seeing your artwork! Query me with your portfolio!
Fantasy: My tastes definitely lean toward romance here (Romantasy), but I do love me some Lord of the Rings (the soundtrack was played at my wedding!), so I'm open to seeing most submissions here. I tend to get bored with the whole court intrigue storyline, or princess needing to save the realm. But give me an Aragorn and Legolas, and I'll read happily.
Non-fiction: Send me memoirs, culture, celebrity, parenting, and psychology books. If you have an interesting idea, send it. My tastes vary greatly here. (Please have a strong platform and/or authority to speak on the subject if you are sending me a NF submission.)
I am 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.
What I'm taking a break on:
Middle Grade (All subgenres except Sci-fi): I heart Middle Grade! But, I need to take a break on MG submissions for now. I will look at Middle Grade projects at conferences or as referrals.
Picture Books: Picture books are an important part of establishing a love for literature at an early age. However, I need to take a break on PBs for the moment. I will look at Picture Book projects at conferences or as referrals.
To see Kristen's listing on #MSWL, click here.
If your manuscript is ready, please submit to Kristen via Query Manager here.
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
Keagen Brooks-Torres 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 BA in English Literature and a minor in Writing Studies. Keagen has enjoyed working as a student editor for the Seattle Undergraduate Research Journal, as well as taking creative writing classes.
Keagen has always loved reading and writing and can usually be found outdoors reading everything from poetry to nonfiction to magical realism. She looks forward to continuing to surround herself with the joy of literature.
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.
Davaisha Stukes is an intern assisting Literary Manager, Kristen Terette. She graduated with a B.S in Psychology and is now using her degree to craft epic fantasies with deeply flawed characters. She is an avid concert-goer, aspiring polyglot, and amateur DnD player. When she isn't trying to guess a novel's plot twist, she can be found admiring nature.
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.
Rory Collins (she/her) is an intern assisting Senior Literary Manager Jen Newens. She is a student at Barnard College of Columbia University pursuing a BA in English and Human Rights. Rory has always been an avid reader as heart and enjoys reading genres from fantasy to nonfiction all year round (especially the works of Sally Rooney).
When not working or at school, Rory can be found sitting with her cats, drinking many chai lattes, or probably curled up in the corner of a bookstore.
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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.