About Jess
Having grown up with the same name as her favorite Sweet Valley High twin, Jess has always had a love for books, especially those that feature kickass female characters, child psychopaths, and serial killers. She loves a book that can scare her, that can make her crying when she’s least expecting it, and a book that she can’t put down no matter what time it is or what rerun of SVU is on. She has a BFA in Writing for Film and Television from the University of the Arts and worked in entertainment for eight years before returning to her home state of NY where she worked at a literary agency for two years before joining Brower Literary & Management.
Query Instructions
Jess Dallow is looking for YA contemporary and adult commercial fiction. She loves family stories (in the vein of This is Where I Leave You), thrillers (serial killers; child psychopaths; and the things that keep you up at night), mysteries, and strong women’s fiction that delves into the complexities of our world today as well as supportive female friendships. She loves original voices and stories that are impossible to put down. Her #MSWL consists of a YA summer camp novel, an adult thriller (featuring the information above), and a novel like Where You’d Go, Bernadette that plays with format.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- When sending queries, they should be emailed with “QUERY: [Manuscript/Project Title]†in the subject line and include a query letter, a full synopsis (this should summarize the entire book), and your first chapter, pasted into the email, double-spaced. Queries sent without this information will not be considered. No attachments.
- Only query one agent from this agency. If we feel it is a better fit for another agent, we will pass it along ourselves.
- We only accept queries for finished projects. Please do not send queries for projects that have not yet been completed.
- We do accept queries from self-published authors; however, do not send a query for a project that has already been self-published – please only send for new manuscripts. However, feel free to mention your self-published work in the query letter. We do have a division designated specifically to self-published authors, click HERE for more information.
- We only accept queries via e-mail as directed above. We do not accept or respond to queries made via social media, phone or mail.
NOTES
- We try to respond to every query we receive, regardless of whether we are interested or not, so if you do not hear from us, it means we are either still considering it or have not gotten to it yet. Please give us 6-8 weeks to respond to your query and if you do not hear anything by then, feel free to give us a “gentle nudge.â€
- If we request your full manuscript or proposal, please give us another 6-8 weeks to read. You will receive an answer, regardless of our interest.
- If you receive an offer of representation from another agency or editor, please let us know immediately and let us know your deadline for making the decision.
