James McGowan

Literary Agent
(he/him/his)

James McGowan (he/him) is a literary agent at BookEnds Literary Agency, representing award-winning authors and illustrators.  Over the past decade, James has worked across all departments at BookEnds–including the social media and finance departments–which informs his tactical approach to representing clients. He also serves on several committees within the Association of American Literary Agents. As a co-host of the BookEnds YouTube Channel, James educates creators on all stages of publishing to promote accessibility in the industry.  James currently lives in Staten Island, where he graduated with a Master’s in literature from the College of Staten Island. He is the author of the picture book GOOD NIGHT, OPPY! To learn more about his work, visit the BookEnds website or his website. To send a query, please only use QueryManager.  Watch our interview with James on YouTube!

Client Books

Wiley,+Homegrown
Together+We+Swim
ISeeColor+hc+c
Klagmann, This Impossible Brightness
OurWorld-Mexico_COVER
Harmony, A Flicker of Hope
Smith, You Always Come Back
Scharnhorst, How to Get Your Octopus to School
Rafi, A Mermaid Girl
Scharnhorst,+How+to+Get+Your+Octopus+to+School
Chhitwal-Varma, Good Food Healthy Planet
Perrott, MooHoo
Blacke,+Vinyl+Resting+Place
Lavoie, Vampire Vacation JPG
Sydney's Big Speech
Kulekjian, Kaboom
Lourenc¦ºo, Counting to Bananas
Cusolito, Diving Deep

James McGowan Wishlist

James represents a wide range of age groups and genres, but at this time, he is focused on building his adult list only.  In adult fiction, James is seeking upmarket/book club fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, suspense and thrillers. Broadly, things he is drawn to in a novel are: commercial, high-concept plots, exciting settings, fast pacing, a fresh spin on a familiar trope, grounded speculative elements, accessible worldbuilding, unique magical elements, rich prose, and a sentence that sticks with you. James loves anything that blends genre and can follow a character just about anywhere. In all genres, James is looking for works from diverse, marginalized, and/or underrepresented voices. Titles and authors that inspire James’ list include, in no particular order: True Biz, Memphis, Portrait of a Thief, Pachinko, Ninth House, The School for Good Mothers, The Push, My Sister the Serial Killer, Miracle Creek, More Than You’ll Ever Know*, None of This is True*, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife*, Babel*, The Overnight Guest*, I Have Some Questions for You, The Golden Couple, What Lies in the Woods*, R.F. Kuang, NK Jemisin, Fonda Lee, Tana French, Attica Locke, Kia Abdullah, Mary Kubica, and Emily St. John Mandel. (* denotes recent 5-star reads). He is eager to find the next novel that everyone is reading and recommending. James keeps an open mind when reading, so when in doubt, send a query. James is always looking to add more illustrators to his list. He’s open to working with illustrators with board book, picture book, chapter book, and/or graphic novel aspirations. (See the illustrators he currently represents here.) To submit to James, please visit Query Manager.

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