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Pitching an Agent: The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency

These agents aren't concerned with a writer's age or previous publishing experience—but if you don't have the writing chops to back up your query, don't come calling

Number of agents: Two
Number of clients: About 80
Notable clients: Brent Hartinger, who writes edgy young-adult novels and middle-grade fantasy (Geography Club; The Last Chance Texaco); screenwriter, young-adult novelist, and former head of creative affairs for Miramax Michael Apostolina; and children's picture-book illustrator and writer Chris Demarest.
Percentage of unsolicited material accepted: About one to five percent
Fiction vs. nonfiction: The agency handles an equal amount of both.

Background: In the course of one interview, Jennifer DeChiara cheerfully refers to herself as "a champion of the underdog" and "the Statue of Liberty of publishing: Give ...

The How to Pitch series is worth its weight in gold. In just the first month I'd already benefited enough to consider the cost of joining well worth it. -- Gaen Murphree