Tara Gilbert
Associate Literary Agent
Tara joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Literary Agent in 2020. She has been a part of the publishing industry since 2017, previously working as an Associate Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency and as an intern with Entangled Publishing. Tara spent over a decade learning the art of negotiation as a staffing professional in the aerospace industry before finding her passion as a literary agent. When Tara isn't reading manuscripts and working with her clients, she is usually caught wandering around Portland with her partner or loving on her fur-babies. To learn more about Tara, please visit her website at www.taragilbert.com.
What I'm looking for
I'm looking for prose and graphic novels in upper middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction—some non-fiction. I'm particularly drawn to light fantasy and speculative fiction, romance, horror, and contemporaries.
I'm always looking for stories by traditionally underrepresented creators. POC, LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG, neurodiverse, body diverse, and disabled creators are highly encouraged to query me.
Middle-Grade (ages 9-13):
-
I'm open to most genres in upper middle-grade books.
-
Funny, heartfelt stories—best friends stories, family stories, and anything that will make me laugh and cry
-
Books with a literary bent
Young Adult (ages 14-19):
-
I am open to most genres in young adult, although sci-fi is my least favorite category.
-
I tend to love authors with a literary bent to their prose unless it's romance or a funny contemporary.
-
I'm open to anything from light-hearted comedy to really dark, gory stuff.
Adult Fiction:
-
My taste in adult fiction is much more limited (see "do not want" below). I don't enjoy heavy world-building or dense books.
-
Dark speculative fiction with a literary bent is my favorite.
-
I love funny, heartfelt RomComs, and dramatic, emotional romances.
-
I enjoy upmarket fiction and some literary fiction, especially if they contain magical elements.
-
I love historicals, but I would prefer to see historicals about and from underrepresented communities (LGBTQ+, POC, neurodiverse).
-
I'll consider some fantasy and sci-fi, but it needs to be very grounded and accessible.
Artists/Illustrators:
-
Please review my Pinterest board to get an idea of the types of illustrators I'm looking for.
Non-Fiction*:
-
YA and MG from diverse backgrounds
-
Metaphysics, spirituality, witchcraft, crystals, tarot, etc.
-
LGBTQIA+ topics
*Non-fiction authors must have a strong platform (social media/blog) to be considered.
I Do Not Want:
-
Anything set in space or with aliens
-
Anything over 120K
-
Political/military/crime thriller novels (especially in adult categories)
-
Romances with cops or military men
-
Westerns
-
Time travel
-
Pirates
-
Mermaids, vampires, werewolves, zombies. I'll take monsters based on these creatures (like THIS SAVAGE SONG), but not in the traditional sense.
-
Romances based on musicians or actors (I get so many of these)
-
Picture books and chapter books
-
Plots revolving around cheating/infidelity, suicide, rape, or abuse
-
Memoirs or biographies
-
Novellas, short story collections, poetry collections/verse, or screenplays
How to submit
Queries should be submitted through QueryManager: http://QueryMe.Online/TaraGilbert
Fiction Authors: Please submit a query, 1-2 page synopsis, and a 5-page sample of your manuscript.
Nonfiction Authors: Please submit your proposal.
Graphic Novel Authors: Please submit your graphic novel proposal, and make sure that it includes an overview of your book, outline, and a 5-page sample of your script. If you're also an illustrator, please include a link to your portfolio.
