Tara Gilbert
Associate Agent
Tara joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Agent in 2020. Previously she was an Associate Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Tara has been in the publishing industry since 2017, which included an internship at Entangled Publishing. When Tara isn't reading manuscripts and working with her clients, she is tending to her flowers, traveling, or walking in the beautiful forests of the Pacific Northwest. She is happily married with two fur-babies in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about Tara, please visit her website at www.taragilbert.com.
What I'm looking for
Young Adult (ages 14-19):
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Romance.
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Contemporaries with strong emotional themes. Especially friendships!
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Fun historical or unique settings.
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Fantasy: paranormal, contemporary, magical realism, urban, all fantasy/speculative fiction sub-genres. Very picky about high fantasy/otherworld fantasy.
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Sci-fi (not based in space, unless it's a really unique idea).
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Horror, occult fiction, all gothic fiction, etc.
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Graphic novels in everything above!
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Non-fiction.
Middle-Grade (ages 9-13):
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Contemporaries with strong relationship themes. Especially friendships!
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Fantasy: paranormal, contemporary, magical realism, urban, all fantasy/speculative fiction sub-genres. (Not into high fantasy right now.) Very picky about high fantasy/otherworld fantasy.
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Sci-Fi (not based in space, unless it's a really unique idea).
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Horror, occult fiction, all Gothic fiction, etc.
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Historical with a unique twist.
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Graphic novels in everything above!
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Anything I can place at Rick Riordan Presents!
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Non-fiction.
Adult Fiction:
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Speculative fiction with a literary bent (like THE NIGHT CIRCUS).
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Upmarket fiction by diverse authors.
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High concept romance (ex. RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE).
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Horror, occult fiction, all gothic fiction, etc.
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Fantasy: paranormal, contemporary, magical realism, all fantasy/speculative fiction sub-genres (I’m not super into high fantasy right now).
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Super-picky about science fiction. If it's like VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab (but make it gay), I'd love it!
Artists/Illustrators:
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Please review my Pinterest board to get an idea of the types of illustrators I am looking for.
Non-Fiction*:
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YA and MG for diverse backgrounds.
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Metaphysics, spirituality, witchcraft, crystals, tarot, etc.
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LGBTQIA+ topics.
*Non-fiction authors must have a strong platform (social media/blog) to be considered.
I would love more stories by underrepresented voices and have a passion for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Some of my favorite books/authors include: Maggie Stiefvater, Victoria Schwab, Rick Riordan, TJ Klune, Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli, and They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera.
Books I recently read and enjoyed: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden, Devouring Dray by Christine Lynn Herman, The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
What I do not want:
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Anything set in space or with aliens.
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High fantasy with new worlds. I prefer the world to be based on ours and accessible.
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Political/military/crime thriller novels (especially in adult categories).
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Men in uniform.
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Westerns.
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Time travel.
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Mermaids and pirates.
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Most books to do with music (loved THIS SAVAGE SONG, so there are exceptions).
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Picture books and chapter books.
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Non-fiction (unless it's middle-grade, young adult, or a tarot card proposal).
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Romances with infidelity.
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Memoirs or biographies.
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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.
