Literary Agent Steven Salpeter
An intuitive working process
Steven is actively looking for commercial fiction and nonfiction authors whose work will be attractive for Film/TV adaptation.
“My mission is to make all authors’ lives better, and to help make the professional lives of my writers I work with particularly great.”
“Let’s cultivate an open culture where we can talk about our expectations and work together to make your writing life better.”
- Eye for Talent
- Hands on Attention for Every Client
- Relationship with Editors at Top Publishing Houses
The Assemble Advantage
Film/TV, Literary and IP creation company with significant resources
Why settle for less? You can have individual attention from and also have the resources including successful Film/TV sales, business services, and other important areas of the writing business.
Individual attention on your writing and business
Literary agent Steven Salpeter works collaboratively with his clients. He shares information, and strives to empower his clients during the publishing process.
Ready to Submit?
You can reach out or follow up here:
How to sell your next book to publishers, or book-to-Film/TV
Steven’s query process is simple and straight forward. He accepts submissions via the online form only. He will review your query within three weeks, and if he is interested he will send you a response
Have you received an offer of representation from a literary agent? Do you have other burning news related to your writing career? Feel free to follow up with Steven using the Get in Touch form.
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FAQs
What will make my query stand out?
A good story well told will always stand out.
Other than that, a good query establishes the most compelling qualities of the work. For a novel, a good query should set up the main characters and what is at stake for them as soon as possible.
For non-fiction, the market is extremely competitive, and authors should strive to establish the following in the query: the voice, why a reader will be compelled to read the work, and a bit about either how they will appeal to a broad audience or how their writing will be brilliant in niche.
If an author is experimenting with voice, form, or style, it would be helpful to know any inspirations.
Additionally, please be sure to include your genre, word count, and whether or not the work will be your debut.
What kind of clients do you work with?
Currently, Steven Salpeter is looking for authors writing literary fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, young adult, narrative nonfiction, gift books, history, humor, and popular science. He will also consider writers blending two or more of these styles favorably, and does not shy away from writing that is ambitious in voice, form, or style.
Steven Salpeter also works with many literary estates, and is looking to selectively expand his list in this area as well.
What is your turn around time?
Steven Salpeter typically responds to queries in three weeks, and will respond to all queries that interest him within eight weeks.
How long should my sample be?
Please attach a short sample in Word format. “Short” is relative to the length of your work, of course.
If you are working on nonfiction or illustrated work and have written a book proposal, please attach the full proposal.
What People Are Saying About Steven Salpeter:
“I knew from our very first phone call that Steven was the best literary agent and champion for my work. His pitch perfect understanding of both the themes and characters amazed me, and continues to do so — it’s as if he’s in my head, sorting through the chaos, helping me push at the edges to make the story more rich and lush. He consistently goes above and beyond, and he found me the absolute perfect editor for my debut. Submission is such a daunting experience, and he made the entire thing feel like an exciting team effort, always happy to answer my questions and ready to celebrate or commiserate as the case required. I’ve felt in such capable hands from signing to submission to contract negotiation. I’m free to focus entirely on my writing, knowing Steven has my back. I can’t imagine any other writer being so lucky! He might very well be the best literary agent in the world.”
Joanna Hathaway, author of the DARK OF THE WEST series forthcoming 2018 from Tor Teen (Macmillan)“You’ll be a great success in this business, I can tell. Everyone I run into speaks so highly of you — and you look like a young David Leveraux, which I think is a very good sign.”
Stephan Eirik Clark, author of SWEETNESS #9 (Little, Brown 2014)“Steven is the voice every author wants to hear on the other end of the line (and yes, he actually returns calls). He’s encouraging and positive while remaining honest. He has great taste and instincts, and believes in championing diverse stories and authors. With Steven’s encouragement, I went from writing adult fiction to YA fiction, a transition that benefited from his support and creative feedback.”
Abdi Nazemian, Lambda Award Winning author of THE WALK-IN CLOSET, and a new novel coming 2017 from Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)“Thank you so much! I couldn’t be more excited about these notes. They’re comprehensive, comprehensible, incredibly astute, and I agree with them almost across the board[…]. Thanks again for your kind words and excellent notes, and for understanding the spirit of the novel and the characters so completely.”
Forrest Leo, author of THE GENTLEMAN (Penguin Press 2016)“Rewriting can be painful. Writers tend to see the process in collaboration with others the same way the Emperor considered Mozart: ‘Too many notes.’ It can feel like being nibbled to death by ducks. Steven’s notes on ‘AMP’D’ were thoughtful and to the point; he was quite correct in wanting ‘more’ in some areas of the manuscript and equally insightful in his cuts and pacing notes. And always, his genuine enthusiasm for the material was evident.”
Ken Pisani, author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller AMP'D (St. Martin's Press/Macmillan 2016)Want to reach out for another reason?
You can reach out or follow up with Steven Salpeter here: