Submissions

Graphic from Unterzakhn,
© 2012 Leela Corman

Wales Literary Agency represents quality works of narrative nonfiction and fiction. The Agency is especially interested in story-driven narratives, new voices, and progressive cultural points of view.

The agency does not represent self-help, how-to, children’s books, romance, genre in general (including mysteries), or screenplays.

Clients live across the country and overseas, with a core group coming from the Northwest, Alaska, and the West Coast.

Please note: The agency is currently open to submissions by referral only.

“There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method.”

—Moby-Dick; or, The Whale,
by Herman Melville

“We practice wonder by resisting the temptation to hurry past things worth seeing, but it can take work to transcend our preconceived standards for what that worth might be. In the disturbed urban landscape, this is particularly challenging. Unless we happen into a zoo, or unless something goes badly awry, we are not normally going to be seeing bears, cougars, or even deer. Without the hope of a meaningful sighting to keep us on our toes, our watching must delve one layer, or several, deeper. This is one of the blessings of the urban nature project: without the overly magnificent to stop us in our tracks, we must seek out the more subversively magnificent. Our sense of what constitutes wildness is expanded, and our sense of wonder along with it.”

—Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness, Copyright © 2009 by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long before I receive a response to my query?

One to three weeks.

What is your response time for requested manuscripts or work?

Usually within two to three months.

How should I format my manuscript?

Double spaced, in an easy-to-read font, and please include contact information somewhere on the manuscript or cover letter.

May I submit to Wales Agency while also submitting to other agencies?

Yes, multiple submissions are okay. However, please be transparent—keep us and any other agent reading your work “in the loop.”

Why was my query returned?

Our decisions reflect on the agency’s business needs, reading interests, and enthusiasms. Also, we can only take up work for which we have the time. Please do not expect us to provide detailed comments in response to queries—it is simply not possible.

What are your policies on commissions and other business policies?

They are in keeping with AALA guidelines and its Canon of Ethics.