How to Submit
Please read each of their bios (on our Meet the Agents page) before submitting to decide who is the most appropriate agent for you. Do not send your query to multiple agents at SDLA. If you have submitted to an SDLA agent and she has passed, please do not submit the same project to other agents at SDLA, unless the SDLA agent who passed has invited you to do so. Please note that none of the agents at SDLA represent any screenplays.
To submit your project to an SDLA agent, use the following links or email addresses.
Sandra Dijkstra: Only open to queries which are solicited or come via referral. At this time, she is taking on new clients infrequently. QueryMe.Online/DijkstraCapron
Elise Capron: Only open to queries which are solicited or come via referral. QueryMe.Online/DijkstraCapron
Jill Marr: QueryManager.com/JillMarr
Thao Le: QueryMe.Online/thaole
Jessica Watterson: Queryme.online/jessicawatterson
Jennifer Kim: http://QueryManager.com/JenniferKim Jennifer will be open to submissions during the first week of every month.
Jake Lovell: QueryManager.com/jakelovell Jake is currently closed to submissions.
If you have a general submission question, you may email: queries@dijkstraagency.com
We read all query letters and make every effort to respond. However, because of the high volume of unsolicited submissions we receive, there are times when we are only able to respond to those queries in which we are interested. If you have not heard back from us six weeks after sending your letter, you may assume that we have passed. (If you have sent an unsolicited submission to an SDLA agent who is not open to such submissions, please understand that you may not receive a response.)
What to include in your submission package:
The QueryManager portal (links above) will list exactly what you need to submit to each agent.
Below are general guidelines about what you should have prepared to send to an agent, for different types of projects:
Fiction: A query letter, a 1-page synopsis, a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history), and the first 10-15 pages of your manuscript.
Non-fiction: A query letter and a book proposal. A non-fiction book proposal should include:
- Overview (1-3 pages)
- Author Bio
- Length and Delivery Date
- 5-10 Takeaways (the key selling points of your book)
- Comparative Titles (analyzing 5-8 comparable books that have been published in the past 10 years, with 1-3 sentences on why that book was successful and what that book did NOT cover, which yours will)
- Target Market/Audience
- Marketing Plan
- Chapter Outline (with a few sentences describing each chapter)
- 1-2 Sample Chapters
Please send all items in the body of the email, not as an attachment. It is important to note that there is not one exact “right way” to organize a proposal. These are sample guidelines of the most important sections to include. There are many resources available online to help you craft a dynamic, selling non-fiction proposal, and we encourage you to research them, as they will give you further insight into what each of these sections should contain.
Picture Book Writers: A query letter, a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history), and full manuscript text.
Illustrators with dummy: A query letter, a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history), full manuscript text, full dummy (in pdf format as an attachment) that includes 1-2 color samples, and link to online portfolio.
Submission tips:
Please review our agents' profiles (on our Meet the Agents page) to select the agent for whom your project is most appropriate, and send it to her attention. Make your submission to only one agent at our agency.
Be sure to include all of your contact details (email address and phone number), so that we are able to reach you if we are interested in your project or if we have a question.
If you have relevant writing experience (articles, books), and/or have received writing awards, please include details in your cover letter. If you have been referred to us, please be sure to include that information in your cover letter.