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  • Agent Spotlights & Interviews have been updated through the letter "K" as of 3/28/2024 and many have been reviewed by the agents. Look for more information as I find the time to update more agent spotlights.

Agent Spotlight: Marianne Merola

This week's Agent Spotlight features Marianne Merola of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.
Status: Open to submissions.
About: "Marianne Merola co-ordinates a global network of foreign co-agents charged with licensing the work of the agency’s authors to a worldwide audience. She values strong and unique narrative voices and domestically represents bestselling and award-winning writers of compelling fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. Query by email only." (Link)
About the Agency:
“Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. is a full-service literary agency whose work representing authors’ interests has spanned most of the 20th century and continues in this digital age. We aim to give our select list of clients every benefit of our experience and expertise in shaping their writing projects, negotiating their contracts, and increasing their visibility throughout the world.
“Founded by Carl Brandt as an adjunct to the Mary Kirkpatrick Dramatic Agency around 1913, the agency’s original roster of literary clients included the bestselling authors of the time. A succession of family members culminating in Carl Brandt’s son, Carl D. Brandt, expanded the firm to Brandt & Brandt Literary Agents, Inc. In 2001, Gail Hochman became president of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. Currently, our staff of senior agents and developing younger agents handles a wide-ranging roster of writers in numerous genres, from literary fiction and memoir to mystery and thriller to history/biography and narrative non-fiction, as well as children’s books. We represent classic titles which have been in print for decades as well as a list featuring 40 to 50 new titles each year.” (Link)
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties: Children's middle grade and young adult, adult literary fiction, and narrative and engaging non-fiction. (Link)
Editorial Agent?
Unknown.
Web Presence:
Brandt and Hochman website.AAR member.
AgentQuery, QueryTracker.
Clients:
Ron Carlson, Judy Gelman, Heather Gudenkauf, Tim Johnston, Vicki Levy Krupp, Kerry Madden, Joyce Maynard, Heather Millar, Shannon Moffett, Sunshine O'Donnell, Patricia Williams, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes.
Snail-Mail: No..
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
E-mail:  Query only.
Response Times:
Unknown.
What's the Buzz?
In line with the agency as a whole, Ms. Merola’s web presence is minimal. However, Brandt & Hochman is a well-respected agency and Ms. Merola, a member of the AAR, is an established agent in the business with many sales under her belt.  Her clients seem happy with her representation. 
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
None that I could find online.
Contact:
Please see the agency website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 3/16/11
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes
Last Reviewed by Agent:  N/A
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

10 comments:

Tana said...

Perfect for me, I'm going to check her out! Thanx.

Tara McClendon said...

How disappointing that they don't have a better web presence. Thanks for doing the research, so we could learn a bit more about Marianne.

MG Higgins said...

Fantastic. Love your informative posts.

Unknown said...

I love the Agent Spotlights - thanks!

Casey Something said...

Thanks for stopping by everyone! Good luck with Ms. Merola if you query her, T. Anne!

Samantha Clark said...

I love these agent spotlights. Thanks, Casey

Anna said...

Thanks again for another fabulous spotlight, Casey!

Alicia said...

Thanks for much for posting this. I sent Marianne a query based on your post and she sent this sincere and professional response:

"Thank you for writing to me about your novel. I'd be glad to take a look at the first 100 pages of the manuscript to see if I think that I can be of help to you on it.

Please send the material via regular mail (instead of email) and be sure to enclose return postage if you'd like it returned to you. I'll try to be as prompt as possible with my reply.

In the meantime, I look forward to reading your work."

If we end up working together, I'll owe a big chunk of that to you. Thanks, Casey! I love your rambles.

Casey Something said...

That's fabulous Alicia! Best wishes to you. I hope Marianne loves it. Do let me know how it turns out!

Unknown said...

Hi Casey, I know this entry is a few years old, but I thought I'd let you know that Brandt & Hockman does have a website now, at http://brandthochman.com. Thanks for all you do.