Status: Open to submissions.
About: “Joanna Volpe has been a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, an editorial assistant with independent publisher Blue Martin Publications, an assistant and junior agent at FinePrint Literary Management and a full-time agent with Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation, all before starting her own company: New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. She has worked on a number of exciting projects, including Kody Keplinger’s The DUFF, Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow & Bone, Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy, Sandy Williams’ Shadow Reader series, Shelby Bach’s Ever Afters: Of Giants and Ice, and Sarah Frances Hardy’s picture book, Puzzled by Pink. For a full list of the New Leaf projects, go here. What she is most excited for right now is working with her amazing team at New Leaf. The company is off to a strong start, and they are looking to sign on more wonderful talent!” (Link defunct) About the Agency:
“We are a passionate agency with a relentless focus on building our clients’ careers. Our approach is big picture, offering a one-stop shop built without silos and access to a variety of services including international sales, film and television, and branding resources for all clients. Our aim is to challenge conformity and re-imagine the marketplace while equipping our clients with the tools necessary to navigate an evolving landscape and succeed.” (Link)
Web Presence:
New Leaf website.
New Leaf Facebook.
New Leaf Twitter.
New Leaf Pinterest.
Publisher's Marketplace Page.
Twitter.
AAR.
AgentQuery, QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
“Joanna represents all brands of fiction (commercial, literary and genre) and has a soft spot for speculative and/or fantastical elements. On the non-fiction side she tends toward all things geek-related, general pop-culture, pop-science and narrative non-fiction featuring interesting and powerful women. Across the board, she’s looking for anything that highlights under-represented voices, both real and fictional.” (Link)
You can find out more about what she's looking for on her Manuscript Wish List.
What She ISN'T Looking For:
“Joanna is NOT looking for: chapter books, text-only picture book submissions, hard science fiction.” (Link defunct)
Her Advice to Writers:
"Remember that everything you write is important, even the stories that will never see the light of day. Each one you learn from and it gets you to the next. It's okay to put something in the trunk to work on something else. Every author I know has trunked stories." (Link)
Editorial Agent?
"Once I sign someone, I ALWAYS do another pass of the book before sending it out. So far, I have yet to sign anyone that has had the perfect manuscript. I am working with a lot of debut authors, but even my more experienced clients appreciate (at least, I think they do!) a polished revision before going out. I want to send it out in the best shape it can be." (Link defunct)
Clients: There is a list of clients on the agency website. Ms. Volpe's clients include Leigh Bardugo, Veronica Roth, Eric Etkin, Maple Lam, Realm Lovejoy, Kody Keplinger, Amber McRee Turner, Lee Nichols, Veronica Roth, Allan Woodrow, Sarah Frances Hardy, Lynne Kelly, Monica Vavra, Amy Lukavics, Loretta Nyhan, Adam Watkins, Lori Nichols, Shelley Moore Thomas, Shelby Bach, April Genevieve Tucholke, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
- "Send query to query@newleafliterary.com. Please do not query via phone.
- The word “Query” must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name, ie – Subject: Query, Suzie Townsend. Please also include the category (ie, PB, chapter book, MG, YA, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, etc.)
- You may include up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email
- NO ATTACHMENTS, unless specifically requested
- Include all necessary contact information
- You will receive an auto-response confirming receipt of your query
Please see the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tip:
"The query letter is very important, but I’m not the kind of agent that will reject because of a spelling error or two…I’m more concerned about the story. […] If a query really conveys the tone of the story or the voice of the protagonist, I tend to get more excited about it. If it’s kind of standard but the premise is really cool, I might request some sample pages. But if it’s too brief or too long or unfocused, I most likely will be passing." (Link defunct)
Response Times:
The agency only responds if interested.
What's the Buzz?
Joanna has a fantastic list of clients and sales and is popular among aspiring authors for her generosity in doing contests, critiques, and giveaways. She founded New Leaf Literary in June of 2012. Follow her on Twitter.
Worth Your Time
Interviews:
Interview with Agent Joanna Volpe Podcast at 88 Cups of Tea (Date unknown)
How Do You Become an Agent with Joanna Volpe at Bustle (01/2017).
Agent Interview with Joanna Volpe at Amy Newman (04/2014).
Agent Interview: Joanna Volpe at Alexa Donne (01/2014).
Agent Joanna Volpe - The Pre-#LA13SCBWI Conference Interviews at I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? (05/2013).
Agent Joanna Volpe, president of New Leaf Media at Honestly YA (06/2012).
Introducing Joanna Volpe! at Pub(lishing) Crawl (01/2012).
Interview with Joanna Volpe at Renae Mercado's blog (09/2010).
7 Questions For: Literary Agent Joanna Volpe at Middle Grade Ninja (07/2010).
Audio Interview with Joanna Stampfel-Volpe at AuthorMagazine (01/2010).
Guest Posts
Why Literary Agent Joanna Volpe Loves Middle Grade at Middle Grade Ninja (03/2013).
How to Determine Your Author Fee at Pub(lishing) Crawl (08/2012).
The DOJ Settlement and Why We Should Care at Pub(lishing) Crawl (07/2012).
The Truth and Nothing but the Truth on Promotion and Publicity for Debut Authors at Pub(lishing) Crawl (05/2012).
NARB or Just Read! at Pub(lishing) Crawl (04/2012).
Bologna Book Fair for Beginners at Pub(lishing) Crawl (03/2012).
The Changing Role of the Literary Agent at Pub(lishing) Crawl (02/2012).
Around the Web:
CONFERENCE 2013: Joanna Volpe, "The Dreaded Synopsis" at The Official SCBWI Blog (04/2013).
Synopsis Tips from Agent Joanna Volpe, Part 1 at Writing While the Rice Boils (05/2011
Synopsis Tips from Agent Joanna Volpe, Part 2 at Writing While the Rice Boils (05/2011
Contact:
Please see the New Leaf website and Ms. Volpe’s Publishers Marketplace page for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 6/6/2020.
Client Contacted for Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent: 09/12/10.
***
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.
18 comments:
Thank you for a very thorough analysis of an amazing, driven agent! I'll be querying her in a few months!! I always appreciate the info and links you present for each agent, Casey!
I simply LOVE Jo! Anyone who has her as an agent is uber-lucky!
She's on my list -- and sounds fantastic -- so I intend to read each and every link you have here. Thanks so much for another great Spotlight!
Thorough as usual! Great job. Joanna's definitely been on my radar as an excellent agent.
Very interesting. You are incredibly thorough.
Jo is an absolute sweetheart. Thanks for posting about her! Would love to have you feature Brendan Deneen. (He's pretty amazing too...)
Well done, as always. Thanks.
And congrats on being noted in Jill Corcoran's blog Jan. 1 as a good resource for agent research!
I heart Joanna. She requested a partial from me and even though she passed, she gave helpful feedback. Timely responses, professional but warm, and always seemed sincere. She gets two big thumbs up on my favorite agent list.
My blog
I'm just amazed at the amount of work you put into this feature. You truly deserve the reputation you're gaining as an agent resource.
During the short time I got to know Joanna when I interviewed her, I was so impressed. She's an incredibly nice person and anyone who has her for an agent is VERY lucky.
I've been in a writing group with Jo for two years and she absolutely deserves all the positive buzz. She is not only a master of the craft, but she's responsive, considerate, and wise.
I love your agent spotlights. I'm going to a SCBWI conference tomorrow and ended up here b/c Jen Rofe (agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency) is one of the speakers.
Great blog, I've added it to my reader. I'll be back.
Joanna is fast. She requested a partial within 48 hours (yea!) and rejected it within one month (boo!)
Thanks for all the great comments, everyone. I love Jo too. Isn't she fab?!
I just updated her profile, so it's all linked up with the new website, blog, and other recent stuff.
Ms. Volpe has reviewed her profile.
Thanks for all your awesome research, Casey! I just noticed an update on the Nancy Coffey website: "Joanna is closed to all submissions as of Dec. 1, 2011. She will re-open to queries in the late spring."
Thank you, Winter (love your name!). I've put a note on Ms. Volpe's profile.
I noticed this hasn't been updated in a bit. She is now starting a new agency called New Leaf Literary. I can't find much about it, any news that you've heard?
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