Agent Spotlight: Lauren MacLeod

This week's Agent Spotlight features Lauren MacLeod of The Strothman Agency, LLC.
Status: Open to submissions.

About: “Lauren MacLeod joined the Strothman Agency in 2007 after graduating cum laude from Emerson College with a BFA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. She lives in Nashville, TN, and tweets under @Lauren_MacLeod.
"Lauren’s primary interests are young adult fiction and nonfiction, middle-grade novels, as well as highly polished literary fiction and narrative nonfiction.” (Link)
She also handles subsidiary rights for the agency.
About the Agency:
“The Strothman Agency is a highly selective literary agency dedicated to advocating for books that matter. The Strothman Agency was founded in 2003 by Wendy Strothman, the former Publisher of Trade & Reference books at Houghton Mifflin (now Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and the Publisher at Beacon Press.
"The Strothman Agency offers our clients extensive inside experience and knowledge of both the editorial and business aspects of publishing. We stay involved throughout the entire publishing process and help clients think long term, to shape successful careers.” (Link)
Web Presence:
The Strothman Agency website.
Publisher’s Marketplace page.
Twitter.
JacketFlap.
AgentQuery, QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction, literary fiction, and narrative nonfiction.
"Looking for: Young adult & middle grade in every subgenre. She loves books for and about lost people, and well-drawn, complex, flawed characters. She is particularly searching for #ownvoices (#ownvoice queries that use the hashtag in the subject line of their email will be prioritized) and inclusive, diverse narratives as well as multifaceted female characters or feminist themes, and QUILTBAG representation.
"Fiction can shape the way people view the world and make us more empathetic. To that end, she is searching for books with themes that speak to the current political environment. She is especially interested in YA books that deal with immigration, income inequality, racism, abortion, authoritarian governments, climate change, and civil rights." (Link)
See Ms. MacLeod's Manuscript Wish List for detailed information on what she is looking for.
From an Interview (12/2010):
“I’m really hungry for well-written contemporary YA without any fantasy or paranormal elements. I’ve seen a lot of manuscripts in the last year or two about teenagers who can read minds, open magic portals, or talk to ghosts. I think those stories are fascinating, but I’m increasingly interested in reading manuscripts with situations and characters that readers can relate to.” (Link)
What She Isn't Looking For:
Picture books, chapter books, early readers,  or adult fiction, romance, science fiction, mysteries, and thrillers
Quotables:
"A great story with dynamic writing will always be relevant. Write good books, don’t worry about trends." (Link)
Editorial Agent?
Yes.
Clients:
You can find a list of clients on the agency website. Ms. MacLeod’s clients include: Hélène Boudreau, The Barbara Cooney Estate, Aminah Mae Safi, Sashi Kaufman, Robert Lettrick, Jodi Meadows, Dr. Rachel Hez, Steven Hale, Helene Dunbar, American Girls podcast hosts Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney, Alan and Claire Linic, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Send a query letter outlining your qualifications and experience, a synopsis, the genre and word count of your manuscript, and the first ten pages in the body of an e-mail. No attachments. You should receive an auto-response upon receipt.
Please see the Strothman Agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
The agency response time is four weeks. If you do not receive a response within this time period, they are not interested in reading more.
What's the Buzz?
Lauren has an active presence on Twitter and is popular with aspiring authors. Her clients are very loyal and happy in her hands. Her sales seem modest but balanced with her selective client list. Writers of realistic MG/YA fiction should definitely take note!
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Guest Posts:
Lauren MacLeod and Holly Bodger Guest Post at Literary Rambles (05/2015).
Query.Sign.Submit with Lauren MacLeod at I Write for Apples (06/2014).
Agent Chat transcript with Lauren MacLeod at WriteOn (05/2011).
Agent Advice Interview with Lauren MacLeod at Guide to Literary Agents (12/2010).
Around the Web:
Successful Queries: Agent Lauren MacLeod and “Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings” at Guide to Literary Agents (12/2010).
Lauren MacLeod was a Secret Agent for Miss Snark's First Victim's blog; follow the link and then locate the entries for that month (July 2009) to see her comments on each entry as well as her chosen winners.
Contact:
Please see The Strothman Agency website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/14/2020.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 5/19/2020.

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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 and/or teen 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.