Agent Spotlight: Kristin Nelson

This week's Agent Spotlight features Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency, LLC.
Status: Closed to submissions except for referrals but her agency page says she hopes to open to queries soon. Please check the agency website to find out when she opens to submissions.

About: “My goal as an agent is simple: I want every client of mine to make a living solely from writing and 90% of my authors do without help from any other source of income. I established Nelson Literary Agency, LLC, in 2002 and over the last decade+ of my career, I’ve represented over forty New York Times bestselling titles and many USA Today bestsellers. Although I’m a very nice Midwesterner, I’ve heard through the grapevine that editors call me “a hard-working bulldog agent that will fight for you.” What a compliment!
"When not busy selling books, I’m quite sporty. I enjoy tennis, pickle ball, and golf. I also love playing Bridge (where surprisingly I’m not the youngest person playing). My book club has been reading great non-NLA books together for 25+ years. (From the agency website)
"You can also read about my latest sales at Publishers Marketplace.” (Link)
About the Agency:
Nelson Literary Agency was founded in 2002 and is based in the chic/hip urban setting of lower Downtown Denver—otherwise known as Lodo. Embodying a modern philosophy that technology is meant to be used, the Nelson Agency is a living example that a powerhouse agency does not have to be located in New York.
We are a hands-on agency that strongly believes in taking on clients for their whole career. We provide editorial and marketing guidance as well as aggressive expertise in contract negotiation. (Via email)

Web Presence:
Nelson Literary website.
Pubrants (Old blog).
Publisher’s Marketplace page.
Twitter.
#mswl on Twitter.
Facebook.
AgentQuery, QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
From the Nelson Lit Website:

• Literary/commercial novels that tackle timely issues and uncomfortable or complicated relationship dynamics and leave the reader grappling long after the last page is read (Intermezzo, Little Fires Everywhere, All Adults Here)
• High-concept, character-driven novels with one foot squarely in genre (Wool, Bird Box, Station 11)
• Absolutely delightful and emotionally engaging novels that can be read over and over again because experiencing that world and those characters is a joy (Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Wedding People, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Less)
• Character-driven novels in the thriller, speculative, or science fiction and fantasy realm that illuminate the world we live in through the lens of an imagined world (The Fifth Season, Mexican Gothic, The Maid, The Thursday Night Murder Club)
• Historical novels that feature a narrative voice and story that is under-represented in history or a story never before told (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Downstairs Girl)
• Young-adult novels that pack a serious or a delightful emotional punch delivered in a contemporary setting, #ownvoices, or in a past, future, or imagined world
• I am not currently looking at submissions for middle-grade novels or picture books.
• Please do not send me the following: memoir, nonfiction, screenplays, short-story collections, poetry, or material for the Christian/inspirational market 

What She Isn't Looking For:
Nonfiction, picture books, early reader chapter books, memoir, screenplays, short-story collections, poetry, Christian/inspirational; She is currently not looking for middle grade. (From the agency website)
Editorial Agent?
Yes.
Clients:
A list of Nelson Literary clients can be found on the website.
Ms. Nelson’s clients include: Ms. Nelson’s clients include: JD Barker, Gail Carriger, Ally Carter, Jana DeLeon, Simone Elkeles, Jamie Ford, Hugh Howey, Stacey Lee, Marie Lu, Josh Malerman, Scott Reintgen, and Sherry Thomas.
Query Methods: Ms. Nelson is closed to submissions except for referrals.
E-mail: No.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
See the Nelson Literary website for complete up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tips:
There are Query Dos and Don’ts listed in this interview at WOW.
Response Times:
Three weeks for queries and two months for full manuscripts
What's the Buzz?
Ms. Nelson is a highly respected literary agent.  She’s shed tremendous light on the publishing industry via her blog, Pub Rants, and continues to educate writers and industry professionals on a weekly basis.  She’s a member of the AAR.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Guest Posts:

Podcast on Choosing a Literary Agent at This Is Horror (02/2024).

Interview at Writer's Digest (05/2018)
Literary Agents and the Hybrid Author at Jane Friedman (08/2016).
Fast Five with Kristin Nelson at Bookshelf Detective (09/2015).
Kristin Nelson and Stacey Lee Guest Post at Literary Rambles (03/2015).
Blog Posts:
Ms. Nelson had one of the best industry blogs around, and I’d be listing posts for days if I tried to highlight the particularly helpful. Check out the sidebar on her blog, Pub Rants, where she’s linked all her Agent 101 posts, Client Queries that Worked, Submission Pitch Letters to Editors, and an entire Query Pitch Workshop. If you have a question about publishing or her agenting style, it’s likely she’s covered it at some point. Check the labels for archived posts. I also recommend that you subscribe to her newsletter.
Contact:
Please see the Nelson Literary website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 1/7/2025.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent?  5/21/2020
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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 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.