Agent Spotlight: Sarah Burnes

This week's Agent Spotlight features Sarah Burnes of The Gernert Company.
Status: Open to submissions.
About: “Sarah began her career on the editorial side of publishing, first at Houghton Mifflin, then in the Knopf Group, and last at Little, Brown. She became an agent in 2001, joining The Gernert Company in 2005. As an editor, she acquired and edited literary fiction and non-fiction, and as an agent, she has added children's fiction to her list. Sarah sits on the board of non-profit progressive publisher the New Press and her writing has appeared on The Paris Review's blog. She lives with her husband and three children in Brooklyn." (From the agency website)
About the Agency:
“The Gernert Company is a full-service literary agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Our client list is as broad as the market: we represent fiction, both literary and commercial, for a wide range of readers; general nonfiction, including history, politics, journalism, science, technology, business, memoir, and more; practical nonfiction including health & wellness, lifestyle, cooking, and design; children's literature from early to young adult readers; graphic novels & comics. As of 2021, we also represent podcasters, both writers moving into the space and creators native to it. We sell domestic, foreign, and subsidiary rights for our clients, frequently partnering with co-agents in a wide range of international markets as well as in the film/TV industry.

The Gernert Company was founded in 1996 by David Gernert after he left his post as Editor-in-Chief of Doubleday to become an agent. The agency currently represents more than 400 authors." (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
The Gernert Company website.
AgentQuery.
QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Fiction: Literary fiction, commercial fiction, middle grade, young adult.
Non-Fiction: Adventure / true story.
“She is always on the lookout for sharp, original voices.” (Link)
What She Isn't Looking For:
Picture books, screenplays. (Info via e-mail)
Editorial Agent?
She requests revisions from her clients as needed.
Clients:
See the agency website.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
E-mail a query letter and one chapter to info@thegernertco.com. Indicate the agent that you are querying in your query letter.
See the Gernert Company website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
The agency only responds if interested, usually within four to six weeks.
Ms. Burnes’ response time on requested material ranges from a couple weeks to a couple months.
What's the Buzz?
First an editor for Houghton Miffin, then Knopf, and finally Little, Brown, Sarah Burnes became an agent in 2001, joining The Gernert Company in 2005.  She has an amazing client list, and her clients seem really happy with her representation.
There isn’t much information available regarding her particular tastes but a look at her clients (Gayle Foreman, Alyssa Sheinmel, Margaret Stohl, Pseudonymous Bosch, Adam Gidwitz, etc.) suggests an interest in contemporary and fantasy. 
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Posts:

Q&A With Sarah Enni (02/2019)
Q&A With Sarah Burnes at Kirkus (12/2015)
Agent Interview With Sarah Burnes Podcast at YallFest 2015 (12/2014
Around the Web:
Check out the agency “News” page for client news and happenings.
Contact:
Please see The Gernert Company website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 1/16/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 1/23/12.
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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.