Agent Spotlight: Laurie McLean

This week's Agent Spotlight features Laurie McLean of Fuse Literary.
Status: Ms. McLean is closed to submissions except for referrals and conference requests or online events like #PitMad and #MSWL.
About: “Founding Partner Laurie McLean spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity agency and 8 years as an agent and senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco.
"Following her stint as the CEO of a successful Silicon Valley public relations agency bearing her name, Laurie was able to switch gears in 2002 to immerse herself in writing. She penned three manuscripts before deciding that the life of a literary agent was her destiny. Laurie has been writing professionally since high school–first as a journalist, then as a public relations agent, finally as a novelist. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master’s Degree at Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism.
"At Fuse Literary, Laurie specializes in middle grade, young adult, and adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror, etc.). She does not handle non-fiction, or commercial, literary or women’s fiction, nor does she handle children’s picture books or graphic novels.
"Laurie’s clients include the New York Times and international bestselling YA author Julie Kagawa, epic fantasy bestseller Brian D. Anderson, award-winning steampunk and fantasy author Pip Ballantine, and the award-winning Linda Wisdom, who has had more than 100 romance novels published in her career.
"Laurie is also the Director of the San Francisco Writers Conference, held every President’s Day weekend. And she co-founded two ePublishing companies with two of her client partners: Joyride Books for vintage out-of-print romance books with Linda Wisdom; and Ambush Books for out-of-print classic tween and teen books with Douglas Rees (which was sold to Fuse Literary’s Short Fuse Publishing).
"For more on Laurie, check out her blog at agentsavant.com, follow her on Twitter @agentsavant, and visit her Facebook page at Facebook.com/laurie.mclean.” (Link)
About the Agency:
"Fuse manages a wide variety of clients, from bestsellers to debut authors, working with fiction and non-fiction for children and adults worldwide. We combine technical efficiency with outside-the-covers creative thinking so that each individual client’s career is specifically fine-tuned for them.
"We blend the tried-and-true methods of traditional publishing with the brash new opportunities engendered by digital publishing, emerging technologies, and an evolving author-agent relationship.
"We realize that our ongoing success directly results from that of our clients, so we remain at their side to cultivate and strategize throughout the many lives of each book, both before and after the initial sale." (Link)Web Presence:
Fuse Literary Website.Publisher’s Marketplace page.
Agent Savant (Her old blog).
Fuse Literary Blog.
Twitter.
Tumblr.
Facebook.   
QueryTracker.
AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
Middle grade, young adult, and adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror, etc.)
See her Manuscript Wish List to learn more about what she's looking for.
What She Isn't Looking For:
Non-fiction, or commercial, literary or women’s fiction, children’s picture books, graphic novels, poetry, or screenplays
Editorial Agent?
“I have been an editor most of my professional career, so I believe I can always help an author make a book even better.” (Link)
Clients:
A list of current clients is available the Fuse Literary Website.
Ms McLean's clients include Julie Kagawa, Brian Anderson, Melissa Savage, Douglas Rees, Heather Petty, Pip Ballantine, David M. Flanagan, J.M. Frey, Heather Hiestand/Heather Redmond, Lisa Kessler, T.J. Nicholas, Kimberly Unger, O.G. Rev, Carol Wolf, among others.
Query Methods: N/A Ms. McLean is closed to submissions except as noted above.E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Please see the submissions page at the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Policy:
N/A
What's the Buzz?
Anyone who reads even a fraction of the interviews and posts listed below can see that Ms. McLean is an extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and proactive literary agent. Her clients seem happy with her representation and she is actively making deals with a variety of large, midsize, and e-publishers.  She has proven mindful of conflicts of interest in the structuring of her two epub companies and is keeping a careful eye on the evolving publishing landscape.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
Q&A with Agent Laurie McLean at Scribe (06/2017).
Q&A with Agent Laurie McLean at Jane Friedman (02/2016).
7 Questions for Literary Agent Laurie McLean at Middle Grade Ninja (06/2013).
First Five Frenzy with Laurie McLean of Larsen Pomada Literary Agents at Chasing the Crazies (02/2013).
Laurie McLean: Literary Agents in the New Publishing Era at The Fictorian Era (06/2012).
The AUTHORNOMICS Interview Series with Laurie McLean at the Andrea Hurst & Associates blog (06/2011).
Q&A with Agent Laurie McLean at Scribe (03/2011).
The Indie Publishing Option, an interview with Laurie McLean at Ask the Agent (03/2011).
Interview with Laurie McLean, Literary Agent at Wanna Be Lit Agent (03/2011).
Laurie McLean on Genre Fiction at Ask the Agent (02/2010).
Blog Stuff:
Read the archives and subscribe to Ms. McLean’s blog, Agent Savant.
Laurie McClean's Crystal Ball, guest post at Anne R. Allen's blog (01/2020)
Why You Don't Need a Literary Agent (but You Might Want One) guest post at Anne R. Allen's blog (01/2015)
Agent Secrets–Do Writers Need an Agent in the New Publishing Paradigm? at Kristen Lamb’s blog (01/2013).
Laurie McLean’s Crystal Ball, guest post at Anne R. Allen’s blog (11/2012).
Podcast / Video:
Friday Interview with Laurie McLean via YARebels (04/2012).
Laurie McLean - Young Adult Fiction: Breaking Down the Market via Author Learning Center (11/2011).
Laurie McLean - Agent Communication via Author Learning Center (09/2011).
Literary Agent Laurie McLean Tells All! (08/2010).
Poscast Interview with Agent Laurie McLean at Tale Chasing (12/2009).
Contact:
Please see the Fuse Literary website  for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/18/2020.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent? 5/18/2020.
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiguirre7(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.