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  • Agent Spotlights & Interviews have been updated through the letter "K" as of 3/28/2024 and many have been reviewed by the agents. Look for more information as I find the time to update more agent spotlights.

Agent Spotlight: Hannah Bowman

This week's Agent Spotlight features Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates.
Status: Closed to submissions.
hannah-bowmanAbout: Hannah Bowman joined Liza Dawson Associates as an agent in 2011. She graduated from Cornell University in 2009, earning a B.A. in English and mathematics. While a student, she spent four summers working in particle physics at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter, where she is also pursuing an MA in Religious Studies. (From the agency website)
About the Agency:
" Our seven agents are supported by a strong team that sells audio, foreign, licensing and television and film rights.

We have offices in New York City and Los Angeles, and have subagents all over the world.

We represent big commercial fiction and literary fiction. In nonfiction, we want to make the world a better place and are drawn to narratives that explore life’s complexities. We represent books for (almost) all ages. Some of them are award winners, several are New York Times bestsellers…and if they aren’t, many deserve to be.

It’s thrilling when we sign up a talented debut novelist, work with them for a few months and then place them with a passionate editor. It’s equally exciting to relaunch a much-published writer. We spend considerable time helping our nonfiction writers craft their proposals.

We’re talent hunters and then, once a sale is made, we become ferocious talent guardians.” (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
Liza Dawson Associates website.
Twitter @hannahnpbowman.
QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
"Hannah specializes in science fiction and fantasy, with clients including #1 New York Times bestseller Pierce Brown and award-winning authors Kameron Hurley and Brian Staveley. Her list also includes young adult novels. She is also interested in nonfiction in the areas of mathematics and science, religious studies, women’s studies, and criminal justice policy."
What She Isn't Looking For:
“I'm not the right agent for memoirs.”
“I'm a hard sell on thrillers, unless they're offbeat, and on anything that could be described as ‘hard-boiled.’ I'm also likely not the right agent for a literary fiction project.” (FYI Link unavailable.)
Agenting Philosophy:
“In general, I’m a very hands-on agent. I love to edit, and I edit every client’s work before it goes on submission. I also try to keep in close contact with authors, although of course there are times when one needs to communicate more and times when one needs to communicate less. I look for authors who are looking for a partner for their entire career, not for an agent who will sell one book quickly and then back off.” (FYI Link unavailable.)
Clients:
There are lists of client titles on the agency website.
Ms. Bowman’s clients include: Dianna E. Anderson, Melinda Braun, Pierce Brown, Rosamund Hodge, Kameron Hurley, Shallee McArthur, Lisa Ann O'Kane, Brian Staveley, among others.
Query Methods: FYI Hannah Bowman is closed to queries.
E-mail: Yes (preferred).
Snail-Mail: Yes.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Send a query letter only by e-mail, or by snail-mail with SASE.
See the Liza Dawson Associates website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.  
Query Tips:
“The key things for me when I’m reading a query are: 1. Who’s the main character, and why is he or she interesting/appealing?; 2. What’s the plot, and how will it surprise me and take my breath away?; 3. What’s the setting, and what interesting elements of it make it seem real? If I see a compelling, three-dimensional character in a well-realized setting (whether it’s realistic or speculative) with a page-turning story to tell...I’m hooked.” (Link)
For additional tips, please read the interviews linked below.
Response Times:
Ms. Bowman’s response time for queries is one month; if you have not heard from her within this timeframe, resend your query (FYI Link unavailable).
Stats on the web show Ms. Bowman responding to most queries within hours to a few weeks and requested material within a week to a month. 
What's the Buzz?
Hannah Bowman joined Liza Dawson Associates in 2011 and has since sold to Del Rey/Random House, Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, HarperTeen Impulse, Strange Chemistry, Jericho Books/Hachette, Tor, and more. Her clients seem very happy with her representation and conference-goers report  positively on her workshops.
I recommend following her on Twitter for further insight and great writing advice. She’s found at least one client through Twitter.
Worth Your Time:
Not updated as Hannah Bowman has been closed to queries for some time.
Contact:
Please see The Liza Dawson website for additional contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last Updated: 1/7/2023
Agent Contacted for Review? No
Last Reviewed By Agent? 8/29/13
***
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/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.




































































12 comments:

Natalie Aguirre said...

Awesome spotlight, Casey. I'm excited Hannah likes high fantasy.

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Nice info you are providing. I like the way you have presented it. Lots of information.

Romance Reader said...

Thanks for so much information. Great post.

Nas

mshatch said...

I'll be keeping Hannah in mind for when I've finished revising my scifi. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Great post! We need more information like this. Thank you for sharing.

Lydia Kang said...

It's amazing how much info you gather for these posts. Incredibly valuable!

Rachna Chhabria said...

I love these agent spotlight Casey. I am going to add Hannah to my list of agents when I start querying at the end of this year.

cleemckenzie said...

Great information. Your Spotlights are always wonderful and this one was no exception.

Anonymous said...

Great spotlight. I'm glad to know about this agent.

Ali said...

Hi Casey, Just wanted to let you know that Hannah Bowman is 100% class. She requested a full on my first MS. She wrote me a detailed response explaining her critique and her reasons for passing. I revised a lot based on her feedback and even though I ultimately shelved that MS, it garnered several more requests after revisions than it had previously. I've also taken her feedback to heart in writing my new MS. Her work with me was a real gift--she went way above and beyond.

Casey McCormick said...

Thank you for the feedback, Ali. This is so wonderful to hear! Perhaps she'll take you on for your new MS when you've finished. Fingers crossed.

L. Ron Hoyabembe said...

Wow very interesting