Status: Closed to submissions.
About: “Josh left Harcourt in 1993 to get an MBA from Columbia Business School. After Business School, Josh spent 11 years owning and operating a minor league baseball team (the Staten Island Yankees). He left baseball in late 2006 and rejoined the book world on the agent side. Josh worked at Writers House until November 2009, building a list of adult novelists, YA and middle grade authors, and the occasional nonfiction writer; then joined Russell and Volkening. In May 2011 he partnered with Carrie Hannigan, and has been actively and happily running his list. "Josh represents more than 60 authors, including Geoff Rodkey (NYT Best Selling THE TAPPER TWINS series from Little, Brown), Paul Goldberg (THE YID—Picador), Todd Moss (The Judd Ryker thriller series from Putnam), EJ Copperman/Jeff Cohen (The best-selling HAUNTED GUEST HOUSE series from Berkley Prime Crime among others), EM Powell (The FIFTH KNIGHT series from Thomas & Mercer with more than 150,000 sales), Jessica Burkhart (Best Selling CANTERWOOD CREST series), Asha Dornfest (PARENT HACKS out from Workman) and Gerald Elias (the Daniel Jacobus mystery series from Severn). (From the agency website)
About the Agency:
“HG Literary is a boutique literary agency, formed by Carrie Hannigan and Josh Getzler in 2011 (then called HSG). Our agents have over forty years combined experience in the publishing industry and represent a diverse list of best-selling and award-winning clients.
"HG is a full-service literary agency that through collaborative and client-focused representation manages all aspects of an author’s career, from manuscript shaping, to sale and publication, subsidiary rights management, marketing and publicity strategy, and beyond. Our diverse and skilled team represents all types of fiction and non-fiction, for both adults and children, and has strong relationships with every major publisher as well as familiarity with independent and start-up publishers offering a different approach to publishing. Our clients have access to the resources and expertise of every member of our agency team, which includes contracts professionals, a film/TV rights director, foreign rights managers, and royalty and accounting specialists. Most importantly, our worth is measured by the success of our clients, and so you will find in each HG agent not only a staunch advocate but a career-long ally." (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
HSG Agency website.
Publisher’s Marketplace page.
Twitter @jgetzler.
QueryTracker.
AgentQuery.
“HG Literary is a boutique literary agency, formed by Carrie Hannigan and Josh Getzler in 2011 (then called HSG). Our agents have over forty years combined experience in the publishing industry and represent a diverse list of best-selling and award-winning clients.
"HG is a full-service literary agency that through collaborative and client-focused representation manages all aspects of an author’s career, from manuscript shaping, to sale and publication, subsidiary rights management, marketing and publicity strategy, and beyond. Our diverse and skilled team represents all types of fiction and non-fiction, for both adults and children, and has strong relationships with every major publisher as well as familiarity with independent and start-up publishers offering a different approach to publishing. Our clients have access to the resources and expertise of every member of our agency team, which includes contracts professionals, a film/TV rights director, foreign rights managers, and royalty and accounting specialists. Most importantly, our worth is measured by the success of our clients, and so you will find in each HG agent not only a staunch advocate but a career-long ally." (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
HSG Agency website.
Publisher’s Marketplace page.
Twitter @jgetzler.
QueryTracker.
AgentQuery.
MS Wish List.
What He's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
General Fiction, Mystery, Suspense/Thriller, History, Sports, Historical Novels (especially mysteries), Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction (Link).
"Josh is particularly into foreign and historical fiction; both women’s fiction (your Downton Abbey/Philippa Gregory Mashups), straight ahead historical fiction (think Wolf Hall or The Road to Wellville); and thrillers and mysteries (The Alienist, say; or Donna Leon or Arianna Franklin). He’d LOVE a strong French Revolution novel. So send in your ruthless doges and impious cardinals…and your farmhouse cozies! (He does love cozies…) Give him atmosphere, let him learn something about another time or another place (or both), and kill off nasty Uncle Mortimer in the process—Josh will be yours!
"Josh has also been taking on a significant amount of middle grade fiction, which has been a particular sweet spot. Settings that are just a little off seem to be a real favorite, along with contemporary/funny books about kids. Not so much high fantasy or science fiction, and definitely not picture books. (There are many others who specialize in these books, including Carrie Hannigan at HG.) Please don’t send religious fiction–he doesn’t have contacts in the Christian book market.
"In nonfiction, he’s very interested in increasing his list in history (including micro-histories), business, and political thought–but not screeds." (From the agency website)
What He's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
General Fiction, Mystery, Suspense/Thriller, History, Sports, Historical Novels (especially mysteries), Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction (Link).
"Josh is particularly into foreign and historical fiction; both women’s fiction (your Downton Abbey/Philippa Gregory Mashups), straight ahead historical fiction (think Wolf Hall or The Road to Wellville); and thrillers and mysteries (The Alienist, say; or Donna Leon or Arianna Franklin). He’d LOVE a strong French Revolution novel. So send in your ruthless doges and impious cardinals…and your farmhouse cozies! (He does love cozies…) Give him atmosphere, let him learn something about another time or another place (or both), and kill off nasty Uncle Mortimer in the process—Josh will be yours!
"Josh has also been taking on a significant amount of middle grade fiction, which has been a particular sweet spot. Settings that are just a little off seem to be a real favorite, along with contemporary/funny books about kids. Not so much high fantasy or science fiction, and definitely not picture books. (There are many others who specialize in these books, including Carrie Hannigan at HG.) Please don’t send religious fiction–he doesn’t have contacts in the Christian book market.
"In nonfiction, he’s very interested in increasing his list in history (including micro-histories), business, and political thought–but not screeds." (From the agency website)
What He Isn't Looking For:
Picture books
Editorial Agent?
“While I will gladly take a clean novel in a heartbeat, I typically am a VERY hands-on editor before submitting. I’ve worked on projects for YEARS before submitting them, and I’ve sent a couple out with very few tweaks.” (Link)
Clients:
There are pages of client titles on the agency website.
Mr. Getzler’s clients include: Osahon Akpata, Authoress, Frankie Bailey, Ph.D, Sheila Webster Boneham, Ph.D., Dr. Otis Brawley, A.B. Bourne, Krishnadev Calamur, Dana Cameron, Jeff Cohen, James Crowley, Lolly Daskal, David Deutsch, Asha Dornfest, Jack Dougherty, Victoria Dougherty, Gerald Elias, Lisa Falco, Paul Goldberg, Keir Graff, Traci Hall, Lauren Hennessy, Steve Hermanos, Steve Hockensmith, Linda Hull, Whitney Johnson, Christine Koh, Toni LoTempio, Mary McCoy, Beth Anne Miller, Todd Moss, Jennifer O'Connell, Karen Odden, Karen Olson, Brian O'Reilly, James Phelan, Elaine Powell, Geoff Rodkey, Tania Roxborogh, Linda Sands, Samuel Thomas, Ph.D., Helen Wan, Cali Yost, among others.
Query Methods: Mr. Getzler is closed to queries.
E-mail: No.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes (Only).
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
See the HG Agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tips:
See this interview with Mr. Getzler at Operation Awesome, and this interview at Cats, Books, and… More Cats!
Response Times:
He responds to all queries. Silence just means that he has a long queue.
What's the Buzz?
Josh Getzler is an established agent with a good list of clients and sales. He specializes in mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction but represents other genres, including young adult and middle grade. Picture book queries should be sent to his colleague Carrie Hannigan.
Keep up with Mr. Getzler on Twitter.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
Agent Q&A Part One: Revisions at Operation Awesome (01/2013).
Agent Q&A Part Two: Querying at Operation Awesome (01/2013).
Agent Q&A Part Three: Marketing & Publicity at Operation Awesome (01/2013).
Agent Chat #7: Josh Getzler at Write On (09/2011).Literary Agent Josh Getzler – In Rocco’s Hot Seat (Part 1) at Cats, Books, and… More Cats (07/2011).
Literary Agent Josh Getzler – In Rocco’s Hot Seat (Part 2) at Cats, Books, and… More Cats (07/2011).
Agent Interview: Josh Getzler of Russell & Volkening at Elissa Cruz’s blog (04/2010).
Blog Stuff:
Mr. Getzler’s selected posts on the Hey, There’s a Dead Guy in the Living Room blog (no longer posting there) include:
The Query Guideline Story (08/2013).
What I Do (06/2013).
The Modifier Zone Redux (02/2013).
2012: An Agent’s Year (01/2013).
Around the Web:
Contact:
Please see the HG Agency website for additional contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last Updated: 1/31/2023.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent? 10/24/13.
***
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.
“While I will gladly take a clean novel in a heartbeat, I typically am a VERY hands-on editor before submitting. I’ve worked on projects for YEARS before submitting them, and I’ve sent a couple out with very few tweaks.” (Link)
Clients:
There are pages of client titles on the agency website.
Mr. Getzler’s clients include: Osahon Akpata, Authoress, Frankie Bailey, Ph.D, Sheila Webster Boneham, Ph.D., Dr. Otis Brawley, A.B. Bourne, Krishnadev Calamur, Dana Cameron, Jeff Cohen, James Crowley, Lolly Daskal, David Deutsch, Asha Dornfest, Jack Dougherty, Victoria Dougherty, Gerald Elias, Lisa Falco, Paul Goldberg, Keir Graff, Traci Hall, Lauren Hennessy, Steve Hermanos, Steve Hockensmith, Linda Hull, Whitney Johnson, Christine Koh, Toni LoTempio, Mary McCoy, Beth Anne Miller, Todd Moss, Jennifer O'Connell, Karen Odden, Karen Olson, Brian O'Reilly, James Phelan, Elaine Powell, Geoff Rodkey, Tania Roxborogh, Linda Sands, Samuel Thomas, Ph.D., Helen Wan, Cali Yost, among others.
Query Methods: Mr. Getzler is closed to queries.
E-mail: No.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes (Only).
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
See the HG Agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tips:
See this interview with Mr. Getzler at Operation Awesome, and this interview at Cats, Books, and… More Cats!
Response Times:
He responds to all queries. Silence just means that he has a long queue.
What's the Buzz?
Josh Getzler is an established agent with a good list of clients and sales. He specializes in mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction but represents other genres, including young adult and middle grade. Picture book queries should be sent to his colleague Carrie Hannigan.
Keep up with Mr. Getzler on Twitter.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
Agent Q&A Part One: Revisions at Operation Awesome (01/2013).
Agent Q&A Part Two: Querying at Operation Awesome (01/2013).
Agent Q&A Part Three: Marketing & Publicity at Operation Awesome (01/2013).
Agent Chat #7: Josh Getzler at Write On (09/2011).Literary Agent Josh Getzler – In Rocco’s Hot Seat (Part 1) at Cats, Books, and… More Cats (07/2011).
Literary Agent Josh Getzler – In Rocco’s Hot Seat (Part 2) at Cats, Books, and… More Cats (07/2011).
Agent Interview: Josh Getzler of Russell & Volkening at Elissa Cruz’s blog (04/2010).
Blog Stuff:
Mr. Getzler’s selected posts on the Hey, There’s a Dead Guy in the Living Room blog (no longer posting there) include:
The Query Guideline Story (08/2013).
What I Do (06/2013).
The Modifier Zone Redux (02/2013).
2012: An Agent’s Year (01/2013).
Around the Web:
14 Agents Share Their Query Letter Top Tips and Pet Peeves at Emma Lombard (03/20)
Mr.Getzler's Twitter #MSWishListAn Interview with E.M. Powell - A QueryTracker Success Story- (04/2012). Contact:
Please see the HG Agency website for additional contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last Updated: 1/31/2023.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent? 10/24/13.
***
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.
Great post, thanks for sharing! I only wish my novel was ready to be submitted, but alas...
ReplyDeleteI always like your agent spotlights - very helpful and informative!
ReplyDeleteAnother great spotlight!
ReplyDeleteLove these spotlights- thank you for all of the great info!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the information.
ReplyDeleteNice learning more about Mr. Getzler.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love that he owned and managed a baseball team. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful information.
ReplyDeleteI love that you share this. So many people are unsure where to look for agents and such when they are starting out. :)
ReplyDelete