Agent Spotlight: Emma Patterson

This week's Agent Spotlight features Emma Patterson of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. 
Status: Open to submissions.
About: “Emma Patterson represents fiction ranging from dark, literary novels to historical and upmarket fiction; narrative non-fiction that includes memoir, investigative journalism, and popular history; and young adult fiction along similar lines. She is drawn to both domestic and far-flung settings (while remaining on Earth) that are original and transporting. She is looking for fresh, lyrical, and voice-driven writing, suspenseful plots, emotional narratives, and unforgettable characters. Query by email only..” (Link)
About the Agency:
“Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. is a full-service literary agency whose work representing authors’ interests has spanned most of the 20th century and continues in this digital age. We aim to give our select list of clients every benefit of our experience and expertise in shaping their writing projects, negotiating their contracts, and increasing their visibility throughout the world.
“Founded by Carl Brandt as an adjunct to the Mary Kirkpatrick Dramatic Agency around 1913, the agency’s original roster of literary clients included the bestselling authors of the time. A succession of family members culminating in Carl Brandt’s son, Carl D. Brandt, expanded the firm to Brandt & Brandt Literary Agents, Inc. In 2001, Gail Hochman became president of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. Currently, our staff of senior agents and developing younger agents handles a wide-ranging roster of writers in numerous genres, from literary fiction and memoir to mystery and thriller to history/biography and narrative non-fiction, as well as children’s books. We represent classic titles which have been in print for decades as well as a list featuring 40 to 50 new titles each year.” (Link)
Web Presence:
Brandt and Hochman website.
AgentQuery.
QueryTracker.
Twitter.
What She's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
Fiction: Commercial, Historical, Literary, Mystery, Short Story Collections, Women's Fiction, Young Adult.
Non-Fiction: Biography, Memoirs, Current Affairs; Politics, Food & Lifestyle, History, Current Affairs, Multicultural, Narrative, Pop Culture, Entertainment, True Crime, Journalism. ( Link)
From Guide to Literary Agents (08/2013):
“I am on the lookout for literary and commercial fiction, upmarket women’s fiction, historical fiction, narrative nonfiction, pop culture, memoir, food writing, and YA and MG fiction and nonfiction. I’m open to mostly any project with strong writing, an original premise, and a story that immediately grabs me – and I still think about weeks after I’ve finished reading it. I’m especially drawn to stories that make me cry, laugh, or transport me to a world that’s new to me. So long as the writing is strong, I don’t shy away from dark or quiet stories. I don’t tend to like category or genre fiction.” (Link)
What She Isn't Looking For:
Picture books, Screenplays, textbooks (Link).
Editorial Agent?
“I love working with writers – I love reading a book and not being able to put it down, I love talking to writers about all the amazing parts of their work, I love having an editorial back-and-forth with writers to make their book the best possible book it can be, and most of all, I love the pride and admiration I feel for the writer when other people adore their book as much as I do.” (Link)
Clients:
There is a list of agency clients on the website. Ms. Patterson’s clients include:
Patrick Arden, Louise Aronson, Rita Mae Brown, Kim Church, Sarah Cornwell, Eileen Cronin, Laura Furman, Gregg Herken, Brandon Jones, James Morrow, Lenore Myka, Anne Riley, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes (preferred).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
“The best way to contact me is via email at epatterson [at] bromasite.com with a basic query letter (a bit about the project, the author, and the author’s past publishing or writing history). A few pages of the work can also be pasted into the body of the email, but I won’t open attachments unless I’ve specially asked for one.” (Link)
Query Tips:
“One seemingly obvious—but often overlooked—tip for authors is to proofread your query letter. It's the first piece of your writing that an agent will read. If I'm not drawn to your writing in your query, or there are lots of confusing typos, I usually assume that I'll feel similarly about the rest of your work.” (Link)
Response Times:
Ms. Patterson only responds if interested. Stats on the web suggest a response time of just days to a couple weeks for queries, and 2-10 weeks for requested material.
What's the Buzz?
Emma Patterson joined Brandt and Hochman in January of 2013 after eight plus years with the Wendy Weil Agency. She represents a small but growing list of clients who seem to adore her and is open to both middle grade and young adult fiction. Houses she’s sold to include Random House, Knopf, St. Martin’s Press, Harper, Algonquin, Norton, Spenser Hill Press, and Dzanc Books.
Worth Your Time:
(Agent) Interviews:
Q&A With Emma Patterson at Scripts & Scribes (05/2015)

Getting to Know Literary Agent Emma Patterson at Whitney Bell Writes (04/2015)
LitChat Interview: Emma Patterson, Literary Agent at LitStack (08/2013).
Around the Web:
Literary Agent Emma Patterson of Brandt and Hochman Literary Seeks New Clients at Guide to Literary Agents (05/2013).
The Top Five Agents I Would Query Again at Anne Riley Books (02/2013).
An Interview with Becky Taylor (A QueryTracker Success Story) at QueryTracker.
Contact:
Please see the Brandt and Hochman website for additional contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last Updated: 5/2/20.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent? 5/8/14.
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Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at agentspotlight(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. The information found herein is subject to change.