ABOUT THE AGENCY
At Speilburg Literary, we believe in the power of storytelling, the strength of diverse perspectives, and the importance of transparency and trust.
Founded by Alice Speilburg in 2013, our agency represents a wide range of creators: authors, illustrators, influencers, and experts. We believe storytelling takes many forms, and creative professionals need an agency that is nimble, innovative, and forward-thinking.
A spirit of collaboration drives everything we do, from sharing institutional knowledge and discoveries with each other, to working with our authors and illustrators to prepare a project for submission. Quality is everything, and we dedicate a critical eye to each project, ensuring that what is published is our clients’ best work.
Our agents have a wealth of experience working in publishing houses, scholarly presses, publicity, bookstore management, nonprofit leadership, education, and newspapers. We bring all of that collective experience to the table, working together to support the creative goals of our clients, to troubleshoot challenges along the path to publication, and to explore new opportunities for rights we manage.
Our clients are passionate creators, with inspiring stories that shape the way readers experience the world. We love working closely with these artists, customizing our representation to align with their individual career goals. We work with indie authors to reach global markets, help mid-list clients break out in new categories, and generate work-for-hire projects to supplement our clients’ income. We’re often helping debuts launch their first publication, and we’re proud to watch their careers evolve over time. Our list now includes several New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestsellers, winners of the Audie Award and the Edgars, finalists in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and a Pura Belpré Honoree. We advocate for our clients during the publishing process as artists and partners—not merely content providers—and build collaborative relationships with publishers.
We are dedicated to supporting our clients throughout their publishing careers, offering personal attention and longterm rights management.
ALICE SPEILBURG
Founder and Literary Agent
Alice Speilburg is the founding agent of Speilburg Literary and has worked in book publishing for more than a decade. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (formerly the AAR) and represents narrative nonfiction and commercial fiction.
Her first editing gig was on the news desk of her college daily, and she is still drawn to compelling nonfiction stories, especially those written by journalists, that deepen our understanding of culture and society. In fiction, she loves a complete immersion read that takes her to another world through the eyes of unconventional characters.
Alice previously worked at John Wiley & Sons, and Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. She has worked with bestselling and award-winning authors, literary and professional societies, and branded content. She spends her weekends hiking with her husband and two sons.
Alice is open to queries on the 10th through the 16th of each month, starting March 10. Please check her MSWL page for details on what categories she’s currently seeking.
Conference queries, requests, and client referrals are welcome at all times; please follow the instructions given at her meeting with you.
If you’ve submitted to Alice, please wait for a response — or a period of six months — before sending to any other agents at Speilburg Literary Agency.
eva scalzo
Literary Agent
Eva Scalzo was born in New Jersey, but has lived in Houston, Buenos Aires, San Juan, and Boston before settling down outside of Binghamton, New York. She has a B.A. in the Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico and a M.A. in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College. Since graduating, she has spent her career in scholarly publishing, working for Houghton Mifflin, Blackwell Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, and Cornell University in a variety of roles. She has been with Speilburg Literary since 2013, and started accepting clients in 2017. Eva is a member of SCBWI and the AALA. She serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the AALA Newsletter and is a member of the Communications and USBS Committees.
In Adult Fiction, Eva represents Romance (all subgenres but inspirational), as well as select Upmarket, Thrillers, and Science Fiction/Fantasy. She also represents all subgenres of Young Adult Fiction and select Middle Grade. Before you hit submit on any queries please verify her #MSWL page.
If you’ve submitted to Eva, please wait for a response before sending to any other agents at Speilburg Literary Agency.
Eva is currently closed to unsolicited submissions.
LINDSEY SMITH
Literary Agent and Merchandising Rights Manager
Lindsey Smith got her start in the publishing industry as an author. After her own publishing success, she started working with other writers to help launch their books and shape their careers. To date, Lindsey has worked with over 1,000 authors and negotiated book deals even before becoming an agent. Her unique perspective helps shape her passion for the industry and her role as an advocate for her clients.
Formerly a publicist and hailing from the world of self-publishing, Lindsey understands the importance of branding, and she works with each client not only to sell a book but to build a career.
Lindsey is excited to work with first-time authors as well as those who are established. She is seeking nonfiction only, specifically prescriptive nonfiction that is compelling, and voice-driven, with the ability to shed light on a topic that might be unknown. She especially loves projects and people that bring humor to serious situations.
Lindsey is interested in cookbooks, lifestyle, health, pop culture, gender issues, self-help, true crime, and current events. She is especially interested in podcast-to-book ideas, journalists who specialize in specific research, and cookbooks that have a niche and/or narrative voice. Please do not send diet books.
Lindsey lives in Pittsburgh with her punk rock husband and their adorable rescue pup, Ms. Winnie Cooper.
If you’ve submitted to Lindsey, please wait for a response before sending to any other agents at Speilburg Literary Agency.
SERA RIVERS
Literary Agent
Sera (pronounced “S” + “air” + “ah”) Rivers started reading at age four and has been obsessed with books ever since—if she could live in creative worlds, she would. She worked in educational publishing for seven years, writing and editing in a variety of genres for children and adults. Now, as an agent, Sera provides editorial feedback to help clients get their manuscripts submission ready.
Sera earned her MFA in Writing for Children, with a concentration in young adult novels, from Simmons University. Her young adult memoir THE WICKED ONES won the 2016 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children’s Book Discovery Award. Sera is the dedicated children's book agent at Speilburg Literary and has recently opened to adult fiction. She prioritizes stories by BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and other marginalized and historically excluded identities.
In Adult Fiction, Sera’s interests include subversive horror, magical realism, grounded science fiction, grounded fantasy, speculative, and contemporary fiction that comments on social injustice. In addition to these genres, she is also looking for underrepresented voices in the vein of Emily Henry.
In Kidlit, she’s interested in Young Adult (LGBTQIA+; horror; non-Western folklore, culture, and heritage; thriller; grounded sci-fi; speculative), Middle Grade (horror only) Picture Books (horror; books by underrepresented authors and illustrators), and Graphic Novels (author/illustrator only).
Sera lives in Connecticut with her partner Mike and their island rescue pups Jett and Marty.
Sera is open to Adult Fiction the FIRST 7 days of each month. She is currently closed to unsolicited children’s book submissions.
Conference queries, requests, and referrals are welcome at all times; please follow the specific instructions. To find out more about Sera and what she’s looking for, check out her Manuscript Wish List.