Agent Representation

Literary Genres: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Types of Publishers I Work With: midsize, university, chapbook, and indie presses.

My Rates:

$60/hour

Email me at jswilliams1307@gmail.com for more information

Authors whose books I've represented:

∫ Douglas Cole, The Invisible Hand, Sea Crow Press, 2024 (Fiction)

∫ Natasha Williams, The Parts of Him I Kept, Apprentice House Press, 2024 (Memoir)

∫ Cynthia Neely, Bone is Bone, Fernwood Press, 2023 (Poetry)

∫ Jeffrey Gross, Please, Sir, I Want Some Mozart, The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc. 2023 (Nonfiction)

∫ Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, (rā′vən), Fernwood Press, 2023 (Poetry)

∫ Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, Concerto in the Shape of an Empty Frame, Aldrich Press, 2023, (Poetry)

∫ John Schneider, Swallowing the Light, Kelsay Books, 2022 (Poetry)

∫ Chip Duncan, Ewaso Village, SelectBooks, 2021 (Cultural Nonfiction/Memoir)

∫ John Schouten, Evenings When the Sun, FutureCycle Press, 2020 (Poetry)

∫Jesse Wolfe, En Route, Cathexis Northwest Press, 2020 (Poetry)

∫Phoebe Marrall, Relief, Have You a Name?, Finishing Line Press, 2020 (Poetry)

∫ Carol Lynne, If I Go Missing, Fernwood Press, 2020 (Poetry)

∫ Pen Pearson, Bloomsbury's Late Rose, Chickadee Prince Books, 2019 (Historical Fiction)

∫ Marjorie Power, Oncoming Halos, Kelsay Books, 2018 (Poetry)

∫ Sarah Coomber, The Same Moon, TouchPoint Press, 2018 (Memoir)

∫ Amy Ratto Parks, Radial Bloom, Folded Word Press, 2017 (Lyrical Essays)

∫ Adrian Koesters, Union Square, Apprentice House, 2017 (Fiction)

∫ Marjorie Power, Seven Parts Woman, WordTech, 2016 (Poetry)

∫ Margaret O. Howard, Lalin Bonheur,  Wild Child Publishing, 2016 (Genre Fiction)

∫ Trish MacEnulty, The Pink House, Apprentice House, 2016 (Novel)

∫ Tanya J. Peterson, Twenty-Four Shadows, Apprentice House, 2016 (Novel)

∫ Penn Stewart, Fertile Ground, Knox Robinson Publishing, 2015 (Historical Fiction Novel)

∫ Mary Jane Ryals, Cutting Loose in Paradise,Pineapple Press, 2015 (Novel)

∫ William Reichard, Two Men Rowing Madly Toward Infinity, 2015 (Poetry)

∫  Karen Babine, Water and What It Knows, University of Minnesota Press, 2015 (Nonfiction/Essay Collection)

∫ Paul Ketzle, The Late Michael Brown, Apprentice House, 2014 (Novel)

∫ Megan Gannon, Cumberland, Apprentice House, 2014 (Novel)

∫ Sam Snoek-Brown, Hagridden, Columbus Press, 2014 (Historical Fiction Novel)

∫ Katey Schultz, Flashes of War, Apprentice House, 2013 (Short Story Collection)

∫ Adrian Gibbons Koesters, Many Parishes, BrickHouse Books, 2013 (Poetry)

“John Sibley Williams is a rare find. He is a gifted wordsmith and knowledgeable about the publishing world. He is as serious and passionate about the work of others as he is about his own. Once he has committed to a work, he doesn’t give up ... even when its author does.
I learned of John from a friend whose book he placed, and honestly he sounded too good to be true. But because my friend is a bit of a cynic, I decided to give him a try. I found that John is discerning, honest, generous and has almost supernaturally fast turnaround. He will share as much or as little information about the process as his clients want. In my case, I had too many other irons in the fire, so I just let him work his magic on my all-but-orphaned book. One day, he sent me an email: “Congratulations!” As a writer, when you have John in your corner, you never feel alone.”

— Sarah Coomber

“John has been invaluable to my career as a professional writer. Because he took the time to get to know me as a person, and to read my books and get to know them, he has represented me well in the industry of writing and publishing. With so many people publishing books, it is increasingly difficult to get noticed, let alone prove that your writing is worth someone’s valuable time. It’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without a professional agent. John is a professional agent, and an outstanding one at that. I was picked up by a publisher soon after he began pitching my novel Twenty-Four Shadows. I highly recommend working with John Sibley Williams to advance your career. ”

— Tanya J. Peterson

““John Sibley Williams is a human being, not an Agency with a capital A. He is personable and engaged, and he gives you honest assessments of your work that show he’s actually read it. When I hired John as the agent for my novel, Hagridden, I felt confident we might get places together. And when I saw his first market analysis, I knew I’d made a good decision—the man knows his markets. 
This was all what I’d hoped for. But when I read his first pitch and promotional material for my book, I realized I’d lucked into so much more. In his queries, John demonstrated an ability to cut through all the text of my manuscript and find the beating heart of it. He understood things I barely dared to whisper to myself, and he found a way to express them in pitches and summaries that were at once glowing and matter-of-fact, the very tone I’d always found impossible when I tried to write these things myself. He approaches his work with the mind of a poet and a lover of the written word, and he pitched my novel not just as a book he was trying to sell but as a book he wanted to share with the world.
The toil of submitting work on your own is like grinding teeth in your sleep: headache-inducing wear that erodes your confidence to a throbbing nub. Thanks to John’s excellent work, not only has Hagridden found a home at a small press, but also, I have maintained—even improved—my confidence in my work.””

— Sam Snoek-Brown

“You might think that a literary agent who works by the hour would have little motivation to place your book, since the more hours he works on sending your book out, the more money he makes. And, were you working with some other for-hire agent, you might be right. However, for my first book I worked with both John Sibley Williams as well as a high-powered agent at a prestigious agency, and John was the agent who found a home for my book. In one case, both of them sent the same book to the same small press, but only John was able to procure a request for the full manuscript. Not convinced? I have two colleagues who also asked John to represent their work, and John has placed all three of our books. Do you know any other agent with a 100% success rate? Wouldn’t a book contract six months from now be preferable to years of near-misses with contests? Send John your book, friends. I can’t offer any better advice.”

— Megan Gannon

“John Sibley Williams made the publication of my first novel a reality quicker than I would have thought possible. I had my manuscript turned down by two New York City agents and began to wonder if what I had written was worthy of being published—the worst thing for any writer is self-doubt. But within six months of working with John, I had an offer on the table. I could not believe my eyes when I opened the email. Appropriately enough, he sent me the news while I was at a writer’s conference. John’s expertise at writing query letters, pitches, and synopses—not to mention his ability to navigate the vast publishing world and find a publisher who is a fit for a particular manuscript—makes him an incredible asset for any writer hoping to have their work published. You might think my experience is singular, but many of my colleagues from graduate school have also benefitted from John’s insights, connections, and knowledge. We have collectively decided to erect the John Sibley Williams Annex on the campus of our Alma Marta, a nice Edwardian library filled with all the books he helped publish.”

— Penn Stewart

“I heard about John Sibley Williams through a friendly independent literary conference in the southeast. At this conference, we may meet someone at a dinner table over gulf seafood, which is how I happened to meet someone who’d just found out his book had been accepted for publication. As we writers know, this moment is a huge win for a writer, just to get a book taken.
So we all toasted the writer, and I asked the details of the publication. He told me it was a niche market book—literary history—and that his agent had found the right independent publisher for him.
“He’s a nice guy,” the writer said of his agent, John Sibley Williams. “And a poet in his own right.” And these understatements, I’d say. John is making waves in the poetry community with his own work.
As an agent, you could not ask for a better person. I contacted John, who was thorough, honest and perceptive. He placed my second novel within a year. I’d tried this particular publisher years before with another book that it turned down. This time, because of John’s keen way of submitting with the right details and a good cover letter, the book was taken.
I’ve recommended John as an agent to other writers who are talented and perhaps weary of submitting, weary of mainstream agents, or not their own best advocates for “the pitch,” or who are just not knowledgeable about the behemoth that publishing can be. John is savvy and sensitive, a rare gem in this world.”

— Dr. Mary Jane Ryals

“I’m 67 and have been publishing in journals and anthologies since my mid-20’s. I also have a string of chapbooks to my name, all from small presses. But landing a publisher for a full length collection just wasn’t happening. The manuscripts I’d entered in contests had done well sometimes, but never well enough. And I didn’t know how to approach small press editors on my own, regarding a full length poetry manuscript. Then two friends recommended working with John. I knew he was an agent and a poet but didn’t know he was an agent for poetry! I had never heard of such a creature. I looked at the testimonials on his website, hired him, and within a couple of days he was submitting queries and copies of the manuscript for me. Two months later our goal was met. Besides all this, he’s a delight to work with. Warm, friendly, confident, positive, and realistic. An unusual combination of traits, in my experience.”

— Marjorie Power

“John is a wonderful resource for writers looking to get published with a reputable press. He is supportive, responsive, and extremely knowledgeable about the marketplace. I have used his services and have recommended him to others. In addition, John offers excellent advice for marketing your work. That was a bonus!”

— Trish MacEnulty

“Anyone fortunate enough to have John Williams navigate the super-competitive world of book sales for them may leave the helm to him with complete confidence. As my marketer, he scheduled a signing tour that put me, a newly-published first-time author, in the biggest bookstores in the Pacific Northwest. Pulling out all the stops, he then secured me a featured-speaker engagement at the award-winning Nye Beach Writers Series in Newport, OR, and followed that by arranging a conference appearance at the Central Oregon Writers Guild’s conference in Bend, OR. John is a real 3D asset; he’s dedicated, he’s diligent and he delivers. On top of all that, he’s also real nice guy; a real bookselling proposition.”

— Wallace J. Swenson

“John is a superb publicist and literary agent. In short order he has lined up readings to promote my new book and has given me myriad helpful suggestions about how and where to publicize my work. John is a consummate communicator. He’s always quick to respond to any communication and his responses are always thoughtful, upbeat, encouraging, clear and articulate. He’s a pleasure to work with, and it’s a relief for me to know that my work is getting out there in the larger poetry demimonde far faster than it would if I were promoting it myself.”

— Leah Stenson

“ I’m an editor and freelance writer myself, but when it came to marketing my fiction manuscript and selling myself, I hit a wall. Working with John Sibley Williams was not only helpful, but educational and enjoyable. His book summary, marketing plan, and query letter for my manuscript demonstrated depth, professionalism, and keen insight into the publishing industry. His words gave me the jump-start I needed to reach out to nationally known agents and publishers with confidence.”

— Katey Schultz