OPERATIONS MANAGER

Ellen joined the team at David Black Literary Agency in 2022, prior to which she got her degree in English from The King’s College in New York City. She also held internships at Nouvella Books, The Lotts Agency, and Encounter Books. Ellen enjoys reading poetry, live music, cooking, and going for long walks (which she defines as 20+ blocks) in the city. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband. In addition to managing the agency’s office, Ellen oversees events and speaking engagements for a portion of their clientele.

Ellen is interested in character-driven literary and speculative fiction that explores recovery and change through complicated characters. She's drawn to generational novels, dramatic monologues, found families, and bittersweet endings. She wishes she’d published NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro, TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin, GILEAD by Marilynne Robinson, HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano, and ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan. Be sure to query if you’re reimagining or emulating a Greek myth or tragedy in your plot and/or characters. Ellen does not represent high fantasy, sci-fi, horror/thriller, middle grade, or children's.

In nonfiction, Ellen seeks out proposals that interrogate timely, research-backed ideas. She's most interested in faith-based nonfiction and essays on Biblical exegesis, Christian culture, and relationships. Rather than deconstruction narratives, Ellen is compelled by proposals that make a strong, personal, and studied case for why (and how) to stay Christian, and cast unflinching visions for the ecumenical church. Recent favorites include MY BODY IS NOT A PRAYER REQUEST by Dr. Amy Kenny, THE EVANGELICAL IMAGINATION by Karen Swallow Prior, THE GREAT SEX RESCUE by Sheila Wray Gregoire, HOW TO STAY MARRIED by Harrison Scott Key, and READING WHILE BLACK by Esau McCaulley. 

To query for fiction, send a formal query letter by email and attach a PDF of the first 50 pages of your manuscript. For nonfiction, send a pitch by way of email and include a PDF writing sample that is similar to what you expect the finished work to look/sound like. A formal book proposal is ideal, but an essay or the first 1-2 chapters will suffice. If Ellen is interested in your work, she'll be in touch in 4-6 weeks.