The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Celebrating 23 Years!  
New York *  Los Angeles

Marie Lamba (www.marielamba.com) is author of the young adult novels What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head and Drawn, and of the picture books Green Green: A Community Gardening Story (Farrar Straus Giroux), and A Day So Gray (Clarion). Her articles appear in more than 100 publications, and she's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest.  Marie has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, a book publicist, and has taught classes on novel writing and on author promotion. 

 

What I'm looking for

 

I represent fiction and non-fiction for children and for adults.

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Fiction:

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I'm currently seeking middle grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, especially with diverse points of view, or a STEM tie-in. I also want general adult fiction and women’s fiction. I’d love to find an original women's novel that would inspire the next smart and funny chick flick. I also represent a select number of established illustrators and picture book authors. I’d love a fresh non-gory ghost story for any age. I’m fascinated with hidden treasures, artifacts and with discovering ancient civilizations right beneath our feet. I’m a huge fan of folklore and fairy tales, and, while I wouldn’t want a retelling, I always enjoy those elements woven into a story in a unique way. Overall, books that are original, moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome.

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I'm NOT interested in Christian fiction, horsey books, thrillers, genre science fiction or high fantasy (though I enjoy fantasy and speculative elements, especially in middle-grade fiction), erotica, category romance (though romantic elements are welcomed in novels), or books that feature graphic violence.
 
Some favorite titles on my reading shelf include One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger, The Once and Future King by T.H. White, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Shug by Jenny Han, Little Bear’s Big House by Benjamin Chaud, and Dogzilla and Hallo-weiner by Dav Pilkey. I’m also a big fan of the shows Veronica Mars, The Crown, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, The Queen’s Gambit, and Bridgerton, and the flicks Never Have I Ever and Lovebirds. For more insight into my tastes, check out the books I’ve authored, as well as the works of the authors I represent, and visit marielamba.com for my Agent Monday blog posts.
 

Non-Fiction:

 

I represent non-fiction for children and for adults. For children’s, I’m open to most non-fiction subjects, especially ones that fit into my interests (see above).

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In the adult realm, I want memoirs with strong voices and unique, inspiring stories (including foodie memoirs, or ones with a celebrity or pop culture connection). In non-fiction, I’m seeking narrative non-fiction, pop culture, history (little known or unique view of well-known), science and technology for the rest of us, art, biography (especially unknown/little known sides of well-known people), parenting, cooking and food, health and wellness, lifestyle, advice and relationships, and personal finance.

 

Overall, I’m especially looking for non-fiction that is inspiring and hopeful. I have a special interest in social justice, in titles that elevate and celebrate women and diverse people, and in books that aim to improve our society and help our environment.

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Some non-fiction favorites on my reading shelf include: Educated by Tara Westover , Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, Rush by Stephen Fried, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine, and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I also loved the movies Green Book, RBG and Hidden Figures, and I’m a sucker for International House Hunter, The Great British Bake Off and Queer Eye.

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How to submit

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Please submit your query via my Query Manager page: https://QueryManager.com/1710

 

PLEASE NOTE: I only accept Query Manager submissions. Emailed queries will be deleted unread, as will queries sent through Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Any queries sent by regular postal mail will also not be considered.