Molly O'Neill

About the Agent

When I’m reading a manuscript, in my head I’m thinking about building connections: with the editor who will buy and champion it; with the publishing team who will bring it to life and send it out into the world; with the teachers, librarians, booksellers, and other professional book mavens who will put it into exactly the right hands—and most of all, I’m thinking about the readers whose lives will be entertained, improved, challenged, informed, or delighted by it. The stronger those connections, the more likely a book will live on forever. If I can visualize exactly how to form that web of connections around a book and its creator while I’m reading an early draft, then it’s a fantastic signal that I also know how to help that author or artist build their way into a meaningful, and potentially lucrative, career. No two writers' brains are alike, and neither are the stories that emerge from those brains, and that's what keeps this job fascinating. Make me wonder from your manuscript's first page (or even better yet, from its title!); make me care about its characters and feel things deeply alongside of them; or wow me with its masterful storytelling, and I'll be well on my way to becoming one of its—and your!—fiercest advocates. As an agent, I love the creative process and early-stage project development, am invigorated by business strategy and entrepreneurial thinking, and am fascinated by the intersections of art, commerce, creativity, and innovation. I’m especially passionate about the people behind books, and take pride in discovering and evangelizing talented authors and illustrators, expanding the global reach of their work, and finding new ways to build connections and community among creators, readers, stories, and their champions. I’m looking for stories that will start a trend, define a generation of readers, and surprise, delight, resonate with, and build empathy among, readers worldwide. I believe that every book is a unique balance of specific (uniquely memorable), and universal (broadly, powerfully resonant) experiences of humanity, and that much of an author's work of writing a book is in finding the truest balance of those aspects for their characters, their plot, and their future readers. I love working with debut talent, and am drawn to authors and artists who constantly challenge themselves, who are adept at communicating with their audiences, who are creative and flexible thinkers, and who have as much enthusiasm for their audience as for their own success. Wit, strong writing, vivid settings, a passion for craft, or a well-timed reaction gif will always catch my eye, as do authentic representations of diversity, in all facets, because our books should represent our readers-all of them! Young Adult Fiction: Tell me a story that's somehow never been told, particularly if it's by a narrative voice that's never been heard, or an authorial voice that's been previously under-represented. I'm most compelled by big what-ifs; by a vivid and vibrant sense of place or worldbuilding; by characters making hard, even seemingly-impossible choices; by the portrayal of friendships that are as intensely meaningful as any romance; by tales of chosen family or bands-of-misfits-turned-family; and by romances that are simultaneously swoony and full of wit and spark. I'm far more interested in the ground-breaking than the well-trodden or derivative, and so am fascinated by unexpected structures, high-concept narrative frameworks and storytelling mechanisms, meldings of genres, or twists I genuinely didn't see coming. And always, always, I want evocative, masterful writing. Middle Grade Fiction: I'm drawn over and over to middle grades that make me feel something as a reader—whether you make me laugh, cry, curious, wondrous, or furiously indignant! My favorite middle grades explore relationships and a character's growing awareness of their connections to the larger world around them, all while saying something fresh and meaningful about the experience of being human. Fabulism, magical realism, or a sense of the fantastical get big bonus points from me, as does a strong sense of place, real or imaginary, and I can never get enough of humor (though I lean more toward wit, puns, or a sense of the absurd than slapstick humor). I also have a strong appreciation for high-caliber novels-in-verse or novels that experiment with form in compelling ways. Lyrical writing can win me over fast, but to be a book that readers return to again and again, it needs to be supported by a plot as compelling as the language is beautiful. Illustrators, Author-Illustrators & Cartoonist/Graphic novelists: I am NOT currently seeking standalone texts by picture book authors, but I welcome illustrators, and illustrators who are also writers or on their way to becoming writers. My illustrator clients work on a variety of formats, from jacket/cover illustrations, to spot art, to full picture books, to early readers/chapter books, to graphic novels and graphic hybrids. I'm drawn to a wide variety of illustration styles (visit the Illustrator Gallery on my website to see examples), but what most catches my eye is art with a distinctive narrative sensibility or point of view, the capturing of energy and movement and a creative use of panels and pages, a knack for visual storytelling, and the intelligent use of subtle-but-impactful visual details, whether poignant, humorous, or sweet, that add to the richness and complexity of a story's seemingly-simple layers. On a technical level, I'm open to any medium (traditional to digital to combos thereof), but am most keenly looking for illustrators whose art works well in both full color, and black/white/grayscale, as different bookmaking opportunities call for different palettes. Dexterity with shading, line work, and composition are all important, as is the ability to create vivid, specific characters with just a few lines, and I am always drawn to illustrators who have a knack for striking portrayals of light (and darkness). Other categories: My nonfiction list is small, eclectic, and highly selective. While I have found many of my kids/MG/YA clients through general submissions, for adult fiction and nonfiction, I'm most likely to sign clients who I have pursued based on their existing, distinctive, well-established platform, expertise, or life experience. I'm particularly drawn to nonfiction narratives about creativity, culture, storytelling, innovation, community, connectivity, and/or friendship/love/family in all its forms; by projects that explore the intersections of unexpectedly-connected topics; and by those that underscore a universal human story, whatever the context. A good rule of thumb: if it would make for a fascinating TED talk, you're in a wheelhouse that might intrigue me. As an agent, I'm eager to strategize with you about how a book/literary career might further enable the reach of your existing work, and to support you in developing authentic ways of collaborating/exchanging value with the community that already embraces you and your work. After a book-filled youth in Texas, I fell in love with the idea of working in kids' books while attending Marquette University, as a creative writing major who thought she was on her way to becoming an elementary school teacher. Several publishing internships later, I moved to NYC: young, scrappy, and hungry, and eager to start a career in children's book publishing. My first job was at Clarion Books, and my second was at HarperCollins Children's Books; both were focused on School & Library Marketing, and each gave me foundational understandings of the industry that still dramatically influence the ways I work today. After five years, I traded in my Marketing position at HarperCollins for an Editorial role, and swiftly went on to acquire Veronica Roth's juggernaut DIVERGENT series, among many other fantastic projects, from picture books to middle grade and YA novels. After a decade of working inside of publishers, I then spent several fascinating years as Head of Editorial at the publishing/tech start-up Storybird. I began agenting in 2016 a role that puts all of my prior professional experiences to valuable use in service of my clients and their books. I'm an instructor at the Columbia Publishing Course and regularly speak about the craft of writing and the business of publishing at Writers' Conferences around the world. Learn more at mollyoneillbooks.com.

Represented authors

• Rii Abrego
• Temre Beltz
• Temmer Beltz
• Chan Chau
• Ellen T. Crenshaw
• Kristen Dickson
• Emily Dove
• Sophia Glock
• Aubrey Hartman
• Emma Hunsinger
• Bee Johnson
• Rob Justus
• Anita Shah Kapadia
• Emmy Kastner
• Lynne Kelly
• Adib Khorram
• Kristen R. Lee
• Jaimie Macgibbon
• Natalie Nelson
• Faith Pray
• K.J. Reilly
• Veronica Roth
• Joy Hwang Ruiz
• Blythe Russo
• Sarah Sax
• John Schu
• John Schumacher
• Colby Sharp
• Jane Solomon
• Todd Sturgell
• Lorian Tu
• Peter Wartman
• Sam Wedelich