Heather Jackson
Heather Jackson Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
The Heather Jackson Literary Agency is a NY-based, full-service firm specializing in book-based author representation with an expertise in commercial and nonfiction and fiction properties. Its founder is a member of the AALA, Author’s Guild, PEN America, and Women’s Media Group and is a bookworm with 25+ years of publishing experience.
Heather Jackson decided to vault over the desk to the agent side in 2016 after a highly successful career as a trade editor. In her 20+ years as an editor she acted as the creative midwife to multiple dozens of New York Times bestselling authors and titles, including: Tim Ferriss, Jillian Michaels, Suzanne Somers, Dr. Steven Gundry, Tara Stiles, Ron Fournier, Joy Bauer, Janine Driver, Rick Hanson, Dr. Robert C. Atkins, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Arthur Agatston, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Dr. Susan Love, Dr. Alice D. Domar, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Mallika Chopra, Barbara Sher, Martina Navratilova, Joe and Teresa Graedon, B. Smith and Dan Gasby, Howard Dully…among many others.
The selective client list she and we are cultivating has one unifying theme: to represent authors and books that make a difference and that make you want to press the pause button on everything else–ditch the screens, the duties, the worries–to sit down and read for hours. Books that inform, inspire, entertain, surprise, help; books that make you cry, laugh, question, feel, and stretch. Books that make a personal difference and a more global one; yet always those that can ignite or shift a conversation. And, most importantly, books that can connect deeply and widely with masses of readers.
We specialize in commercial non-fiction and fiction. We represent top-tier authors in personal health and well-being, popular science and psychology, politics and current affairs, business, memoir, and self-help. We are always game for a deeply moving journalistic narrative that takes us into a world we didn’t know would intrigue us through its brilliant writing and insights. We love big ideas and groundbreaking big think books. Lastly, we love a unique and memorable character in women’s fiction and are steadfastly looking for a reliable narrator who isn’t a hot mess, someone intriguing and flawed, certainly, like the rest of us…
Fun facts about me:
When I worked at a cotton candy stand as a teenager, I never knew that I would help spin ideas into books years later. But both are sweet and sticky businesses. My fur baby is Milton. How could I not adopt this doggie when he came with that name?
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to query@hjlit.com
We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. We are open to queries. Though we’d love to respond to every aspiring author, we can only do so to those projects we are interested in considering.
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
"Big Idea/Think", Health, Narrative, Wellness
I’d like the next…
Part of the fun of what I do is not knowing what’s next! Discovering a great read, an amazing talent, a blisteringly fast or emotionally devastating story, a character that just delights me…that is what I’m after always.
