Krista White

Thank you for considering me in your query process. I’m actively building my client list and am eager to review your materials. I’m seeking fiction and nonfiction from Canadian, American, and international writers writing in English. I do not represent submissions created or assisted in any percentage by generative AI. I do not use AI to assess submitted materials.

Having completed my internship under the CEO of The Rights Factory, I’m now building my list as an Assistant Literary Agent. Before pursuing publishing, I had a career in sales, culminating in the co-founding of a small executive recruitment firm. I’m a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, having proudly served as its Vice President of Membership. I’m also a member of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents. I live north of Toronto in a quiet hamlet with my husband, sons, and vegetable garden. Please follow me on Instagram: @kristawhite_literary

Fiction: upmarket and literary with elements of women’s fiction, romance, mystery/crime, book club, historical, religious/inspirational, humour, multicultural, mild speculative, adventure, military/espionage.

In fiction, I’m drawn to upmarket and literary writing. If genre elements are incorporated into your upmarket and literary stories, all the better. An author’s voice is almost everything to me; I want to love what you have to say. Truth matters: I read to learn even more than I read to escape. I hunger for stories with a moral angle: a character seeking to determine what is good in a grey scenario, or a protagonist holding fast to what is right despite a grueling trial or temptation. I love narratives rich with psychological or philosophical insight, cultural nuance, and complex relationships. In other words, book club fiction: stories with social commentary that spark discussion. In large part I read for setting; I want to be transported all over the globe, to experience setting as a character, especially an antagonist. I’m a former executive recruiter, so I’m always eager for a workplace element. I love to read stories set in the past, present, and near future. One or two minor speculative elements are of interest if the stories are grounded in real life.

Fiction I’ve Loved:

General/Women’s Fiction – I enjoy narratives driven by characters seeking self-actualization and fulfillment. Relationships fascinate me—romantic, familial, friendships, co-workers—the more complex and nuanced the conflict the better. Some favourites in this genre: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl, and the works of Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Strout, Jessica George, Amy Tan, and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Quiet Literary – Stakes don’t have to be loud to be riveting. Quiet novels often have me turning pages the fastest. I enjoyed The Anthropologists by Aysegul Savas, Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, The Children Act by Ian McEwan, Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, Discipline by Larissa Pham, and everything written by (in my opinion) the master of this genre, Katie Kitamura.

Nuanced Christian Content for the Mainstream Market – I enjoy philosophical ideas and am thrilled when I see Christian theology examined alongside secular thought. A character seeking a benevolent God is also of interest. I loved The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.

Sharp, Insightful Cultural Commentary – Does my TBR hold tomes on philosophy or the complete works of Freud? No. But I love when writers of fiction educate me in these areas in a much more palatable medium. I am in awe of the work of Rachel Cusk, Elena Ferrante, Claire Keegan, Donna Tartt, and Ernest Hemingway.

Character-Driven Mystery – Growing up, Matlock was my favourite TV show, and I’m still a sucker for a character-forward, brain-bending whodunit. I tend to shy away from amateur sleuths unless their profession or connection to the crime gives them specialized insight. I’m particularly fond of the work of Elizabeth George, Ann Cleeves, Robert Galbraith, Anthony Horowitz, Jane Harper, and Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir.

Romantic Women’s Fiction/Love Stories – I am an ardent lover of love. Few things have impacted me more than my decades-long marriage. I enjoy the high stakes in consuming romantic relationships, ranging from the lighthearted to the deep, cerebral and broody. I’m a huge fan of Writers and Lovers and Heart the Lover by Lily King, You Are Here by David Nicholls, Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje, The Wedding People by Alison Espach, and books by Sally Rooney, Emily Henry, Carley Fortune and Katherine Center.

Mild Speculative/Dystopian – I’m not sure why, but worlds far removed from our own fail to hold my interest. Though I greatly enjoy mild speculative, largely grounded in reality. I love Culpability by Bruce Holsinger, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, the work of Emily St. John Mandel, Waubgeshig Rice, and Charlotte McConaghey.

Workplace Fiction – During my time as an executive recruiter, I became fascinated by varying professions. Some favourites: The Ensemble by Aja Gabel, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, City of Nightbirds by Juhea Kim, Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Book Club Thrillers – I love fiction with social commentary and ideology that sparks conversation. In thrillers, I love an atmospheric, immersive setting, especially when it is an antagonist. I’m always tracking the Read with Jenna and Oprah’s book club picks. Think The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, Heartwood by Amity Gaige, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and Liane Moriarty and Lucy Foley’s books.

Historical Fiction – My tastes lean toward the esoteric, more than a focus on a specific time period. For example, the work of Maggie O’Farrell, Beatriz Williams, Time of the Child by Niall Williams, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Trust by Hernan Diaz.

CanLit – Ever since reading Anne of Green Gables as a child, I’ve appreciated the need to read the stories of one’s own country. I enjoyed The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson, Greenwood by Michael Christie, and the work of Richard Wagamese, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro.

Christian Romance and Women’s Fiction – Within historical or contemporary inspirational fiction, I enjoy plot-forward, high-concept narratives with a mix of nuanced characterizations and motivations. Some faves: Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry, He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox, Erin Bartles’ books, Kate Hewitt’s Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite series, and Amy Harmon’s work.

I’m not the right agent for: Light commercial fiction, category romance, erotica, psychological thrillers that destroy an existing family unit, paranormal or occult elements, crime fiction with a focus on a villain’s dark mind, amateur sleuths without a skill set that forwards the investigation.

Nonfiction

In nonfiction, I love memoirs about romantic or parental relationships and those who have accomplished incredible things, preferably in their careers. A platform is a must nowadays, if not through social media, then prestigious publishing credits. I’m seeking projects in the Business, Self-Help, and Cultural/Social Issues space, particularly around psychology and sociology. I’m fascinated by how people think and how we can be our best selves together. I accept cookbook submissions by referral only.

In nonfiction, I’m eager to represent projects for the Christian market. I’m interested in nearly every subgenre of Christian nonfiction: memoir, devotionals, Bible studies, Christian living, self-help, theology, and apologetics. If you are writing Christian non-fiction, platform is also a consideration. Social media is not a must, but I’m eager to see passionate involvement within a sizable specific community, hopefully a community that has informed your writing.

I’m not the right agent for: Books about spirituality without religion, biography, trauma memoirs, educational subject matter written without relevant academic or professional credentials or social proof of authorial voice.

Submission Guidelines

Thank you for including me in your query process. Please follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kristawhite_literary/ where I post when I’m open and closed to queries. Please submit your query letter, synopsis and first 30 pages here:  https://QueryTracker.net/query/KristaWhite