James McGowan An agent with BookEnds Literary Agency (see other agents at this agency). About James McGowan (he/him) is a literary agent at BookEnds Literary Agency, representing award-winning authors and illustrators.Over the past decade, James has worked across all departments at BookEnds–including the social media and finance departments–which informs his tactical approach to representing clients. He also serves on several committees within the Association of American Literary Agents.James currently lives in Staten Island, where he graduated with a Master’s in literature from the College of Staten Island. He is the author of the picture book Good Night, Oppy! Country & Year Established United States Agent since 2018 AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis FasterJames McGowan's overall average response time is faster than most agents. Collapse section Fiction Open In adult fiction, James is seeking upmarket/book club fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense and thrillers. In all genres, James is looking for works from diverse, marginalized, and/or underrepresented voices. Broadly, things he is drawn to in a novel are: commercial, high concept plots, exciting settings, strong characters you could follow anywhere, fast pacing, a fresh spin on a familiar trope, something to say about world or culture without being too heavy-handed, grounded speculative elements and/or accessible world-building, unique magical elements, rich prose, twists you can't see coming (or ones you enjoy anyway, if you do), books that blend genre, and a sentence that sticks with you.Titles and authors that inspire James’ list include, in no particular order ( denotes recent 5-star reads):Upmarket/Book Club: True Biz, Memphis, Portrait of a Thief, Pachinko, Free Food for Millionaires, My Sister the Serial Killer, Miracle Creek, Lessons in Chemistry, Real Americans, Emily St. John MandelMystery/Suspense/Thriller: The Push, Listen for the Lie, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, The Overnight Guest, I Have Some Questions for You, More Than You'll Ever Know, The Golden Couple, What Lies in the Woods, Only If You're Lucky, House of Glass, Night Watching, Tana French, Attica Locke, Kia Abdullah, Mary Kubica, Wanda M. Morris, Liz MooreFantasy/Speculative: Ninth House, The School for Good Mothers, Masquerade, The God and the Gumiho, Babel, The Will of the Many, Godkiller, The Familiar, S.A. Chakraborty, Sabaa Tahir, R.F. Kuang, NK Jemisin, Fonda Lee*, Pierce BrownJames is eager to find the next novel that everyone is reading and recommending. He keeps an open mind when reading, so when in doubt, send a query.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults, All ethnic groups/populations, All genders.Genres: General Open to all/most Subgenres Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres Horror Open to all/most Subgenres Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Historical Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Domestic Thriller, PsychologicalLengths: NovelStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Submissions:Method: QueryTracker. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Expand section Nonfiction Closed Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary. Go to agent's webpage Report: Submission/Query Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Instagram @bookends_literaryX (Twitter) @bookendslit For the Agent: Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Agent Impersonation Scams are becoming commonplace.A legitimate agent will not contact you and request money to represent you. Never pay an agent an up-front fee. That is not how literary agent representation works. Agents earn a commission only after they've landed a publishing deal for you. Also, agents scarcely ever contact writers. If an agent that you haven't queried contacts you about representation, be suspicious. Look up the agent and check if the email address is correct for that agent/agency. James McGowan Submission Statistics The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the agency or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics. This agent ranks among the 25 Fastest Fiction Agents in our database. Filter: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Group by submission Include outliers Include other agents at the same agency Accuracy We have received 6 reports from 6 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 0 min | 0.8 mean avg | 1.0 median | 2 max days (0.7 std dev) Other Information The agent will try to make a decision within 14 days. Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day. Most recent response reported was received on 30 Aug 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Aug 2026. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 10:08 UTC (less than a minute ago). View report of recent responses from this agent Work submitted to this agent was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted by this agent also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Other Agents at this AgencyJessica AlvarezRachel BrooksBeth Campbell CLOSEDNaomi DavisJessica FaustEmily ForneyJenissa Graham DNQAmanda JainKim LionettiKeifer LudwigAllegra MartschenkoRamona Pina CLOSEDSophie Sheumaker Before SubmittingWe cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the agent or agency being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the agent/agency meets your standards.Always read the full guidelines provided by the agency/agent.Unless the agency's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.For agency submissions, it is standard to submit a query letter and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.Be professional, patient, and persistent. DatesLast Updated: 30 Aug 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only