James Mustelier

An agent with The Bent Agency (see other agents at this agency).

About

I joined the Bent Agency in 2019 after completing my MFA at the City College of New York, where I edited the literary journal, Promethean. During my time with the agency, I have worked both as an agent and an editorial consultant.

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Country

United States

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Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

I’m currently looking for high concept literary and genre fiction that I can co-rep with my colleague Jenny Bent. We are looking for a range of fiction for adults and young adults, but are specifically interested in compact horror and mysteries with unique hooks and intricate plotting, atmospheric thrillers and suspense novels with a strong sense of place, and unique fantasy/romantasy. Of particular interest are authors who have successfully been working in the indie space and are now looking to transition into traditional or hybrid publishing.
For myself, I'm looking for voice-driven, literary fiction, including books with genre elements but literary execution. I’m also looking for grounded speculative fiction with high stakes that touches on contemporary issues.
Across all genres, I prize direct, economical prose, complex characters, building tension, narrative gravity, and a distinct sense of humor. All of my favorite books make me laugh, regardless of how dark they may get.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults, Young adults.

Genres:

General
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Romance Subgenre: Romantic Fantasy
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Alternate History
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Novel

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Society/Culture: Social issues.

Submissions:

Method: QueryTracker.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Expand section Nonfiction Closed

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James Mustelier Submission Statistics

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We have not received any submission reports for this listing in the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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Jenny Bent
Victoria Cappello
Heather Flaherty DNQ

Zoë Plant
John Silbersack

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Dates

Last Updated: 21 Sep 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.