John Thornton An agent with The Spieler Agency (see other agents at this agency). About John Thornton has been with the Spieler Agency since 1994, after a thirty-year career as an editor, publishing executive and editorial director of the Book-of-the-Month Club. Though he does not handle fiction projects, his nonfiction tastes are eclectic. They fall along two axes: excellent writing and high-quality subject matter. Of late his clients have written on topics such as memoir (Richard Lischer, Stations of the Heart, recollections of losing a beloved adult child), biography (Phillip Schewe, Maverick Genius, a life of Freeman Dyson), natural history (Richard Conniff, The Species Seekers, a history of man’s searches to record life on Earth; a history of Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, forthcoming), social issues (Ira Rosofsky, Nasty, Brutish, and Long, a psychologist’s memoir of life in the eldercare business), consumer guidebooks (Carol Levine, Long-Term Care for Dummies—she’s a MacArthur Fellow), history (Thomas Madden, Venice: A New History; a history of Istanbul, forthcoming), belles lettres (Susan Cahill, The Hidden Gardens of Paris), spirituality (Heidi Neumark, Breathing Space, her two decades of pastoring in the South Bronx; a memoir of her newly discovered German-Jewish heritage, Googling Moses, forthcoming), cultural history (George Cotkin, Dive Deeper: Journeys with Moby-Dick), among various others. This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting 21 days, assume your submission will not be accepted. Country United States AI Policy Unknown AI policy Nonfiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: BookStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... History: See guidelines. Memoir. Religion/Spirituality: Spirituality. Society/Culture: Social issues, See guidelines.Submissions:Methods: Email. Postal. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. 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 Platforms:None known 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. John Thornton 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. We have not received any submission reports for this listing in the past 12 months. Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Other Agents at this AgencyAnne Glusker DNQVictoria ShoemakerJoe Spieler 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: 28 Jun 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