Madison Smartt Bell An agent with Ayesha Pande Literary (see other agents at this agency). About Madison Smartt Bell is the author of twelve novels, including The Washington Square Ensemble, Waiting for the End of the World, Straight Cut, The Year of Silence, Doctor Sleep, Save Me, Joe Louis, Ten Indians, Soldier’s Joy, Anything Goes, All Souls Rising (National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner finalist), Master of the Crossroads, The Stone That The Builder Refused, Devil’s Dream, and The Color of Night. Bell has also published three collections of short stories: Zero db, Barking Man, and Zig-Zag Wanderer; two biographies: Toussaint-Louverture and Lavoisier in the Year One; and a memoir of travel in Haiti, Soul in a Bottle. With Wyn Cooper, the other head of the two-headed singer songwriter Bell & Cooper, he has released two albums: Forty Words For Fear and Postcards out of the Blue. Born and raised in Tennessee, he has lived in New York, Paris and London. A graduate of Princeton University and the Hollins College graduate creative writing program, he has taught in many other writing programs, including Goucher College, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars. For thirty years he has helped writers place their manuscripts on a pro bono basis. He is interested in literary fiction, noir, criminal procedurals, work from the Caribbean basin and other diasporas, and anything genuinely original and fresh. This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting 60 days, assume your submission will not be accepted. Country United States AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis Slower Madison Smartt Bell's overall average response time is slower than most agents. Fiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: All ethnic groups/populations, Specific ethnic group/population.Genres: General Mystery/Crime Subgenres: Crime, Noir, Police ProceduralLengths: NovelStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Place/Regions: Specific region, See guidelines.Submissions:Method: Online form. 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:Facebook FacebookInstagram @pandeliteraryX (Twitter) @pande_literary 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. Madison Smartt Bell 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. Filter: Category: Group by submission Include outliers Include other agents at the same agency Accuracy We have received 3 reports from 3 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 101 min | 251.7 mean avg | 154.0 median | 500 max days (177.0 std dev) Pending 1 response is pending (123 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information The agent will try to make a decision within 60 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 60 days.) This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted. Date compiled: 07 Sep 2026 13:09 UTC (6 hours, 10 minutes ago). 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 AgencyStephany Evans CLOSEDSerene HakimPaloma HernandoKayla LightnerLuba OstashevskyAyesha Pande 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: 10 Jun 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. 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