Michelle Tessler An agent with Tessler Literary Agency About Before forming the agency, Michelle Tessler worked at William Morris and the prestigious literary agency Carlisle & Company (now Inkwell Management). She also spent seven years working in content and business development in the Internet industry, beginning in 1994 when she was hired by best-selling author James Gleick to help launch The Pipeline. In light of the digital opportunities that are transforming publishing, Michelle's experience in the Internet world is of great benefit to her authors, both as they navigate ebook and audio opportunities, and as they look for creative and effective ways to market their books to niche communities that can be targeted online.Michelle is a member of AALA (Association of American Literary Agents), and Women's Media Group. She regularly attends writing conferences including The Muse & the Marketplace (GrubStreet), Aspen Words, the Kauai Writers Conference, and the Faulkner Festival. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature. Country of Publication United States Professional Associations Member of AALA AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis Slower Michelle Tessler's overall average response time is slower than most agents. Collapse section Fiction Open In fiction, we represent literary, women's, and commercial. We do not take on genre fiction or children's books.Audience:Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children.Genres: General Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Women's FictionLengths: NovelStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Submissions:Method: Online form. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Our list is made up of best-selling, award-winning, and emerging authors. It is diverse and far-reaching. In non-fiction, it includes narrative, popular science, memoir, history, psychology, business, biography, food, and travel. In many cases, we sign authors who are especially adept at writing books that cross many of these categories at once.Audience:Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children.Lengths: BookStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Business/Finance: Business. History: General, Biographies. Lifestyle: Food and Drink. Memoir. Psychology. Science. Travel.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 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. Michelle Tessler 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: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Group by submission Include outliers 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 107 min | 194.3 mean avg | 204.0 median | 272 max days (82.9 std dev) Pending 1 response is pending (37 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information Most recent response reported was received on 29 Apr 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 12 Jan 2026. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 10:07 UTC (less than a minute 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! 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: 21 Jul 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