Hello! Thank you for taking time to learn more about us. We are a small and mighty team dedicated to advancing our authors' interests. |
Q&A about what Lynn looks for in queries, favorite books & more.
An interview with Lynn. Read Lynn's advice on author acknowledgments. Read Lynn's essay in The New York Times. |
Lynn Johnston
Agent & President For more than 20 years, I've represented nonfiction and a small selection of fiction. The books on my list have been called "firebreathng" and "righteous" by the New York Times, "exuberant" by O, The Oprah Magazine, and "a godsend" by Publishers Weekly. Among them are New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today bestsellers; Books for a Better Life Award finalists; winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Award; Audie Award winner for Best Nonfiction Audiobook, Grammy nominee for Best Spoken Word Album; Porchlight Personal Development and Human Behavior Book of the Year, and other "best of the year" honorees. In response to the question, "What do you do?" I once replied, "I care." It was at a party and although I meant it as a joke, I'd inadvertently gotten it right. I care about my authors, how their work translates into book form, what happens to the book before and after publication, and ultimately the impact it has in the world. My authors have been honored with the Pulitzer Prize, Peabody Award, Global Teaching Prize (finalist), and GLAAD award, to name a few. I'm proud to work with each and every one. Here is a gallery of some of them in action. Before working in publishing, I held marketing and management positions and served on the the board or staff of notable non-profits, including Dress for Success, Bottomless Closet, American Management Association, and American Bar Association. I was elected in 2022 to the board of the Association of American Literary Agents where I also serve on the Contracts Committee and Ethics Committee, as well as co-chair the US Book Show. I have an MBA and BA in Philosophy. I came to live and work in New York City by way of Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Dunedin (Florida), Bangkok and Saigon where I was born. My sunny Manhattan home has several good bookstores within walking distance but never enough bookshelves. |
Sara Carder
Agent & Editorial Director As a literary agent, editor, and collaborator, I bring decades of experience working in the publishing industry. At Penguin Random House as an in-house editor, I acquired bestselling nonfiction including the international bestseller with over 2 million copies sold Attached by Amir Levine MD and Rachel Heller MA; New York Times bestselling author Daniel J. Siegel, MD’s Brainstorm and Parenting from the Inside Out; Wall Street Journal bestseller The Power of Wonder by Monica C. Parker; and the classic Slow Birding by evolutionary biologist Joan E. Strassmann. I also edited Julia Cameron's groundbreakingThe Artist Way. I am now quite happy spending my days doing only the part I’ve always loved best: working closely with authors to help them create the books they want to share with the world, either as their agent or collaborator, with a special focus on lifestyle, wellness, psychology, personal growth, business, memoir, social justice, and women's issues. A native of Berkeley, CA, I travelled eastward for college and stayed. I now commute between NYC and the Hudson Valley, |
Debbie Clayman
Director of Subsidiary Rights & Speaking Services I am motivated by the talent and work of our authors and am proud to support them in their desire to share their messages to audiences worldwide. My 20 years experience in finance and media, talent for building connections, and passion for literature led me to launch Spotlight in conjunction with Lynn Johnston Literary, representing authors in paid speaking engagements. I also manage the agency's subsidiary rights, working with trusted co-agents to sell translation rights in key territories. I hold a marketing degree from Tulane University and an MBA from New York University. After growing up in Ohio, and living in the great cities of Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and London, I settled in Brooklyn with two kids, dog, and cat. I love going for a run or a stroll and enjoying the view of Manhattan. I started running many years ago on a dare and now coach young adults recovering from cancer in a program called Cancer to 5K. Like our authors, these are the people who inspire me every day. |