about Rebecca Eskildsen
(she/her)
I am a literary agent actively building my client list at Writers House,
with a broad focus on middle grade, young adult, and adult titles.
See my full manuscript wishlist here.
Bio
I grew up reading and traipsing through the endless forests of the Seattle area and graduated with a BA from the University of Washington. After beginning my publishing career in the Seattle small press scene and spending two years bookselling at Barnes & Noble, I moved to New York, where I joined JABberwocky Literary Agency as a foreign rights associate. I pitched client books at the London Book Fair and worked with the entire list of JABberwocky clients, including Charlaine Harris, Brandon Sanderson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Daniel Jose Older, and Peter V. Brett.
I’ve been at Writers House since 2017, supporting Merrilee Heifetz with all client needs, from editorial to accounting, contract negotiation, and other administrative details. I have worked closely with a range of authors, including the Estate of Octavia E. Butler, Alexandra Bracken, Beth Revis, Melissa Marr, Kristen Orlando, Amanda Panitch, Allyson Dahlin, and Robin McKinley, among many others.
I currently live in Brooklyn with my toothless and VERY demanding cat, Violet.
Agenting Style
I am a highly editorial agent! I like to think carefully about the overall structure of a manuscript, along with the nitty gritty details, to help authors draw out the strongest book possible. There’s nothing I love more than working out raw ideas on a phone call or writing a detailed editorial letter for a revision. My communication and discussion style is tailored to each client’s preference, since one size doesn’t fit all.
I aim to support my clients across their entire writing career, whether that spans genres, age categories, or formats. I am particularly eager to elevate underrepresented narratives, particularly queer, BIPOC, and Disabled voices.
Writers House is one of the largest agencies in the world and provides an extraordinary amount of individual client attention, combined with the full-service benefits of foreign rights, subrights (including audio and film), accounting, royalty, and contract departments.
If you’re interested in working with me, I’d love to hear from you! Please find my submission guidelines here. Visit my Publishers Marketplace profile here.
Violet, battling my frequent re-reads for some love and affection.
Some of my all-time favorite books
THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo
HOUSE OF HOLLOW by Krystal Sutherland
EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU by Celeste Ng
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS by Anissa Gray (I’m also a sucker for an overly long title that works this well)
Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson
ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman
FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen
THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS by Laura E. Weymouth
FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley
FIRE AND HEMLOCK by Diana Wynne Jones
HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones
BLANCA & ROJA by Anna-Marie McLemore
IVY ABERDEEN’S LETTER TO THE WORLD by Ashley Herring Blake
SPINDLE’S END by Robin McKinley
EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IS NOT RUINED by Danielle Younge-Ullman
ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine
NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro
Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series, especially TRICKSTER’S CHOICE & TRICKSTER’S QUEEN
DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY by Adib Khorram
SIGNAL TO NOISE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
THE MORNING GIFT by Eva Ibbotson (ok, really everything by Eva Ibbotson, but I’m picking a top favorite)
EMERGENCY CONTACT by Mary H.K. Choi
The Sweep series by Cate Tiernan
TAM LIN by Pamela Dean
A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY trilogy by Libba Bray
FIRE by Kristin Cashore
PRIDE & PREJUDICE by Jane Austen
TESS OF THE ROAD by Rachel Hartman
Some of my all-time favorite movies and TV shows
Disclaimer: I have different tastes in books than I do in TV. My MSWL will be a better indicator of what I’d like to see than this list.
Gilmore Girls
Veronica Mars
Teen Wolf
Doctor Who
Mona Lisa Smile
You’ve Got Mail
The Witches of East End
Sex Education
Only Murders in the Building
Pirates of the Caribbean
When Harry Met Sally
Dirty Dancing
10 Things I Hate About You
Dead Poet’s Society
Carnival Row
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
How to Get Away with Murder
Gossip Girl
Please Like Me
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
The Umbrella Academy
The Princess Bride
New Girl
How I Met Your Mother
Footloose
Schitt’s Creek
Derry Girls
Practical Magic
The Newsroom
Pitch Perfect