Amanda Bernardi is a nonfiction specialist at Europa Content whose twelve years in publicity and purpose-driven branding give them a rare commercial launch lens — they don't just sell books, they build author careers from proposal through pub date.
In brief
Bernardi works exclusively in nonfiction — no fiction, no poetry, no screenplays, and only occasional memoir (with explicit avoidance of sexual and domestic violence subject matter).
Their background is in publicity and branding for environmental, labor, and healthcare organizations, which means they are unusually attuned to platform, audience reach, and post-deal launch strategy — arguably as important to them as editorial quality.
The wishlist skews toward a specific millennial-women demographic: wellness, girlhood, relationships, and social science aimed at that cohort recur as top priorities.
Their stated interest in underrepresented voices with growing platforms is a practical signal: Bernardi appears to be building a diversified roster rather than chasing already-famous names, making this a realistic target for debut nonfiction authors with strong niche audiences.
The 'next books' touchstones they name — works by Pooja Lakshmin, Ada Calhoun, and Jessi Klein — cluster around witty, research-grounded books on women's lives, midlife, and cultural critique, revealing a consistent taste thread that runs through their entire wishlist.
Lately
Bernardi flagged several very specific nonfiction areas as top priorities: wellness and self-improvement aimed at millennials, the social and economic power of girls and young women, politics/science/history from 1980 onward, the gut-brain connection (cookbook or scientific), water scarcity in the American West, and anthropological explorations of contemporary digital and political culture.
What Amanda is looking for
Bernardi is actively seeking wellness, relationships, and self-improvement content aimed squarely at millennials — not broad self-help, but work that speaks to a generation navigating burnout, life transitions, and identity. Books grounded in science or professional expertise (think physician-authored, therapist-authored) are especially appealing. The gut-brain connection is a named priority, whether approached as a cookbook or a scientific deep dive.
Cookbooks and food writing are a core specialty. Bernardi wants proposals where the author's culinary expertise or unique platform is the foundation — not just recipes but a strong conceptual hook or cultural angle. The gut-brain lens is an explicit interest, suggesting openness to cookbooks that bridge food and health science.
Bernardi is drawn to anthropological deep dives into contemporary life: how social media, political language, entertainment culture, and digital behavior are reshaping society. The work should feel like rigorous inquiry made accessible — 'big think' books that inform as much as they entertain. Politics, science, or history from the 1980s onward is a named sweet spot.
Bernardi specifically wants to explore the economic, social, and cultural power of young women and teenagers. This is a precise ask — not generalized women's issues, but focused work on girls and adolescent female experience. Intersectional feminist perspectives and underrepresented voices are a stated priority.
Environmental nonfiction is both a stated passion and a thematic thread throughout the wishlist. Water scarcity and the future of the American West is a specific named interest. Sustainability, ecology, and narrative nature writing all fall within scope.
Design, home arts, and illustrated lifestyle books are part of Bernardi's core nonfiction range, informed by their background in content development. Visual elements are welcome and can strengthen a proposal — Bernardi explicitly asks for samples of artwork, photography, or design vision when relevant.
Bernardi welcomes narrative and investigative nonfiction that makes history, science, or current events compellingly readable. The sweet spot is roughly 1980 to the present. Pop science and pop psychology are welcome when they carry both intellectual rigor and broad accessibility.
Bernardi is open to humor-driven nonfiction and celebrity or pop-culture books, provided they carry a distinct voice and at least a thread of cultural or social substance. Pure celebrity cash-in projects are unlikely to be a fit, but voice-driven comedic essays or cultural commentary with a strong platform behind them are welcome.
Bernardi takes on very few memoirs and is explicit that they prefer not to work on narratives centered on sexual or domestic violence. When memoir is considered, it is almost certainly attached to a strong platform or expertise, rather than purely personal narrative.
Not the right fit
On Amanda's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Amanda
Submit through the online submission form on Bernardi's agency page — email submissions are not the stated intake channel, even though a contact email is publicly listed.
Lead with your platform and audience data. Bernardi's publicity background means they will immediately ask 'who will buy this and why will they hear about it?' — answer that question before they have to.
If you have a full book proposal ready, submit it. Bernardi welcomes complete proposals and this will give your submission the best chance. If you don't, include: a hook-forward query letter, a specific author bio with platform metrics, and sample excerpts.
For visually driven projects — cookbooks, design, illustrated lifestyle — include samples of photography, artwork, or a clear design vision. Bernardi explicitly requests this and it will strengthen your case.
Match your project to a named priority. The gut-brain connection, water scarcity in the West, millennial-targeted wellness, and girlhood/young women are all explicitly flagged as current high-interest areas — mention the overlap if it's genuine.
Avoid leading with memoir unless your platform is unusually strong and your subject matter does not involve sexual or domestic violence, which Bernardi has explicitly declined.
Expect up to twelve weeks for a response. Bernardi does not send form rejections — silence after twelve weeks is effectively a pass.