Andrew Zack is a veteran agent-turned-agency-president whose deep editorial background spans Simon & Schuster, Warner Books, Berkley, and Donald I. Fine — giving him an unusually hands-on approach to shaping manuscripts before he sells them.
In brief
Andrew Zack founded The Zack Company in 1996 after nearly a decade of in-house editorial experience at multiple major New York houses — he is as much an editor as a dealmaker, and his clients consistently cite manuscript development as a core part of what he offers.
His backlog is real and substantial: as of May 2026 he publicly acknowledged roughly 1,300 unread submissions, with current clients understandably taking priority — writers querying him should expect a long wait and should not interpret silence as a pass.
His submission form was confirmed open as of late 2019; his May 2026 social post implies he is still accepting work, but the sheer volume means effective access is very limited — treat his status as 'open but slow' and verify the live form before submitting.
His publishing background spans foreign rights, editorial, subsidiary rights, and retail — a breadth that makes him particularly valuable to authors navigating sub-rights deals and international licensing.
Specific recent sales data is sparse in available records, so writers should research his current client roster and any recent announcements directly through his agency site before querying.
Lately
Let me tell you a tale about a hardworking literary agent and the author who wasted my time. I received a submission a year ago. Yes, I'm that far behind; 1,300 submissions to read. Plenty of current clients and work to be done, so the prospective clients end up waiting. #publishing #amsubmitting 1/
Zack publicly shared that he was carrying a backlog of approximately 1,300 unread submissions as of the post date, framing it around a cautionary anecdote about a prospective author who had wasted his time. His point was explicit: current clients come first, and new submissions wait — sometimes for a year or more.
What Andrew is looking for
Zack's editorial pedigree — Berkley, Warner, Donald I. Fine — points toward commercial and upmarket fiction with strong narrative craft. His background suggests a preference for work that rewards substantive line-level editing, not just high-concept pitches.
His agency has represented both fiction and nonfiction authors since its founding. His subsidiary-rights expertise makes him well-suited to nonfiction with strong serial, book-club, or international potential. A polished book proposal is essential — he has published dedicated Book Proposal Tips guidance on his agency site.
Not the right fit
On Andrew's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Andrew
His agency site includes dedicated sections for 'What We Want,' 'Manuscript Preparation Guidelines,' 'Book Proposal Tips,' and 'Submission Guidelines' — read all four before drafting a single word of your query; he has clearly invested in spelling out his expectations and will notice if you haven't.
Because he operates as both agent and hands-on editor, signal in your query that you welcome substantive developmental feedback — authors who only want a deal-maker may not be the right fit.
He is running a backlog of roughly 1,300 submissions (as of mid-2026), so follow-up inquiries before his stated response window has passed are likely to be unwelcome; set a long waiting expectation.
For nonfiction, a complete, polished book proposal is almost certainly expected — his agency has published specific guidance on proposals, which is a strong hint that submitting without one is a red flag.
His career began in foreign rights and subsidiary rights; if your project has strong international or serial appeal, naming that clearly in your query may resonate with him more than it would with most agents.
Verify the live form status on the agency site immediately before submitting — the last confirmed-open date is from 2019, and the current backlog situation means submission windows or preferences may have changed.