Brian DeFiore is the founder of DeFiore and Company and a veteran dealmaker whose broad commercial instincts span literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and mainstream adult and young-adult titles.
In brief
Brian DeFiore is the founding principal of DeFiore and Company, bringing decades of editorial and agenting experience to a client list that skews broadly commercial and narrative-driven.
The agency's submission form was observed open as of April 2026, but status can shift — always confirm directly before querying.
DeFiore's background spans both editorial and agenting sides of publishing, which typically translates to unusually specific manuscript-level feedback for represented clients.
With limited granular deal data available in the source material, the strongest pitching strategy is to align your project with the agency's stated commercial and narrative-nonfiction strengths.
Because source detail is sparse, writers should cross-reference the agency's current submissions page for the most precise and up-to-date category preferences before querying.
Lately
The agency's live submission portal was confirmed accepting queries across Brian DeFiore's core categories, with no stated embargo or pause in place.
What Brian is looking for
DeFiore is drawn to literary fiction with genuine commercial potential — stories that have both artistic ambition and broad readership appeal. Character-driven narratives that illuminate the human condition while remaining accessible to a wide audience are the sweet spot.
Mainstream commercial fiction across a range of voices and settings. Brian DeFiore has a long track record on this side of the list, and projects with strong hooks and broad audience potential are a consistent priority.
Deeply researched, story-forward nonfiction that reads with the momentum of good fiction. DeFiore is particularly well-positioned here given the agency's broader nonfiction strength across prescriptive and narrative categories.
Practical nonfiction with a clear platform and a concrete, actionable premise. The agency has a strong history in this space, though DeFiore personally gravitates toward projects with a distinctive voice rather than generic advice.
YA with a strong voice and emotional urgency. Commercial and literary YA are both welcomed when the premise is fresh and the protagonist's journey feels genuinely high-stakes.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Brian
Submit through DeFiore and Company's online submission form — this is the required channel; unsolicited email queries or postal submissions are not the standard route.
Open with a one-sentence hook that makes the commercial or literary case for your book immediately clear; Brian DeFiore's background is editorial, so a crisp, confident pitch signals craft awareness.
Specify your genre and target audience precisely in the first paragraph — do not make the agent guess where the book lives on a shelf.
For fiction, your query letter should convey voice as well as plot; a flat synopsis-style letter undersells a literary or commercial novel.
For nonfiction, lead with your platform and the concrete problem your book solves or the story it tells — a strong concept sentence followed by your credentials is the standard structure.
Keep the query to one page equivalent; DeFiore and Company's volume means concise, professional letters stand out.
Confirm the agency's current submission guidelines directly before querying — category preferences and any requested sample pages can be updated without public announcement.