Elena Giovinazzo is the President and Co-founder of Heirloom Literary & Media, a children's/YA powerhouse agent with nearly two decades of experience and a roster stacked with Newbery, Pulitzer, MacArthur, and Caldecott honorees — now selectively expanding into adult literary fiction, memoir, and narrative nonfiction.
In brief
Giovinazzo co-founded Heirloom Literary & Media in October 2024 alongside Jason Reynolds — a genuinely unusual arrangement in which a longtime client became her business partner — signaling an agency built around deep, career-long relationships rather than volume.
Her confirmed deal record is almost entirely children's and middle-grade: picture books, illustrated novels, and verse fiction dominate. Despite stated plans to expand into adult markets, there is no confirmed adult deal on record yet — query adult projects with that context in mind.
Her roster is among the most decorated in children's publishing: a Newbery winner, a MacArthur Fellow, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Caldecott Honoree, multiple National Book Award finalists, and a string of NYT bestsellers. She is not a developmental agent for emerging voices; she gravitates toward singular, career-defining talent.
Her official agency bio states she is currently closed to queries except via client or industry referral — this directly contradicts the 'open' status cached in a query tracker and must be verified against the live submission form before querying.
Repeat clients are a defining feature of her practice: Katherine Applegate, Jason Reynolds, Beth Ferry, and Jason Griffin all appear across multiple titles, confirming she builds long-term partnerships rather than one-book relationships.
Lately
Giovinazzo announced the launch of Heirloom Literary & Media in October 2024, co-founding the agency with Jason Reynolds. The agency's stated mission centers on nurturing 'singular clients whose work will last across generations' — a deliberate signal that she is building for quality and longevity, not volume.
What Elena is looking for
Picture books are the core of her proven track record. She is particularly drawn to picture books from author-illustrators or strong author-illustrator collaborations. Lyrical, emotionally resonant texts that reward repeat reading appear to be her sweet spot, based on her existing client work.
She has sold multiple middle-grade novels across realistic, magical, and emotionally complex registers. Works with distinctive voice, thematic depth, and the potential for lasting cultural impact are what she pursues — not formula MG.
Her YA track record leans toward innovative, formally ambitious work — novels in verse, hybrid text-and-image formats, and books that blur genre lines. She has a demonstrated affinity for projects that feel urgent and culturally necessary.
Her representation of Pulitzer Prize–winning illustrator Medar de la Cruz in illustrated reporting and commentary suggests she is open to distinguished visual nonfiction work, though this appears to be a narrow, high-bar category for her.
She has publicly stated an intention to expand into adult fiction as Heirloom grows, but no confirmed adult fiction deals appear in her record as of this profile. Writers in this space should treat this as an emerging priority and expect a high bar — she will likely hold adult projects to the same standard of singular, lasting talent she applies across her list.
Also flagged as an area of expansion for Heirloom. No confirmed deals in this category yet. Projects with a strong authorial voice, cultural stakes, and a clear readership are the most likely fit, given the sensibility she's shown across her children's list.
Not the right fit
On Elena's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Elena
Do not send a cold query. Her own agency materials state she is closed to unsolicited submissions. A query-tracker may show 'open,' but her agency bio is the higher-authority source — trust it.
Pursue an industry or client referral if you are serious about reaching her. Given that her co-founder is Jason Reynolds, connections through the children's/YA literary community are the most natural path.
If the live submission form ever opens to cold queries, frame your pitch around longevity and singular vision — the word 'heirloom' is not accidental. She is explicitly not building a volume list.
Demonstrate awareness of the agency's identity as a co-founded partnership between agent and client. A pitch that understands why that matters to her will resonate more than a generic query.
For adult fiction or memoir, acknowledge her expansion into that space while showing why your work fits alongside her established sensibility — do not pitch her as though she is a general adult fiction agent with a long track record in that space.
Foreign and translation rights inquiries go through Rights People; film/TV rights inquiries go directly to Heirloom. Structure any rights conversation accordingly.