Emily van Beek is a partner at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management whose list spans NYT-bestselling and award-winning children's and YA authors and illustrators, with a current emphasis on middle grade, YA, and a newly declared appetite for new adult fiction — all in close collaboration with colleague Estelle Laure.
In brief
Van Beek's confirmed client roster reads like a children's-publishing hall of fame — Jenny Han, Lois Lowry, Morgan Matson, Kendare Blake, Rachael Lippincott, Philip & Erin Stead, Sydney Smith — signaling serious commercial muscle across both fiction and illustration-driven work.
The sales record and roster reveal a deep relationship with author-illustrators and picture-book creators (Sydney Smith, Philip & Erin Stead, Julie Morstad, Lauren Castillo), even though van Beek's picture-book interest is now gated exclusively to author-illustrators — a meaningful distinction writers must not miss.
The most notable recent evolution in van Beek's wishlist is the addition of new adult fiction, co-developed with colleague Estelle Laure, making them a rare agent pairing actively courting a category many agencies still ignore.
Van Beek skews strongly toward voice-driven, emotionally resonant work with commercial viability — the YA touchstones named run from lyrical literary (Jandy Nelson, Laini Taylor) to punchy genre (Victoria Schwab, Adrienne Young), suggesting range but always anchored in strong prose.
Any query to van Beek is simultaneously considered by Estelle Laure — an unusual dual-read arrangement that writers should factor into their pitch strategy.
Lately
Van Beek updated their wishlist to announce a newly active appetite for new adult fiction, co-pursued with colleague Estelle Laure — covering romantasy, cozy mystery, speculative fiction, family drama, and comedy — marking a meaningful expansion beyond the traditional children's and YA focus.
What Emily is looking for
Van Beek describes this as a top-priority search right now, but has shifted the language from 'almost anything' to 'judiciously on the hunt for exquisitely imagined' MG — meaning quality bar is high even as the appetite is broad. Particular excitement around first-crush or early-romance plots, comedy, and mischievous, humorous stories. A tight, propulsive plot calibrated to middle-grade attention spans is essential. Road-trip or forest-quest-style adventure is explicitly not a fit. Think fun, bright, and emotionally resonant rather than sprawling epic.
High-concept, beautifully written YA with a bold, unforgettable voice is the target. Van Beek and Laure want work that puts them 'in the marrow of human experience' — emotionally devastating or laugh-out-loud funny, ideally both. Fantasy, magical realism, paranormal, adventure, and dystopian are all welcome but only if the concept is genuinely fresh. Hard science fiction and overtly message-driven novels are not a good fit. Humor is a genuine priority — a funny YA manuscript stands out on this desk.
A newly active and openly declared area for van Beek and Laure together. They're looking for coming-of-age stories with series potential, romantasy series with a fresh hook, cozy mysteries with series potential, high-concept speculative fiction, juicy family drama, and — as with YA — comedy, rom-com, or an otherwise hilarious romp. The emphasis is on first-attempts-at-adulthood territory with room to grow across multiple books.
Van Beek is exclusively interested in author-illustrators for picture books — writers who do not also illustrate their own work should not query in this category. Within that gate, the focus is on award-worthy artwork, character-driven concepts with series potential, and work by diverse creators telling diverse stories. A PDF dummy should be attached when submitting picture book work.
Not the right fit
On Emily's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Emily
Send your query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email — not as attachments. Picture book submissions should include a PDF of your dummy attached to the email.
Write QUERY in the subject line — van Beek explicitly states this is how they avoid missing letters.
Remember that any query to van Beek is also read by colleague Estelle Laure; you are not required to query both separately.
If you haven't received a response within six weeks, van Beek considers that a pass — there is no formal rejection sent, so plan accordingly and track your submission date.
Links to online illustration portfolios are welcome and encouraged for author-illustrators.
For middle grade, lead with what makes your concept fresh and your plot propulsive — van Beek is explicit that MG needs a plot calibrated to the age group's attention span. Flag humor, first-love, or mischief elements prominently if they apply.
For YA, lean hard into voice from the first page — the touchstones named span literary to commercial but all share a distinctive, irreplaceable narrative voice. If your book is funny, say so clearly in the query letter.
For new adult submissions, emphasize series potential and the coming-of-age dimension; this is a newly active area and a strong concept with a clear series arc will stand out.
Picture book submissions are only accepted from author-illustrators — do not query if you are a writer without illustration credentials.