A former Random House VP turned literary agent at Max & Co. who focuses exclusively on nonfiction, rewarding writers who arrive with a clear market case and strong platform.
In brief
Jack Perry brings a career's worth of sales-and-marketing executive experience to agenting — his screening lens is explicitly commercial: he wants to know who will pay for the book before he wants to know what it says.
His stated categories are nonfiction only: history, business, politics, narrative nonfiction, science, math, sports, and music — no fiction, no memoir-for-its-own-sake, nothing that can't be pitched to a large, identifiable readership.
No confirmed deal record is available in the public data, which is consistent with this being an early-stage client list; writers should treat this as a ground-floor opportunity with a highly credentialed industry insider.
The original public alert dates to 2009, meaning the query email and submission preferences listed there may be outdated — verify all contact details and submission instructions directly with Max & Co. before sending anything.
Perry's retail and distribution background at Random House, Sourcebooks, and Scholastic means he thinks about books as products in a supply chain; a proposal that speaks his language — print runs, audience size, sell-through — will travel further than one that leads with prose alone.
Lately
Perry described his ideal submission as one where both the synopsis and the author bio independently point toward 'a very large collection of people willing to drop $24.95 to read your work' — framing the query as a sales pitch, not a creative introduction.
What Jack is looking for
Narrative and analytical history with a clear popular audience — think books that explain how the past shaped the present in a way that earns placement in airport bookstores. Platform and prior writing credentials strengthen the case considerably.
Practical or ideas-driven business books and political nonfiction, provided the author can demonstrate an existing audience — a media platform, professional reputation, or institutional affiliation that translates into pre-built readership.
Story-driven nonfiction across any subject, weighted toward prose quality. Perry's own language ('if the writing is good enough, he can be led to a vast array of topics') signals that a compelling narrative voice can unlock categories not on his explicit list — but the writing must earn that.
Popular science and mathematics for general readers. The emphasis remains on commercial framing: the author should be able to articulate why a non-specialist audience will seek out this particular book on this particular subject now.
Both categories are listed with evident personal enthusiasm rather than as formal priorities. Strong storytelling and a defined fan base or cultural moment are the differentiators here.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jack
Lead with the market case, not the concept: Perry's background is sales and distribution, so the first thing your query should establish is who the audience is and how large it is — specific and credible beats vague and grand.
Your author bio and your book synopsis should each, independently, make the commercial case. If your bio doesn't include credentials, a platform, or an institutional connection that signals built-in readership, strengthen it before querying.
Include sample chapters as attachments. One must be your opening chapter — Perry has stated explicitly that he evaluates how an author opens the work.
Keep the proposal direct and free of padding. He has expressed admiration for concise, cogent proposals; lengthy scene-setting or extensive personal backstory before you get to the point works against you.
If four weeks pass with no response, follow up — Perry himself invited this, noting that emails get lost.
Verify the current submission email and any updated guidelines directly with Max & Co. before sending; the contact details in the original public profile are from 2009 and may have changed.