Joëlle Delbourgo is a veteran editor-turned-agent and founder of her own boutique agency who hunts for paradigm-shifting nonfiction and fiction with a strong, distinctive voice—with a particular passion for narrative history, science, and commercial literary novels.
In brief
Her editorial biography is exceptional: two decades as a senior editor at HarperCollins and Ballantine/Random House, plus she launched the Choose Your Own Adventure series at Bantam — she brings genuine editorial depth to every manuscript she takes on.
Her sales record skews heavily nonfiction, with history, biography, true crime, parenting, and psychology as her most active categories — writers in those lanes have the strongest odds with her.
She has sold to major commercial houses and built repeat relationships with a core roster: clients like Ben H. Winters (multiple titles, Edgar and Philip K. Dick Award winner) and Dr. Michele Borba demonstrate she cultivates long-term, career-spanning partnerships.
Her current emphasis — neuroscience, history with narrative drive, diverse and own-voices fiction, literature in translation — signals a move toward intellectually ambitious, culturally expansive projects rather than genre entertainment.
She is NOT accepting queries as of June 2025; verify her live submission form before sending anything.
Lately
On her current agency page, she flags history and science — particularly neuroscience — as top priorities right now, and specifically calls out a desire for nonfiction and fiction with a strong voice or point of view, lifestyle books with an innovative twist, out-of-the-box thinkers, diverse and own-voices perspectives, and literature in translation.
What Joelle is looking for
This is her deepest and most consistent category by sales volume. She wants history that reads like a story and biography with genuine insight into character and era. The work should feel propulsive, not encyclopedic. Strong authorial voice and original research or angle are essential.
Currently calling out neuroscience and cutting-edge science as a top priority. She wants scientists and science writers who can translate complex ideas into compulsively readable prose for general audiences. The story must come first.
A consistently active lane for her. She represents credentialed experts — educators, therapists, researchers — whose books offer actionable insight grounded in evidence. Platform and professional authority matter here; a strong media presence (TV, speaking, academic credentials) meaningfully strengthens a submission.
She has sold in this space and represents a true crime writer and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. Narrative journalism with high-stakes human stakes and rigorous reporting is the sweet spot.
She wants novels with fresh voices, atmospheric settings, and plots that move — not purely literary work that sacrifices story for style. Accessible literary fiction and women's fiction with emotional and narrative drive are welcome. Diverse and own-voices perspectives are a current emphasis.
Explicitly named as a love. She wants vivid period detail, an immersive sense of place, and characters who feel alive rather than costumed. The writing quality must be high.
Part of her stated fiction range. Propulsive plotting is a must; she gravitates toward suspense that also has literary texture rather than pure formula. Ben H. Winters (Edgar Award winner) is her flagship client in this space.
She handles this only selectively. Her strongest proof point is Ben H. Winters, who won the Philip K. Dick Award — suggesting she gravitates toward SF with strong literary and conceptual ambitions rather than genre entertainment. Do not submit epic fantasy, urban fantasy, or magical realism.
She will consider memoir but calls it out as a category she approaches very selectively. The writing must be exceptional and the story must transcend personal experience to resonate universally. She represents several memoirists — including a former Chief Rabbi of Israel and a civil rights figure — suggesting she favors memoir with historical, cultural, or public significance.
A current stated priority and a natural fit given her fluency in French and her internationally minded background. She is seeking to expand in this direction — a genuine appetite signal, not a token mention.
A steady part of her nonfiction practice. She wants counterintuitive, out-of-the-box thinkers rather than conventional business advice. A fresh paradigm or an unexpected angle is the differentiator.
Not the right fit
On Joelle's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Joelle
Submissions are CLOSED as of June 12, 2025 — check her agency website before sending anything. Querying while closed will almost certainly result in no response.
Email queries go to her direct agency address; include the word QUERY in the subject line — this is a firm requirement, not a suggestion.
Address your letter to Joëlle Delbourgo specifically; generic 'Dear Literary Agent' salutations are flagged as a red flag in her own guidelines.
Embed your first 10 pages directly in the email body after your query letter. No attachments, no links — she will not click them.
For fiction and memoir, the full manuscript must be complete before querying. For nonfiction, have a completed proposal and sample chapters ready — she may ask for them immediately.
Clearly state your genre or category up front; she needs to assess fit instantly.
Spell out your platform and credentials, especially for nonfiction — media presence, academic authority, speaking engagements, and prior publications all strengthen a submission materially.
If you are querying other agents simultaneously, say so; she asks directly whether the query is exclusive.
Do not query multiple agents at her agency — pick Joëlle and submit once.
If you have not heard back within 60 days, treat it as a pass — she responds selectively and only when interested.
A gentle follow-up after 30 days is appropriate only if she has already requested a partial or full manuscript.
Do not contact her by phone or social media under any circumstances.