Jonathan Agin is a nonfiction-focused agent at O'Connor Literary Agency who champions intellectually rigorous, narrative-driven works in history, biography, cultural criticism, and popular culture—with a particular appetite for writers who make complex ideas accessible to general readers.
In brief
Agin is a nonfiction specialist with a clear editorial identity: he wants smart, voice-driven writing that translates big ideas—historical, political, cultural—into compelling reads for non-academic audiences.
His wishlist has a distinctly humanistic flavor: food traditions, political eccentrics, utopian movements, sports as social mirrors—he's drawn to offbeat angles on serious subjects.
His background is unusually well-rounded for a nonfiction agent—time at two prominent literary agencies, bookselling, and classroom teaching in Brooklyn—suggesting he can guide both the literary and commercial dimensions of a project.
He explicitly seeks journalists, scholars, and opinionated intellectuals as clients, not generalist writers; strong credentials or a distinctive platform will matter.
Submissions are closed as of late 2022; confirm current status before querying.
Lately
Agin has described his ideal client as a journalist, scholar, or similarly credentialed thinker who can render complex developments legible and compelling for everyday readers—signaling that platform and expertise are meaningful factors in his evaluation.
What Jonathan is looking for
This is the core of Agin's list. He wants narrative history written for curious general readers, not academic specialists—books that bring a period, movement, or idea to life through strong characters and a clear argument. Works that use a specific lens (a technology, a subculture, a place) to illuminate broader historical forces are especially welcome.
Agin is drawn to vivid character portraits—subjects who are colorful, consequential, or underexplored. Political oddballs and visionaries are a stated area of interest, suggesting he gravitates toward figures who exist at the margins of conventional historical narrative rather than standard Great Man biography.
He represents writers working at the intersection of culture, society, and argument. The ideal project has a strong point of view and a readable, engaging style—less academic essay collection, more book-length polemic or cultural survey with a coherent throughline.
Agin has specifically flagged foodways and the preservation of culinary traditions as a current interest. The best fit here would be works that treat food as a window into culture, history, or identity—not restaurant guides or chef memoirs without a larger argument.
He is open to books that use sports or games as a vehicle for examining broader social and cultural phenomena. The emphasis should be analytical and narrative rather than insider sports coverage or fan writing.
Agin welcomes journalism and pop culture writing when it is substantive and idea-driven. Works exploring political movements, media, or cultural shifts—especially those with a historical or sociological dimension—are a natural fit. He is also interested in science and travel writing when framed through a cultural or intellectual lens.
A stated area of personal curiosity: prophets, visionaries, and utopian experiments. This overlaps with his interest in biography and history but points toward a specific type of subject—idealistic, eccentric, and rich with social meaning.
He's interested in technologies and their discontents—books that examine how tools and systems reshape society, with a skeptical or at least critically engaged perspective. This is not a call for straightforward tech enthusiasm or how-to writing.
Not the right fit
On Jonathan's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jonathan
Email queries to jonathan@oconnor.nyc — no attachments of any kind; paste all materials into the body of the message.
Put the word 'query' in the subject line; failure to do so likely means your message goes unread.
Submissions are closed as of November 2022 — check the O'Connor Literary Agency website for the current status before sending anything.
Lead with your credentials: Agin explicitly seeks journalists, scholars, and subject-matter experts. If you have relevant institutional affiliation, publication history, or recognized expertise, state it early.
Frame your book's argument clearly and up front. Agin values coherent, compelling narratives built around timely ideas — your query should reflect that same quality of thinking.
Avoid pitching fiction, YA, children's books, or anything primarily self-help in orientation; none of these are on his list.
If your project touches on food history, political eccentrics, utopian movements, or technology's social consequences, say so directly — these are areas of active personal interest for him right now.