Kate McKean is a seasoned Howard Morhaim agent who has spent nearly two decades building a commercially proven list spanning adult literary fiction, graphic novels, YA horror, and fantasy — with a particular knack for elevating debut voices into bestseller territory.
In brief
Kate McKean's deal record tells a more specific story than their wishlist: their biggest confirmed sales cluster around literary-leaning adult fiction (Alix E. Harrow, Bobby Finger), graphic novels (Trung Le Nguyen, Mattie Lubchansky, Claudia Aguirre), and YA horror (Madeleine Roux) — these are the categories where Kate McKean has real publisher relationships and demonstrated commercial results.
Three of Kate McKean's clients have hit the New York Times bestseller list (Alix E. Harrow, Madeleine Roux, and the I Can Has Cheezburger phenomenon), signaling genuine access to major publishing infrastructure and not merely a taste for indie or midlist work.
Graphic novels are an explicit priority across all ages and formats — this is one of the clearest, most enthusiastic signals in Kate McKean's wishlist and is supported by multiple confirmed sales in the genre.
Kate McKean runs the newsletter Agents & Books and teaches/taught at NYU's publishing program, which means their public thinking about the industry is unusually accessible — read the newsletter before querying.
The submission form was observed closed as of February 2026; writers must verify the live status before submitting, as the form state can change without announcement.
Lately
Another installment of our Agents & Books Q&A Thursday in which we tackle: 1. How long before a manuscript is considered "dead on sub?" 2. How many genres can I write in? 3. How do I deal with the allure of the shiny new project? www.agentsandbooks.com/q-a-thursday...
Kate McKean published a public explainer unpacking what agents are genuinely signaling when they list categories on a wishlist — a direct, practical resource for writers trying to decode industry-speak before they query.
What Kate is looking for
Kate McKean wants graphic novels across the full spectrum — adult, YA, middle grade, picture book — in any genre. This is their most emphatic, least-conditional ask, and their deal record (Trung Le Nguyen, Mattie Lubchansky, Claudia Aguirre) backs it up completely. If your project is a graphic novel, this is one of the strongest matches in the wishlist.
Kate McKean is drawn to adult contemporary fiction where the protagonist has genuine agency — characters who drive the plot rather than react to it. They also want literary fiction and historical fiction set in the 20th century. Strong hook and commercial underpinning are important even for literary work. No thrillers, mysteries, or plots driven by AI as a narrative force.
Kate McKean welcomes fantasy, magical realism, and science fiction for adults, with a stated love of books involving space. However, the track record here skews literary-fantasy (Harrow) rather than epic or secondary-world fantasy. Stories centered on dragons, angels, or demons are not wanted. AI as a plot force — whether protagonist or antagonist — is explicitly off the table.
Contemporary romance and contemporary women's fiction are on the list; client Erin Hahn points to a real presence in this space. The same expectation applies as elsewhere: characters with genuine agency, sincere emotional stakes, and no farcical or satirical tone.
Kate McKean wants middle grade across most subgenres — horror, romance, LGBTQ themes, contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism all qualify. The firm gate: no wacky/zany/gross-out MG. If your comp stack includes absurdist humor in the vein of Douglas Adams or Adult Swim animation, this is not the right agent for that project.
This is a genuine gap Kate McKean is actively trying to fill. Biography, history, science, technology, creativity, memoir, and narrative non-fiction for middle grade or YA readers are all wanted. The one exception is gross-out humor nonfiction (think novelty bathroom-humor books). Demonstrated platform is valued but not always required for younger-skewing NF.
YA horror in particular has a strong track record here (Madeleine Roux is a NYT bestselling YA horror client). LGBTQ themes, contemporary, fantasy, and science fiction for teen readers are also welcome. The same no-dragons, no-angels/demons, no-AI-as-plot-force constraints apply.
Kate McKean represents adult nonfiction in pop culture, memoir, sports, food writing, humor, design, creativity, and craft — but the author must bring a demonstrable platform. This is a genuine gate, not a soft preference: a compelling concept without an established audience is unlikely to succeed here.
Not the right fit
On Kate's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kate
Verify the form is open before investing time in a query packet — it was closed as of February 2026 and the status must be re-checked live.
Read Kate McKean's newsletter (Agents & Books) before querying. They publish frank commentary on what wishlist language actually means, and demonstrating familiarity with their thinking is a genuine differentiator.
Lead with agency and character: Kate McKean has explicitly said they want protagonists who drive the story, not passive characters buffeted by events. Your query letter should demonstrate this about your main character.
For nonfiction, quantify your platform concretely — follower counts, media appearances, institutional affiliations. Kate McKean treats platform as a prerequisite, not a bonus.
If you're submitting a graphic novel, state that clearly and early. This is one of Kate McKean's most enthusiastic interest areas and it should be front-loaded, not buried.
Do not pitch AI-centric plots under any framing — not as dystopia, not as satire, not as background technology. The exclusion is categorical.
Avoid framing your work as irreverent, satirical, or laugh-out-loud funny — Kate McKean favors sincerity and emotional earnestness. If your book is compared to absurdist classics, find a different agent.
For 20th-century historical fiction, be specific about the era and setting in your pitch — this signals the kind of grounded, research-driven work Kate McKean gravitates toward.
Kate McKean emphasizes underrepresented voices across all categories — if you identify as part of an underrepresented group, mentioning that in your query is appropriate and explicitly welcomed.
Personalize your query to Kate McKean specifically, not the agency broadly. Reference a book from their list that genuinely resonates with your manuscript — especially if it's a client you can speak to as a direct comp.