Kelly Karczewski is a New York literary agent at United Talent Agency who hunts for high-concept commercial fiction with a literary edge — especially sharp, female-driven stories — alongside platform-forward nonfiction from creators and public voices.
In brief
Her client roster is heavily weighted toward creators with built-in platforms — podcasters, comedians, social media personalities, and celebrity figures — suggesting that for nonfiction, a substantial existing audience is a strong differentiator.
On the fiction side, her wishlist touchstones cluster around a distinct flavor: psychologically complex, often darkly funny women's literary fiction with a commercial pulse, not cozy or feel-good but also not purely experimental.
She is notably open to genre-bending: speculative elements, horror inflected with literary ambition, and queer narratives are all explicitly on her radar — a less common combination at a major agency.
She joined UTA in January 2023, so she is still actively building her list, which means she has real capacity for new clients and is likely reading queries with genuine interest.
Her submission process is unusually specific — a formatted subject line with your title is required — which signals she values organized, professional queriers.
Lately
She has publicly described herself as drawn to fiction that could earn a GMA Book Club selection — a specific, meaningful benchmark that signals she is thinking about commercial reach alongside literary quality, not treating them as opposites.
What Kelly is looking for
This is the heart of her fiction list. She wants stories with a strong commercial hook that also deliver on the page — effortless, surprising prose that earns its readership. She gravitates toward anything that would appeal to a broad book-club audience without sacrificing literary ambition. 'Unlikeable' or morally complicated female protagonists are a particular draw (she cites Tracy Flick as an archetype). A lightly speculative or uncanny element is welcome as long as the writing is the real engine. Think accessible literary fiction with genuine teeth.
She is specifically seeking horror through a literary or feminist lens, and queer horror is called out as an active priority. Gothic and occult threads are welcome. This is not slasher or mass-market genre horror — think character-driven dread, feminist body horror, or LGBTQ+ voices bringing something new to the genre.
LGBTQ+ voices in both literary fiction and horror are an explicit, standalone priority. Contemporary queer stories — not just stories with queer characters as a secondary element — are what she is after. Campus novels, coming-of-age, and dark friendship dynamics in this space align closely with her taste.
She lists domestic thriller and psychological thriller among her categories, and her literary fiction touchstones lean heavily female-protagonist-focused, so polished, psychologically rich women's fiction and elevated domestic suspense both have a home here. The writing quality bar is high — she is less interested in pure plot-driven thriller mechanics than in character interiority and surprise.
Her current nonfiction clients are almost uniformly creators with large, loyal followings — a comedian-podcaster, a social media personality, a celebrity hairstylist, a finance content creator. This pattern is the clearest signal about what she actually sells: nonfiction from people who already have an audience relationship. Memoir, humor writing, and personal essays from voices with platform traction are a strong fit. Relationships, pop culture, psychology, and feminism round out her stated interests.
Her listed nonfiction categories span a wide range of narrative and commercial nonfiction — true crime, history, fashion, art, sports, and journalism all appear. Geek culture and mythology also show up as sub-genre interests. The common thread seems to be narrative drive and a distinct authorial voice rather than purely academic or research-heavy work.
Not the right fit
On Kelly's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kelly
Send your query letter plus the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of a single email — include both together, not as attachments.
The subject line format is non-negotiable: use 'Query for Kelly Karczewski: YOUR TITLE' exactly as specified. Getting this wrong likely routes your email to the wrong place or flags careless prep.
Do not query multiple UTA agents with the same project at the same time — this is explicitly prohibited and will disqualify your submission.
She replies only when interested, and her window is four to six weeks — do not follow up before that window closes.
If you write fiction, lead your query with the commercial hook first, then the character complexity. Her touchstone comps tell you she values both, but the hook is what gets her to page one.
For nonfiction, your platform section matters enormously. Her current client list is almost entirely creator-driven — quantify your audience and describe your community before you describe your book concept.
If your novel has a queer protagonist in horror or literary fiction, say so clearly and early. She has flagged this as an active gap she wants to fill.
Comping to titles on her own wishlist (e.g. Sorrow & Bliss, Big Swiss, Yellowface) is appropriate and shows you have done your homework — but only if the comp is genuinely accurate to your manuscript's tone and scope.