A veteran nonfiction powerhouse with editorial roots at Hyperion, Laurie Abkemeier hunts for ideas-driven books across science, history, narrative nonfiction, and self-improvement — and she fills more than half her list straight from the slush pile.
In brief
Laurie is a career nonfiction specialist with over thirty years in publishing — her list skews heavily toward big-idea general nonfiction and narrative nonfiction, with self-improvement/productivity titles (Newport, Stulberg, Magness, Young) forming a commercially dominant spine that her wishlist language understates.
Her deals confirm deep, recurring relationships with Portfolio, HarperOne, W.W. Norton, Dutton, and Grand Central — writers whose books fit that commercial nonfiction corridor have the best shot at landing a publisher she already knows well.
She has an unusual number of repeat clients (Newport across three books, Stulberg across three, Holt across two, Austerlitz across three, Armstrong across two, Houston across three, Lance across two) — a signal that she invests long-term in authors, not just books.
She also represents a small, curated group of author-illustrators producing picture books and illustrated journals — this is a separate, selective track and not where new queries should focus unless the writer is also an artist.
She states publicly that many of her clients had no prior writing credits when they queried — a genuine opening for first-time authors with a strong idea and platform.
Lately
Laurie noted publicly that more than half of her clients have arrived through unsolicited email queries, explicitly naming John Grogan, Cal Newport, and Nathalia Holt as examples — pointing out that many had no prior writing credits. She framed this as evidence that the slush pile is a genuine pipeline, not a formality.
What Laurie is looking for
This is where her list is densest and her commercial track record strongest. She gravitates toward books built around a single powerful, counterintuitive, or paradigm-shifting idea — topics spanning productivity, psychology, technology, self-improvement, and the future of how we live and work. Writers with a clear thesis and a compelling argument will find the strongest evidence of fit here.
She has a long record of selling character-driven, story-forward nonfiction — adventure, history, investigative journalism, and cultural history told through vivid scenes and people. She's drawn to overlooked stories, forgotten history, and narratives that illuminate a bigger truth. Works featuring women's history or perspectives from historically marginalized communities are a particular priority.
She actively seeks science written for general readers — physical, biological, psychological, and environmental science all appear on her list. The best pitches combine rigorous research with an accessible, engaging voice and a hook that makes a lay reader care deeply.
A consistently productive lane on her list, spanning parenting, addiction, grief, education, and performance psychology. She favors books backed by research or expert credentials that translate into actionable insight — not generic self-help, but the kind of book that reframes how readers understand themselves or their lives.
She has sold both serious popular history and pop-culture history — television, music, and social history alongside more traditional narrative history. The common thread is a story that illuminates something larger about the era or subject.
She welcomes books about exploration, wilderness, and the natural world, particularly when they carry a strong narrative drive or a scientific dimension. Adventure stories with a deeper argument about human resilience or our relationship to the environment are a good fit.
She considers memoir, but it sits within a broader narrative nonfiction framework on her list. The clearest path in is a memoir with strong storytelling craft and a theme that resonates universally — not simply a personal story, but one with cultural or emotional reach. Writers from historically marginalized communities are particularly encouraged.
She maintains a small, deliberately curated group of author-illustrators — picture books and illustrated adult journals. This is not an open lane for new queries from writers alone; it is reserved for creators who are both writer and visual artist. Queries in this category should demonstrate a complete creative vision across both text and image.
Not the right fit
On Laurie's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Laurie
Send an unsolicited email query directly — she has stated publicly that this is how she discovered more than half her current clients, including major bestsellers, so she genuinely reads her inbox.
Follow her posted query instructions precisely; she has specific formatting preferences on her agency's submission page, and deviating signals carelessness.
Lead with your big idea, not your biography — her list is built on strong concepts, and the hook needs to be clear in the first paragraph.
Include your platform and credentials, but don't panic if you lack prior publishing credits; she has explicitly said many of her authors had none when they queried.
If you are writing from a historically underrepresented or marginalized community and your work reflects that perspective, make it clear in your query — she has named this as a specific priority.
Do not query her about fiction, poetry, or screenplays; she represents nonfiction exclusively (with the narrow exception of author-illustrators).
If you are an author-artist querying about illustrated work, make your visual credentials and the dual nature of your project explicit from the start.
Nonfiction writers: have a proposal ready or in progress — agents at her level in this space expect a proposal, not a finished manuscript, as the primary submission document for most nonfiction projects.