Rossano Trentin runs a selective international boutique bridging Italy, Europe, and the U.S., hunting for tonal, cross-media-ready fiction and nonfiction — especially crime, thriller, horror, and narrative nonfiction with global ambition.
In brief
Trentin Agency is genuinely international in structure, not just aspiration: it actively positions U.S. authors in their home market while also scouting Italian and European talent for cross-border careers — a rare dual axis that benefits clients with international themes or readership.
The agency's current client announcements skew heavily toward actors and screen talent, signaling that audiovisual development and adaptation potential are not marketing language but operational priorities — literary clients who can speak to screen should say so explicitly in their query.
Rossano Trentin is building a fiction list centered on dark, tension-driven genre work (crime, thriller, horror, dystopia) alongside upmarket narrative nonfiction and memoir — the agency's own production label (06_12 Productions) means adaptation is an in-house pathway, not a distant hope.
A February 2026 public call specifically sought memoir and nonfiction rooted in 1970s New York and L.A. subculture, showing that Trentin's nonfiction appetite is voice- and scene-specific, not subject-generic.
The agency operates at deliberately low volume; Trentin has stated clearly that selection, editorial judgment, and long-range vision — not deal throughput — define the model. Writers should pitch as if applying for a long partnership, not a single transaction.
Lately
Hey screenwriters—I’m looking for a prestige horror script: character-driven, visually distinctive, and built around an original, cinematic premise. Give me atmosphere, emotional stakes, and a sense of dread that lingers after the final scene.
I’m looking for dark prestige fiction: psychologically complex, morally unsettling, and driven by characters rather than convention. I want an original premise, real narrative tension, and a story that leaves a mark. What’s out there? #MSWL
#MSWL Looking for memoir and nonfiction on ’70s New York and L.A. culture with real scene energy—clubs, streets, studios, artists, hustlers, outsiders, beautiful chaos. I want voice, access, texture, and a world that feels dangerously alive. Guidelines in reply.
#MSWL Want memoir, narrative nonfiction, and serious trade history on the Black Panther Party and Black radical life. Political, stylish, vivid, and urgent—alive on the page, with real authority and a reason to exist now. Guidelines in reply.
#MSWL Looking for Black LGBTQ+ memoir and narrative nonfiction with voice, edge, sex, beauty, risk, and truth. Identity, family, art, politics, desire, survival, reinvention—give me something alive, stylish, and unforgettable. Guidelines in reply.
Rossano Trentin posted a specific callout for memoir and nonfiction capturing the underground energy of 1970s New York and Los Angeles — clubs, streets, studios, artists, and outsiders. The emphasis was on voice, insider texture, and a world rendered with dangerous vitality. Writers were directed to submission guidelines.
What Rossano is looking for
This is a stated priority and the anchor of the fiction list. Trentin wants crime and thriller with real narrative tension, a specific tonal identity, and the structural bones to move across formats and international markets. Derivative or formulaic entries will not land here — the voice has to be unmistakable.
Horror is explicitly named as a top-interest category, with sub-genre appetite running toward adult horror, character-driven horror, body horror, and AAPI horror. Trentin gravitates toward work that is specific and difficult to confuse with anything else — concept-first horror with real literary weight.
Climate fiction, African sci-fi, AAPI sci-fi, and character-driven speculative fiction all appear in stated interests. The throughline is grounded, human-scale futures rather than hard SF — stories where the speculative element serves character and social tension. International potential is a key filter.
Literary fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, family saga, and grounded contemporary drama with international reach are all on the table. The agency is drawn to strong narrative control and tonal distinctiveness over broad accessibility — book-club-friendly work with genuine literary ambition is a sweet spot.
Trentin wants nonfiction with a real voice, a compelling arc, and the texture of a world rendered from the inside. A February 2026 public post made this concrete: memoir and cultural nonfiction rooted in 1970s New York and Los Angeles — clubs, studios, street life, outsiders — with scene energy and genuine access. Broader narrative nonfiction touching history, pop culture, contemporary culture, and activism is also welcomed, provided the voice is distinctive.
LGBTQ work appears across both the fiction and nonfiction categories. No further specifics are stated beyond the broad category designation.
Trentin has explicitly and publicly stated a particular interest in distinctive fiction and narrative nonfiction by Black and African American writers. This is a stated priority, not a courtesy mention — writers in this community should feel actively encouraged to submit.
Not the right fit
On Rossano's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Rossano
Send submissions to info@trentinagency.com — this is the agency's own stated address, making it the authoritative submission channel.
Lead with voice and tonal identity before plot summary. Trentin has said repeatedly that a project must feel specific and impossible to confuse with anything else — your query letter should prove that from the first sentence.
Make cross-media potential explicit if it exists. The agency has an in-house production label and represents both writers and screen talent; a brief, honest note about adaptation angles is not overreach here — it is relevant information.
If your work has international market potential — themes, settings, or readership that naturally travel across languages and territories — say so directly. International positioning is a structural part of what this agency does, not an afterthought.
Writers who are Black or African American should know they are explicitly and specifically invited to submit. Trentin has named this as a priority in their own public language.
Avoid generic pitch framing. The agency builds by 'filter, editorial judgment, and long-term vision' (their words, paraphrased). Your pitch should read as if you understand you are applying for a long-term creative partnership, not submitting a manuscript for a one-off transaction.
If you are pitching narrative nonfiction or memoir, specificity of world and access is the signal Trentin watches for — the February 2026 callout for 1970s cultural nonfiction emphasized voice, texture, and a world that feels 'dangerously alive.' Apply that standard to whatever world your nonfiction inhabits.
Verify current query status directly before submitting — the agency's live contact page is the authoritative source, as no confirmed open/closed date is available in public records.