Irene Goodman has been agenting for 40 years and has grown the careers of a number of NY Times bestselling authors. Her agency has six marvelous agents, two foreign rights agents, and a movie agent, representing over 200 authors. Her career began as an editorial assistant for a publisher, where she realized she wanted to be an agent when she bypassed the red tape and broke the rules by walking a check request for a desperate author through the company. She then went to work for the agent who represented Stephen King, establishing her own agency two years later. She has keynoted at several major conferences, and contributes to major publications for writers. She has done over 100 critiques and finds it very gratifying to give back to the business she loves. “Every blockbuster author was once knocking on the door, trying to get in,” she says. “There are hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.”.

The agency began life in a fourth floor walkup in a Victorian brownstone in New York City. It was on West 81st Street, across the street from where Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment was on his show. There were budding artists and musicians on each floor, and the brownstone was filled with music and laughter. From that storied beginning, the agency grew steadily into a multifaceted and dynamic enterprise in midtown and then in Chelsea, with growing sales, many TV and movie adaptations, and myriad foreign rights deals across the globe. We have had countless national bestsellers. Fourteen of our authors have made the New York Times Bestseller list, some debuting at #1.

Irene was considered one of the foremost experts in genre fiction for many years. She then embraced topical non-fiction, selling books that will help people and change their lives. Samples include BRAIN REBOOT by Dr. Michael Henry (head of the bipolar clinic at Mass General), about new treatments for depression, SATISFACTION GUARANTEED by Micheline Maynard (a NYT journalist), about an iconic deli in Ann Arbor with a unique business model, SURVIVORS CLUB by Michael Bornstein and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, an unusual Holocaust memoir about the survival of a four-year-old boy, and two beautiful cookbooks—ELEGANT PIE by Karin Pfeiff-Boschek and I’LL BRING THE CAKE by Mandy Merriman.

Always something of an outlier, Irene is adept at finding strategies to break through red tape and creating positive relationships that pay off well into the future. That’s how she created the concept of the Summit Meeting — a highly effective day in which all the key people in the author’s professional life get together in one room (or on Zoom) to focus on the author’s career. The Summit is a great way to harness positive energy toward a common goal, and that is the mood and style of this agency. We would rather find solutions than complain, and we expect the same from publishers.

Originally from the Midwest and still a Wolverines fan, Irene has a B.A. and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. She and her husband divide their time between New York and the Berkshires, and have two grown children. When she isn’t selling books, she likes to feed her passion for opera, study Torah, ride her bike in the country, go to tiny, atmospheric restaurants and theatres in the city, and stay close to her wonderful family.

I REPRESENT MIDDLE GRADE, YOUNG ADULT, AND ADULT FICTION ACROSS ALL GENRES, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON HISTORICAL, SF & FANTASY, ROMANCE, AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION. I'M ALSO OPEN TO NON-FICTION SUBMISSIONS IN THE AREAS OF DESIGN, COOKING, AND FASHION.

SF & Fantasy:

• Reimagined takes on history and mythology
• Retellings of classics with a twist
• Angsty and romantic and/or read-between-the-lines passion
• Horror with a thread of romance
• Lyrical writing and unique premise 
• Whimsical setting combined with intense storytelling 
• Cozy fantasy and romantasy

Romance:

• Funny and voicey contemporary romance
• Time-bending tales
• Contemporaries with a taste of magic
• Diverse voices & POVs in unusual historical settings

Middle Grade:

• Whimsical fantasy and adventure
• Spooky stories and/or light horror
• Commercial and character-driven contemporaries
• Interesting world-building and unique settings
• Heartfelt (contemporary or historical) with a light magical twist

Young Adult:

• Everything I love in the adult fiction categories, I love here too!

General Fiction, Mysteries, & Thrillers:

• Wilderness/Survivalist thrillers
• Historical mysteries, particularly with a backdrop of little-known events
• Writing that, while not distracting, reflects the time period and the setting
• If not a specifically happy ending, a hopeful ending

Nonfiction:

• Design stories that bring new insight or knowledge to current trends
• Classic design and/or architecture
• Fresh voice and new perspective in the world of cooking and baking
• Fashion narratives and insights that feel timeless and unique

Our team is made up of experienced professionals who are dedicated to providing exceptional acquisition assistance. We work closely with our clients to understand their needs and provide relevant process that meet traditional publisher expectations.

Irene is looking for non-fiction ideas, focusing on health, business, anything French, Judaica, cookbooks, and pop culture. All non-fiction proposals should include an overview, descriptions of each chapter, comp titles, and a healthy platform. Fiction should include the first ten pages, a complete synopsis, and a total word count. If you are published by a commercial publisher, please tell me who published you and give me an idea of the sales history.