Patricia Nelson

Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is always especially interested in seeing novels by BIPOC, queer, and disabled authors in all genres that she represents.

In general, Patricia looks for stories that hook her with a unique plot, fantastic writing and complex characters that jump off the page. On the children’s side, Patricia is open to a wide range of genres of YA and MG, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, horror, science fiction and fantasy. On the adult side, she is interested in book club and upmarket fiction, as well as the whole spectrum of women’s fiction — everything from lighter beach reads and romcoms to darker stories with a mystery or suspense thread.

Patricia has an intentionally small, selective list and enjoys working closely with both debut and established authors to build successful long-term careers. Her award-winning and bestselling clients include:

• NYT bestselling author Axie Oh (The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan)
• USA Today bestselling author and Governor General’s Award winner Jen Ferguson (The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, Heartdrum/HarperCollins)
• National Book Award finalist and two-time Printz Honor winner Candice Iloh (Every Body Looking, Dutton Children’s/Penguin Random House)
• Printz Honor winner Mary McCoy (Indestructible Object, Simon and Schuster Children’s)
• Edgar Award nominee Juliana Goodman (The Black Girls Left Standing, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan)
• LGBTQ Reads founder and Sydney Taylor Honor winner Dahlia Adler (Cool for the Summer, Wednesday Books/Macmillan)
• Schneider Family Honor winner Claire Forrest (Where You See Yourself, Scholastic)
• Stonewall Honor winner Justine Pucella Winans (The Otherwoods, Bloomsbury Children’s)
• Edward Underhill (YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick Always the Almost, Wednesday Books/Macmillan)
• Bestselling romance authors Kate Bateman and Charis Michaels

Patricia holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to becoming an agent, she spent four years teaching literature and writing at the college level.

Patricia is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents.

For more details on what kinds of projects she’s looking for, check out her Manuscript Wishlist.