Charlotte Wenger is a literary agent with Prospect Agency.

“I represent authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators of children’s books—board books through graphic novels and middle-grade, but especially picture books—as well as select YA fiction and adult nonfiction, particularly biographies and memoirs.

“I’m always seeking stories from diverse voices – those that have been historically marginalized and/or underrepresented in publishing, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, people living in and/or from marginalized/underrepresented cultures and countries, neurodiverse persons, disabled persons, and more. (https://diversebooks.org/why-we-need-diverse-books-is-no-longer-using-the-term-ownvoices/)

“I’m on the lookout for what hasn’t been done yet – stories that haven’t been told and voices that haven’t been heard.”

Charlotte Wenger is a literary agent in the Boston area with Prospect Agency. She represents authors and illustrators of children’s books – ranging from board books through YA, but especially picture books.

Prior to becoming an agent, Charlotte was an associate editor with Page Street Kids and also served on the national advisory board of the Mazza Museum. She earned her Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from Simmons College (now University) and has since mentored a number of their MFA in Writing for Children students. She interned with Charlesbridge (editorial), Candlewick (sales), and Rubin Pfeffer Content (literary agency).

Before moving to Boston for grad school, she worked for a Philadelphia-based publishing services company and studied English and theatre in college.

When she’s not working, you can find her occasionally crafting, randomly breaking into song, and most importantly, being a toddler mom.

In Picture Books, she seeks:

I’m especially looking for author-illustrators
Quirky yet commercial fiction
Narrative nonfiction
Story structures that surprise and delight me
Stories that tug on my heart – but aren’t saccharine or didactic
Stories that make me laugh out loud
Global stories
Social awareness and justice
Stories featuring a craft/hobby
Nontraditional/underrepresented families
Performing arts
Sports

I’m always open to stories that break formula and just work – that have that special something that you can’t quite put your finger on – in the art or the words or both.

I like both prose and poetry, but I’m very picky about rhyme unless it feels authentic to the tone and audience age range of the story.

Graphic Novels for Beginning Readers through Middle-Grade:

Script-only, art-only, as well as author-illustrated
Fiction and nonfiction
Spunky characters
Imaginative, unexpected adventures

Chapter Books and Middle-Grade:

Sibling and family stories, especially those with nontraditional or underrepresented family structures
Novels in verse
Magical realism and contemporary fantasy
Mystery and puzzles, but NOT horror