ABOUT
ULTRA LITERARY was founded by publishing veteran Peter McGuigan.
Our list of clients includes established names in literature, journalism, comedy, film, television, sports, music, pop culture, and business, and also prize-winning fiction writers, covering an eclectic range of subjects. ULTRA continues to provide clients with creative, thoughtful, strategic management that ensures their books find the largest possible audiences.
“ULTRA is creative, funky, punky, and punches above its weight,” says McGuigan. “But more than anything, ULTRA believes that books are more valuable, more popular, more important than ever.”
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With mega-bestselling clients including Jennette McCurdy and Trevor Noah, Peter McGuigan represents literary stars, both today’s and tomorrows. After almost thirty years in the book publishing business, Peter has seen the industry - and the agent's role in it - evolve.
"Selling books is easy. Developing inspiring projects and guiding them to success is the real work of being an agent today. "
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Kirsten believes that books provide an incredibly powerful method to deliver important messages to readers around the world. Those messages can and do change not just the conversations we have with each other, but also with ourselves. She is always looking for three things, the right project, with the right author, at the right time and represents entrepreneurs, personalities, influencers and thought leaders across a wide range of industries. Her list of clients include bestselling authors such as Shark Tank Shark Daymond John, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, Stephanie Middleberg MS, RD, CDN, founder of Bonobos Andy Dunn, and upcoming projects by actor and DJ Kristian Nairn, who starred as Hodor on Game of Thrones and TikTok influencer and daughter of the victim of the “Black Swan Murder,” Eva Benefield.
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With a background in foreign and film scouting, and experience selecting titles for Book of the Month, Elizabeth Aaron is always thinking about and considering readers around the globe. As the Director of Foreign Rights and Operations Manager, she uses her expertise to connect Ultra Literary’s authors with a worldwide audience, putting her wide-ranging taste and a network of international relationships to good use.
Lana Clarke believes in representing books that transport your mind, whether it be in a fantastical world, or the real one. She is always hoping to learn something new from books, and strives to represent a diverse list of creators. She represents all age groups and is fairly genre-agnostic–she simply looks for stories that have something to say in both the fiction and nonfiction space.
She earned a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from Virginia Tech, and a law degree from The University of Chicago Law School. She is the co-founder of PitBlk, a Twitter pitch event for Black writers from across the diaspora, and is the brain behind #BVM, the Black Voices Matter hashtag. She lives in the Washington D.C.-area with her husband and two fur babies.
She is currently open to queries at https://QueryManager.com/laneclarke. Her full manuscript wish list can be found here: Lane Clarke – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website, though this is not an exclusive list and she’s always happy to be surprised!
Joined Ultra after interning at Triada US Literary Agency and working as an assistant at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. Joanna graduated from Virginia Tech with a BA in English with a dual focus in Creative Writing and Professional Writing. She is obsessed with books, turning to them for inspiration and adventure. In her free time, you can find her at a coffee shop or in Central Park with her rescue mix. Joanna is primarily looking for YA and Adult fantasy, science fiction, women's fiction, and contemporary fiction; if there is a hint of romance mixed in, all the better. A few of her favorites are Saint, Divine Rivals, and Little Fires Everywhere. Joanna Rasheed is currently open to queries at jrasheed@ultraliterary.com.