Sign in Subscribe

Kate McKean

Kate McKean

Brooklyn, NY

I'm a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency in Brooklyn, NY. I've been writing Agents & Books since 2019, as well as many other things. Find out more at www.katemckean.com

Image of a person with a camera with mysterious elements behind them. Text reads: #340: Flip the script with Kate McKean, Reedsy Weekly Short Story Contest. Deadline Feb 6, win $250.

Special Bulletin: A Reedsy x Kate McKean Collab!

Friends, I'm got something exciting to share! Reedsy Prompts x Kate McKean Writing Contest! Do you need to shake things up? Are you stuck on a story or just need a change of perspective? You should join me and Reedsy and FLIP THE SCRIPT! Check out our special

A book sculptures in The Last Bookstore of books arranged to create a porthole-like window in the shelves.

Q&A Thursday: Second Time Around Edition

Dear Friends, ✍️Keep your eyes peeled for a special announcement of a fun takeover I'm doing! You could even win a prize!!! Happy Q&A Thursday! I wish I had all the answers but unfortunately, I only have ones about publishing. Let's forge ahead regardless:

Green bottles on a conveyor belt in a factory.

Every Book Is Different

Hey friends, I had a really wonderful meeting with my writing group last night, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Longtime readers will know that I am a devoted outliner–of fiction, non-fiction, even particularly long emails. I've written outlines for picture books and

Postwomen with their mail bags and bundles of mail, Brisbane February 1943.

Q&A Thursday

First, some housekeeping: if you got an email from Substack that said your subscription to Agents & Books has ended, just ignore it. I finally took down all the posts from our old home and I think some people got a random message. Also, I know account management is harder

a black and white photo of a salmon swimming upstream

What if Editors Don't Want <Your Kind of Book> Anymore? Part Deux

Hey friends, Last week, we talked about the "chilling effect" the Trump Administration was having on kids book sales, especially books by marginalized authors, and hopefully what I had to say buoyed some spirits out there. You should definitely read Laura B. McGrath's take over on

I woman in a long black coat and skirt holding a megaphone standing on a huge pile of books. Black & White.

What if Editors Don't Want <Your Kind of Book> Anymore?

Hey friends, My brilliant and wonderful friend and fellow agent Jim McCarthy, of Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret, was quoted in a recent article in The Hill about the chilling effect Trump's anti-LGBTQ policies have had on the children's publishing industry. He said, “I did have an

White woman looking confused while sitting in an armchair with a laptop in her lap

Why Did the Publisher Do That?

Hello friends, First off, thank you all so much for taking advantage of our Seventh Anniversary sale! Welcome all new and upgraded subscribers. If you tried to use the code and it wouldn't work, email me at kate at katemckean dot com and I will help you out.