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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

How All Your Questions About Writing are answered by the reader

How All Your Questions About Writing are answered by the reader

First: News! 🎉Happy pub day to Alix E. Harrow's THE EVERLASTING, which has THREE starred reviews, is an Indie Next Pick and is in the Library Reads Hall of Fame. It's also GORGEOUS and you have to read it. Lady Knights! Devoted lovers! Time Loops! ✈️Attention

Bonus Q&A

Bonus Q&A

Hey friends, Last week was busy and I missed sending you a Q&A Thursday. I hate it when newsletters are all sorry I haven't posted in a while!!!! because tbh we're all kinda ok with not getting 100 email newsletters a week. BUT this

A stone staircase with narrow, carved railings.

What's the Next Level and Who Can Take You There?

Hi friends, I frequently see, in my query inbox and questions posted around the internet, authors looking for someone to take them to "the next level." Often, it's a self-published author who didn't find the success they wanted and now seek someone to help

A black and white photo of 18 people seated in a group in a library, circa 1920.

Q&A Thursday: Community Edition

Hello friends, I'm having a productive week. Huzzah! I'm also making a concerted effort to take it easy in other areas of my life so that the high of productivity doesn't bleed over into everything else and I end up burnt out. Balance! We

A city trash bin full of books.

How To Be An Author: Book or Books?

Hi Y'all, A prompt went around Bluesky this weekend, started by Rachel Feder, and it promptly broke containment. Of course I had to chime in. (Chiming in is my favorite.) Throw away the first book you write. — Kate McKean (@katemckean.bsky.social) 2025-10-13T20:57:30.737Z I knew

A black and white photo of a white woman with dark hair holding a sign with a question mark on it covering her torso.

Q&A Thursday: Back to the Well Edition

Hello friends, Let's answer some questions! As always, Q&A Thursdays are open to paid Agents & Books subscribers and you can send me your questions via this handy form! Click to Ask a Question! Not a paid subscriber yet? I have another button for you right

A Victorian painting of a woman in a ruffled maroon dress sitting at a writing desk in a fancy parlor.

How To Be An Author

Hi all, You're here for how-tos. That's what I set out to do when I started this newsletter way back in 2019 (!!!)–put things you needed to know about writing, publishing, and literary agents all in one place. This many years on, there's not