Howard Morhaim, PRESIDENT
Howard Morhaim's publishing career has included time as a line editor, as a book doctor, and as an acquisitions editor in a variety of publishing houses in New York. In 1979, he established his eponymous literary agency, making use of his editing background to foster close relationships with his clients and their work. He represents renowned authorities in history, biography, art, architecture, science, and religion, as well as canonical authors in literary fiction, thrillers, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy.
Owing to a very full plate, Howard Morhaim is not accepting unsolicited submissions, only exclusive submissions that come as recommendations from colleagues or clients.
Kate McKean, vice president
Kate McKean joined HMLA, Inc. in 2006. She earned her master’s degree in fiction writing at the University of Southern Mississippi and began her publishing career at the University Press of Florida. She is proud to work with authors in a wide variety of genres including NYT best seller Alix E. Harrow’s THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES, NYT best seller Daniel M. Lavery’s TEXTS FROM JANE EYRE, E.J. Koh’s award-winning memoir THE MAGICAL LANGUAGE OF OTHERS, and Bobby Finger’s celebrated novel THE OLD PLACE. In addition to working with clients, she is an adjunct professor at New York University. She is the author of the forthcoming book WRITE THROUGH IT: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life, to be published by Atria in June 2025.
She is primarily interested in fiction for adults, young adults and middle grade readers in the areas of contemporary fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction set in the 20th Century, LGBTQ issues, fantasy, magical realism, and science fiction. In non-fiction, for adults or children/teens, she represents books by authors with demonstrable platforms in the areas of pop-culture, memoir, humor, creativity, and craft. She is also interested in graphic novels and memoirs for all ages.
She is NOT actively looking for, among other areas not listed above children’s picture books, poetry, or screenplays.
Kate McKean is open to accepting queries via Query Manager, only.
DongWon Song, Literary Agent
DongWon Song is an agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency representing science fiction and fantasy for adults, young adult, and middle grade readers as well as select non-fiction. They were formerly an editor at Orbit, a product manager for an ebook startup, and have taught at institutions including Portland State University and New York University.
DongWon Song is closed to queries.
Kim-Mei Kirtland, literary agent
Kim-Mei Kirtland is actively taking on clients who write speculative fiction, literary fiction, and nonfiction. Her primary focus is work for adult and YA audiences, but she is open to select middle grade projects.
In fiction, she is particularly interested in hard science fiction, secondary world fantasy, space opera, magical realism, fabulism, and urban fantasy; in nonfiction, she is primarily open to history, biography, popular science, and food and travel writing with a strong voice.
Books that have resonated with her recently include the Imperial Radch novels by Ann Leckie, PRIVATE CITIZENS by Tony Tulathimutte, HOW TO BE BOTH by Ali Smith, and THE FOUR THOUSAND, THE EIGHT HUNDRED by Greg Egan.
She is not the best audience for work in the thriller or romance genres without speculative elements.
Kim-Mei Kirtland is closed to queries.
Eric Showers, Literary agent
Eric Showers is an agent at HMLA representing adult speculative fiction and nonfiction.
He’s most drawn, in speculative fiction, to narratives that explore hierarchies of power, novel world-building in secondary world fantasy, and protagonists with unique voices. THE TRAITOR BARU CORMORANT by Seth Dickinson, THE UNSPOKEN NAME by A. K. Larkwood, and GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir are books that have hit some of these notes most recently. He’s also looking for stories on the cozier side of speculative fiction, along the lines of Becky Chambers’s THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET or Travis Baldree’s LEGENDS AND LATTES.
In nonfiction, he’s most interested in history and philosophy.
Eric Showers is open to queries.
Nina Richner, Assistant
Nina Richner joined HMLA after graduating from the Summer 2023 Columbia Publishing Course. They enjoy contemporary fiction, poetry, queer nonfiction, and climate fiction. They earned their BA in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Ohio University.
Nina Richner is closed to queries.