What New Leaf Literary & Media does

New Leaf Literary & Media is a full-service literary management and representation firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York City. The agency represents authors and illustrators across YA, middle-grade, adult fiction, and non-fiction, with a client roster that includes over 100 New York Times bestsellers and 17+ international bestselling authors. Its core service line is literary representation: agents submit manuscripts to publishers and negotiate book deals on commission, typically 15% domestically and 20% on foreign rights.

Beyond traditional literary representation, New Leaf operates two adjacent departments that monetize client IP across additional media. The Global Media Rights department, led by Tracy Williams, handles audio, film, television, merchandise, and foreign translation rights — the agency's clients have works published in 56 languages and approximately 200 projects optioned for adaptation, with 12 produced to date including Netflix's Shadow & Bone, the Divergent series, Love Simon, and American Honey. The Brand Development & Marketing department, led by Hilary Pecheone, develops integrated branding and audience-building strategies to extend author revenue beyond book sales. The agency is led by CEO Joanna Volpe and VP Suzie Townsend, is independently owned with no parent company or institutional investment, and operates from a single Midtown Manhattan office at 110 West 40th Street.

The business model is commission-only: New Leaf charges no fees to clients and earns revenue exclusively through percentages of advances, royalties, and rights sales. Distribution is B2B, with agents selling directly to publishing houses and studios in the U.S. and through an international co-agent network abroad. Marketing relies on owned channels including the Topshelf newsletter, Illustrator Spotlight newsletter, social media, and earned press coverage.

Name

New Leaf Literary & Media

Legal name

New Leaf Literary & Media Inc.

Website

https://newleafliterary.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New Leaf Literary & Media is a New York–based full-service literary agency founded in 2012 that represents authors and illustrators across publishing, film/TV, foreign rights, and brand development on commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Literary Representation Commission: Agency earns commission (typically 15% domestic, 20% foreign) on book deals negotiated on behalf of represented authors. Revenue derived from book advances, royalties, and rights sales including film/TV, audio, and foreign translations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New Leaf Literary & Media is a full-service management and representation firm for authors and illustrators. The firm negotiates and sells publishing deals, foreign rights, film and TV adaptation rights, audio rights, merchandise rights, and brand development opportunities on behalf of its clients. Revenue is generated through commissions on these deals rather than fees charged to authors.

Product overview

New Leaf Literary & Media is a full service literary management and representation firm established in 2012. The company offers a unified suite of services centered on literary representation for authors and illustrators, complemented by in-house Global Media Rights (handling audio, foreign, film, television, and merchandise rights), and Brand Development capabilities. The portfolio consists of three interconnected service lines: Literary Representation & Management, Global Media Rights, and Brand Development & Marketing, all working together to guide authors from representation through to multimedia adaptations and brand building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Representation & Management Core literary agency service offering full-service management and representation for authors and illustrators, handling career development, publishing deal negotiations, manuscript submissions to publishers, and ongoing client career management across YA, middle grade, and adult fiction and non-fiction.
• Global Media Rights In-house department handling strategy and sales for audio, foreign, film, television, merchandise, and other media rights across international markets, working through an international co-agent network to sell client works across 56 languages.
• Brand Development & Marketing Department developing integrated branding and marketing strategies to generate revenue, increase market visibility, and build long-lasting fan bases for authors represented by the agency.

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Co-Agent NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational co-agent network for foreign rights sales across territories. The Global Media Rights Department works with co-agents to execute worldwide strategy across media platforms and formats in 56 languages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foundry Literary + Media: Boutique-to-mid-size literary agency of comparable scale offering literary representation, foreign rights, and film/TV rights sales with a similar integrated service model. Closely comparable on size, revenue model, and client portfolio focus.
• The Wylie Agency: Literary agency with international focus and strong subsidiary rights practice, representing literary fiction and nonfiction authors worldwide. Comparable in its international rights emphasis and small, curated roster.
• Sterling Lord Literistic: Established literary agency representing a roster of notable authors across adult and YA, with a strong track record in book-to-screen adaptations. Comparable scope and prestige positioning in the agency market.
• InkWell Management: Mid-size literary agency with strong foreign rights and international co-agent footprint and notable film/TV rights sales. Comparable service architecture and client roster orientation toward literary and upmarket fiction.
• Writers House: Long-standing full-service literary agency with deep children's/YA and adult representation and a major foreign rights department. Closely comparable on multi-department integration and children's/YA genre strength.
• Trident Media Group: Full-service literary agency with large-scale author representation, foreign rights co-agent network, and active film/TV sales. Similar commission model and broad genre coverage including YA/adult fiction, making it a close operational comp.
• Janklow & Nesbit: Prestigious literary agency representing major literary authors and high-profile nonfiction voices with strong subsidiary rights sales. Comparable on its position serving high-caliber authors across trade publishing.
• Folio Literary Management: Established mid-size literary agency representing authors across adult and children's markets with in-house subsidiary rights and film/TV capabilities. Directly comparable boutique scale and revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global entertainment talent agency with a book publishing division handling author representation, packaging, and cross-platform deals. Comparable as a high-end incumbent that competes for top-tier authors seeking combined book + entertainment representation.
• William Morris Endeavor (WME): Massive global talent agency (part of Endeavor Group) representing authors as part of a broad entertainment portfolio that includes film/TV, music, and publishing packaging. Relevant as a larger incumbent competing in the integrated author-representation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NewLeafLiterary
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewLeafLiterary
• Instagraminstagram.com/newleafliterary
• Pinterestpinterest.com/newleafliterary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newleafliterary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Leaf Literary & Media