Secret Agent Unveiled: Colleen Oefelein

Huge thanks for our lovely and enthusiastic Secret Agent, Colleen Oefelein of the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency!

Jennifer's Bio:

I’m a fairly new agent with The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency (since February 2018), and I’m actively and very excitedly building my list. Prior to working with New York’s Jennifer De Chiara, I was an associate agent, agent assistant, and PR manager with Inklings Literary Agency, which was where I began my publishing career as an intern several years ago. Prior to that, I'd retired from the Air Force, where I was an officer and engineer working space launch. I hold a BS from Penn State in Chemical Engineering with a focus in Biotechnology, and I also hold a BS in German. Some of my off-the-wall talents include flying helicopters and speaking in 10-codes, which I picked up while working emergency dispatch for Alaska State Troopers. As a published YA author, I can greatly appreciate the journey to publication and always look for opportunities to mentor pre-published authors. As an agent, I host several online and conference workshops such as Rejection Correction, Pitch Perfect, “Reel” Inspiration, and Un-Dreary Your Query.

What she's looking for:

I represent authors of picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult books in a range of genres. In general I love to see anything high-concept, fast-paced, and in deep POV. I love dark tales, flaw-ridden main characters, and unreliably evil antagonists. I shy away from anything with insta-drama or overly emotional responses in the opening pages from characters I haven't gotten to know yet.

In YA, I badly want a Faust retelling, and a retelling of a more obscure fable, fairy tale, or lesser-known cultural myth. Also in YA, a mystery/suspense/thriller based on or inspired by the David Grunwald murder (one that smartly navigates the culture of teen cannabis use and violence). I’d also love to see a suspense or thriller that involves identity policing. In YA SciFi, urban fantasy, or dystopian, a story that calls to mind THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN;

In MG and YA, I’d love to see a non-didactic, fresh perspective from a main character who struggles to fit in to or feels ostracized from his/her marginalized community;

In MG, YA, or Adult: anything by or based on an Alaska Native POV; and a thriller or mystery involving painted rocks.

In Adult: Romance and romantic suspense between multi-dimensional characters. Please no insta-love.


Winners forthcoming!