Leslie Zampetti (Agent)
Leslie launched Open Book Literary after prior experiences at Odom Media Management, Dunham Literary, and The Bent Agency.
A former librarian with over 20 years’ experience in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus was on the reader, giving them the right book at the right time—which works for matching client work to editors, too. Having negotiated with organizations from Lexis-Nexis to the elementary school PTA, she is able to come to terms that favor her clients while building satisfying relationships with publishers. And after cataloging rocket launch videos for NASA and model rocket ships for an elementary school, Leslie welcomes working with the unexpected challenges that pop up in publishing.
A writer herself, Leslie is very familiar with querying from both sides of the desk.
Leslie graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and has a Master’s of Library and Information Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
You can follow her on social media @literarylesliez .
Leslie Zampetti's Availability During Manuscript Mart Week:
- Tuesday, May 13: 1:00–4:00
- Wednesday, May 14: 4:00–7:00
- Thursday, May 15: 12:00–3:00
- Friday, May 16: 10:00–1:00
Zoom Meetings with Leslie will be scheduled within these time periods (all EDT), but are subject to change. If Leslie must make a change to this schedule, we will arrange a mutually agreeable Zoom time outside of Manuscript Mart Week.
What I'm Looking For
Manuscript Wish List
Mystery: Diverse detectives; settings that function as a character; a mystery the reader can solve (but might not).
Romance: Underrepresented main characters and love interests; upmarket voice and tropes. Everyone deserves love in their life!
Historical Fiction: Again, settings that function as a character; underrepresented time periods and places; focus on the sovereignty and history of cultures and communities, such as the Hawai’ian people.
Nonfiction: For children, stories about science and/or art that hit the sweet spot in the Venn diagram between children, parents, & teachers. For adults, stories of the remote wilderness, the natural world (think MY OCTOPUS TEACHER or BLACKFISH), and true crime that focuses on the victims and social impact.
Picture books: Only author-illustrators or illustrators; sly, dry humor; difficult, complex, or sophisticated subjects.
Young adult: Verse novels; novels in stories; young YA (main characters 13-15).
Overall, I’m seeking books with a strong commercial premise, distinct prose, and multiple layers of meaning that keep you thinking long after you finish the story. Think of a calm sea: it’s cool and inviting, but deeper than you expect.
Dream projects:
An interfaith romance with all the feelings, particularly with a couple where they’re at extreme ends of the same religion.
A picture book exploring forgiveness, both of others and oneself, possibly tied to Yom Kippur.
A wonderful YA book about the Challenger disaster—in the vein of the MG novel PLANET EARTH IS BLUE.
A compelling memoir exploring perception and living with synesthesia and/or migraines.
Sample Titles or Authors
Wendy Cross, THEN THERE WAS ONE (YA mystery/thriller)
Jason Dutton, HOW TO DANCE, (adult romance)
Kate Allen Fox, WINTER SOLSTICE WISH (picture book)
Specializes In / Will Consider
FICTION: Children's, Crime, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Mystery, Picture Books, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense, Young Adult
NONFICTION: Adventure/True Story, History, Juvenile, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Science, Nature/Ecology, True Crime, Women's concerns