Sara Wigal
I am a cofounder and the Executive Director of Ami McConnell Literary Agency and Publisher at our various imprints. Previous to my work with Ami I was a literary publicist and I love bringing “PR brain” into all of my projects now.
I am also an Associate Professor and Director of Publishing at Belmont University. I’ve served on the leadership council of Next Chapter Society a section of the Nashville Public Library Foundation. I am also the founder of the Nashville Publishing Meetup (now WriterFest Pros), a group for industry contacts to network without being client-facing. I cofounded alongside Ami McConnell A Dolly Good Time, which fundraises for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Middle TN through our annual event.
I am an aspiring historical fiction novelist and writer of the personal essay. Find me on Instagram to get to know me more, but please do not pitch or query me there.
I expect writers will have been through many drafts already before querying—if not, we're both wasting our time (and I mean that with love and care).
Here’s what I’m looking for right now as a literary agent:
Executive Director, Agent, Publisher, Tenured Associate Professor of Publishing
Adult Fiction: I am interested in fiction featuring complex female protagonists within the following genres:
Mystery/thriller/crime fiction/rural noir (think Liz Moore, Megan Abbott, Peter Swanson, S.A. Cosby)
Upmarket and commercial historical fiction set during:
Medieval through Victorian England (please no Regency romance) (Maggie O'Farrell, Philippa Gregory, Diana Gabaldon, Hilary Mantel, Lucy Jago, Lauren Groff, Molly Aitken, Jean Plaidy)
Any time period involving witches (Alice Hoffman)
Jewish historical fiction by Jewish writers set in any time except for World War II
Latin American authors with Latine stories written primarily in English but with some Spanish or Spanglish within the text (hablo español)
“Sara Wigal is like the Mayor of Literary Nashville. She's my first call when we need referrals for interns, when someone needs work in the publishing scene, or I'm trying to get connected to this specific person, do you happen to know anyone who knows them— oh wait, she's already dropped their contact in my inbox. I've personally hired two of her grads, and they are sharp, curious, creative thinkers, widely-read and adaptive, and I know those skills were nurtured in her program. It's a joy to attend her class, it's a joy to be part of the WriterFest community, and it's a joy to know Sara Wigal.”— Rachel S,
Marketing Director
HarperCollins Christian Publishing“Sara is a thoughtful, experienced and very conscientious coworker who you can always rely on to do her best. She is a true asset for any team and a quick learner who is up for any challenge. She is passionate about both books and marketing and committed to learning as much as she can and always puts her best foot forward. I don't know what I'd do without her!”— Emily Miles Terry, New York Times Bestselling author and Founder of Open Book Publicity (previous employer 2010-2018)"Working with Sara at Betty Fay Books was the best decision I made for my novel. This small and dedicated team not only knows this industry but also knows how to make authors feel empowered. Their kindness, professionalism, and expertise is just what every author needs. I couldn't have become a published author without Betty Fay Books!— Randi Smith, author of debut young adult novel Ada Holloway's Had Enough