 We asked Hailey Stephens some questions, and she answered! Keep reading to see if she's your dream agent. Hailey Stephens is an avid reader, writer, and copyeditor with a bachelor's degree in English-Writing from Illinois Wesleyan University, as well as a master's in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. From learning about unscripted television as a Development/Casting intern at Crybaby Media, to first becoming a part of the agenting world at ArtHouse Literary Agency, Hailey has and continues to put everything she has into her work and education and hopes to continue putting that energy into the literary world for years to come. Now agenting at Rosecliff Literary, Hailey is especially interested in uplifting diverse artists from rural communities that may be overlooked by such a metropolis-based industry. While Hailey's personal reading tastes include almost everything (she currently favors romance, literary fiction, and creative memoirs), her writing is focused on both creative nonfiction and psychological/supernatural horror. When not reading or writing, Hailey enjoys exploring her many hobbies. She's a baker, hiker, puzzler, gamer (board games, card games, D&D, video games-she's open to it all!), cross-stitcher, and so much more.  What’s your favorite moment so far of being an agent? Going to my first in-person conference to take pitches and participate in a couple of panels. It's so important to get reminders that there are strong communities of authors, agents, editors, and so many more that will make time to support one another. What do you love most about agenting? Getting to have a hand at so many aspects of the publishing process. From seeing a manuscript in its first form as a query to seeing it on the shelves, I love knowing that I will be there to help a project grow and thrive. What do you wish querying writers knew? The majority of us agents are working for commission rather than being salaried, which means the majority of us are running mainly on passion and a dream to help others break into the industry alongside us. This means many of us have other jobs we're balancing on top of general life, so being respectful of our time is key. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever heard? I've always been partial to idea of just getting out a first draft, even if it's "bad." That always helps me with my own writer's block because I need reminders that nothing will ever hit the page exactly as I've dreamed it up in my head. But you can't stop after that first draft! Get beta readers or critique groups or anyone to help you refine as you work on new drafts. Describe your dream client. I have made my mantra as an agent "communication and collaboration" because that's what I want our working relationship to reflect, always. So, any client that is putting intentionality into their work and is open to my C&C mantra will be a good fit for me. What project would you love to see come across your desk? I'm really hoping to see more non-fiction that offers actionable items for readers no matter the topic. In fiction, I'm always looking for unique psychological horror, and I've been especially interested in seeing more asexual/aromantic rep in and out of the Romance genre! What interests or hobbies do you have that you’d love to see in a book? Anything in my bio is something I love to see reflected in writing as long as I can tell the author is knowledgeable about the thing they're writing about. What author would you love to have dinner with? Mary Shelley. I would have loved to pick her brain as a writer of one of THE classics! What book world would you like to live in? My inner child won't let me say anything other than the Percy Jackson universe, even though I realistically would be living as a none-the-wiser mortal in that case.  This post was complied by Brandy Vallance, a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency, an award-winning author, and a Story Consultant for Writing Day Workshops. Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her novel, THE COVERED DEEP, has been featured in USA Today & Writer’s Digest. WITHIN THE VEIL has been called “passionate and riveting” and Publisher’s Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.” Brandy loves helping writers break the chains of fear and self-doubt. You can find out more at brandyvallance.com.  Attend a Writers Conference in 2026:
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