Keifer Ludwig
LITERARY AGENT & AUDIO RIGHTS MANAGER
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Keifer Ludwig is a Literary Agent and Audio Rights Manager at BookEnds and, most importantly, a fierce advocate for his authors. He first fell in love with book publishing at 18, when he interned at a literary agency. Since, he’s worked as a bookseller, in subrights at Penguin Random House, and as a Literary Associate at New Leaf before finding his home at BookEnds. He believes in speaking truth to power and that books are one of the few things that can truly change how someone sees the world.
He represents both commercial genre fiction and non-fiction. The common DNA uniting his list is stories that explore darkness with a sense of curiosity, humor and hope. He is passionate about finding underrepresented voices and stories that celebrate resistance and love.
A native New Yorker and diehard Yankees/Nets fan, he is still finding ways to fall in love with the city he grew up in. He enjoys nerding out over Andor and Avatar the Last Airbender, stand-up comedy and board games, and the four most essential things in life: dogs, food, people, and books. Amen. -
Keifer acquires both commercial genre fiction and non-fiction. As mentioned above, the common DNA uniting his list is stories that explore darkness with a sense of curiosity, humor and hope.
In non-fiction, he is eager to find books written by experts in one’s field or that convey important scientific, political, historical, or social ideas with an accessible, storyteller-first voice. Please note that he only accepts memoir by referral. He’s most interested in stories that speak truth to power, challenge perspectives, and educate.
In fiction, he is interested in a broad range of sub-genres for Adult, New Adult, and YA readers. Some things he’s particularly on the hunt for right now:
• A psychological thriller with memorable characters and unique twists
• A sports rom-com (spicy or closed door), especially if it’s Queer and full of banter
• An epic fantasy that’s both brutal and a rollicking good time. Featuring an ensemble cast that ranges from the scum of the earth to the bravest of us all.
• Space opera. Space opera. Space opera. Make it cyberpunk and he’ll scream
• A dark romance/romantic suspense filled with moral ambiguity and heat
• A clever sci-fi/dystopian, maybe an edgy allegory on today’s society, maybe not!
• A small-town mystery with a quirky cast or a lush, picturesque atmosphere
• Agnostic to genre, a simple, sweet story that makes him feel hopeful and inspired
He’s a sucker for zaniness and sarcasm. Give him haunted houses, suspicious deaths, un-chosen ones making it work, and enemies/rivals-to-lovers with only one bed. Make him laugh and he’s hooked.
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