Eric Smith

Eric Smith – Editor

Eric is a literary agent and Young Adult author who has worked on award-winning and New York Times bestselling books.

Overview

Hi Reedsy!

With over a decade of experience in publishing under my belt, from working at a publishing house to my career as an agent to writing actual books, I'm a full time book person. Other hobbies would be great, but words are my jam.

I would love to help you edit or craft your book proposal, polish up that query letter, or dig into a novel you need an extra set of eyes on. I specialize in Young Adult fiction, genre-blending adult fiction, and non-fiction across the board, having worked on memoirs, cookbooks, essay collections, and more.

Please note, if you're planning to query me, it's best you not hire me on here. That blurs some complicated lines.

So, let's get to work!

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Chick Lit Contemporary Fiction Literary Fiction Middle Grade Romantic Comedy Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Neighborhood Literary

Mar, 2025 — Present
Founder and owner of Neighborhood Literary, a boutique agency headquartered in Philadelphia, representing a number of award-winning and bestselling authors.

Arcadia University

Sep, 2015 — Jun, 2025 (over 9 years)
Mentored graduate students in Arcadia University's wonderful low residency MFA program, where I worked with a bundle of brilliant young writers.

P.S. Literary

Apr, 2015 — Jan, 2025 (almost 10 years)
Literary agent at P.S. Literary, representing a wide array of categories and genres. Responsible for editing and polishing client manuscripts, helping authors find those books the perfect home, and managing their relationships with their respective publishers. A list of select projects are below.

Portfolio

The Song of Us

Fussner, Kate

HarperCollins

13 Ways to Say Goodbye

Fussner, Kate

HarperCollins

Icarus

Ancrum, K.

HarperCollins

The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Ancrum, K.

HarperCollins

Thrill Ride

Ratcliffe, Amy

Kensington

Roll for Love

England, M. K.

Running Press Kids

Mr. Nice Spy

Smith, Tiana

Berkley

So Witches We Became

Baguchinsky, Jill

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Dust: A Novel

Stine, Alison

Wednesday Books

Icarus

Ancrum, K.

HarperTeen

Have You Seen This Girl

Tyndall, Nita

HarperTeen

The Spy and I

Smith, Tiana

Berkley

The Unmothers: A Novel

Anderson, Leslie J.

Quirk Books

From Dust, a Flame

Podos, Rebecca

Suggested Reading

Connis, Dave

Trashlands: a novel

Stine, Alison

Who I Was with Her

Tyndall, Nita

Ruinsong

Ember, Julia

Eric has 128 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Carolyn N.

Carolyn N.

Sep, 2026

I needed a quick turn around for a review of my query letter and Eric was brilliant. He was fast but considered, offering sound advice and plenty of encouragement. The review was completed well within my timeframe and Eric was flexible and easy to communicate with, especially given we were on opp...
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Mark R.

Mark R.

Sep, 2026

Eric provides encouragement as well as succinct and impactful advice and criticism. His experience as a reader and agent gives him unique insights that are invaluable for unpublished authors. He will definitely help you grow in your journey as a writer!
Pierpaolo B.

Pierpaolo B.

Aug, 2026

Eric is überwältigend, un truc d'ouf, the level after next, and has the absolute best beard. So, so recommend.
Lesley P.

Lesley P.

Aug, 2026

Eric has been wonderful to work with. His thoughts and feedback were immensely helpful with developing my project to the next level. He offers an abundance of encouragement as well as constructive notes on areas in need of improvement. Thank you so much, Eric!
Amy K.

Amy K.

Aug, 2026

Eric was flexible, open, and honest with me about what stage my manuscript was in. He helped me develop a plan for moving forward with my project, provided validation that market would support the project, and gave me a reading list to help me with my comp titles. I appreciated his input and cand...
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