Nicole Cunningham

Nicole Cunningham – Editor

I'm a literary agent with a passion for collaboration and a love of storytelling. Always thoughtful, engaged, and optimistic.

Overview

Hi there!

I am an agent at a Manhattan literary agency with a passion for working closely and collaboratively with authors. I specialize in developmental/conceptual editing, line editing, and evaluating query letters and submissions.

I edit for a wide range of authors in fiction and nonfiction. In the fiction space, I love to work with literary and upmarket fiction, historical fiction, book club, and short story collections. In nonfiction, I particularly enjoy editing memoir and essay collections. I also evaluate query letters and submission packages of all genres.

I'm friendly, compassionate, and candid, and I strive to build trusting, open, and collaborative working relationships with my authors. The stronger the author/editor relationship, the better the book!

Bring me your weird, wild, worldly projects. I love working on books that surprise me, and I love picking the brilliant brains that created them. I aspire to make your book the best it can be, and to leave you feeling seen, understood, and empowered.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Sex & Relationships
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Short Story Women's Fiction
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Certificate in Book Publishing, New York University
  • BA in English and American Literature, New York University
  • Minor in Social and Cultural Analysis with a focus in Gender and Sexuality Studies, New York University

Work experience

The Book Group

Apr, 2016 — Present
I read, evaluate, and provide insightful and appropriate developmental edits, structural edits, and copyedits to manuscripts to prepare them for sale and eventual publication. I write thorough, detailed editorial letters for clients and guide them through multiple rounds of revisions. I manage our submission inbox, evaluating hundreds of queries and determining whether or not to recommend them for representation. I also craft successful and effective submission letters and sales pitches for manuscripts and proposals.

The Reading Room

Feb, 2015 — Apr, 2016 (about 1 year)
As the Manager of Community and Author Relations, I acted as the main point of contact for authors and publishers who were interested in promoting their books, establishing an online presence, and reaching their readers. I developed the site's strategy for connecting with and supporting authors, both internally (i.e. site development) and externally.

ICM Partners

Mar, 2014 — Feb, 2015 (11 months)

Nicole has 68 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Tracy B.

Tracy B.

Jun, 2025

Nicole is top-notch. For my debut novel, she provided an editorial assessment that was insightful and actionable. She clearly identified the key structural areas I needed to strengthen and offered suggestions for where I could elevate the story and my writing as a whole. There was enough positive...
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Rosario O.

Rosario O.

Jun, 2025

Nicole is professional, sharp, thoughtful, and incredibly thorough in her assessments. She was able to articulate the flaws in my story that I had long suspected but wasn’t sure I was right about. From my initial contact with her, I had a strong feeling that she truly got what I was aiming for, a...
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Jasna H.

Jasna H.

Jun, 2025

I worked with Nicole last year on a short story and reached out again for another collaboration this year. I found her to be professional, observant, and articulate. She has a sharp eye for detail and a strong respect to maintain the author’s voice. Her edits were precise at the sentence level, w...
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S K.

S K.

May, 2025

Professional, insightful, thorough, razor sharp, and a straight shooter. I would highly recommend working with her.
Susan P.

Susan P.

Feb, 2025

Nicole is thorough, thoughtful, and insightful!

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