Previously she rose up the editorial side of trade book publishing while earning an MBA in marketing at N.Y.U. Graduate School of Business Administration. She was the first managing editor of Macmillan Publishing’s Trade Division, an acquisitions editor there, and then editorial director of Ziff-Davis Books where she managed five book clubs and an in-house list of special interest books. Before en
tering publishing at Basic Books/Harper & Row, she earned a certificate from Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course. She graduated magna from Mount Holyoke College with an A.B. in English and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Jeanne has been a featured speaker at the National League of American Pen Women’s Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, on the faculty at the Harvard Medical School CME Writers Conference, a panelist at the James River Writers Conference and Connecticut Press Club’s Biennial Writers Conference, and a speaker and panelist at the Mount Holyoke Writer-Editor Conference. She is a member of AAR and Authors Guild. She is listed in Who’s Who and profiled in Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents and other references for authors. Jeanne has represented more than 75 authors to more than 50 publishing companies. Testimonials:
“I can’t possibly recommend Jeanne Fredericks highly enough... Her communication is incredible and her advice wise. She’s very experienced in the publishing world and completely trustworthy. For all future books I write, there’s no question that I want Jeanne to represent them. If she offers to represent your book–accept!”
- Christine Horner, author of Waking the Warrior Goddess,
Independent Publishers Award for Best Health/Nutrition/Medical Book of the Year
"I have never worked with anyone else who is as attentive to the meaning and power of words, no matter whether those words are in a proposal put forth by an anxious author or in a contract offered by an enthusiastic publisher. Jeanne’s attention to detail, loyalty, and perseverance also contribute to her well-earned position among the best of American literary agents.”
- Carolyn Janik, author of Making Money in Real Estate and 14 others
"When we first wrote Teenage as a Second Language: A Parents Guide to Becoming Bilingual we knew we were on to something. We also realized that the hard work was in some ways just beginning. We had to find an agent, who not only believed in our book but shared our vision of success, enter Jeanne Fredericks. As new authors, we had the good fortune of having Jeanne Fredericks to guide us through the sometimes rough and unpredictable waters of the publishing world. Her guidance and wisdom were invaluable. We are pleased to say that she was always right there for us with her literary compass. Without her, we would have been literally lost (or at least adrift) at sea. Our book has been quite successful thanks to the support of our agent-Jeanne!"
- Barbara Greenberg PhD and Jennifer Powell-Lunder PsyD,
authors of Teenage as a Second Language-A Parents Guide to Becoming Bilingual
"Jeanne Fredericks opened doors for my work that would have taken me years to even knock on by myself, and her deep knowledge of the publishing industry has protected my interests throughout a number of complex negotiations. She saved me an immense amount of time, frustration, and worry that allowed me to concentrate on my work, and she has been right there whenever I needed her counsel and support. Any author looking for a smart, skillful, and discerning advocate would be well served to talk to Jeanne."
- Robert Shaw
"Jeanne Fredericks is a pleasure to work with. She offered helpful advice with a friendly and professional demeanor and worked diligently to bring a deal to the table. I especially appreciated that she demonstrated faith in our vision and stood by our side when the inevitable complications arose."
- Ellen Firsching Brown
"I have worked with Jeanne Fredricks for over a decade and have always been very pleased with her efforts and successes as an agent. Jeanne has been untiring - but realistic - about placing my books. She is informed and savvy about the publishing industry and has been innovative and creative in keeping up to date with the ever evolving world of publishing. She is a great matchmaker, having a good sense of which books to place with what publishers. She has always been prompt in returning my calls and patient with my many questions. She is an agent with enthusiasm, knowledge, talent and integrity."
- Laura Martin, author of The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers (Rodale Press), Tea, the Drink that Changed the World (Tuttle Publishing) and The Green Market Baking Book (Sterling Publishing). "In 1980, Jeanne Fredericks began guiding me, an inexperienced author, thru the complicated labyrinth of book publishing. Over the years, her calm manner, wise advice, positive encouragement, and enthusiasm have been invaluable to me. Always patient, and focused on getting the job done. Today, Jeanne is my mentor, and friend! I have been blessed to have her as a part of my team."
- Lilias Folan
“Any author whose work is represented by Jeanne Fredericks is in very special hands. Jeanne is discerning, highly competent and steadfast and her manner is laced with calm, kindness and honesty. If Jeanne decides to represent your work, she has formed the belief that it deserves to be published and that her job isn’t finished until it becomes so. This kind of dedication goes way beyond the norm yet it is only one example of how special it is to work with this wonderful person.”
- Patty Howell & Ralph Jones, authors of World Class Marriage
“Jeanne Fredericks has represented me for fifteen years, including eight books with major publishers and a national book tour during this time. The wide variety of books that Jeanne has placed range from Legal Street Smarts and The Office Romance to The Raging Sea, Treasure Ship, and Sentinel of the Seas. Her honesty, excellent industry reputation, knowledge, and selectivity stand out as the standard for literary agents. Jeanne has an incredible ability to work with the difficult situations that can arise naturally in our industry and bring about a smile on everyone’s faces. I consider myself lucky to have met Jeanne Fredericks years ago–as my first and only literary agent.”
- Dennis Powers, dennispowersbooks.com
“Let me be clear. I’m a fan of Jeanne’s and this is a totally biased recommendation. It’s simple really, she made me a ton of money. Not only did she find me more books that I was looking for, she got me more money than I was getting previously for each project. Now, I could write about how smart she is, how great she is to work for (and how she rejects your dumb ideas really, really nicely even if you’re an award winning author), how good she is at answering the phone or getting back to you once you’ve agreed to work together and how valuable her own editorial experience is in sharpening your thinking. I could do all that but you either believe me by now or you don’t. I’m completely biased and I’d no more give her up than I’d give up my old wood sailboat, my gardening or my children. Hmmm, let me get back to you about the children sometimes…”
- Doug Green, author of Garden Wisdom
“I am so thankful to have Jeanne Fredericks as my long time agent since she opened her office in 1997. Her gentle, dignified approach combined with a steely resolve in times of disputes with publishers has proved the ideal combination of qualities. Together we have sold five books and continue to market my new book projects to a wide variety of publishers. I heartily recommend her services to any author, both new or well established.”
- Maureen Gilmer, author of Gaining Ground, Water Works, The Gardener’s Way, God in the Garden and others,
