Literary agents threaten to blacklist HarperCollins from upcoming author projects in support of striking staff

Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

<p>More than 150 literary agents, whose clients include Danielle Jackson, V.E. Schwab and L.A. Chandlar, have signed an open letter to HarperCollins vowing to “omit” the publisher from upcoming book submissions until it reaches an agreement with striking employees.</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>Around 250 entry- and mid-level staff members, from publicists to editorial assistants, have been on strike since Nov. 10, with the two sides differing over wages, workforce diversity and other issues that have become increasingly prominent across the industry. No new talks are scheduled.</p>



<p>&#8220;While many consider publishing to be a labor of love, we agents know how quickly that labor can lead to burnout, tension, missed opportunities for advancement, and mistakes,&#8221; the letter reads in part.</p>



<p>“This generation of rising publishing professionals must contend with student loan debt, the rising cost of living, and the barriers inherent in working long hours without adequate compensation. These employees, many of whom bring with them the diverse viewpoints our industry lacks, have been essential to the production of the books we are so proud of.”</p>



<p>Agents endorsing the letter come from Janklow &amp; Nesbit Associates, Aevitas Creative Management, Root Literary and other firms. The letter was organized by Chelsea Hensley of the KT Literary Agency, who noted that the effort comes during a traditionally slow time of year for deal making.</p>



<p>“I wanted them (HarperCollins) to know that even if they don’t think they’re seeing the effects of the strike now, they’ll definitely be seeing it come January, which is when agents will have the most new projects to share,” Hensley told The Associated Press.</p>



<p>HarperCollins is the only major New York publisher with a union; striking employees are members of Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers. A spokesperson for the publisher did not immediately return a message seeking comment.</p>



<p>“HarperCollins has agreed to a number of proposals that the United Auto Workers Union is seeking to include in a new contract,” according to a statement released Monday by the publisher. We are disappointed an agreement has not been reached and will continue to negotiate in good faith.&#8221;</p></div>

Agents endorsing the letter come from Janklow & Nesbit Associates, Aevitas Creative Management, Root Literary and other firms. The letter was organized by Chelsea Hensley of the KT Literary Agency.

HarperCollins staff strike receives backing from over 150 literary agents

Employees of HarperCollins Publisher participate in a strike outside the company's offices in Manhattan

<p>Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter will examine how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today's executives—and how they can best navigate those challenges. <a href="https://mynewsletters.fortune.com/impact-report">Subscribe here</a>.</p>


F-Wire

worker strikes

Success

Around 250 entry- and mid-level staff members, from publicists to editorial assistants, have been on strike since Nov. 10 over wages and workforce diversity.

HarperCollins staff strike receives backing from over 150 literary agents | Fortune

Preston Fore

Guy Fieri poses with his son, Ryder Fieri

Despite his $100 million TV contract, Guy Fieri has a strict rule for his Gen Z kids’ inheritance: they must get two degrees

/2025/04/16/food-network-star-guy-fieri-millionaire-inheritance-strict-rules-for-children-two-degrees/

Orianna Rosa Royle

Jefferies boss Richard Handler shares email sent to Lehman Brothers’ CEO on the day it collapsed—and the lessons it taught him

/article/why-did-lehman-brothers-fail-in-2008/

Prarthana Prakash

‘I haven’t seen sunlight in 3 months’: American law firm trainees in London endure 13-hour days for eye-watering six-figure starting salaries

/europe/article/american-law-firm-trainees-london-salaries-long-days/

Emma Burleigh

Multimillionaire ‘Star Wars’ star John Boyega played hard to get in his interview with J.J. Abrams—even though he had just $15 in his bank account

/2025/04/15/star-wars-millionaire-john-boyega-jj-abrams-meeting-advice-gen-z/

Ashley Lutz

Gen Z worker at a table opposite an older worker

The top curveball interview questions executives ask—and what they reveal about job candidates

/2025/04/15/interview-questions-executives-ask-what-they-reveal-ob-candidates/

ESPN host Chris Fowler shares the interview mistake that makes Gen Z job seekers look ‘entitled’

/2025/04/15/espn-host-chris-fowler-advice-gen-z-job-interview-mistake-entitled/

Matt Sedensky

Elon Musk’s DOGE is claiming victory after uncovering $382 million in unemployment fraud—but the government already found it years ago: ‘I don’t think it’s news to anyone’

https://fortune.com/2025/04/15/elon-musk-doge-unemployment-fraud-claims/?itm_source=parsely-api

Beatrice Nolan

Mark Zuckerberg suggested wiping everyone’s Facebook friends and making users start again to boost the platform's relevance

https://fortune.com/2025/04/15/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-ftc-antitrust-case/?itm_source=parsely-api

Chris Morris

Black-market groups on Facebook are reportedly selling Uber and DoorDash accounts that let people bypass background checks and driver's license provisions

https://fortune.com/2025/04/15/meta-uber-facebook-black-market-groups/?itm_source=parsely-api

Alicia Adamczyk

Americans want more U.S. factory jobs—as long as they don't have to work them

https://fortune.com/2025/04/15/americans-want-factory-jobs-reshored-dont-want-work-them/?itm_source=parsely-api

Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez

A 92-year-old refuses to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $200 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’

https://fortune.com/2025/04/12/homeowner-wont-sell-augusta-national-masters-tournament-georgia/?itm_source=parsely-api

Gen Z is reviving this boring job that millennials and boomers abandoned—and it's helping them land six-figure careers straight out of college

https://fortune.com/2025/04/13/gen-z-reviving-accounting-profession-six-figure-salaries-volunteer-income-tax-assistance-program/?itm_source=parsely-api