Rachel Estep

Literary Agent

Rachel’s journey into publishing has always been rooted in a deep love of story. A lifelong reader and passionate advocate for books that reflect the messy, joyful, complicated realities of life, she entered the world of publishing as an indie bookseller and connecting readers with stories that mattered to them.

Before joining D4EO, Rachel spent years working in an independent bookstore, where she developed a proven track record in both author advocacy and book sales. Her background also includes literary event coordination, managing ARC outreach, and digital marketing, where she built lasting connections with authors, publicists, and readers alike.
In her personal life, Rachel is the mother of two boys. Her youngest has several medical complexities which has taught her how to advocate fiercely, while her oldest is wildly intelligent and humbles her on the daily. She lives on a chaotic- yet love filled- homestead where she and her boys, along with her husband and parents, garden across several acres of land as well as raise chickens, ducks, and a turkey with main character energy. Rachel is an avid Taylor Swift fan, a lover of 2000’s rom-coms, and a proud Pitbull parent.

Rachel Estep, literary agent

  • YA stories that center Jewish and/or queer voices like Dahlia Adler. Identity-driven, joyful, grounded in heart and truth.

  • Historical fiction that highlights powerful women and hidden corners of history, if you’re writing something in the vein of Marie Benedict or Beezy Marsh’s Queen of Thieves, I want to see it.

  • Quirky, fresh rom-coms that make me kick my feet and giggle. Gimme Gimme. I want the straight ones, the queer ones, the silly ones -- I love a good rom-com.

  • Dark Romance (Absolutely NO non-con. Please list triggers in the beginning of query)

  • True crime that reads like fiction, told with deep respect for victims

  • Psychological thrillers that keep me on edge, and gothic fiction with eerie atmosphere 

  • Romantasy with a twist. Something fresh, something sharp, something that feels like a new take. I will be insanely picky in this genre. 

Rachel is NOT the right agent for Body horror, gore, anything to do with clowns, most nonfiction.

Rachel is currently building her list and looking for:

How to Submit

Rachel is accepting queries in the first and last week of each month via Query Tracker