“All it takes is one ‘yes.’“ —Melissa Rodman, Nancy Yost Literary Agency
Every other year, the Writers’ League of Texas brings notable literary agents and book editors to Austin for its Agents & Editors Conference. As we look ahead to the 31st A&E Conference, taking place June 26–28, 2026, we’re happy to share Q&As with some of our visiting agents and editors here.
An Interview with Melissa Rodman
Melissa Rodman represents both nonfiction and fiction featuring strong characters and sharp prose. She received her B.A. in History & Literature, magna cum laude, from Harvard University and in college interned at Picador USA. Prior to joining Nancy Yost Literary Agency, she served as research associate in entertainment, media, and sports at Harvard Business School and editorial associate at Harvard University Press, before earning an M.A. at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, where she received the Marlene Sanders Award and interned at The New Republic.
A native New Yorker, when not working she often can be found writing articles or volunteer ushering at off-Broadway shows.
How would you describe your personal approach to working with an author?
Melissa Rodman: Transparent, collaborative, editorial. Demystifying the book publishing process with authors so that they’re comfortable and well-informed is my goal. As a lifelong voracious reader and a writer, I enjoy the editorial development of a project; however, I always tell my authors that they are in the driver’s seat. I want to help them and guide them toward writing the best books possible, but ultimately the book is theirs.
What do you look for in a debut author?
MR: Prose and a plot or concept that keeps me from putting the book down.
What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving time and time again?
MR: In the face of inevitable rejection, learn not to take it personally and keep going. All it takes is one “yes.”
What excites you the most about the publishing industry today?
MR: Knowing that books preserve the history and culture of a specific moment in time keeps me rooting for this industry.
Tell us about a recent book/project that you worked on that excited you and you want everyone to know about?
MR: I can’t wait for everyone to read The Innkeeper, a debut novel by quantum computing scientist Pradeep Niroula, forthcoming from Blackstone in Fall 2027. The premise is engrossing—after a chance bicycle crash, our protagonist discovers a clandestine inn for a society of time travelers and falls in love with a medical student from five years in the future—and the prose crackles with wit, specificity, playfulness, and style.
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Thanks, Melissa!
Click here for more information on the 2026 Agents & Editors Conference, a weekend-long event in Austin, TX (June 26-28) that focuses on the craft of writing, the business of publishing, and building a literary community.
