Hi! I’m Sally Ekus. I am a senior literary agent, a mom, an improvisor, and taco lover.

I run The Ekus Group, the boutique culinary and lifestyle division of JVNLA.

I value transparency in publishing and access to information.

What is the Not So Secret Agent Newsletter?

The NSSA newsletter is a place I share my opinions on the publishing industry, with a specific focus on the nuances of cookbook publishing. I also write a bit about my life as a full time solo parent and how that intersects with my career.

You get value packed publishing industry info like:

• Comprehensive Proposal Guidelines

• How I offer literary agent representation

• Why agents might reject your proposal

• Industry Pro Interviews with other agents, authors, publicists (this one is with Kathleen Schmidt from Publishing Confidential!), and more!

• ***No So Secret Agent Side Notes*** tips and case studies from over 15 years of agenting and over 40 years in the culinary industry

and more!

Who should subscribe?

• Writers who want to become published authors

• Food professionals (cookbook authors, journalists, photographers, stylists, etc.) who want to learn about the inner workings of cookbook publishing specifically

• Publishing professionals who enjoy hearing about what is happening across the industry

• You!

What do I get as a paid subscriber?

• You get early access to my workshops and virtual networking sessions.

• You signal to me that you are investing in your writing career.

• Founding members gain access to my How to Write a Cookbook online course ($499 value) and I will mail you a COOKBOOK! We actually exchange emails directly and you give me three words to describe yourself so I can try to psychologically culinarily profile you.

Paying subscribers also enable me to provide equity subscriptions (no questions asked). Does that give you the warm and fuzzies? Well yea, I believe that agents do enough gatekeeping.

The Not So Secret Agent newsletter is all about being transparent and offering access to information about how publishing works. My paying subscribers share the same ethos and help support my ability to offer equity pricing.

Who is Sally?

Sally Ekus is that gal in the picture above!

I am a Senior Literary Agent at JVNLA. I spearhead The Ekus Group, a boutique culinary division specializing in cookbook and lifestyle titles. I represent a wide range of cookbook and love to work with first time authors who are looking for a long term relationship with their agent.

My client list includes journalists, chefs, restaurant owners, professional food writers, long time bloggers, online content creators, culinary brands, Substack writers, and more.

On the non-culinary side, I represent books about caregiving and parenting, flowers and gardening, and I am continuing to expand into select other non-fiction genres.

From concept to contract, I have brokered over 300 book deals with top publishers including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and numerous indie publishers.

I also host an online community called How to be a Cookbook Author where I post a wide range of general publishing news, agency programing, and facilitate connections among the community.

You can also find me on IG @SallyEkus

Thank you so much for being here!

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.