Claire Draper started wanting to work in and around books in high school, when they fell hardcore in love with reading and writing after a friend took them to see Twilight. They spent all their time (and savings) at Borders and the local library and on fanfic.net after that.

While studying Queer Diversity in Children's Literature at New York University's Gallatin, they interned at Rare Bird Lit, InkWell Management, and the Children's Book Council. After graduating, Claire spent a fantastic (if albeit short-lived) two weeks working as a bookseller for The Strand, before ending up at InkWell Management as a receptionist and agent assistant in 2016. And then in early 2019, they moved to the Bent Agency to start expanding their list with a collection of very queer books for kids of all ages, including graphic novels, picture books, middle grade, and young adult. And then later extended their list to cover all their interests with books for adults by returning to their favorites with romance novels, memoir, and specialty nonfiction. They joined the Azantian Literary Agency in 2023, and are thrilled to always see beautiful manuscripts make their way to a bookshelf.

They live in New York City with their partner, two sneaky cats who teach each other bad habits, and too many plants to count. They are often found with either gardening gloves, sewing shears, or some other house craft.

WISHLIST

For all the books I work with, I prefer to work with queer creators and Black, Indigenous, creators of color, and disabled creators, and strongly encourage those creators to send me their work. Regardless of genre, age, or subject, I like lighthearted, romantic, emotional, hopeful, adventurous reads. I am largely genre-agnostic, but I do prefer books with a fast pace, high stakes, and strong emotional development for the main character(s). I do not want to see books from authors writing identity-based books not of their own identity.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

I like a diverse cast of characters, in nearly any genre or location. I love art that challenges traditional styles and is easily recognizable as belonging to a particular artist. I like stories for all ages, fiction and nonfiction, but especially love when a book has strong themes of love and/or friendship, and is extra queer.

ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIOS

I like to see a decent sampling of your work, including anything from character design, to fan art, to sequentials (any paneled work, webcomic, zine, etc., will suffice). Please let me know whether you are exclusively an illustrator or author/illustrator.

YA CONTEMPORARY

I love fiction where the main character has average, everyday challenges and we see how they overcome them. I love books that are lighthearted and emotionally poignant. I am especially interested in queer, disabled, and BIPOC protagonists, especially when the books are not issue-driven.

YA GENRE

I love fast paced and high stakes YA genre books. I am generally not preferential to any specific genre (fantasy, horror, sci-fi, etc.) as long as the rules of the genre are respected and understood, but am generally more interested in genre books with a romantic B plot. Much like with contemporary, I am especially interested in queer, disabled, and BIPOC protagonists, especially when the books are not issue-driven. But above all, give me a good, page-turning adventure.

ADULT ROMANCE NOVELS

I have a long wishlist for what I am looking for in my adult romance novels: monsters, polycules, trades workers/union jobs, main characters over 30, bossy bottoms. I’ll always prioritize queer characters, characters of color, fat characters, and disabled characters. I love books with fierce protagonists that have distinct personalities, lots of humor, and a fast paced plot. I love nearly any sub genre or niche of romance novels. I do not like books with dated ideals of partnership, relationships, femininity, and masculinity. I require that the book is body-positive. I do not want books where the characters participate in sexual acts without some form of understood consent (verbal or otherwise) and/or while heavily intoxicated. For me, consent is key and non-negotiable, even if how that consent is communicated and when varies from character to character and book to book. I've been reading romance novels and fanfiction since I was a teenager, and have loved lots of different kinds of tropes, characters, constraints, and set ups. make sure to respect the rules of HEA and give me some good trope-filled romance. To reiterate, I love a wide range of sub-genres in this space, so send it all.

MEMOIR

I love books with humor and interesting perspectives, and enjoy a big personality or narration to go with the contents of the memoir. I am especially interested in queer authors writing about their queerness and the intersections of their identity with joy and love and hope. I do not want conservative or conservative-leaning memoir. I do not want dark, gritty memoir.

SELECT ADULT NONFICTION

I love creators with a fun and interesting platform, who are the experts in their field, and have something interesting and crucial to say. Subjects for this may include but are not limited to: neurodivergence, environmentalism, plants, animals, crafting, DIY, cleaning, homemaking, cooking, art, feminism, queer theory, parenting, and media criticism.

IN SUMMARY

• Overall impressions: genre agnostic, love it to be queer , love and joy and hope triumph

• Graphic Novels: for all ages, but primarily upper middle grade through adult

• YA: all genres are great, but really love it when there's warmth and joy

• Adult Romance: funny, spicy, queer, polycules, and monsters

• Nonfiction: fun and interesting platform helps, preferably an expert in their field, and have something interesting and crucial to say. Subjects may include but are not limited to: neurodivergence, environmentalism, plants, animals, crafting, DIY, cleaning, homemaking, cooking, art, feminism, queer theory, parenting, and media criticism

• Diverse representation is always a plus, including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, disability, queerness, fatness, etc.

WHAT I LOVE

• characters so stupid in love but don't realize it

• I am a simp for simps aka I love characters with big time infatuation

• ensemble cast

• unusual settings

• genre blending, but not bending (my own quicker wording of “genres that mesh together but the writing still understands the rules and parameters of the original genres”)

• romance as a significant B plot, if not the A plot

• grumpy/sunshine

• will commit murder for the love interest

• love interest seems morally gray but is actually a marshmallow with heart of gold underneath the hardshell exterior

• fantastic jokes ("I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can.")

QUOTES THAT INSPIRE MY TASTE

"Rebellions are built on hope."

"Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."

"What does it feel like to be in love?... It feels easy, it's just like breathing, he understands my idiosyncrasies, finds them charming even, we expose each other to new things, new ideas, we laugh a lot, we just pass the time so well. I would call those things love."