A composite list of bestseller titles based on The New York Times Book Review, The Times of London, and The Toronto Globe & Mail. Presented in no particular order...

BEST-SELLING NON-FICTION TITLES

1. LOSING IT, by Valerie Bertinelli; AGENT: Dan Strone at Trident Media Group in NYC.

2. I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL, by Tucker Max; AGENT: Byrd Leavell at the Scott Waxman Literary Agency.

3. IN DEFENSE OF FOOD, by Michael Pollan; AGENT: Amanda Urban at ICM in NYC.

4. PHYSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, by Michio Kaku ; AGENT: Stuart Krichevsky

5. PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL, by Dan Ariely; AGENT: Dan Greenberg at Levine Greenberg in NYC.

6. 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey; AGENT: Deidre Knight.

7. GRACE (EVENTUALLY), by Anne Lamott; AGENT: Chuck Verrill at Darhansoff, Verrill & Feldman Literary Agencyin NYC.

8. THE LOOMING TOWER, by Lawrence Wright; AGENT: Wendy Weil.

9. DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, by Barack Obama; AGENT: Jane Dystel for this book written before the author was elected to the US Senate, much less looked on track to be the next POTUS. For the later AUDACITY OF HOPE Obama went to attorney Robert Barnett, who specializes in selling books for DC types for a hefty lawyers fee, rather than a percentage of the books earnings. However, Obama cut Dystel in for a piece of the action on the second book as well.

10. LANGUAGE OF GOD, by Francis S. Collins; AGENT: Gail Ross in D.C.

11. WHAT THE GOSPELS MEANT, by Garry Wills; Agent: Andrew Wylie

12. THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS, by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden; Agent: Kathy Anderson

BEST-SELLING FICTION TITLES

1. THE WHOLE TRUTH, by David Baldacci; AGENT: Aaron Priest.

2. HOLD TIGHT, by Harlan Coben; AGENT: Lisa Erbach-Vance, also at Aaron Priest, for an agency double more remarkable in this small agency than it would be at an ICM or the like.

3. UNACCUSTOMED EARTH, by Jhumpa Lahiri; AGENT: Eric Simonoff at Janklow & Nesbit. Lahiri's earlier prize-winning collection of short stories was sold by Jill Kneerim of Kneerim & Williams in Boston, but they couldn't hold her and the much more high profile Simonoff did this deal.

4. CERTAIN GIRLS by Jennifer Weiner; AGENT: Joanna Pulcini, now on her own after selling Weiner's GOOD IN BED while she was with the Linda Chester Agency. An anchor client with healthy sales is the necessary foundation of an independent agency. Agencies describing themselves as "new" without such a client or clients should be viewed very carefully.

5. DEAD HEAT, by Joel C. Rosenberg; AGENT: Scott Miller at Trident. This one's about an attempt to assasinate a presidential candidate. Good thriller writers generally figure out where the world will be when their book figures to come out, and plan accordingly.

6. Remember Me?, Sophie Kinsella; AGENT: Araminta Whiteley at Lucas, Alexander & Whiteley in London.

7. THE ALMOST MOON, by Alice Sebold; AGENT: Henry Dunow.

8. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen; AGENT: Emma Sweeney, also now on her own after some years with Harold Ober Associates. That this book is now on the Trade Paperback bestseller lists after a long life as a hardcover best seller is proof of the fact that Gruen is an anchor client. Point made.

9. LORDS OF THE NORTH, by Bernard Cornwell; AGENT: Toby Eady in London.

10. A LICK OF FROST, by Laurell K. Hamilton; AGENT: Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.

11. THE DIVIDE, by Nicholas Evans; AGENT: Caradoc King at AP Watt in London.

12. BOOK OF THE DEAD, by Patricia Cornwell; AGENT: Esther Newberg at ICM in NYC

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS INFO? DARNED IF WE KNOW…

Even if one of these books is very like your own work, knowing the agent's name doesn't:

• tell you enough to make a meaningful judgment about the agent's abilities
• help you determine how well you'd fit on the agent's list
• help you get on the agent's list.

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