Jessica Watterson, Agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Jessica has been with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency since 2013.

A graduate of the University of California at Irvine, Jessica has immersed herself in books and literature from the time she could first read. While in college, she started an indie review blog that featured author interviews and reviewed several self-published books that eventually ended up on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Jessica is always on the hunt for new and diverse projects and is most interested in all genres of romance. She’s drawn to fun, fresh voices, and character driven stories that keep a reader turning the page needing to know what happens next. Independent heroines are a must, in addition to well realized heroes who aren’t alpha-holes. Some of her favorite authors include: Kristen Ashley, Jennifer Armentrout, Jeaniene Frost, Amy Harmon, and Colleen Hoover.

She also loves Women’s Fiction that concerns itself with elements of life that can greatly change one’s perspective and outlook on cultures and experiences.

Jessica is also open to select Cozy Mysteries that feature fun and independent heroines that can take what life throws at them with aplumb and a bit of humor.

On the YA side, she is looking for just about anything in the contemporary sphere, and of course a bit of romance thrown in is never a bad thing in her opinion.

She is also interested in select author illustrated picture books that capture the fun and joy of reading between adults and children.

     

Member Reviews of Jessica

Sharp, Concrete Editing Advice

Jessica was great! She gave me commentary not only on the overall state of my picture book manuscript, but also specific items for me to tweak. She was incredibly helpful, and I highly recommend her!

Elisabeth Aikins
Elisabeth Aikins

Incredibly helpful!

Jessica was great! She gave me commentary not only on the overall state of my picture book manuscript, but also specific items for me to tweak. She was incredibly helpful, and I highly recommend her!

Elisabeth Aikins
Elisabeth Aikins

Provides Hope and Industry Insights

Jessica was so helpful to me yesterday during my 15-minute consultation. She answered every question I had with her knowledge and experience. I left the consultation feeling hopeful about my work and about the industry for the first time in a while. I am so grateful to her.

Jaimie Hunter

Her feedback was kind, collaborative, and helpful

Jessica did an excellent job answering my questions. I wasn’t sure my first page was the best way to open my manuscript, and Jessica helped guide me. Her feedback was kind, collaborative, and helpful. I appreciated the conversation and her professional insights were super valuable. She also gave me great suggestions for comp titles. Thank you, Jessica!

Jenn Marlis
Jenn Marlis

Encourages and Supports Writers

Jessica is SO great. She’s so easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor. She made me feel completely at ease and was very encouraging. Thank you so much for this service!

Jess Haberman

Great Advice, Super Nice

Did a pages critique/15 min call with Jessica. Sheís truly great. Gave me wonderful advice and sheís super nice!

Liv Macy

Specific and Helpful Manuscript Tweaks

Jessica was super nice and thorough. I didn’t feel like I was rushed, nor that we missed discussing anything. I’m so happy with my experience!

Liv Macy
Liv Macy

Helpful Manuscript Feedback Received

Jessica did an excellent job answering my questions. I wasnít sure my first page was the best way to open my manuscript, and Jessica helped guide me. Her feedback was kind, collaborative, and helpful. I appreciated the conversation and her professional insights were super valuable. She also gave me great suggestions for comp titles. Thank you, Jessica!

Jenn Marlis
Jenn Marlis

Boosted My Confidence and Writing

Jessica Watterson represents several authors whom I adore, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to have her review my query letter. She shared some incredibly helpful tweaks. Additionally, we talked a little about my book’s premise. From that and from my query letter, she had an inspired idea about my book’s title! This, in turn, is spurring me to tweak my novel ever-so-slightly. Most of all, she buttressed my self-confidence. Putting your writing out into the world can be terrifying; and to get such a warm, supportive reception from someone who knows what’s what absolutely made my day. I swear I feel like I’ve been hugged, albeit virtually.

Highly, highly recommend!! Thank you, Jessica!!

Sheryl Stein

Gives Insightful and Detailed Guidance

I participated in a small group critique with Jessica Watterson and I was so impressed with the way she made sure to give adequate time to each writer’s query and first page, while also providing general guidance about the querying process. Jessica’s advice was thoughtful and helpful. I found myself taking lots of notes based on what she told others about their queries and pages, as well as her comments on my own.

Anna Mullady

Specific and Actionable Query Advice

Jessica was specific and thorough with our ten minutes. She gave me feedback that I can use to immediately improve my query letter, plus she gave me feedback about my bookís word count. (Itís on the long side and will likely be a red flag when itís time to query. Jessica provided a suggestion on where I need to aim for in that area.) Overall, it was efficient and a worthwhile investment. After I incorporate her feedback, I plan to book a second session with Jessica. I appreciate Manuscript Academy for providing these opportunities for new writers. It can feel isolating to do this work alone. Collaboration makes for a higher quality product and a more confident writer.

Jamie Snead

Super nice and thorough

Jessica was super nice and thorough. I didn’t feel like I was rushed, nor that we missed discussing anything. I’m so happy with my experience!

Liv Macy
Liv Macy

Strengthens First Chapter for Querying

My consultation with Jessica Watterson was incredibly helpful. She was super nice and offered thoughtful and specific advice on how I could make my first chapter stronger as I continue with the query process. Her enthusiasm and support made me feel more positive about diving back into†the query trenches. I highly recommended these sessions and am grateful to the Manuscript Academy for the opportunity!

Kristi Olson

Answers Common Questions with Clarity

Extremely helpful. she answered questions a lot of us have gotten vague answes to in the past.

Robyn Michaels

Offers Real Advice on Positioning

Jessica was great! She offered real, actionable advice on how to improve my query and offered great insight on the state of publishing, which gave me a great ideas about how to position my book for success.

Jami Sheets

Provides Expert Genre-Specific Feedback

My 10-page read and 15-minute consultation with Jessica Watterson was incredibly helpful. Jessica picked out weaknesses in the pages and query that Iíd missed, and made simple, concrete suggestions for improvement. Itís great to get advice from someone with so much experience of the genre, and Jessica couldnít have been more helpful and encouraging. Having made her suggested edits, I already feel my novel is closer to being submission ready.

Unity Jeffery

Her professional insights were super valuable

Jessica did an excellent job answering my questions. I wasn’t sure my first page was the best way to open my manuscript, and Jessica helped guide me. Her feedback was kind, collaborative, and helpful. I appreciated the conversation and her professional insights were super valuable. She also gave me great suggestions for comp titles. Thank you, Jessica!

Jenn Marlis

Actionable First Pages Feedback

Jessica was wonderful. She gave specific, actionable feedback on my first 10 pages to help improve them. She also gave praise and answered some of my industry questions. She seems like a wonderful person and the whole experience was delightful.

Megan Persinger

Helpful Suggestions and Confidence Boost

I had 10 minute query review with Jessica, and whew were those 10 minutes helpful! To start, she was extremely friendly, warm, and disarming — so helpful when I am a bucket of nerves. Jessica went through my query, offering wonderful suggestions on wording, tweaks, and ways to help my words and message stand out. She was very receptive to my questions and took the time to really understand what it was that I was trying to say with my work. I highly recommend this service, specifically with Jessica. She gave me such helpful feedback on my query letter, making me that much more confident with my query package.

Stephanie Rondeau

Work with Jessica

LIVE Meetings: Meet face-to-face, from home. Choose Zoom, Google Meet, or phone, and speak for the appointed time about your query, first page, and/or first ten pages (for longer meetings). Does not include written notes, but is a chance to have an honest discussion about your work, and to ask follow-up questions. International meetings welcomed.

HYBRID is a live meeting at the appointment time, with written notes.

WRITTEN Critiques: Get detailed, thoughtful notes on your work. Comes with large-scale edits (character, world, plot, tension, concept, conflict, and similar as needed) in an editorial letter and small-scale, line-by-line notes as needed (for longer critiques, an average of three per page). Work arrives in your inbox within 24 hours of thedate on the calendar.