Jennifer Chen Tran

Jennifer Chen Tran is an agent at Bradford Literary, joining in September 2017. She represents both fiction and nonfiction. Originally from New York, Jennifer is a lifelong reader and experienced member of the publishing industry. Prior to joining Bradford Literary, she was an associate agent at Fuse Literary and served as counsel at the New Press. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Northeastern School of Law in Boston and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis.

Jennifer understands the importance of negotiation in securing rights on behalf of her authors. She counsels her clients on how to expand their platforms and improve on craft and works collaboratively with her clients throughout the editorial and publication process. Her ultimate goal is to work in concert with authors to shape books that will have a positive social impact on the world—books that also inform and entertain.

Select titles that Jennifer has represented: THE MODERN CARAVAN by Kate Oliver (Chronicle Books); THE SHARP END OF LIFE by Dierdre Wolownick (Mountaineers Books); THE PEACHED TORTILLA COOKBOOK by Eric Silverstein (Sterling Epicure); THE ART OF ESCAPING by Erin Callahan (Amberjack); A CROWDFUNDER’S STRATEGY GUIDE by Jamey Stegmaier (Berrett-Koehler).

As a person of color and second-generation daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Jennifer is very interested in diverse writers and #ownvoices from underrepresented/marginalized communities. As a former art major, Jennifer is also eager to grow her list of illustrators and is actively looking for graphic novel projects in both MG and YA. She believes that visual literacy is increasingly important in our interconnected world and that graphic novels help reluctant readers become voracious readers. In adult fiction, she wants to see strong and conflicted characters who are not afraid to take emotional risks, stories about multigenerational conflict, war and postwar fiction, and writing with a developed sense of place. Basically, surprise her!

In nonfiction, she loves books that broaden her perspective on a variety of topics but that also dive deep into worlds unseen. Books like EVICTED by Matthew Desmond and MAID by Stephanie Land are examples of the type of nonfiction she is looking for. Additionally, Jennifer is always interested in cooking, lifestyle, health, parenting, and business titles that present the author’s expertise and are instructive without being pedantic. Teach her something new, and you will pique her interest!