Present Perfect Literary

The who, the what & the why: Present Perfect Literary is a woman-founded agency with a distinctive point of view. We champion truth over trends, elevated aesthetics, and books that better their readers’ lives. From NYT-bestselling self-help to NAACP Image Award-winning art books, we represent innovative, conversation-changing nonfiction. Our primary categories are self-help, psychology, wellness, art and creativity, lifestyle, and anything with an instructive or practical lens. And we’ve always looked to elevate underrepresented voices. We’re Kate Woodrow and Laura Lee Mattingly—two agents based in the Bay Area, serving a diverse client base from across the globe. Between us, we have 40+ years of combined experience as both agents and editors, which means we know what editors need to see to get buy-in from their teams and what actually happens behind the scenes at publishing houses. We’ve been on both sides of the table, and that insider perspective shapes everything we do. Since launching Present Perfect in 2015, we’ve helped our authors hone their book vision, match with their ideal publisher, negotiate competitive deals, navigate every twist and turn of the publishing process, and build long-term, sustainable writing and creative careers. We handle all domestic, foreign, and subsidiary rights to ensure our books reach the widest possible audience, partnering with a talented network of co-agents for film/TV and international sales. What our clients say they value most: our editorial instincts, integrity, and genuine partnership. We believe in close connections built on exceptional communication, collaboration, and trust. (Also: we really care about your book and your success!) Our track record speaks for itself—we’re consistently ranked among the top agencies for Advice/Relationships/Self-Help, Lifestyle, and Illustrated/Art books by Publishers Marketplace—but honestly, what we’re most proud of is the community of authors we’ve built and the books we’ve brought into the world together. Please email us if you’re curious about working together. Submission guidelines are on our site. xKate & Laura Lee PPL Branding by @claire.seizovic

Celebrating 10 years of Present Perfect Literary! This is every single book we’ve had the honor to represent over the past decade!! 🥹🥹🥹 Story time: Ten years ago we (Kate & Laura Lee) took a leap. We left our jobs as editors to build an agency where we could focus on the projects we cared most about—conversation-changing, purpose-filled, design-driven nonfiction. What we also gained by going out on our own was an empowering sense of autonomy and flexibility as mothers raising our babies (... now big kids and tweens meep!). Not to mention a fulfilling partnership that has buoyed us through the headwinds, so strong at times, and also made work much more fun. Life is just better with a work wife. Being literary agents has shaped our identity as people who care about creativity and free expression, and the indelible imprint authors’ words make on a reader’s life. Since 2015, the two of us have represented 102 clients in publishing more than 220 books, from New York Times bestsellers and NAACP Image Award Winners, to books that may not have won an official award but will always be best in class to us. We look at the towering book stacks in our offices and honestly are a little stunned to see so many colorful spines and diverse voices and wide-ranging ideas. It’s rewarding to have such a tangible collection showing 10 years of work and growth. Now we just need more bookshelves to make room for all that’s ahead 😅 We’re proud to have hit a milestone many businesses never reach, and we know we didn’t get here alone. Sending out endless gratitude to our team—contracts manager, foreign rights manager, bookkeepers, graphic designer, CPAs, and attorneys. To the editors and publishing teams who take chances on our books and champion them fiercely. And most of all: to our clients who trust us with their work, an honor we never take lightly. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Many things are uncertain in our world, but we will always believe in the power and magic of books. Here’s to 10 years on the shelves and every book still waiting to be made. Love, Kate and Laura Lee @katewoodrow + @lauralee_mattingly PPL branding and this post design by @claire.seizovic

✨PAST / PRESENT PERFECT / FUTURE ✨ Ten years in, and we’re just getting started. (PPL branding by @claire.seizovic )

Happy pub day to our girl, Chloe Warner @redmondaldrichdesign !! Chloe and her debut monograph are both Type 3 (enneagram) Leos: stunning first, substantive second…except actually both at once, which is the real feat. This book leads with beauty (aesthetic intelligence) so disarming and distinctive you might miss what a smart and thoughtfully written defense of interior design it is. And also LOL level funny - a Leo wouldn’t dare leave you bored! Chloe, you did it!!! We’re so proud of you 🦢🦢 Author: @redmondaldrichdesign Publisher: @abramsbooks Editor: @ljdozier Original collages and design: @vanessa___saba Foreword: @heidicaillierdesign Cover photo: @laurejoliet Additional photography: @lauraresenphotography @matthewwilliamsphotographer @lesliewilliamson @sargentphoto Styling: @yeddamorrison

Happy book birthday to our client @sarahshermansamuel and her debut monograph!! Sarah is a triple threat because she’s an interior designer, an artist, and a product designer (and now an author - quadruple threat?!) but also because she’s a hard worker, a visionary, and an absolute bucket of sunshine 🌞 It’s such a pleasure to get to work with people like Sarah who who dig in deep to do the work, but also have fun doing it. We’re beyond proud to welcome her book into the Present Perfect library, and can’t wait for you to see how gorgeous it is, inside and out. SF fam, hope to see you @stoutbooks on TH MAY 7 ♥️ Publisher: @abramsbooks

Today is a special day — Lisa Olivera’s WHEN THE ACHE REMAINS is officially out in the world! 🥹🙌🌿 Poignant and lyrical, this gift of a book walks us through the harder parts of being human. Lisa is a therapist and the author of the acclaimed ALREADY ENOUGH. With this book, she shows that she is also a soulful writer, observer, and seeker. Her talent shimmers on every page as she reflects on what it means to turn toward our aches with tenderness—to embrace them as an inevitable part of life and carry them lovingly alongside our joy and wonder. It’s a beautiful book — as soothing as a warm blanket or a friend’s hug. We know it will deeply touch readers and remain on many, many bookshelves for years to come. 📚 Congrats, @_lisaolivera ! We are so honored to be with you on your publishing journey. 💚

Happy Publication Day to PROTECT YOUR ENERGY by Zahabiyah Yamasaki @transcending_trauma_with_yoga !! 💕 Like its author, this book is beautiful inside and out. It is a safe place to land during tumultuous times. Full of wisdom, gentle practices, and warmth, Protect Your Energy helps us listen to our bodies and nervous systems to make vital shifts in how we use our energy. It’s a call back to self; a way to safeguard ourselves against the things that compete for our energy each and every day. Zabie poured herself into creating this book, and the effort shows. The result is a readable, restorative, and authoritative guide that makes living in our culture more sustainable — and fulfilling. Congrats, Zabie!! We are so honored to work with you. Published by @soundstrue / @stmartinsessentials 🙌

Happy pub day to our dearest writer/artist @aolanow ✨ ☁️ Begin Again, and Again, and Again is Alessandra’s third and deepest book, showing us how transformation isn’t a single moment to arrive at. It’s a continuous cycle of breaking open, of questioning, of finding ground, of beginning again. Watching Alessandra draft, revise, extend, shed, and polish her words and art for this book, going further than she ever has in her previous books, was its own beautiful process of renewal. This one is a triumph. Hoping it finds you wherever you are on your journey of perpetual renewal 💙💙 Blurbs from early readers : “This book holds space for all the versions of yourself you’ve been and all the ones you’re becoming.” – @yung_pueblo “Olanow brings readers into her internal world with Begin Again, delicately and beautifully depicting the subtle murmurs of awakening present within us all.”― @sharonsalzberg “With reminders to relinquish our grasp, choose our focus, and select which thoughts we believe, Alessandra’s words and illustrations are an invitation to rewrite the narrative and remember that the ache is a good place to Begin Again, and Again, and Again.” ― @elenabrower Editor @sgutmajer Publisher @workmanpub

🖤🖤 cover reveal! 🖤🖤 @thejealouscurator dispensing all the truths about all the lies, October 20th from @runningpressbooks

And to top our stack of @nedratawwab ‘s bestselling books 🤩🤩…THE BALANCING ACT, out today from @tarcher_books and @piatkus_living !! The Balancing Act helps us move from extremes in our relationships to find healthy dependency — a middle ground where both authenticity and closeness can flourish. In true Nedra fashion, the book goes beyond therapy buzzwords to provide clear, simple take-aways we can easily implement in our own lives to find more peace and harmony. Congrats, Nedra!! #thebalancingact

Happy Book Birthday to Lachi and I IDENTIFY AS BLIND!! Let’s cheer on @lachimusic as she celebrates her book launch and the GRAMMYs this week in LA!! 🔥🔥 Lachi is an award-winning musician and truth teller who loudly celebrates every facet of her identity. With this book, she empowers readers to do the same. Stop the stigma and start leading with the boldest parts of yourself!! That’s how we shape our culture. It’s been an honor and a hoot to work with Lachi — she is one of a kind and her star burns bright!!! Pick up her book and you’ll know exactly what we mean. I IDENTIFY AS BLIND is accessible with embossed Braille on the cover, dyslexic-friendly font, and audiobook and large print editions. CONGRATS LACHI!! And big ups to @tinyrepbooks for doing a stellar job with the book, cover, and launch. 🥂

Join @nedratawwab on tour for her upcoming book, The Balancing Act! ✈️🌎