Hello! I’m Chad Luibl — literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit Associates, hockey dad, musician, and coffee enthusiast.

I grew up in Virginia and developed an early love for the written word. As a kid, every weekend began with a trip to the Pohick Library in Burke, where my mom would let my brothers and I run wild between the stacks and pick any book we wanted. Didn’t matter if it was The Boxcar Children or The Silence of the Lambs — so long that we were excited about reading, it was considered a win. Books became everything. Soon I was skipping recess in elementary school to devour the latest Stephen King or Michael Crichton novel. In high school, I discovered Vonnegut and Dostoevsky. Later, I fell hard for the works of Raymond Carver, Toni Morrison, Donna Tartt, Sándor Márai, David Mitchell…. (Recent favorites include Daniel Mason’s North Woods; Kevin Berry’s The Heart in Winter; and King’s You Like It Darker.)

My academic years, which included a Bachelor's in Literature and an MA in European Studies, were punctuated by brief periods of teaching English in Poland and Hungary, and also touring as a guitarist in several metal bands. Later, I returned to Virginia for an MFA in Creative Writing at VCU, where I honed my editorial skills at Blackbird and Broad Street literary journals.

In 2014, I joined the esteemed ranks of Janklow & Nesbit Associates. As a literary agent, I champion compelling narratives while building a diverse list of original voices, including USA Today Bestsellers; National Jewish Book Award winners; Shirley Jackson Award and Golden Poppy Award winners; Eisner and Ignatz winners (comics); Pen Faulkner Award finalists; and several Indie Next and Book Club selections.

I’m particularly drawn to:

  • Literary and upmarket fiction: Novels that delve into the complexities of the human condition. I tend to lean into character-driven or plotty novels with brisk pacing.

  • Speculative and historical fiction: Works that offer fresh perspectives on the human experience.

  • Inventive horror and thrillers: Page-turners that are as terrifying as they are intellectually stimulating.

  • Narrative nonfiction and journalism: Pieces that blend insightful observation with compelling storytelling. I’m particularly interested in memoir, untold histories, and sports or adventure stories.

  • Graphic novels: That push the boundaries of visual narrative.

Readers and writers, I’d love to hear from you. For submissions, please refer to J&N's guidelines, or feel free to email me directly at cluibl@janklow.com.