Literary Agent
PJ Mark moved to NYC in 1990 and used his student loans to start a literary journal to publish writers and friends. He began his publishing career as an international book scout in 1993 and briefly worked as a journalist covering the book beat. In 2002 he became a literary agent, working at the talent agency IMG and at boutique firms Collins McCormick and McCormick & Williams. He joined Janklow & Nesbit Associates in 2010 and was named Partner in 2015.
The bestselling and influential writers he represents regularly receive numerous awards and honors, including: 11 covers of the New York Times Book Review; multiple New York Times “100 Notable Books of the Year” lists; 4 covers of Publishers Weekly (twice for “Best Books of the Year”); 8 “5 Under 35” honors by the National Book Award Foundation; 20 longlist and shortlist nominations including 3 wins of The Center for Fiction Prize; 4 MacArthur "Genius" Grants; 2 Booker nominations; and 7 National Book Award longlist and finalist medals. As well as frequent nominations, finalist lists and wins of: the Andrew Carnegie Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Windham Campbell Prize, NEA grants, the Whiting Awards, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. They have been featured on The New Yorker’s “20 Under 40” list, Granta’s “Best of Young American Novelists” and the cover of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
In 2021, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction and Ed Yong won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting.
In 2022, Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv, The Furrows by Namwali Serpell and An Immense World by Ed Yong were named on the list of “The Ten Best Books of 2022” by The New York Times Book Review.
In 2024, Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
In 2024, The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson and Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon were named by The New York Times Book Review as part of “The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.”
In 2026, Bibliophobia: A Memoir by Sarah Chihaya was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Memoir, and Rachel Aviv was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing.