Brent Taylor

July First Literary – Founder & Literary Agent

Brent Taylor is the founder of July First Literary, where he represents fiction that is voice-driven, commercial, and genuinely fun to read. Before founding July First, Brent spent twelve years at Triada US, where he represented bestselling and award-winning authors in both children’s and adult publishing. During that time, he represented numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers, #1 USA Today bestsellers, #1 Publishers Weekly bestsellers, ABA IndieBound bestsellers, as well as a Wall Street Journal bestseller and an Amazon Charts bestseller. His clients’ work has received some of publishing’s highest honors, including a Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, Schneider Family Book Award, YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, multiple Stonewall Honors, a Walter Dean Myers Award, and an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor. In addition to representing English-language authors in the U.S. market, Brent has extensive experience selling foreign and subsidiary rights. He has attended international rights fairs, built relationships with co-agents around the world, negotiated deals across dozens of territories and languages, and represented numerous international bestsellers. Brent is known for his editorial approach, thoughtful career guidance, and hands-on advocacy throughout every stage of the publishing process. He believes the strongest author-agent relationships are true partnerships built on trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to the joy of storytelling. Brent is a military spouse who loves long summer days, true crime podcasts, Bravo’s Below Deck, mat Pilates (reformer Pilates not so much), chicken tenders, sweet potato fries, and a good glass of rosé. Most days, though, you’ll find him doing what he’s loved since childhood: reading just one more chapter.