About — Straus Literary

Writing is where it all begins. Throughout history, many of the greatest human achievements had their genesis when a writer first sat down to articulate an idea, whether large or small, imagined or discovered. As we hurtle into the future, the importance of writing will only increase, even as the forms and methods of disseminating it shift and change, because there is no substitute for a great idea.

Straus Literary is a full-service boutique agency based in San Francisco with a presence in New York. We are dedicated to cultivating quality writing and unique ideas in a range of genres, with a focus on literary fiction, history, social issues, biography, popular science, the environment, and the culinary arts. We look for books that are international and multicultural in scope, and that contribute something new to the conversation.

Agent Jonah Straus works closely with authors throughout the writing and publishing process, from concept and editing to marketing and publicity, and also maintains an extensive network of international subagents and contacts in film and television.

Visit our Publisher’s Marketplace page for more information.

Agent, Founder

Jonah Straus got his start in the warehouse at Atrium Publishers Group, an independent book distributor in Northern California, and went on to hold positions in production, editorial, sales, and marketing at several publishers in the San Francisco area. He moved to New York in 2005, where he worked in marketing for arts and literary programs, including the Selected Shorts NPR reading series at Symphony Space. He established Straus Literary in 2007, and moved the agency back to San Francisco in 2013 while maintaining a regular presence in New York. He has appeared at numerous writing conferences, including Community of Writers in Olympic Valley, the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference, the Guadalajara International Book Fair, and Muse and the Marketplace.

Agent, Editorial Associate

Alec Yoshio MacDonald joined Straus Literary in 2018, having previously worked at the League of Women Voters of the Bay Area and Browne & Miller Literary Associates in Chicago. He has extensive experience editing and contributing to alternative weekly newspapers and other journalistic outlets. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.A. in humanities from the University of Chicago, where he wrote his thesis on John Okada’s No-No Boy.

Associate

Andrew Sass-Cao broke into publishing after a decade working as a tech journalist and legal editor in Barcelona and San Francisco. He is an author of children’s, middle grade, and YA fiction and nonfiction, and has also worked as an authenticity reader and writing mentor. He currently assists with foreign rights and administrative duties at Straus Literary. Andrew holds a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law.

Fraud Notice: We have become aware that our agents have been impersonated by scammers requesting manuscripts or offering representation, which has become a common occurrence in the publishing industry. Please note that Straus Literary personnel will only send emails from our own domain (@strausliterary.com) and will never ask for fees to read manuscripts or upfront fees for any other purpose. If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a communication you received, you may contact us at info@strausliterary.com.

NEW & FORTHCOMING

*Vastlands*
by João Guimarães Rosa
Simon & Schuster (US) and Bloomsbury (UK), January 2027

*Over/Under*
by David Bockino
Pegasus, June 2026

*Canticle*
by Janet Rich Edwards
Spiegel & Grau, December 2025

*SingleThread*
by Kyle and Katina Connaughton
DK Publishing, October 2026

*Everyday Sake*
by Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori
Clarkson Potter, May 2026

*Turtle Island*
by Sean Sherman
Clarkson Potter, November 2025

*Mochitsuki*
by Kristen Morita
Chronicle Books, September 2026

The Woman Who Wrote the Bible
by Moacyr Scliar
University of New Mexico Press, March 2026

*The Blue Food Cookbook*
by Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver
Harvest, October 2025

*The Earth Said Remember Me*
By Jason Mark
Norton, July 2026

*Three Stories of Forgetting*
by Djaimilia Pereir de Almeida
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, December 2025

*The Boy Kingdom*
by Achy Obejas
Beacon, September 2025

BESTSELLERS & AWARD WINNERS

Bestselling cocktail book of the modern era; over 170,000 copies sold — Bestselling cocktail book of the modern era; over 200,000 copies sold

IACP Award for Best Culinary Travel Book

Winner of the James Beard Award and the Guild of Food Writers Award

Shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize

New York Times Bestseller with over 120,000 copies sold; James Beard Award winner — New York Times Best Seller with over 120,000 copies sold; James Beard Award winner