Kristyn Keene Benton

Kristyn began her publishing career in 2006 at ICM, where she had the great fortune of learning from some of the best in the business. After nearly two decades as an agent at ICM and CAA, she was ready for a place where she could build something truly her own with a boutique approach to representation, which brought her to Empire Literary in 2026.

What drives Kristyn's work is a genuine love for the editorial process and an equally fierce commitment to advocacy — she loves helping writers shape their books into the best versions they can be, and advocates fiercely on their behalf from the first conversation through a successful publication, across many books and many years.

Her list includes many New York Times bestselling authors and prize winners — recipients of the PEN America Award, Southern Book Prize, and the National Book Award's "5 Under 35" — as well as multiple authors featured in Reese Witherspoon's Book Club, Read with Jenna, GMA and Belletrist book clubs.

Kristyn grew up in Connecticut and studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara before completing the Columbia Publishing Course.

What I'm Looking For:
Kristyn is actively acquiring fiction that hits the sweet spot between commercial and literary, as well as nonfiction and select children's picture book titles. With a particular love for book club fiction and stories anchored by complex female relationships, she's drawn to novels about family, class, and identity, and the tough choices we often have to make in life, as well as voicey character-driven narratives, love stories with high emotional stakes (doesn't have to be first loves), and generally fiction that balances warmth with depth. She'd especially love to find a new novel with great emotional momentum that would earn a spot on every beach chair.

On the nonfiction side, she represents memoir, essay collections, nature writing, and prescriptive nonfiction. She's always looking for powerful female voices and experts who have something to say that move a social conversation forward — writers who are deeply embedded in their subject and bring a distinct point of view to a wider discussion. She has developed a passion for nature writing and is always looking for more. She has a growing list of cookbook and children's picture book authors, sparked with a love of cooking at home and reading to her children.