Mr. Cyle Young
Hartline Literary Agency
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Closed to Unsolicited Queries
General
Cyle Young
Hartline Literary Agency
123 Queenston Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
- E-Mail:
-
To protect agents from spam, email addresses are hidden except to members.
Join Now - Website:
- hartlineagency.com
- Blog/Other:
- cyleyoung.com
- AALA Member:
- No
Query Methods
Accepts queries via...
E-Mail
Closed to Unsolicited Queries
Genres
This agent is seeking the following genres:
Fiction
Children's
Fantasy
Middle Grade
Picture Book
Romance
Science Fiction
Speculative
Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Parenting
Religion/Spirituality
Self-Help
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Known Clients (current & past)
Shannon Anderson
Dreama Archibald
Diana Asaad
Starr Ayers
Derinda Babcock
Deborah Bailey
Dennis Bailey
Keith Baker
Marie E. Bast
Del Bates
Lisa E. Betz
Cherrilynn Bisbano
Adam Blumer
Hope Bolinger
T.E. Bradford
Catherine Brakefield
K Douglas Brown
Clare Campbell
George Cargill
Michele Chynoweth
Andy Clapp
Ray Comfort
Karen Condit
Elaine Marie Cooper
Jacy Corral
Robin Currie
Callie Daruk
Adam Davis
Bryan Davis
Melody Delgado
Rene Dick
Del Duduit
Victoria Duerstock
Joyce K. Ellis
Regan Espinosa
Diana Estell
Ron Estrada
Ryan Farr
Mary Felkins
C. Hope Flinchbaugh
Chris French Kramer
Jennifer Froelich
Mary Gardner
Carla Gasser
Darlo Gemeinhardt
Caroline George
Chanda Griese
Annette Griffin
Jean Matthew Hall
Tessa Emily Hall
P.K. Hallinan
Jennifer Hallmark
Nelson Hannah
Alea Harper
Ruth Hartman
Thomas Holladay
Susan Holt Simpson
Cindy Huff
Carlton Hughes
Nancy L. Hull
Pauline Hylton
Richard James
Ellen Javernick
Bethany Jett
Kevin Wayne Johnson
Ashley Kirby Jones
Jeff Jones
Ann Kardos
Marcie Keithley
Victoria Kimble
D.L. Koontz
Julie Lavender
Amy Leskowski
Sarah Limardo
Beckie Lindsey
Jan Lis
Robin Luftig
Richard L. Marks
Jann Martin
Christopher Maselli
Gena Maselli
Sally Matheny
Carol McAdams Moore
Jake McCandless
Michelle Medlock Adams
Britt Mooney
Bethany Morehead
Cody Morehead
Susan Neal
Sinmisola Ogunyika
Tim Oliphant
Linda Osmundson
Dawn Owens
Nichole Parks
Shelley Pierce
Sarah Rollandini
Jill Roman Lord
Dana Romanin
Clint Rutledge
Patty Schell
Nicole Schrader
Olivia Schwab
Diana Sharples
Tim Shoemaker
Courtney Smith
Donna L. H. Smith
John Snyder
Paula Sorrells-Beene
Debbie Sprinkle
Bruce A. Stewart
Cecil Stokes
Shannon Sullivan
Janet Surette
Beth Swale
Kara Swanson
Rachel Swanson
Elaine Tomski
John Turney
Sara Turnquist
Bill Watkins
Molly White
Y.K. Willemse
Jean Wilund
Jean Wise
Donna Wyland
Laura Zimmerman
Author Comments
Comments by authors about this agent.
Patrick (Admin)
09/01/2022 03:55 PM
Thanks NightSky. He's been doing both for quite some time now.
NightSky
09/01/2022 03:37 PM
@Patrick - I think he started a new agency? It's called Cyle Young Literary Elite or C.Y.L.E.
Zandstrafarms
03/04/2022 05:47 PM
ok, so I'm starting to think he's some sort of scammer . . . I came across him at a writer's conference and it wasn't until after attending one of his classes that I decided to add him to my pitch list. He seemed wickedly smart and a go-getter. I had previously pawed through his stats before the conference, so I did have some background on him. And honestly, i TRUSTED the writer's conference to VET their speakers before they agree to let them IN . . .
Anyway, I managed to hook all 3 of my agents I pitched to. I had spent years building my social media platform and building an audience for my book . . .
AKA, you can blame ME for everything.
Before he'd met me in early spring 2020, he was your fairly normal agent (whatever normal is). When I told him of my years of labor to build my own audience to market my writing to, and how i planned to sell everything, his eyes lit up (along with the other agents).
he was the first to reply back on my submitted work, and I had already decided that whichever agent came back with an answer first would be the one I'd pick. he signed me on, saying he had a publisher right off the batt for one of my works. I explained my long term marketing plans, and how i made money on social media.
(for the record, I wrote a book that agents kept telling me there was no market for, so I started a YouTube channel on it to test the waters. I was able to both show the market AND gain a prospective audience. That's the ONLY reason I started it.) I grew to over 60,000 followers.
I never heard from him again.
It was covid era, so i figured he was dealing with stuff backing up. I decided to take the time to work more on my manuscript and let him do his job. A bit over a year later, I saw an opportunity for one of my books, and sent it to him again telling him we need to jump on this. But I had a bad feeling in my stomach. . . . the contract stated he would contact me NO LESS than 4 times a year . . . he hadn't even ONCE!
So I did some digging. Turns out that summer he began plotting, and in the fall of 2020 started his own YouTube channel . . . seems like a conflict of interests, but as long as he's marketing my work I don't care.
BUT, I still have not heard from him. I might just end up terminating my contract. It will be his MAJOR loss. You see, my book is a children's book that deals with war . . . it's one of those rare jewels of a book. One that must be marketed at just the right moment, but will sell hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. He will find out soon enough that social media as a job is a rabbit hole he does NOT want to go down. I do encourage everyone to have the start of something in social media. Either a blog or Facebook or Instagram. Not to build and amass a massive following, but to simply stay connected to your audience.
Editing youtube videos has given me insight into both my audience, and how to better edit my work.
-- WTFarm Girl
Anyway, I managed to hook all 3 of my agents I pitched to. I had spent years building my social media platform and building an audience for my book . . .
AKA, you can blame ME for everything.
Before he'd met me in early spring 2020, he was your fairly normal agent (whatever normal is). When I told him of my years of labor to build my own audience to market my writing to, and how i planned to sell everything, his eyes lit up (along with the other agents).
he was the first to reply back on my submitted work, and I had already decided that whichever agent came back with an answer first would be the one I'd pick. he signed me on, saying he had a publisher right off the batt for one of my works. I explained my long term marketing plans, and how i made money on social media.
(for the record, I wrote a book that agents kept telling me there was no market for, so I started a YouTube channel on it to test the waters. I was able to both show the market AND gain a prospective audience. That's the ONLY reason I started it.) I grew to over 60,000 followers.
I never heard from him again.
It was covid era, so i figured he was dealing with stuff backing up. I decided to take the time to work more on my manuscript and let him do his job. A bit over a year later, I saw an opportunity for one of my books, and sent it to him again telling him we need to jump on this. But I had a bad feeling in my stomach. . . . the contract stated he would contact me NO LESS than 4 times a year . . . he hadn't even ONCE!
So I did some digging. Turns out that summer he began plotting, and in the fall of 2020 started his own YouTube channel . . . seems like a conflict of interests, but as long as he's marketing my work I don't care.
BUT, I still have not heard from him. I might just end up terminating my contract. It will be his MAJOR loss. You see, my book is a children's book that deals with war . . . it's one of those rare jewels of a book. One that must be marketed at just the right moment, but will sell hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. He will find out soon enough that social media as a job is a rabbit hole he does NOT want to go down. I do encourage everyone to have the start of something in social media. Either a blog or Facebook or Instagram. Not to build and amass a massive following, but to simply stay connected to your audience.
Editing youtube videos has given me insight into both my audience, and how to better edit my work.
-- WTFarm Girl
Profile Update
Patrick (Admin)
07/15/2021 07:59 PM
Profile Update: Closed to queries.
Thanks ashmore_brad
ashmore_brad
07/15/2021 07:51 PM
July 15, 2021. Closed to submissions. See https://cyleyoung.com/submissions/
Claxton
04/09/2021 12:50 PM
I submitted to this guy once when I was really new to querying. Looking over his track record, I'd never do it again. He makes himself out to be this super special agent worth going through a YouTube maze to have the privilege of querying, only for most of his sales to be to a single small agency that accepts author submissions.
Don't query this guy.
Don't query this guy.
jdruffin
04/06/2021 08:41 AM
EQ: 4/6/21
Fantasy 78k
Fantasy 78k
TinaHendricks
10/31/2020 02:08 PM
adult com fantasy-mag realism, 88k 10/31/20
wreaditor
10/29/2020 09:19 AM
Was formerly represented by him. Would not recommend.
leftyfelix2
10/27/2020 07:19 PM
DO NOT SUBMIT TO AGENCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After sending them a proposal I worked on for 2 hours (not worth it, trust me), they rejected it within an hour.
Claim #1 - I had no social media links ANYWHERE when they were in the signature of the query letter email.
Claim #2 - Very uninteresting.
Very cruel & rude, I found. A literary agent should be looking over your proposal, taken proper time that is needed in order to do so, and reading over your chapters instead of rejecting just by one quick look. He even said that he's "getting away from the Christian genre because it doesn't sell as much anymore" where, on the bio of the Hartline website, it actually says otherwise.
After sending them a proposal I worked on for 2 hours (not worth it, trust me), they rejected it within an hour.
Claim #1 - I had no social media links ANYWHERE when they were in the signature of the query letter email.
Claim #2 - Very uninteresting.
Very cruel & rude, I found. A literary agent should be looking over your proposal, taken proper time that is needed in order to do so, and reading over your chapters instead of rejecting just by one quick look. He even said that he's "getting away from the Christian genre because it doesn't sell as much anymore" where, on the bio of the Hartline website, it actually says otherwise.
Twinlet2
09/29/2020 10:29 AM
I have a few friends who are agented under him. I do not recommend him as an agent.
Claxton
09/28/2020 12:17 PM
His entire twitter activity for the past few months is just links to his gaming streams and other random BS. Weird.
EricaEditor
03/14/2020 07:31 PM
Wow. His whole agency (C.Y.L.E) is sketchy. I checked PM and all his junior agents sold to the same (digital) publishing house (INtense), which may even be a side project of his.
greyowlstudio
12/17/2019 10:04 AM
This guy just wants everything to be as easy for him as possible. In part, it's an agent's job to give their authors a following. Building it on Twitter, FB, or through a blog takes an immense amount of time and it's very difficult to gain traction. Gaining thousands of followers on Twitter takes relentless tweets and retweets and most people don't have the time to do that and write.
Having a major publishing deal accelerates the process immensely. That's why people want an agent and a publishing deal because otherwise they're spinning their wheels trying to get people to read their books and blogs. But he wants authors to do all the heavy lifting ahead of time.
He comes across as a bit of a used car salesman/multi-level marketing type with dashes of con artist thrown in. I don't want to totally disparage the guy; maybe he's totally on the level once you get past his requirements, but I still get warning signals from his videos.
Having a major publishing deal accelerates the process immensely. That's why people want an agent and a publishing deal because otherwise they're spinning their wheels trying to get people to read their books and blogs. But he wants authors to do all the heavy lifting ahead of time.
He comes across as a bit of a used car salesman/multi-level marketing type with dashes of con artist thrown in. I don't want to totally disparage the guy; maybe he's totally on the level once you get past his requirements, but I still get warning signals from his videos.
Nadler369
10/15/2019 02:38 PM
To submit, you must watch 3 indulgent, arrogant videos on his website to get a secret code. Even then, he's looking more at social media following than anything else. Not going to bother with him. The videos alone are exhausting to sit through.
FloridanAspieWriter
09/30/2019 02:59 PM
Thank you for the clarification. We had a chance to dive in. We love the
descriptions, but are having a harder time connecting with the voice.
Unfortunately, since we don't take on as much fiction, we're not the
best fit. But thank you so much for thinking of us.
Sincerely,
The CYLE Team
descriptions, but are having a harder time connecting with the voice.
Unfortunately, since we don't take on as much fiction, we're not the
best fit. But thank you so much for thinking of us.
Sincerely,
The CYLE Team
writing4life
09/25/2019 09:32 PM
Beware of this agent:
https://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?337606-C-Y-L-E-(Cyle-Young-Literary-Elites)
https://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?337606-C-Y-L-E-(Cyle-Young-Literary-Elites)
PHCrockett
07/30/2019 11:45 AM
I'm trying to submit to this agent, but the second of the three videos he wants me to watch isn't loading correctly. Based on the comments below about platform, it looks like he might not be a good fit for me anyway.
KristenH
07/21/2019 01:05 PM
I queried Cyle last year with all 3 mss before he was listed here on Querytracker. Here are my stats for them:
EQ 2/19/18 (Venom)--same day rejection (Passed--mentioned I need to edit it more and work on show vs tell)
EQ 8/28/18 (Requery Venom)
ER 9/28/18 (Passed--not a good fit)
EQ 3/26/18 (Chain Reaction)
ER 4/29/18 (Platform rejection--need 10K followers.) I might requery him this summer since I've hit 10K followers in a year.
EQ 9/28/18 (Diplomatic Immunity)
ER 3/24/19 (Passed--same platform rejection.)
EQ 2/19/18 (Venom)--same day rejection (Passed--mentioned I need to edit it more and work on show vs tell)
EQ 8/28/18 (Requery Venom)
ER 9/28/18 (Passed--not a good fit)
EQ 3/26/18 (Chain Reaction)
ER 4/29/18 (Platform rejection--need 10K followers.) I might requery him this summer since I've hit 10K followers in a year.
EQ 9/28/18 (Diplomatic Immunity)
ER 3/24/19 (Passed--same platform rejection.)
PSbookish
04/29/2019 03:48 AM
Wow I wish I read the comments before I submitted a query. If I get a response asking about social media I think I will just be honest and tell him that I have none. Submitted on 4/10/2019. Can't take it back I guess. Will update this when I get a response.
Genre: Dark Fantasy(I'm just going to put this because there is lots of death)
Word Count: 66,000
Genre: Dark Fantasy(I'm just going to put this because there is lots of death)
Word Count: 66,000
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Profile History
- Last Update:
- 07/15/2021 - Closed to queries.
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