Noah Ballard
Noah Ballard
Noah Ballard is an associate at Verve Talent & Literary Agency and seeks out honest and provocative new writers – both fiction and nonfiction are welcome!
He specializes in platform-driven nonfiction, memoir and journalism; voice-driven literary fiction featuring thrillers and crime elements; as well as speaking at graduate writing programs and writers conferences about query letters, platform building and creating compelling narratives.
Early Life and Education
At 12, Ballard saw the movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and became inspired by Captain Nemo’s ocean exploration adventures. He told his parents he aspired to one day follow in Nemo’s footsteps as an oceanographer.
He created a small submarine named Alvin to explore the depths, and discovered life where no one had before: giant clams, mussels and giant tube worms that thrived near Earth’s scorching hydrothermal vents. Additionally, Alvin noticed chimney-like structures on the seafloor emitting black smoke – later identified as volcanic activity.
He became the first person to locate the Titanic, an achievement he described as being “the Everest of ocean exploration”. Yet that achievement only marked the beginning of his voyage of discovery.
Professional Career
Noah Ballard is a literary agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd. His areas of specialization are literary fiction, short story collections and narrative nonfiction (memoir, journalism and pop culture) projects. Additionally, he frequently speaks at graduate writing programs and writers conferences across the United States about query letters, submission etiquette and building nonfiction platforms.
He frequently performs pro bono work, with an emphasis on protecting the constitutional rights of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, he has experience litigating intellectual property disputes and counseling clients on brand enforcement matters.
To find a literary agent, enter your name and email below for instant, free access to our complete Directory of Literary Agents (including book publishing agents in Los Angeles) which you can search by genre or location. Plus we will send detailed profiles for each literary agent that meets your criteria!
Achievement and Honors
Since 1985 when he discovered the Titanic, Ballard has led over 120 undersea expeditions using both manned and unmanned submarines. These efforts led him to discover many historic shipwrecks throughout the Mediterranean Sea as well as wrecks from German battleship Bismarck, Guadalcanal’s lost fleet and John F. Kennedy’s craft “PT 109.”
He currently holds positions as Explorer-in-Residence with National Geographic Society and President of Ocean Exploration Trust, as well as being an Emeritus Scientist of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Noah Ballard Literary Agent at Curtis Brown Ltd has made frequent appearances at graduate writing programs and writers conferences across the United States to give workshops on query letters, nonfiction platforms, submission etiquette, narrative nonfiction debuts as well as literary debuts. Based in New York.
Personal Life
Noah Ballard lives in Kansas City with his wife and two children, where he works with Professor Luppino of UMKC Law School’s Legal Technology Laboratory on issues at the intersection of law, technology, and public policy.
He primarily represents literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, such as memoir, journalism and pop culture. He’s particularly intrigued by honest, provocative new writers whose stories defy genre fiction (cops solving crimes, vampires sucking blood or worlds collapsing) but instead twist it in creative ways.
Noah joined Verve Talent & Literary Agency as an agent in 2021 after working at Emma Sweeney Agency, hosting biweekly film podcast “Be Reel.” Additionally, Noah is a member of Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), and listed among their list of agents vetted.
Net Worth
Noah Ballard reportedly boasts an estimated net worth of $1 Million. His primary source of income comes from acting; he has appeared in various performance center plays, Broadway productions and Off-Broadway creations. Noah is out as gay and currently dating entertainer Ben Platt.
He is well known for discovering numerous shipwrecks, such as one dating back to Phoenician ships of the 7th century BC, as well as two sunken US nuclear submarines – USS Scorpion and Thresher – discovered under water by US nuclear submarines USS Scorpion and Thresher.
Verve Talent and Literary Agency recently appointed Ballard to their literary agency roster as a literary agent, following a stint at Emma Sweeney Agency where he also lectured. Since then he has spoken at graduate writing programs and writers conferences regarding query letters, non-fiction platforms and submission etiquette. Ballard currently lives in Brooklyn.
