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Literary Agents Database

Read More About Literary Agents

The Literary Agents list includes agents and literary agencies that represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kind of books they're interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them.

Laurie Abkemeier

Defiore and company, miriam altshuler, betsy amster, betsy amster literary enterprises, claire anderson-wheeler, regal hoffmann & associates, nicole aragi, amelia atlas, creative artists agency, claudia ballard, william morris endeavor, noah ballard, verve talent and literary agency, lisa bankoff, bankoff collaborative, llc, julie barer, the book group, ethan bassoff, ross yoon agency, faye bender, soumeya bendimerad roberts, hg literary, tina bennett, bennett literary llc, amy berkower, writers house, vicky bijur, vicky bijur literary agency, eleanor birne, pew literary, amy bishop-wycisk, trellis literary management, brettne bloom, georges borchardt, sarah bowlin, aevitas creative management, paul bresnick, bresnick weil literary agency, regina brooks, serendipity literary agency, michelle brower, danielle bukowski, sterling lord literistic, inc..

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CONTRIBUTOR NEWS

108 Literary Agents and Literary Agencies That Want to Read Your Work

Name	Literary Agency	Interested in Representing
Laurie Abkemeier	DeFiore and Company	Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Miriam Altshuler	Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Betsy Amster	Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises	Commercial Fiction, Graphic/Illustrated, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Nicole Aragi	Aragi Inc.	Feminist, Graphic/Illustrated, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Claudia Ballard	William Morris Endeavor	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Humor, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Lisa Bankoff	ICM Partners	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Julie Barer	The Book Group	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction
Ethan Bassoff	Lippincott Massie McQuilkin	Autobiography/Memoir, Cross-genre, Experimental, Graphic/Illustrated, Historical, Humor, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature/Environmental, Nonfiction, Political, Pop Culture
Faye Bender	The Book Group	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction
Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts	Writers House	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Healing/Health, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction
Tina Bennett	William Morris Endeavor	Autobiography/Memoir, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Amy Berkower	Writers House	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction
Vicky Bijur	Vicky Bijur Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction
Brettne Bloom	The Book Group	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting
Georges Borchardt	Georges Borchardt	Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Paul Bresnick	Bresnick Weil Literary Agency	Fiction, Nonfiction
Sarah Burnes	The Gernert Company	Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Chris Calhoun	Chris Calhoun Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Political, War
Jennifer Carlson	Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Lucy Carson	Friedrich Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Terra Chalberg	Chalberg & Sussman	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Elyse Cheney	Elyse Cheney Literary Associates	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Political
William Clark	William Clark Associates	Autobiography/Memoir, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature/Environmental, Political, Pop Culture, Religious/Spiritual, War
Bill Clegg	William Morris Endeavor	Autobiography/Memoir, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Poetry
Frances Coady	Aragi Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Feminist, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Political
Laura Dail	The Laura Dail Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature/Environmental, Nonfiction
Liz Darhansoff	Darhansoff Verrill Feldman Literary Agents	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Liza Dawson	Liza Dawson Associates	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Brian DeFiore	DeFiore and Company	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Sandy Dijkstra	Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Henry Dunow	Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Katherine Fausset	Curtis Brown, Ltd.	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Leigh Feldman	Leigh Feldman Literary	Autobiography/Memoir, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Jenni Ferrari-Adler	Brick House Literary Agents	Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Ryan Fischer-Harbage	The Fischer-Harbage Agency Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Seth Fishman	The Gernert Company	Commercial Fiction, Graphic/Illustrated, Literary Fiction
Melissa Flashman	Trident Media Group	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Healing/Health, Pop Culture
Christy Fletcher	Fletcher & Company	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Nonfiction
Emily Forland	Brandt & Hotchman Literary Agents, Inc.	Fiction, Literary Fiction
Warren Frazier	John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.	Literary Fiction
Molly Friedrich	The Friedrich Agency LLC	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Kate Garrick	DeFiore and Company	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Susan Ginsburg	Writers House	Literary Fiction, Nonfiction
Rebecca Gradinger	Fletcher & Company	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Katie Grimm	Don Congdon Associates, Inc.	Historical, Literary Fiction
Alia Hanna Habib	McCormick Literary	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Joy Harris	The Joy Harris Literary Agency	Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
David Haviland	Andrew Lownie Literary Agency	Fiction
Judy Heiblum	Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.	Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Gail Hochman	Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Literary Fiction
Markus Hoffman	Regal Literary	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Carrie Howland	Donadio & Olson, Inc.	Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Jennifer Joel	ICM Partners	Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Meredith Kaffel	DeFiore & Company	Autobiography/Memoir, Graphic/Illustrated, Literary Fiction
Dorian Karchmar	William Morris Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Kirby Kim	William Morris Endeavor	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Jeff Kleinman	Folio Literary Management	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Stuart Krichevsky	Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Daniel Lazar	Writers House LLC	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Graphic/Illustrated, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Betsy Lerner	Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Nonfiction
Ellen Levine	Trident Media Group	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Historical
Sarah Levitt	Zachary Shuster Harmsworth / Kuhn Projects	Autobiography/Memoir, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature/Environmental
Andrew Lownie	Andrew Lownie Literary Agency	Nonfiction
Jay Mandel	William Morris Endeavor	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Nonfiction
Carol Mann	Carol Mann Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction
PJ Mark	Janklow & Nesbit Associates	Autobiography/Memoir, Graphic/Illustrated, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Maria Massie	Lippincott Massie McQuilkin	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
David McCormick	McCormick & Williams	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Matt McGowan	Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Historical, Humor, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Rob McQuilkin	Lippincott Massie McQuilkin	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Historical
Gary Morris	David Black Literary Agency	Nonfiction
Duvall Osteen	Aragi Inc.	Fiction, Humor, Narrative Nonfiction
Zoë Pagnamenta	Zoë Pagnamenta Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist, Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature/Environmental, Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Ayesha Pande	Ayesha Pande Literary	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Graphic/Illustrated, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Jessica Papin	Dystel & Goderich Literary Management	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Chris Parris-Lamb	The Gernert Company	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Emma Patterson	Brandt & Hochman	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Susan Ramer	Don Congdon Associates, Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Lorin Rees	Rees Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction
Amy Rennert	Amy Rennert Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Andy Ross	Andy Ross Agency	Commercial Fiction, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Religious/Spiritual
Rena Rossner	The Deborah Harris Agency	Fiction, Historical, Nonfiction, Political
Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein	McIntosh & Otis	Feminist, Fiction, Historical, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Love
Marly Rusoff	Marly Rusoff Literary Agency	Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Curtis Russell	P.S. Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Jim Rutman	Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.	Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction
Rayhané Sanders	WSK Management LLC	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Peter Sawyer	Fifi Oscard Agency, Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Healing/Health, Nonfiction, Political, Pop Culture
Adam Schear	DeFiore and Company	Commercial Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Political, Pop Culture
Deborah Schneider	Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency Inc.	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction
Denise Shannon	Denise Shannon Literary Agency, Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Healing/Health, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Political
Samantha Shea	Georges Borchardt, Inc.	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Eric Simonoff	William Morris Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Anna Stein	Aitken Alexander Associates, LLC	Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Peter Steinberg	Foundry Literary + Media	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Historical, Humor, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture
Douglas Stewart	Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.	Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Andrew Stuart	The Stuart Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Danielle Svetcov	Levine Greenberg Rostan	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Graphic/Illustrated, Journalism/Investigative Reporting
Emma Sweeney	Emma Sweeney Agency LLC	Historical, Humor, Literary Fiction
Michelle Tessler	Tessler Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Joseph Veltre	The Gersh Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Rachel Vogel	The Waxman Leavell Literary Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Mitchell Waters	Curtis Brown, Ltd.	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Carly Watters	P.S. Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Elisabeth Weed	The Book Group	Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction
Kimberly Witherspoon	Inkwell Management	Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
Joanne Wyckoff	Carol Mann Agency	Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction
Renee Zuckerbrot	Renee Zuckerbrot Literary Agency	Commercial Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture

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ISSN 2325-0836

12 Literary Fiction Agents Now Accepting Submissions

by Tom Corson-Knowles | 16 comments

Literary fiction is a term used to describe books with “literary merit” that are not categorized as genre fiction (such as thriller, romance, fantasy, etc.). Most of the prestigious awards given for fiction every year go to literary fiction books.

Literary novels usually sell in smaller quantities than genre or popular novels, so having a good agent in your corner is essential—it could mean the difference between selling your book to a publisher or not.

Literary Fiction Agents

Here’s our list of 15 literary fiction book agents who can help you get your book published.

You might also like to read our full guide to finding a literary agent . Also, make sure you do your research before writing a query letter or contacting any literary agents.

1. Andrea Morrison

Agency: Writers House LLC

Submission guidelines: www.writershouse.com/submissions

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/andrea-morrison

2. Andrea Somberg

Website: www.andreasomberg.com

Agency: Harvey Klinger Inc.

Submission guidelines: www.harveyklinger.com/submission-guidelines

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/andrea-somberg-new

3. Annie Hwang

Agency: Folio Literary Management

Submission guidelines: www.foliolit.com/submit

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/annie-hwang

4. Danielle Chiotti

Agency: Upstart Crow

Submission guidelines: www.upstartcrowliterary.com/submissions

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/danielle-chiotti

5. Eric Smith

Agency: PS Literary Agency

Submission guidelines: www.psliterary.com/submissions

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/eric-smith

6. Erik Hane

Agency: Red Sofa Literary Agency

Submission guidelines: www.redsofaliterary.com/representative-categories

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/erik-hane-red-sofa

7. Heather Flaherty

Agency: The Bent Agency

Submission guidelines: www.thebentagency.com/submission-guidelines

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/heather-flaherty

8. Jessica Sinsheimer

Agency: The Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

Submission guidelines: www.sarahjanefreymann.com/?page_id=3872

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jessica-sinsheimer

9. Monica Odom

Agency: Odom Media Management

Submission guidelines: https://odommediamgmt.com/submissions-1

10. Quressa Robinson

Agency: Nelson Literary Agency

Submission guidelines: www.nelsonagency.com/submission-guidelines

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/quressa-robinson

11. Roseanne Wells

Agency: The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Submission guidelines: www.jdlit.com/roseanne-wells

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/roseanne-wells

12. Sarah Lapolla

Agency: Next Chapter Editorial

Submission guidelines: www.nextchapteredits.com

Manuscript wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/sarah-lapolla

Have you ever submitted a book to a literary agent? Tell us in the comments.

Here are more agents in other genres:

30 Literary Agents Now Accepting Science Fiction and Fantasy Submissions
60 Literary Agents Now Accepting Romance Submissions
30 Mystery and Thriller Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
Nonfiction Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
List of Young Adult and New Adult Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
Historical Fiction Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
List of Poetry Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
77 Literary Agents Now Accepting Horror Submissions
89 Children’s Book Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
List of Commercial Fiction Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions

Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of TCK Publishing, and the bestselling author of 27 books including Secrets of the Six-Figure author. He is also the host of the Publishing Profits Podcast show where we interview successful authors and publishing industry experts to share their tips for creating a successful writing career.

16 Comments

Would you know of any agents who are interested in first time novel writers. I have just finished a commercial fiction novel, and would like to have it published.

My sister has finished a book and we are now looking for agencies that will help her, is there an agency you recommend for beginners with an amazing writing talent?

It depends who she is or who she knows. Agencies today publish based on the identity of the author, not the quality of the content. If she’s a person of color or been sexually abused she’s in. If she’s white and has had a pretty run-of-the-mill life, forget it, goes straight to the trash pile no matter what they say.

Hey, could you perhaps compile a list dedicated solely to agencies looking for screenplays? It’d be greatly appreciated

Hi Trev, thanks for the suggestion! We’ll definitely work on that :)

Hi Kaelyn. Great list.

Have you had a chance to release a list for screenplays?

Just curious.

According to Stonesong’s submissions page, Alyssa Jennette is not currently accepting queries (accessed 12/15/21)

Thanks David, I’ve updated the post!

Hi! Monica Odom has her own company since 2019

Thank you Jerri! I’ve updated the post :)

Is the list of agents updated frequently?

Hi Mia, I just checked the list and made sure it’s up to date, but we’ll work on expanding this list as well!

Upstart Crow looks promising. Thanks!

You’re welcome, Gerri!

Foundry is closed and in battles for money with authors. Website no good.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/85249-authors-seek-missing-payments-from-foundry.html

Thanks for sharing, Albert. I’ll get this post updated

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Home » Find USA Book Agents Looking for New Writers | List of Literary Agents 2023-2024 » US Literary Agents Database 2023-2024 | Literary Agent Directory

US Literary Agents Database 2023-2024 | Literary Agent Directory

Literary Agent Directory | Find Book Agents in the Literary Agent Database

Literary Agent Database – FREE ACCESS

Enter your information in the form below to find a literary agent in our 2023-2024 literary agent directory.

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US literary agencies (1,000+ agents) in our literary agent directory
Search by book genre/category (116 of them) in our literary agent database
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Email and postal addresses in our literary agent directory

The Official Directory of Literary Agents

Photo of Mark Malatesta - Literary Agent Database and Directory

When I retired as a book agent to become an author coach, I quickly realized that there was no perfect literary agent directory or database on the market (print or online) . The print versions of every literary agent database and directory are 6 months old by the time they’re edited, printed, and distributed to bookstores. And the online versions of every literary agent database and directory are incomplete, and filled with mistakes. Getting a book agent is hard enough–the last thing you need is to get rejected because the directory of literary agents you’re using is unreliable. That’s why I created the official Literary Agent Directory.

This Directory of Literary Agents ™ was originally developed so I could create accurate publishing agent information for my 1-on-1 coaching clients (they pay thousands of dollars to work with me, so my Literary Agent Directory has to be as accurate as possible). After a while I decided to publish the database of literary agents online, so everyone could have access to it.

Photo of Literary Agents with US Literary Agencies in the Official Literary Agent Directory and Database

FREE Database of Literary Agents – Enter Now

Now that you know what this literary agent directory is all about… get instant access now by scrolling back up to the top of this webpage and entering your info in the form to the right .

See you on the other side,

Mark Malatesta

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Directory Features

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A visionary perspective on industry trends. Comprehensive client services. Hands-on management. Since 1996 The Knight Agency (TKA) has utilized these principles to guide countless writers from query letter to published book, in the process developing a powerhouse roster of bestselling authors.

Our team has placed well over 8000 titles across the entire spectrum of New York publishers, as well as at independent houses throughout the world. Though we have represented clients in virtually all genres, our areas of fiction expertise include women’s, romance, young adult, literary, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction, as well as multicultural and inspirational/religious fiction. Our agents have also placed narrative nonfiction, self-help, health, memoirs, and financial/business titles.

The agency focuses on a broad range of client services, addressing all aspects of our clients’ careers. TKA agents bring to bear their extensive experience and knowledge of subsidiary rights management in the areas of foreign, motion picture and television, audio, merchandising, and electronic rights. Additionally, our marketing and publicity department offers wide-ranging support in the areas of book promotion and branding.

In the continually evolving world of publishing, The Knight Agency remains committed to providing cutting-edge services and scouting for fresh, unique voices to bring to the forefront. Yet what truly sets our company apart are the lasting relationships between our authors and our team; ultimately, for us, it’s all about people.

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Profiles are sorted alphabetically by first name.

Commercial, Crime, Family Saga, General, Historical, Literary, Mystery, Thriller, Women’s Fiction

Action/Adventure, BIPOC Literature, Caribbean Literature, Children's, Commercial, Contemporary, East Asian Literature, Erotica, Folklore, Graphic Novel, Humor, LGBTQ, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, New Adult, Picture Books, Poetry, Romance, South Asian Literature, South East Asian Literature, Sports, West African Literature, Western, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult
Crafts/DIY, Cultural criticism, Fashion, History, Humor, Illustrated, Journalism, LGBTQ, Memoir, Pop Culture, Spiritual, Sports

Historical, Horror, Literary, Middle Grade, Military, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
Biography, History, Humor, Pop Culture, Science, Sports, True Crime

Action/Adventure, BIPOC Literature, Fantasy, Folklore, Gothic, Historical, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, Mystery, New Adult, Psychological Thriller, Romcom, Science Fiction, South East Asian Literature, Speculative, Thriller, Young Adult

Middle Grade, Thriller, Young Adult

Children's, Family Saga, Horror, LGBTQ, Literary, Middle Grade, Picture Books, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Children's, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Picture Books, Young Adult
Illustrated, Science

Action/Adventure, Children's, Commercial, Fantasy, General, Literary, Middle Grade, Romance, Science Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult

Action/Adventure, Bookclub, Children's, Commercial, Contemporary, Horror, Literary, Mystery, New Adult, Psychological Thriller, Romcom, Thriller, Young Adult
Art, Cookbooks, Cultural criticism, Fitness, Health, History, Journalism, Memoir, Pop Culture

Action/Adventure, Commercial, Crime, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Women’s Fiction
History, Journalism, LGBTQ, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Travel, True Crime

Additional Resources
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Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen: When to Use Which
Book Proofreading 101: The Beginner’s Guide
Screenplay Editing: Importance, Cost, & Self-Editing Tips
Screenplay Proofreading: Importance, Process, & Cost
Script Proofreading: Rates, Process, & Proofreading Tips
Manuscript Proofreading | Definition, Process & Standard Rates
14 Punctuation Marks: Examples & Free Guide on How to Use
Tips to Write Better if English Is Your Second Language
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Your Guide to the Best eBook Readers in 2024

Top 10 Book Review Clubs of 2024 to Share Literary Insights
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Writing Contests 2023: Cash Prizes, Free Entries, & More!
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10 Best Book Publishing Companies in 2024
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Alpha Readers: Where to Find Them and Alpha vs. Beta Readers
Author Branding 101: How to Build a Powerful Author Brand
How to Write a Book Report | Steps, Examples & Free Template
A Guide on How to Write a Book Synopsis: Steps and Examples
How to Write a Book Review (Meaning, Tips & Examples)
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Building an Author Website: The Ultimate Guide with Examples
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What Are Large Language Models and How They Work: Explained!
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Top 10 Hardcover Book Printing Services [2024 Update]
15 Types of Poems Everyone Should Know About
2024’s Top 10 Setting Generators to Create Unique Settings
Different Types of Characters in Stories That Steal the Show
Top 10 Screenplay & Scriptwriting Software (Free & Paid)
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Top 10 Must-Try Character Name Generators in 2024
How to Track Changes in Google Docs: A 7-Step Guide
10 Best AI Text Summarizers in 2024 (Free & Paid)
2024’s 10 Best Punctuation Checkers for Error-Free Text
Writing Contests 2024: Cash Prizes & Free Entries
Pre-Publishing Steps
Book Cover Design: An Introduction
What is a Book Copyright Page?
8 Pre-Publishing Steps to Self-Publish Your Book
7 Essential Elements of a Book Cover Design
How to Copyright Your Book in the US, UK, & India
How to Format a Book in 2024: 7 Tips for Print & EBooks
Beta Readers: Why You Should Know About Them in 2024
How to Publish a Book in 2024: A Beginners’ Guide
ISBN Guide 2024: What Is an ISBN and How to Get an ISBN
Self Publishing Guide
How to Hire a Book Editor in 5 Practical Steps
Self-Publishing Options for Writers
How to Promote Your Book Using a Goodreads Author Page
What Makes Typesetting a Pre-Publishing Essential for Every Author?
4 Online Publishing Platforms To Boost Your Readership
How to Find the Perfect Book Editor for Your Manuscript
Typesetting: An Introduction
Quick Guide to Novel Editing (with a Self-Editing Checklist)
Quick Guide to Book Editing [Complete Process & Standard Rates]
10 Best Self-Publishing Companies of 2024: Price & Royalties
What Is Amazon Self-Publishing? Pros, Cons & Key Insights
Manuscript Editing in 2024: Elevating Your Writing for Success
Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: 2024 Guide
How to Publish a Book on Amazon: 8 Easy Steps [2024 Update]
10 Best Book Cover Design Services of 2024: Price & Ratings
A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing a Book in 2024
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What are Print-on-Demand Books? Cost and Process in 2024
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Top 10 EBook Conversion Services for 2024’s Authors
How to Copyright a Book in 2024 (Costs + Free Template)
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Traditional Publishing
How to start your own online publishing company?
8 Tips To Write Appealing Query Letters
How to Write a Query Letter (Examples + Free Template)

Writing Tips

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Starting Your Book With a Bang: Ways to Catch Readers’ Attention
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Research for Fiction Writers: A Complete Guide
Short stories: Do’s and don’ts
How to Write Dialogue: 7 Rules, 5 Tips & 65 Examples
How to Write a Novel in Past Tense? 3 Steps & Examples
What Are Foil and Stock Characters? Easy Examples from Harry Potter
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On Being Tense About Tense: What Verb Tense To Write Your Novel In
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On Being Tense about Tense: Present Tense Narratives in Novels
The Essential Guide to Worldbuilding [from Book Editors]
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How to Create Powerful Conflict in Your Story | Useful Examples
How to Write a Book: A Step-by-Step Guide
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How To Craft a Murder Mystery Story
How to Write a Novel: 8 Steps to Help You Start Writing
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How to Write a Children’s Book: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide
Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: Worksheet & Examples
Novel Outline: A Proven Blueprint [+ Free Template!]
Character Development: 7-Step Guide for Writers
Foil Character: Definition, History, & Examples
What Is NaNoWriMo? Top 7 Tips to Ace the Writing Marathon
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Theme of a Story | Meaning, Common Themes & Examples
5 Elements of a Short Story & 6 Stages of a Plot
What Is a Blurb? Meaning, Examples & 10 Expert Tips
What Is Show, Don’t Tell? (Meaning, Examples & 6 Tips)
How to Write a Book Summary: Example, Tips, & Bonus Section
How to Write a Book Description (Examples + Free Template)
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Business Proposal Guide: How to Write, Examples and Template
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How to Write an Antagonist (Examples & 7 Expert Tips)

Writing for the Web: 7 Expert Tips for Web Content Writing

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Tags: Fiction , Nonfiction , Novel , Traditional Publishing

Behind every famous author is a smart literary agent. Explore the advantages of the top 50 literary agents in detail! Find out which literary agent has proven experience in your genre. This will help you list top literary agents to shortlist the best ones.

From pitching the book to potential publishers to negotiating the final contract, these literary agents do it all! Many of these agents also help the author maximize their profits (by managing subsidiary rights such as film, TV, foreign language, and audiobook rights). So, without prolonging further, let’s dive into the details!

Transform your publishing dreams into reality! Learn more

Here is the full list of literary agents:

1. Liza Dawson

A member of the Mystery Writers of America, Liza Dawson is an experienced literary agent. She is looking for mystery novel submissions, historical literary thrillers, dark contemporary novels, and non-fiction novels giving voice to repressed classes. If your book has quirky humor, tenderness, and fun cartoon illustrations, you can approach Liza.

Location: New York, USA

Contact: [email protected]

2. Christy Fletcher

The founder of Fletcher & Company, Christy Fletcher is one of the best literary agents. She has worked with various popular non-fiction authors like Kate Bowler, Craig Whitlock, Gretchen Rubin, and David Leon Hardt. She has also helped novelists and short story writers like Daniel Mason, and Alan Hollinghurst monetize their works. While Christy is drawn to non-fiction that explores new ideas, she also represents fiction works.

3. Kevan Lyon

A co-founder of the Marshall Lyon Literary Agency, Kevan Lyon has massive expertise in the wholesale, retail, and distribution aspects of publishing. She focuses more on representing women’s fiction works. Her interests lie in commercial fiction, romantic comedies, and historical fiction. She has represented various best-selling authors like Kate Quinn, and Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Location: California, USA

4. Laurie Abkemeier

Working with Defiore & Company since 2003, Laurie Abkemeir is an experienced professional literary agent. She has represented many New York Times bestsellers and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. She has helped authors publish books belonging to various genres such as history, science, nature, sports, and adventure. Some of the authors she has represented include Jennifer Keishen Armstrong, Saul Austerlich, Rebecca Boyle, and Peter Brannen.

Location: New York, USA

Contact: [email protected]

5. Emily van Beek

A literary agent in New York City, Emily has partnered with Folio Jr. to represent books. Some of her clients include Jenny Han, Morgan Matson, and Julie Morstad. She is currently looking for middle-grade, young adult, and picture book submissions. Her interests lie in books that are bold and fresh, something entirely unexpected that is impossible to put aside.

6. Janis Donnaud

Janis Donnaud is one of the top literary agents for culinary books. She helps authors negotiate agreements with the top publishing companies in the USA. With this, she also assists authors with managing subsidiary rights like translation, film, and performance rights. Her focus is on publishing non-fiction books, including health/wellness, medical, contemporary, cultural, and books on contemporary social issues.

7. Donald Maas

The founder of Donald Maas Literary Agency, Donald is one of the top ten literary agents with more than 20 years of experience. An author of novels such as The Emotional Craft of Fiction , Maas has helped thousands of authors publish their books. You can send him a query letter and your book pitch along with five pages from your manuscript.

Location: New York, USA

8. Helen Breitwieser

A literary agent at the Cornerstone Literary Agency, Helen has vast experience in the publishing industry. She accepts queries of both fiction and nonfiction genres. This includes food, culture, travel, culinary, romance, YA, children’s books, film, and entertainment.

Location: Los Angeles, USA

9. Nicole Aragi

One of the top 10 literary agents in the USA, Nicole has represented several acclaimed authors like Jonathan Safran Foer and Colson Whitehead. She has set up a literary agency called Aragi to help several authors publish their works. She is interested in representing feminine, graphic/illustrated, historical, literary fiction and narrative works.

10. Susan Canavan

A former senior editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Susan joined the Waxman Literary Agency in 2019. She has edited New York Times bestsellers in categories such as nonfiction, sports memoirs, adventure, and journalism. Her interests lie in books that explore the infinite possibilities of human potential.

11. Kirby Kim

Kirby is an expert literary agent who represents both literary and commercial authors. He is drawn to stories that are tightly written, and involve creative narration. His interests are thrillers, mysteries, speculative fiction, science, culture, and current affairs. He also represents pop culture, especially music and comedy genres.

Location: Phoenix, USA

12. Robert Gottlieb

The Chairman of the Trident Media Group, Robert Gottlieb is one of the top literary agents. He has worked with New York Times best-selling authors and also has experience in managing authors’ subsidiary rights. This includes handling foreign rights, film, TV rights, and audio rights.

Email: [email protected]

13. Celeste Fine

Known for negotiating profitable 7-8 figure deals for authors, Celeste Fine is one of the best literary agents. She helps clients develop book proposals and edit their manuscripts. With this, she also assists clients in determining marketing strategies and managing audio rights, endorsements, book tours, and book club events for authors. She is looking for upmarket commercial fiction, suspense, thriller, and nonfiction submissions. Some of the famous authors she has represented are Miki Agarwal, Laila Ali, Dave Asprey, Iris Bohnet, and John Lee Dumas.

14. Russell Galen

A co-founder of the literary agency Scovil. Galn. Ghosh, Russell has helped authors from diverse backgrounds publish their books. He accepts both fiction and nonfiction submissions. While in fiction, Galen is looking for books that stretch reality creatively, in non-fiction, Galen desires books that give a message. Some of the nonfiction genres Galen is interested in are science, history, journalism, biography, business, memoir, nature, politics, sports, contemporary culture, literary nonfiction, etc.

15. Betsy Amster

The President of Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises, Betsy is one of the popular literary agents in the USA. She has 10 years of experience as an editor at Pantheon and Vintage. Her interests include literary fiction, narrative fiction, current affairs, travelogs, thrillers, and memoirs.

Location: Los Angeles, USA

16. John Cusick

John Cusick is an experienced literary agent who has represented authors of various New York Times bestsellers. His interests are in middle-grade, young adult novels along with genre fiction (fantasy, thriller, science fiction, and horror). He is looking for submissions that showcase under-represented voices, unusual plots, and books that kids might sneak in to read.

17. Elaine Spencer

A literary agent at the Knight Agency in Georgia, Elaine has vast experience in the publishing industry. She is interested in historical fiction, family dramas, suburban dramedies, and contemporary romantic comedies. Elaine also accepts non-fiction submissions. This includes true crime, self-help books , pop culture, diet, modern parenting, and lifestyle stories.

Location: Georgia, USA

18. Sorche Fairbank

The founder of Fairbank Literary Representation, Sorche is one of the best literary agents. A member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), she has helped authors secure deals with top publishing houses. She accepts both fiction and nonfiction submissions. Her interests are books that depict women’s voices, race issues, humor, pop culture, children’s books, and gift books.

Email: [email protected]

19. James Levine

One of the top literary agents in the USA, James helps authors maximize their profits by helping them monetize their works (by ensuring profitable publishing deals). He accepts both fiction and non-fiction submissions. This includes books belonging to genres such as mystery, romance, biography, health, travel, lifestyle, cookbooks, sports, and children’s books. Some of his successful clients are Dan Ariely, Chuck Closterman, Richard Florida, Rosalind Wiseman, and Geoffrey Moore.

20. Stephen Barbara

Born in Connecticut, Stephen Collins has worked with popular publishing houses such as HarperCollins. Some of his clients include Lauren Oliver, Paul Tremblay, Laura Amy Schlitz, Lisa Graff, and Susann Kokal. Stephen is attracted to stories that have bold, imaginative concepts. He represents authors writing both fiction and nonfiction genres.

Contact: [email protected]

21. Rebecca Matte

Rebecca is a professional literary agent who is looking for young adult fiction, science fiction, romance, and fantasy submissions. She loves stories about self-discovery and re-invention. She’s also interested in queer romance stories, and books that have a spellbinding, original fantasy world.

22. Abigail Frank

A literary agent at Sanford Greenburg Associates, Abigail represents picture books. She is also actively seeking voice-driven chapter books, YA rom-coms, and middle-grade stories that are profound and poetic. She is also deeply interested in stories that talk about fashion, especially illustrated works.

23. Rob McQuilkin

One of the founders of Massie and McQuilkin, Rob McQuilkin specializes in representing fiction, memoir, history, cultural criticism, and poetry books. Want to secure paperback rights for a book? Rob McQuilkin can also assist you in securing book rights and ensuring that you have a fair publishing deal. Phillip Lopate, Anita Hill, and Lois Gould are some authors he has represented.

24. Suzie Townsend

A literary agent at New Leaf Literary & Media, Suzie has 10+ years of experience in the publishing industry. She represents authors writing about adult fiction, children’s fiction, and nonfiction. She loves strong characters and unconventional stories that challenge genre norms. Her interests are in young adult and middle-grade literature.

25. Zoe Pagnamenta

Zoe Pagnamenta is one of the top literary agents in the USA. She represents various genres like historical fiction, journalism, memoirs, biographies, and popular sciences. Some of her other interests are self-help books, spirituality novels, technology books, business-centric books, and cultural criticism works. Her clients include Hisham Matar (Pulitzer Prize winner) and Tom Vanderbilt (author of NYT bestseller Beginners ).

26. Molly O’Neill

A literary agent working at Root Literary, Molly has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She prefers stories with interesting settings. Her focus is mainly on publishing fiction books, including genres such as young adult and middle grade. However, she does not represent genres like self-help, adult thrillers, adult crime fiction, poetry chapbooks, screenplay, and erotica.

Location: Los Angeles, California

27. Jessica Fausst

The owner of the literary agency Bookends, Jessica Fausst has represented various bestselling and award-winning authors. She desires to bring marginalized and underrepresented voices to the forefront through publishing. In fiction, she specializes in publishing mystery, women’s fiction, upmarket, and suspense genres. With this, she’s also interested in nonfiction books that help to make someone a better person.

Location: New Jersey, USA

28. Lori Kilkelly

Lori Kilkelly is a literary agent who specializes in publishing children’s books. The founder of the LK Literary Agency, she has helped to publish more than 100 books. She is looking for children’s books that are meaningful, funny, and moving. With this, she also accepts submissions of young adult literature.

Location: Chicago, USA

29. Uwe Stender

The President of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), Uwe has vast knowledge about publishing. He accepts both fiction and nonfiction submissions. In fiction, Uwe’s interests are in YA, MG, psychological suspense, and mysteries. In nonfiction, UWE accepts submissions of various types such as celebrity memoirs, health, gardening, history, and pop culture books.

Location: Pennsylvania, USA

30. Al Zuckerman

The founder of Writers House, Al has expertise in publishing both fiction and nonfiction books (adult categories). Al is one of the best literary agents for first-time authors. He has worked with young adult (YA) and middle-grade (MG) authors. Currently, Al is actively searching for new authors who have written thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, and historical novels.

31. Steve Laube

Steve Laube is one of the best literary agents for spiritual fiction and nonfiction books. The President of the Steve Laube Agency, he has edited more than 150 books in his career. He has more than 30 years of experience in the publishing industry. In 2009, he was named “The Agent of the Year” by the American Christian Fiction Writers organization.

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

32. Nancy Yost

Nancy Yost is one of the top literary agents who has represented many New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Some of her popular clients include Deborah Crombie, Stephanie Laurens, Ilona Andrews, and Monica Ferris. She is mainly interested in fiction books, and complex characters. She prefers genres such as women’s fiction, thrillers, suspense stories, historical fiction, and southern fiction. Her non-fiction preferences include social history along with natural science.

33. Stephanie Tade

Working with Bantam Books, Jane Rotrosen Agency, and Rodale Books, Stephanie has massive experience in publishing. Some of her clients include Master Yogi BKS Iyengar, Jorge Cruise, Judith Beck, and Frank Lipman. She focuses on publishing nonfiction books, particularly on spiritual, physical, and psychological well-being.

34. Sealy Yates

The founder of Yates & Yates LLP, Sealy has worked in the publishing industry since 1973. Some of his author clients include Chuck Swindoll, John Maxwell, Beth Moore, and David Jeremiah. Sealy represents genres like nonfiction, business, self-help, memoir, political, and Christian living.

Location: California, USA

35. Doug Abrams

Doug, founder of Idea Architects, has worked at the University of California Press and Harper Collins. Some of the authors he has managed include Jody Williams, Desmond Tutu, and Dalai Lama. He prefers culture-changing books that challenge conventions.

36. Laura Rennert

Working with the Andrea Brown literary agency since 1998, Laura specializes in publishing children’s books. She is one of the best literary agents for new writers. From picture books to adult books, Laura can help authors publish their works successfully. She is also interested in adult fiction. Some of the genres she prefers include literary-commercial fiction, science fiction, horror, thrillers, and historical fiction.

37. Jill Marsal

It’s impossible to ignore Jill in this list of literary agents. One of the founders of the Marsal Lyon literary agency, Jill has 20+ years of experience in the publishing industry. She has worked with some of the best fiction authors such as Marina Adair, Jamie Beck, Amanda Bouchet, and Christie Carlyle. She is searching for submissions of genres such as commercial fiction, contemporary fiction, romance, upmarket fiction, and family stories.

38. Howard Yoon

A literary agent at the Ross Yoon agency, Howard is one of the best literary agents for first-time authors. specializes in helping authors publish nonfiction genres. Howard is interested in genres such as memoirs, current affairs, science, politics, and popular culture. He assists both, new authors and established authors in publishing their work.

Location: Washington, USA

39. Bonnie Nadell

The President of Hill Nadel Literary Agency, Bonnie represents both fiction and nonfiction authors. She is looking for books that explore new perspectives. Some of the nonfiction genres she prefers are current affairs, culinary, memoir, culture, natural events, and stories about the American West.

40. Faye Bender

Faye Bender is a literary agent in the US who represents authors writing children’s books and adult fiction. Some of the authors she has worked with are Melissa Albert, Laura Blackett, Angeline Boulley, and Natalie C. Anderson. She prefers stories with a strong narrative voice.

41. Tina Bennett

Tina Bennett is a popular literary agent who specializes in helping authors publish nonfiction narratives. She prefers genres such as history, politics, current affairs, memoirs, and academic crossover titles. She has worked with various authors such as Gary Bass, Leo Damrosch, and Atul Gawande.

42. Christopher Schelling

The founder of Selectric Artists, Christopher Schelling accepts both fiction and nonfiction submissions. Some of the genres he’s interested in are commercial fiction, young adult, memoirs, pop culture, narrative fiction, and humor. Some of the famous authors represented by Schelling and his agency are Augusten Burroughs, Cinder Williams Chima, and Louis Bayard.

Location: Connecticut, USA

43. Amy Berkower

Working as a literary agent since 1979, Amy Berkower is the President of the Writers House LLC. She is one of the best literary agents for fiction books. Some of the clients she has represented are Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, Ann Martin, and Andrew Clements. Her interests lie in helping authors publish commercial fiction and literary fiction books.

44. Kari Sutherland

A literary agent at the Bradford Literary Agency, Kari is drawn to compelling plots, believable characters, and engaging settings. She desires to represent those communities that are underrepresented. This includes books highlighting issues of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled people. She accepts submissions for picture books, middle-grade, young adult, and nonfiction genres. However, for nonfiction, she is currently only accepting works related to children and teenagers (not adult fiction).

45. Mandy Hubbard

The writer of Prada and Prejudice , Mandy Hubbard is a popular literary agent. After selling more than 60 novels to publishers, she launched Emerald City Literary Agency. She is interested in representing Young Adult (YA), Middle Grade (MG), and select nonfiction books.

Location: Seattle, USA

46. Hillary Jacobson

Working at the Creative Artists Agency, Hillary Jacobson is one of the best literary agents. Hillary accepts both fiction and nonfiction submissions. In fiction, she is interested in commercial fiction, historical fiction, romance, thriller, Young Adult (YA), romance, and comedy. In nonfiction, her focus is on memoirs and narrative works.

47. Bonnie Solow

The founder of Solow Literary Enterprises, Bonnie is one of the top literary agents in the United States. Her clients include several New York Times best sellers. She helps her clients market their book through speaking engagements, and PBS shows. Her specialty is in representing the nonfiction genre. This includes various types such as health, psychology, memoir, and narrative nonfiction.

48. Kim Lionetti

A literary agent at Bookends, Kim has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. She has worked with books belonging to various genres such as women’s fiction, young adult, and romance. Currently, she is looking for stories that blur the lines of genres. She is also interested in historical romance and contemporary romance.

49. Danielle Egan-Miller

The owner of the Browne & Miller Literary Associates, Danielle has represented many New York Times bestselling authors. She is interested in books that highlight Midwestern voices and settings. With this, she also prefers book club fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and romcoms in the world of sports.

Location: Chicago, USA

50. Claire Anderson-Wheeler

Claire Anderson Wheeler is an expert literary agent at Regal Hoffman & Associates. She is interested in representing young adult (YA), autobiography, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and literary fiction. Some of her clients include Patrick Dacey, Faith Gardner, Jamie Raintree, and Melissa Scholes Young.

We hope this list of top literary agents will help you shortlist the best one. However, we’ll be honest: approaching literary agents and securing the best deal through traditional publishing is a time-consuming process. To speed up the process and save time, you can consider self-publishing your book.

At PaperTrue, we provide expert self-publishing services like securing an ISBN, online distribution, book cover design, editing, and creating a book cover page. If you still want to opt for a literary agent, we can also create a query letter for you.

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30 top historical fiction literary agents

Last updated Dec 13, 2023 | Blog

If you’re looking to be traditionally published, having a literary agent in your corner can significantly improve your chances. Not only can they pitch your manuscript to the most suitable publishers and negotiate the best possible deal, but they can also work with you editorially, handle subsidiary rights (such as film, TV, and audiobook), make sure you’re paid correctly, and champion you throughout your writing career.

To kickstart your agent search, we’ve put together a list of 30 top literary agents for historical fiction writers, in no particular order (i.e. not ranked). The list is categorised by country and covers the UK, USA, and Canada. But before we get to it, here are our top tips for submitting to agents:

1. Check that the agent is open to submissions. Some agents periodically close their submissions and will delete any submissions unread during that time.

2. Do your research. While many agents have detailed manuscript wishlists on their agency website, others might be less specific. Looking at the agent’s client list can be a good way of gauging their interests, preferences, and any gaps in their list that you might just be the author to fill…

3. Follow the submission guidelines. Guidelines will vary from agency to agency. Agents receive a vast number of submissions each year, so follow the guidelines to give yourself the best chance of success. Don’t give an agent a reason to delete your submission without reading it first.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to query agents, make sure you download our guide on how to write a query below.

How to write a query letter: an exclusive guide from The History Quill

Includes…

An introduction to writing a query letter and why it matters, top tips for pitching your work to agents and publishers, a checklist for writing your query letter, literary agents based in the uk, 1. olivia maidment.

Agency: Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency

Olivia Maidment is an agent at the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. She specialises in literary and upmarket fiction. She is looking for sweeping, richly detailed historical novels, and is also keen to find historical novels that illuminate times and places that are less familiar to readers. Her client list includes Rani Selvarajah ( Savage Beasts ) and Iris Costello ( The Secrets of Rochester Place ). Find out more about Olivia Maidment on the agency website.

2. Felicity Blunt

Agency: Curtis Brown

Felicity Blunt joined Curtis Brown in 2005. She represents authors that span the literary to commercial spectrum. Clients include New York Time s bestseller Bonnie Garmus ( Lessons in Chemistry) , Booker Prize shortlisted Claire Keegan ( Small Things Like These ), Rachel Rhys ( Dangerous Crossing ), and Susanna Kearsley ( The Winter Sea; The Firebird) . Find out more about Felicity Blunt on the agency website.

3. Charlotte Colwill

Agency: Colwill & Peddle

Charlotte Colwill is a literary agent who started her career as a bookseller and book buyer for shops including Daunt Books and Foyles. She has worked at Tibor Jones, with Wilbur Smith’s agent Kevin Conroy Scott, and also at Jo Unwin Literary Agency. She now has her own agency with a colleague, Colwill & Peddle, and represents a range of fiction and children’s authors. She is particularly passionate about genre and historical fiction, both as an agent and as a reader, and loves to see historical fiction written from new angles and perspectives. Her clients include Cecily Blench ( The Long Journey Home ) and Bill Swiggs ( Blood in the Dust ). Find out more on the Colwill & Peddle website.

4. Nelle Andrew

Agency: Rachel Mills Literary

Winner of the Bookseller’s Literary Agent of the Year award in 2021, Nelle Andrew represents various award-winning and internationally bestselling authors. Historical fiction authors on her list include Louise Hare ( This Lovely City ), Sara Collins ( The Confessions of Frannie Langton ), and Beth Underdown ( The Witchfinder’s Sister ). Find out more about Nelle Andrew on the agency website.

5. Judith Murray

Agency: Greene & Heaton

Judith Murray joined Greene & Heaton in 1995. She is passionate about beautifully written and well-researched historical fiction. Many of the authors she represents have been shortlisted for literary prizes, and her client list includes Sarah Waters ( Fingersmith) , Ian McGuire ( The North Water ), and Elizabeth Buchan ( The Museum of Broken Promises ). Find out more about Judith Murray on the agency website.

6. Juliet Mushens

Agency: Mushens Entertainment

Juliet Mushens is the founder of Mushens Entertainment, a leading UK literary agency. She represents historical authors such as Jessie Burton ( The Miniaturist ), Stacey Halls ( The Familiars ), Laura Purcell ( The Silent Companions ), Anna Mazzola ( The Clockwork Girl ) and Jennifer Saint ( Ariadne ). Find out more about Juliet Mushens on her agency’s website.

7. Kate Nash

Agency: Kate Nash Literary Agency

Kate Nash’s tastes tend towards the commercial end of the spectrum. Kate was named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2018, and in 2019 she was crowned Agent of the Year by the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Historical fiction authors represented by Kate include Andie Newton ( The Girl from Vichy ), Eimear Lawlor ( Dublin’s Girls ), and Anita Davison ( Flora’s Secret ). Find out more about Kate Nash on the agency website.

8. Isobel Dixon

Agency: Blake Friedmann

Isobel Dixon is MD and Head of Books at Blake Friedmann, and she has worked with a number of award-winning authors. Historical fiction writers on her list include Barbara Erskine ( The Dream Weavers ), Graeme Macrae Burnet ( His Bloody Project ), Edward Carey ( Little ), and Elizabeth Chadwick ( The Coming of the Wolf ). At the time of writing, Isobel is on a sabbatical from taking on new work, but keep an eye on her profile page to find out when she is able to start accepting submissions again. Find out more about Isobel Dixon on the agency website.

9. Victoria Hobbs

Agency: AM Heath

Representing the likes of Maggie O’Farrell and Conn Iggulden, Victoria Hobbs has worked with Sunday Times bestselling and prize-winning authors, some of whom she has represented for over twenty years. Her list is eclectic, covering a range of genres, and she enjoys hearing from new writers. Find out more about Victoria Hobbs on the agency website.

10. Sam Copeland

Agency: Rogers, Coleridge & White (RCW)

Shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020 and 2021, Sam Copeland is a director of the RCW agency and represents a diverse list of authors. His historical fiction clients include Abir Mukherjee ( A Rising Man ) and Andrew Hughes ( The Coroner’s Daughter ). Find out more about Sam Copeland on the agency website.

11. Antony Topping

Antony Topping has been with Greene & Heaton since 1995, having previously worked as a fiction buyer. His client list includes historical fiction heavyweights such as Andrew Taylor ( The Ashes of London ), C. J. Sansom ( Tombland ), Laura Shepherd-Robinson ( Blood & Sugar ), and Suzannah Dunn ( The Testimony of Alys Twist ). Find out more about Antony Topping on the agency website.

12. Caroline Hardman

Agency: Hardman & Swainson

Co-founder of the Hardman & Swainson literary agency, Caroline Hardman has a diverse list and accepts submissions at both the literary and commercial ends of the spectrum. Her client list includes historical fiction authors such as Dinah Jeffries ( The Tea Planter’s Wife ), Liz Trenow ( The Poppy Factory ), Louise Fein ( People Like Us ), and Nikola Scott ( The Orchard Girls ). Find out more about Caroline Hardman on the agency website.

13. Rebecca Ritchie

Rebecca Ritchie’s list tends towards the commercial end of the spectrum, including commercial women’s fiction and saga. She is always on the lookout for new voices and has represented a number of debut and bestselling authors. Historical fiction clients include Iona Grey ( The Glittering Hour ), Kate Riordan ( The Stranger ), and Jenny Ashcroft ( Under the Golden Sun ). Find out more about Rebecca Ritchie on the agency website.

14. Hattie Grünewald

Agency: The Blair Partnership

Hattie Grünewald was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2020. In the same year, she was crowned the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Agent of the Year. Historical novelists on her list include Suzanne Fortin ( The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger ) and Roxane Dhand ( The Pearler’s Wife ). Find out more about Hattie Grünewald on the agency website.

15. Kate Burke

Prior to becoming a literary agent in 2012, Kate Burke worked as editor at Penguin, HarperCollins, and Random House. This editorial background has given her a hands-on approach to working with authors. Kate is looking for historical fiction set from 1800 onwards (particularly WW2 and beyond) that will appeal to the book club market, along with historical women’s fiction. Her clients include Jean Fullerton ( A Ration Book Christmas ), Fiona Ford ( Christmas at Liberty’s ), and Kate Thompson ( Secrets of the Homefront Girls ). Find out more about Kate Burke on the agency website.

Literary agents based in the US

1. elaine spencer.

Agency: The Knight Agency

Elaine Spencer is Vice President of Operations and a literary agent at The Knight Agency. She represents USA Today bestselling historical fiction author Sara Ackerman ( Radar Girls ) and is interested in fiction within a wide range of genres, including women’s fiction and romance. Find out more about Elaine Spencer on the agency website.

2. Stefanie Lieberman

Agency: Janklow & Nesbit

Stefanie Lieberman is interested in upmarket fiction with commercial appeal. She particularly enjoys novels with a distinct sense of time and place, as well as plot-driven stories that feature a distinctive voice. Clients include New York Times bestselling authors Fiona Davis ( The Lions of Fifth Avenue ) and Sarah Penner ( The Lost Apothecary ). Find out more about Stefanie Lieberman on the agency website.

3. Laura Bradford

Agency: Bradford Literary Agency

Laura Bradford founded the Bradford Literary Agency in 2001. She is actively building her client list and takes an editorially hands-on approach with her authors, who range from debuts to award-winners and bestsellers. Historical fiction clients include Ellen Lindseth ( The Long Path Home ) and Madeline Martin ( The Last Bookshop in London ). Find out more about Laura Bradford on the agency website.

4. Elisabeth Weed

Agency: The Book Group

Elisabeth Weed has worked with clients whose novels have graced the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, but she also loves discovering new voices. She enjoys plot-driven novels that feature a strong sense of place and atmosphere. Historical fiction authors on her list include Joy Jordan-Lake ( A Tangled Mercy ), Ariel Lawhon ( Code Name Hélène ), and Greer Macallister ( The Arctic Fury ). Find out more about Elisabeth Weed on the agency website.

5. Kristin Nelson

Agency: Nelson Literary Agency

Kristin Nelson has represented over forty-five New York Times bestselling titles and a host of USA Today bestsellers. She is on the lookout for historical fiction that features narrative voices and stories that are underrepresented in history. Historical novelists on her list include Gail Carriger (The Parasol Protectorate series), Courtney Milan ( The Duchess War ), Stacey Lee ( The Downstairs Girl ), and Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock Historical Mysteries). Find out more about Kristin Nelson on the agency website.

6. Ellen Levine

Agency: Trident Media Group

Ellen Levine is the Executive Vice President of TMG and has represented many award-winning and internationally bestselling authors, such as Michael Ondaatje ( The English Patient ), Stephen P. Kiernan ( The Baker’s Secret ), and Esi Edugyan ( Washington Black ). Find out more about Ellen Levine on the agency website.

7. Amanda Jain

Agency: Bookends Literary

Amanda Jain represents historical fiction in the romance, mystery, and fantasy subgenres – and more besides. Historical fiction clients include Marlowe Benn ( Passing Fancies ) and Emily Sullivan ( A Rogue to Remember ). Find out more about Amanda Jain on the agency website.

8. Rayhané Sanders

Agency: Massie & McQuilkin

Rayhané Sanders joined Massie & McQuilkin in 2014. Her list includes bestselling and award-winning historical fiction authors such as Janet Beard ( The Atomic City Girls ) and Devin Murphy ( The Boat Runner). Find out more about Rayhané Sanders on the agency website.

9. Kevan Lyon

Agency: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Kevan Lyon is a founding partner of Marsal Lyon. She’s been a literary agent for more than ten years, and prior to that she worked in the retail and buying side of publishing for over seventeen years. She represents various internationally bestselling authors of historical women’s fiction, such as Kate Quinn ( The Alice Network ), Stephanie Dray ( The Women of Chateau Lafayette ), and Jennifer Robson ( The Gown ). Find out more Kevan Lyon on the agency website.

10. Mitchell Waters

Agency: Brandt & Hochman

Mitchell Waters has been a literary agent for over twenty-five years and has a particular interest in historical fiction. He represents both literary and commercial fiction and particularly likes historical mysteries and suspense. Historical fiction authors represented by Mitchell include Natalie Jenner ( The Jane Austen Society ), Allison Montclair (Sparks & Bainbridge mysteries), and Kim Van Alkemade ( Bachelor Girl ). Find out more about Mitchell Waters on the agency website.

Literary agents based in Canada

1. rachel letofsky.

Agency: Cooke McDermid

Rachel Letofsky has been with Cooke McDermid since 2010 and is on the lookout for historical fiction for adults, along with middle-grade and young adult titles in all genres. Clients include Natalie Morrill and Ellen Keith. Find out more about Rachel Letofsky on the agency website.

2. Helen Heller

Agency: The Helen Heller Agency

Prior to establishing the Helen Heller Agency in 1988, Helen Heller worked as an editor and publisher. Authors represented by the Helen Heller Agency include Khaled Hosseini, Bruce Holsinger, and Nadia Hashimi. Find out more about Helen Heller on the agency website.

3. Beverley Slopen

Agency: Beverley Slopen Literary Agency

The Beverley Slopen Literary Agency doesn’t take on many new authors but is still accepting submissions, including from historical fiction writers. Historical fiction authors represented by Beverley Slopen include Donna Morrissey and Roberta Rich. Find out more about Beverley Slopen on the agency’s website.

4. John Pearce

Agency: Westwood Creative Artists

John Pearce is a literary agent at WCA and previously worked at Doubleday and Random House of Canada. His tastes generally veer towards the literary end of the spectrum, and he is looking to add more historical fiction to his list. Find out more about John Pearce on the agency website.

5. Carly Watters

Agency: PS Literary

Carly Watters is a senior literary agent at PS Literary. She began her publishing career at the Darley Anderson agency in London and has been with PS Literary since 2010. She represents both debuts and bestsellers. Authors she has worked with include Taylor Jenkins Reid ( The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo ) and Susie Orman Schnall ( The Subway Girls ). Find out more about Carly Watters on the agency website.

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How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book

Literary agents - how to find a literary agent

In today’s market, probably 80 percent of books published by New York houses get sold by literary agents. Agents are experts in the publishing industry and represent the interests of their author-clients. They have inside contacts with specific publishers and know which editors are most likely to buy a particular work. Perhaps most important, agents can secure the best possible book deal for you, negotiate a fair contract, protect your rights, ensure you are paid accurately and fairly, and run interference when necessary between you and the publisher.

The best agents are career-long advisers and managers.

Traditionally, agents get paid only when they sell your work, and they receive a 15 percent commission on everything you get paid (your advance and royalties). It is best to avoid agents who charge fees other than the standard 15 percent.

Do you need a literary agent?

It depends on what you’re selling. If you want to be published by one of the major New York houses (e.g., Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan), then you more or less need to have one—and want one on your side.

If you’re writing for a niche market (e.g., vintage automobiles) or wrote an academic or literary work, then you might not need an agent. Agents are motivated to take on clients based on the size of the advance they think they can get. If your project doesn’t command a decent advance, then you may not be worth an agent’s time, and you’ll have to sell the project on your own.

There are different levels of commercial viability: some books are “big” books, suitable for Big Five traditional publishers (e.g., Penguin Random House, HarperCollins), while others are “quiet” books, suitable for mid-size and small presses. The most important thing to remember is that not every book is cut out to be published by a New York house, or even represented by an agent; most writers have a difficult time being honest with themselves about their work’s potential. Here are some rules of thumb about what types of books are suitable for a Big Five traditional publisher:

Genre or mainstream fiction, including romance, erotica, mystery/crime, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, new adult
Nonfiction books that would get shelved in your average Barnes & Noble or independent bookstore—which requires a strong hook or concept and author platform . Usually a New York publisher won’t sign a nonfiction book unless it anticipates selling 10,000 to 20,000 copies minimum.

To better understand what sells, buy a month-long subscription to PublishersMarketplace.com and study the deals that get announced. It’s a quick education in what commercial publishing looks like.

Also, you can check the Twitter hashtag #MSWL , where agents/editors specifically spell out what they’re looking for. (Here’s the official site for Manuscript Wish List . There is also an unofficial aggregator of #MSWL tweets .)

If your work doesn’t look like a good candidate for a New York house, don’t despair. There are many mid-size houses, independent publishers, small presses, university presses, regional presses, and digital-only publishers who might be thrilled to have your work. You just need to find them.

How to find literary agents

When writers ask me “Can you find me a literary agent?” they don’t realize it’s kind of like asking me “Can you find me the right spouse?” This is a research process and decision that is best conducted by you . I think you’ll understand why by the end of this post.

PublishersMarketplace.com is the best place to research literary agents; not only do many agents have member pages there, but you can search the publishing deals database by genre, category, and/or keyword to pinpoint the best agents for your work. Some other resources to consider include QueryTracker (free and paid versions) and Duotrope .

What you should submit to a literary agent

If you write fiction, the agent will want to see the full manuscript (assuming you’re an unpublished or unproven fiction writer). If you write nonfiction, the marketability of your idea and your platform often matter as much as the writing, if not more so. You have to prepare a book proposal that’s essentially a business plan arguing why your book will sell in the current market.

You should finish (and polish) your manuscript or book proposal before submitting. I meet many writers who are very excited about having a story idea, but unless you’re in a situation where the timing is absolutely critical, finish the work first—and be confident that you’re submitting your best work. One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is rushing to get published when there’s no reason to rush. Do not expect the agent to help you to the finish line on your manuscript. While some agents may be open to such editorial work, you’ll get a much better response if you submit a manuscript or proposal that you can see no further way to improve.

Okay, let’s assume you’re ready. Every agent has unique requirements for submitting your materials. The most common materials you’ll be asked for:

Query letter. This is a one-page pitch letter that gives a brief description of your work. Here’s how to write a query for a novel. Here’s another post on writing a query for a nonfiction book .
Novel synopsis. This is a brief summary (usually no more than one or two pages) of your story, from beginning to end. It must reveal the ending. Here’s how to write one.
Nonfiction book proposal. These are complex documents, usually twenty to thirty pages in length (minimum). For more explanation, see my comprehensive post.
Novel proposal. This usually refers to your query letter, a synopsis, and perhaps the first chapter. There is not an industry-standard definition of what a novel proposal is.
Sample chapters. When sending sample chapters from your novel or memoir, start from the beginning of the manuscript. (Don’t select a middle chapter, even if you think it’s your best.) For nonfiction, usually any chapter is acceptable.

Important: Almost no agent accepts full manuscripts on first contact. This is what “no unsolicited materials” means when you read submission guidelines. However, almost all agents will accept a one-page query letter unless their guidelines state otherwise. (If they do not accept queries, that means they are a completely closed market.)

After you send out queries, you’ll get a mix of responses, including:

No response at all, which means it’s a rejection. Don’t sweat it—this is normal. Move on.
A request for a partial manuscript and possibly a synopsis.
A request for the full manuscript.

If you receive no requests for the manuscript or book proposal, then there might be something wrong with your query. If you succeed in getting your material requested, but then get rejected, there may be a weakness in the manuscript or proposal.

How to choose the best literary agent for you

1. What’s her sales track record? This is usually the number-one sign of whether you have a good agent. Evaluate her client list and the publishers she has recently sold to. Are the publishers she sells to the types of publishers you consider appropriate for your work? Are the advances her clients command in the “good” range for you? Keep in mind these factors can be somewhat subjective and are also based on your genre/category and your own sense of author identity.

Bottom line, ensure that your agent has experience and success in representing the type of work you’re trying to sell. Most agents will list current clients on their site, or you can find agent-publisher deals reported at PublishersMarketplace (subscription required).

A note about new agents : Sometimes it’s easier to get represented by a new agent who is trying to build a roster of clients. If you’re a new author with a potentially small deal who wouldn’t interest an established agent, then a new and “hungry” agent can work out just as well. Even if an agent’s track record is still developing, take a look at her previous experience in publishing. For example, was she formerly an editor? Or consider the experience and reputation of the agency she is associated with. If she’s working at a solid agency with a track record, and/or has a long work history with the New York houses, these are good signs. Just make sure she hasn’t been trying to develop her list for a very long time.

2. Does her communication inspire confidence? If an agent treats you professionally, that’s a good sign. Timeless signs of professionalism in agents: they get back to you in a timely manner, they communicate clearly and respectfully, their business operations aren’t cloaked in secrecy, they treat you as a business partner.

Unfortunately, the biggest complaint I hear from agented but unpublished writers is they can’t get a response from their agent any longer—or there’s poor communication about the status of the project. A good agent doesn’t leave her clients in the dark for extended periods and will offer clarity about each stage of the process—no loose ends, no vague reports.

That said: I have observed some unpublished writers who seem to be very demanding and have expectations outside the norm. What does demanding look like? Expecting to call your agent at any time and have a discussion, expecting daily contact, or expecting near-instant response. Remember: agents work for free until your book is sold. Their most immediate responses go to their established clients—the ones bringing in the revenue.

3. What’s her level of enthusiasm? Do you get the feeling that the agent genuinely believes in you and your work? While agents are certainly interested in a sale, they’re also interested in projects that excite them and clients whose long-term careers they feel proud to represent and help manage.

While it’s not possible to put a quantitative measure on enthusiasm, think of it this way: your agent is going to be handling your publisher contracts, negotiations, and other financial matters (including payment to you) for the life of your work. You need to trust and respect her. She champions your cause to the publisher throughout the life of the book’s publication and resolves conflicts. You’re entering into a meaningful business partnership, and fit is important.

What to expect from a good literary agent

A good agent will have a conversation with you about any rejections he receives from publishers. If your agent has a good relationship with the editors/publishers he’s querying, then he’ll be receiving meaningful feedback that he can share with you. You can then discuss how your book or the proposal could be repositioned to sell. However, his time or energy might be exhausted if he believes the project would take far more work and retooling to make a sale that’s not worth his time. Or, he might believe you’re not willing to reposition the book.
Don’t assume that your agent isn’t good enough if your book didn’t sell. But agents should have an open and frank discussion with you about the rejections received. You also have a right to know what publishers were queried, especially after a long period of time has passed. You may also ask for the rejection letters, though your agent is under no obligation to provide you with the specific contact information of editors and publishers.
Did the agent help you improve your query, pitch, and/or proposal? A good agent will improve the query/proposal package. There might be a handful of authors who can put together a crackerjack proposal, but they are few. An agent should be ensuring the pitch or proposal is primed for success, and this almost always requires at least one round of feedback and revision.
Your agent MUST know his way around a book contract. A good agent understands where to ask for more money or rights, and knows if a client is getting the best deal possible. (If an agent passes you a publisher’s boilerplate contract to sign with no changes, you may be in big trouble.) Many authors like to have an agent who is an “attack dog,” but primarily an agent needs to understand how to protect your rights (by changing or inserting the right contract language) and prevent you from signing an unfair or substandard agreement. Agents know the industry norms, when those norms are changing, and when to push for more. However, they also understand that not everything is about money—sometimes it’s better to partner with a publisher offering a smaller advance. A great agent advises you on the pros and cons of the deals you’re offered.
A great agent is an author’s business manager, mentor, and cheerleader. Agents are also there to hold your hand when things go wrong with the editor or publisher. They prop you up when you’re down, they celebrate your successes publicly, they look for opportunities you might not see, and they attend to your financial best interests as well as your big-picture career growth.
People in the industry should recognize the name of your agent. If you can’t find any online mention or reference to your agent, and he’s not a member of the Association of American Literary Agents ( AALA ), that’s a red flag. Check his track record carefully. See who he’s sold to and how recently. One thing you needn’t worry about too much is the size of the agency; this doesn’t necessarily correlate with the quality of the agent or the size of the deal you can expect.

Are all agents created equally?

Yes and no. As industry consultant Mike Shatzkin points out , there are potentially hundreds of agents capable of selling any particular book. What tends to be most important is chemistry between agent and author, and the agent being invested in the author and her work. Shatzkin says,

The same agent is not equally good for every book they might represent. Enthusiasm matters. Happening to have strong connections with three editors who would just love this particular book matters. Having belief that [you] can be groomed into a prolific author over time would matter. In other words, the agent who made the most deals for the most dollars last year might not make a better deal for [you] and this book than somebody who had done half as well.

For more excellent information on how to tell a good agent from a not-so-good agent, check out Writer Beware on Literary Agents (or, go straight to the section on Amateur Agents ).

For more guidance

If you’d like an in-depth guide on building an author career, consider my book, The Business of Being a Writer.

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet , the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.

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[…] A step-by-step guide to finding literary agents, plus how to select the right agent for you and your work. […]

Good the know. Thanks!

Its so nice to find such a clear cut and honest description of the process. I shall be reading other articles (such as the writing a query letter post, among others) and following this advice. I feel like I’ve learned as much reading this one article as I have with a dozen other hours of research 😀 Thank you.

Excellent advice (as always). What’s your take on the growing trend of agents working with the best self-publishers to grow their careers and handle rights and so forth?

Hi Jane – If you look at someone like Kristin Nelson (who’s doing everything right and more), then the trend is good. I’m not so fond of agents “assisting” by handing everything off to a third party, which decreases earnings for the author—since it adds another middleman to the equation.

Hi Jane I just had a book published. I need an agent that would help me sell my book to the public Someone that would sell it to the audience i work with. Is it possible to find an agent? My book is about childcare. Sincerely Alice O. Carrillo, Author

If you’ve already self-published your book, you will find it very difficult to find an agent unless you have significant sales success, media attention, or a platform. If you want to try, then you’ll need to write a book proposal, as described here: https://janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-write-a-book-proposal/

I have a unique twist on this author’s situation: my book was published in June 2016. Leading up to the release date, my publisher helped me prepare a website, platform, media packet, and so much more I can’t keep track of it all (even got reviewed by publishers weekly.) Then 2 months before the release, my husband was arrested for a horrible crime, to much publicity. We killed the hype to prevent any more damage to my reputation, but that means my book debuted to lousy sales. My publisher has since closed her doors. Is there any hope for me as an author? Will any agent even look at me?

Yes, there is hope, and agents will still consider you.

No agent will consider you if your last book didn’t sell well, because that means your poor sales record will appear on BookScan, and thus no publisher will look at you either. Believe me, I know from sad experience.

A bad sales record doesn’t help one’s case, but it’s not insurmountable. If an agent/publisher thinks your current project will sell, they’ll find ways to explain away the bad sales to retailers/distributors.

Hello Jane. How does being a convicted felon affect the way an agent sees you and your marketability

Assuming you’re not in prison, it will depend on the agent. It’s not something I’d mention in my bio unless it were pertinent to the book I was pitching.

I do not mean to be insensitive to what must be a horrific family situation, but to be brutally calculating, you should capitalize on the circumstance, depending on your subject you could add a continuing ‘aftermath’ chapter or two about what happened; or write a screen play and how it affected your book, your life, your family . . .it would make one heck of a TV movie . . . Good luck and keep the faith

That’s an excellent question and I’d be curious to know the answer as well. My guess would be that it becomes easier for the literary agent to market the manuscript, particularly if the self-published author has a track record of commercial success. But also if the author has 4 or 5 books that have hardly any sales, could be a detractor.

Thanks for this great post, Jane. As a writing teacher I get so many questions about getting an agent–how,who,why,when–I’m glad to have this excellent, thorough advice to share. (And you’re so right about the rush to publish, many, before they’ve even finished a first draft want to begin their agent search.)

I enjoyed this post quite a bit. I’m in the process of determining whether I want to seek an agent or go the Indie route though I’m leaning strongly towards looking for an agent. I appreciated your thoughts and the pros/cons of finding an agent. Very informative. Now…to research agents!

I’m in the same boat! Surely getting the “protection” of an agent for virgin-authors is the way to fly. My dilemma is SO many literary resource companies out there, it’s hard to know how to choose. I checked one out and she was VERY responsive, well-established and informative and encouraging . . . snag is what I need is around a $5000 fee by the time we went down the punch list. I don’t have that kind of booty right off the bat. Good luck !

[…] about it because I received Jane Friedman’s latest blogpost via email this morning…“How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book.” I just finished reading it (a great resource, with lots of food for thought for all types of […]

Such a great article. Thanks, Jane!

[…] Award: “How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book” – This is the most helpful article I’ve read on the topic. I also bookmarked an […]

[…] For a fuller discussion of literary agents, click here. […]

Thanks for your valuable article. Since February 2009 I have written a MG/YA Trilogy, one adult novella, and three MG short story mysteries. It took over 5 years of editing and polishing before I decided in March this year to start submitting to agents. I’m pleased with my work but I am afraid the works will be classed as literary – that appears to be my ‘style’. Anndraya

[…] you need to know to find a literary agent for your […]

30 Best Literary Agencies For New Authors (in 2024)

Publishing houses act as gatekeepers to the literary world , and they select only the highest quality of prose because they receive dozens of manuscripts every month. And that’s exactly why you need a top literary agent who will back you up and guide you through the maze of the publishing industry . Below you’ll find a list of the best literary agencies (along with links to submission guidelines) for first-timers and veterans alike. After reading this guide, you can also discover a plethora of publishers in my comprehensive directory of over 3,000 publishing companies .

30 Best literary agencies (with links to submission guidelines):

1. trident media group.

Formed in 2000, Trident Media Group is one of the most prominent literary agencies in New York City . They represent over 1,000 best-selling and emerging authors in an array of genres. Many of the titles they helped release had become New York Times Best Sellers and won awards such as the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. They work with authors, both in the US and the UK , and the titles they release usually achieve a high volume of sales (they’re at the top in North America). They have many great agents under their wing who specialize in both fiction and non-fiction , audiobook sales, digital publishing , and social media promotion. You should especially try to get in touch with Mark Gottlieb, who’s their #1 agent specializing in selling first-time author manuscripts (and often securing six-figure deals in the process). Many of the books that went through him became NYT bestsellers and later got adapted for movies and TV shows.

2. BookEnds Literary Agency

BookEnds is a well-established literary agency that first went into business in 1999. They represent both fiction and non-fiction authors who write books for adults and children . The company started as a book packaging company, but two years after the opening pivoted and became an agency. They have tons of experience in the industry and work with many talented agents . If you’re a first-timer, get in touch with Tracy Marchini who, after spending four years at Curtis Brown, decided it was time to pursue her editorial career. Now, with over 10 years of professional experience, she’s open to receiving manuscripts, especially in the children’s literature genre.

3. Folio Literary Management

Folio works with literary fiction and non-fiction writers mainly around the US, but also in other English-speaking countries . They represent many newbie authors , some of whom reached the heights of literary success by producing best sellers and receiving literary awards. Folio is a division of the legendary Harold Ober Associates Agency, which represented famous writers like Chinua Achebe and William Faulkner (among others). They adapted to the digital world and offer services in marketing, website development, media training, and promotion across many e-book and audiobook platforms . If you have a children’s book manuscript, check out their division called Folio Jr.

4. Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

This agency is highly accommodating towards talented new authors. That’s even though Sandra Dijkstra represents Pulitzer Prize winners such as Steven Hahn, Eric Foner, and Leon Litwack. It is their mission to find and help writers whose books can make a difference. They accept both fiction and non-fiction manuscripts in various genres. It includes mystery, thriller, suspense, drama, sci-fi , fantasy , romance , history , science , religion , business , lifestyle, young adults , children , and a lot more. Sandra Dijkstra assisted many celebrated authors in launching some of their bestselling books. It includes Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, Nobel Prize-winner Mo Yan, Diane Mott Davidson, Kate White, and author/illustrator Janell Cannon, among others.

5. Waxman Literary Agency

If you have a powerful story to share , Waxman will be happy to connect you with some of the best publishers in the market. They work with authors of all shades, including journalists, industry experts , as well as beginners able to come up with an exceptional piece of work. The company was started by Scott Waxman, who worked with HarperCollins for many years before starting on his own. He’s an experienced agent who saw the decline of traditional bookstores, which made way for huge digital platforms like Amazon. Now he’s working with co-agents from all around the world to help authors get published. Another agent working in this agency is Ashley Lopez, who joined in 2015. She’s interested in receiving manuscripts in genres like young adult fiction, narrative fiction, memoir , and cultural criticism.

6. Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents

7. david black agency, 8. harvey klinger literary agency, 9. donald maass literary agency, 10. cooke mcdermid literary management, 11. p.s. literary agency, 12. laura rennert literary agency, 13. the gernert company, 14. meredith bernstein literary agency, 15. frances goldin literary agency, 16. andrea brown literary agency.

This company has been around since 1981 and for a change, its headquarters are based on the West Coast. They are passionate about finding new voices from different parts of the country. The goal of the agency is to get a wider perspective and include writers from many backgrounds. Their main office is based in San Diego , but they also have a small office in New York City, so they know exactly what’s going on in the publishing industry. Their main specialization is children’s literature , so submit your manuscript if you have something in that genre.

17. Curtis Brown Literary Agency

18. the bent agency, 19. the ethan ellenberg literary agency, 20. conville & walsh, 21. dystel, goderich & bourret.

This is a small New York-based agency started by Miriam Goderich, Jane Dystel, and Michael Bourret. Right now, the trio has 10 other agents under its roof. As experienced author coaches, they make it a point of pride to allow you to submit your manuscript without too much hassle. You just need the first 25 pages if it’s a work of fiction or a proposal with a sample chapter if you’re into non-fiction. That’s lenient because some agencies want you to submit the full draft of your work. So if you want to get fast feedback on your manuscript, just follow the submission guidelines and stay patient.

22. Hartline Literary Agency

23. jeff herman agency, 24. new leaf literary & media, 25. macgregor & luedeke, 26. books & such literary agency, 27. speilburg literary agency, 28. marsal lyon literary agency, 29. the knight agency, 30. emerald city literary agency, tips for working with literary agencies, #1 pro tip:.

The best way to succeed is to work with new agents who are working within a larger agency. They’re your pick because they’re hungry to build lists of published authors, but they also have access to lots of contacts and resources. Getting a literary agent is also a good idea because most established agencies sign up just a few new authors per year.

#2 Pro tip:

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Literary Agent Database

DIRECTORY OF LITERARY AGENTS

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Publishing agent in suit inviting authors to use literary agent database

Use our free literary agent database to find all publishing agents seeking authors. You can search for literary agents by location, book genre, gender, AALA/AAR status, and more. You can also access our free author training library (print and audio) with insider advice and interviews about getting a book agent.

LITERARY AGENT DATABASE – About

Created in 2011 by a former book agent–at no cost to authors–this comprehensive literary agent database is one of the most popular book agent directories available today. Writers of all book genres have used the Directory of Literary Agents to get top book agents, publishers, and book deals.

Group of publishing agents inviting authors to enter the Directory of Literary Agents

One of the main reasons authors fail to find book agents is they use literary agent directories that are incomplete or out of date. Getting an offer of representation from a publishing agent isn’t usually easy, but it’s much easier using a reliable literary agent database.

The Directory of Literary Agents – Features

The Directory of Literary Agents is the easiest book agent database to navigate and use. It’s also the most comprehensive, and it includes more features than any other literary agent database we are aware of. Here are some things you will find in the literary agents directory.

All Book Agents Seeking Authors – Literary Agent Database

Our book agent database is comprehensive, with information about more than 1,100 publishing agents. The Directory of Literary Agents includes all book agents in the United States, looking for authors of all book genres.

Bios – Literary AgenCY Database

Our literary agent directory includes detailed bios for all book agents seeking authors. Looking at publishing agent bios and the book genres they are interested in will make it easier to find the right author representative for your book.

Permitted Submission Method(s) – Literary Agents Database

Most literary agencies accept email query submissions. However, many now use online forms, and some require postal mail submissions. The Directory of Literary Agents reveals each book agent’s preferred submission method(s).

AALA/AAR Status – Literary Agent Database

Our literary agency directory reveals which publishing agents are members of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), formerly known as the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR).

Contact Info – Literary Agency Database

For every publishing agent who allows email query submissions, you’ll find the correct email address to use in the The Directory of Literary Agents . You’ll also find the correct physical mailing address for literary agencies who require postal mail submissions.

Website Links – Literary Agents Database

Inside our literary agents directory you’ll see direct links to every literary agency website. That way, if you want to find more information about a particular publishing agent–or if you need to fill out their online form–you’ll be able to find what you need quickly.

Social Media – Literary Agent Database

You don’t need to look at the social media accounts of literary agents you want to research or query. Howver, if you want to visit a book agent’s Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook account you can do so directly from The Directory of Literary Agents .

Photos – Literary Agents Database

In addition to book agent bios, preferred submission methods, contact info, AALA/AAR status, website links, and social media links, The Directory of Literary Agents includes publishing agent photos. It is the only book agent database or directory that does so.

Get Free Access – Enter the Literary Agent Database

Get free access to The Directory of Literary Agents here. As soon as you enter your first name and email address, you’ll get instant access. You’ll also get access to our author training library (PDF and audio), and our author insider newsletter (easy to unsubscribe at any time, we don’t spam).

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How I Got My Book Agent

Successful Authors

Photo of author NJ sharing a Mark Malatesta review at Get a Literary Agent

Thanks in part to your query letter, manuscript suggestions, and support prioritizing agents, I received multiple offers from agents. Within two weeks of sending out the first query, I knew who I was going to sign with. I value our friendship.

N E L S O N . J O H N S O N

NY Times bestselling author of Boardwalk Empire , produced by Martin Scorsese for HBO, and Darrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer

NJ Book Cover for BE on boardwalk with cast from the HBO TV series, posted by Get a Literary Agent

After following your advice, my book was acquired, the prestigious PW gave it a great review, and Time Magazine asked for an excerpt. Thank you for believing in my book, and for helping me share the surprising truth about women’s most popular body part!

L E S L I E . L E H R

Author of A Boob's Life: How America's Obsession Shaped Me―and You , published by Pegasus Books, distributed by Simon & Schuster and now in development for a TV series by Salma Hayek for HBO Max

LL Book Cover posted by Get a Literary Agent Guide

Fine Print Lit got publishers bidding against each other [for my book]. I ended up signing a contract with Thomas Nelson (an imprint of Harper Collins) for what I’ve been told by several people is a very large advance. What cloud is higher than 9?

S C O T T . L E R E T T E

Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins), adapted to feature film with Lionsgate starring Zachary Levi, Amy Acker, and Patricia Heaton

SL Book Cover for TUB with photo of boy on beach with jester hat at sunset, posted by Get a Literary Agent Guide

AHHH! OMG, it happened! You helped me get three offers for representation from top literary agents! A short time later I signed a publishing contract. After that, my agent sold my next book. I’m in heaven!

M I R I . L E S H E M . P E L L Y

Author/illustrator of Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper (Penguin Books/Philomel), Scribble & Author (Kane Miller), and other children’s picture books

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Interviews/Tips from Successful Authors

Fiction/General - J. Jago Fiction/Mystery - B. Harper Fiction/Mainstream - K. Cox Fiction/Christian - K. Sargent Nonfiction/Business - D. Hamme Nonfiction/Self-Help - A. Goddard Nonfiction/Environment - J. Biemer Nonfiction/Diversity - S. Peer Narrative Nonfiction - D. Cohen Memoir/Women - L. Lehr Memoir/Christian - S. LeRette Memoir/Family/Identity - S. Foti Memoir/Multicultural - N. Aronheim Memoir/Inspirational - L. Subramani Memoir/Mainstream - E. Armstrong Children's/Pic Book - M. Leshem-Pelly Children's/Chapter Book - J. Agee Children's/YA - C. Plum-Ucci Children's/YA - D. Bester Children's/YA - L. Moe

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Find answers to all your book agent questions. Search our Ask a Literary Agent FAQ and/or post your question(s).

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How To Get a Book Agent

This step-by-step guide about how to get a literary agent includes all you need to know about finding a book agent.

This guide to getting a literary agent was written by a former book agent who's helped more than 300 authors of all book genres get offers from literary agents and/or traditional book publishers.

Writers have called this guide to getting a book agent the most comprehensive resource on the topic--and the most concise, current, and easy to use.

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The Stringer Literary Agency LLC

Representing Professional Authors.

Building Careers One Book At A Time.

The Stringer Literary Agency LLC

is a full-service literary agency with offices in Florida and New York

specializing in commercial fiction & select nonfiction since 2008.

Professional Affiliations

AALA (formerly AAR)

The Authors Guild

Marlene Stringer:

Book club fiction that straddles the commercial/literary line

Historical fiction

Women's Fiction, both contemporary & historical

Older YA, both fantasy and contemporary

Crime Fiction

Thrillers of all types

Mysteries of all types

Romance (except erotic)

Psychological Horror

Magical Realism

Shari Maurer:

Picture Books

Middle Grade: Contemporary, Historical, Literary and Mystery

YA: Contemporary, Historical, Literary, Mystery

Nonfiction:

Juvenile (YA and Middle Grade)

Popular Science

Please keep in mind that we close submissions from time to time in order to catch up.

Do not send Literary(except where noted above in Juvenile), Inspirational, Screenplays, Plays, Poetry, Short Stories, Comedy, Erotica or E rotic Romance, True Crime, Genre Western, Religious(or books featuring abusive priests, nuns, pastors, etc.), or Instructional. We are not interested in seeing any projects that include abuse of children or animals as plot elements.

What Do You Want To See In A Query?

A query letter should be one page in length, include a synopsis/pitch of one or two paragraphs about your work, the genre, and word count, and pertinent information about your previous publishing experience, if any.

If you're querying non-fiction, make sure you include detailed information about your platform in your query.

Please include the requested materials along with the query cover letter and synopsis on the form where indicated.

We only accept queries for manuscripts that are completed, polished, and proofread.

May I re-query a manuscript that has been rejected?

Unless we’ve indicated in the original response that we are interested in taking another look at your manuscript, the answer, regretfully, is no. You are always welcome to try us on a future project.

When should a writer think about querying a literary agent for fiction?

A previously-unpublished writer should only query literary agents after the manuscript is:

Read by independent and qualified readers.

For non-fiction, query when you have a fully-developed proposal.

Manuscripts should be submitted in standard format.*

Make sure the pages you send are final . Don't ask to resend replacement pages.

Publishing is subjective. What appeals to one agent may not be right for another.

Can I expect feedback?

Usually not. Our job is to evaluate manuscripts for sale, not to critique or provide feedback. We recommend critique partners, critique groups, or beta readers to provide feedback.

*Basic standard format: Times New Roman or Courier, 12pt font. Double-spaced. 1" margins. Header w/author last name, and title. Page numbers on top right. Title page with name and contact information.

Submissions

You never know where the next great story will come from.

StringerLit welcomes queries from both published and unpublished writers in our areas of interest.

Don't waste your time, or ours. Do your homework on the agency before you query and submit.

We do not charge reading or other types of evaluation fees to review submissions.

StringerLit is now working with Query Manager. We only accept queries through the form(link outlined in red) below. Queries sent otherwise are deleted unread.

Do not query more than one agent at a time. If we feel a ms is more suitable for a colleague, we'll refer.

Do not query more than one manuscript at a time.

Review query guidelines before sending.

We only accept submissions from authors, not submission services, or other third parties, etc.

Average response time is up to two weeks on queries, and up to three months on full manuscripts. We strive to respond as quickly as possible. Current clients' work always takes precedence.

If you have not received a response in the time period indicated, please re-query.

Click on the buttons below to submit.

Some StringerLit Authors

Phyllis Dixon next novel, INTERMISSION, is coming from Kensington Publishing in 2023.

Charlie Donlea was born and raised in Chicago. He now resides in the suburbs with his wife and children. Charlie's an avid golfer and baseball fanatic. He spends part of each summer fishing with his father in Canada.

T.L Simpson has been a sports journalist since 2012. He’s been writing fiction for even longer. His journalism has appeared in publications across Arkansas. He has won multiple Arkansas Press Association and Associated Press and Managing Editor Awards. He currently writes middle-grade fiction. Find him at tlsimpson dot net or follow him on Twitter @trvsimpson

David Lewis was born in Wales and moved to Hollywood to become a director of photography. He has shot everything from movies to television series, commercials and music videos, specialising in comedies, and picked up a few awards along the way. For many years, David lived in Scotland and Portugal. An inveterate solo traveler, he now lives in southern California with Hank, the noisiest cat in the world.

Trish Esden would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her Northern Vermont home writing about brave, smart women who are determined to protect the people and places they love. She is the author of the contemporary fantasy Dark Heart series, and the Northern Circle Coven series.

credit: Lindsey Pantele Photography

Anabelle Bryant is the USA Today bestselling author of seventeen historical romances including the new Maidens of Mayhem series for Kensington Publishing. Her historical romances are high concept, character driven stories which provide a heartfelt connection between hero, heroine, and the reader, believing the emotional journey on the path to true love is the most important bond.

Alyxandra Harvey

Caroline was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, but moved to London in 2006 to seek her fortune. Since then, she's gotten an MA in Medieval Literature, worked for a FinTech startup, been an English teacher in East London, and started an educational technology company. Caroline lives in Southeast London with her husband and two cats. When she isn't writing, she is coding. She thinks there ought to be more books about smart, grown-up women who get to have adventures.

As a so-called “Army brat,” Liane grew up in Germany, South Korea, and several different parts of the United States. She now lives in Philadelphia, where she practices law. Liane is an alumnus of Yale University and the College of William & Mary Law School. She is of Korean and European heritage.

A reader and daydreamer at heart, Bethany started writing on a dare and dove headfirst into the world of writerly madness. She's never looked back.

After a brief stint working in youth magazine publishing, it became clear that the charmed world of fiction is where Kate’s heart is most happy, so she embarked on her journey into the book-publishing world, first as an editorial assistant for a major publisher, and then as an author. Kate makes her home in Toronto, Ontario, where she lives with her husband, daughter, son, two cats, and an ever-rising pile of cherished books.

Lucy Hedrick is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Find out more - http://lucyhedrick.com

Isabella Kamal is an Iraqi author of historical romance novels. Growing up in the Middle East, she had very little access to romance novels—but once she got hold of one, she never looked back. Now calling Los Angeles home, she can usually be found in independent bookstores after long days spent developing stem cell-based therapies.

Emily Bleeker is the best-selling author of six novels. Combined, her books have reached over 2 million readers. She is a two-time Whitney Award finalist, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Amazon charts bestseller and was recently listed as one of the top 100 Kindle authors “of all time.” Emily lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her four kids and a growing menagerie of animals.

Anna Bradley has been an avid reader, writer and book fondler since childhood, when she pilfered her first romance novel and stole away to her bedroom to devour it. This insatiable love of the written word persisted throughout her childhood in Maine, where it led to a master’s degree in English Literature. Before she became a writer, Anna worked with a rare books library featuring works by British women writers from the 1600s through the Regency period.

Judy Campbell-Smith writes picture books that spark curiosity and celebrate diversity. She is the author of AJ’s Neighborhood, illustrated by Amanda Dowell, and Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World, illustrated by Lucy Semple, published by Sleeping Bear Press. Judy is often inspired by true stories and real people in her work. She lives with her family in Southern California.

Terri Parlato was born & raised in upstate NY. She currently lives in northern Georgia with her husband, and dog, Lucy.

Ciaran Bartlett is a Belfast-based novelist, produced screenwriter, and comedian. He has also been a lecturer at Ulster University, holding a PhD in Media and Journalism.

Resources for Writers

Association of Authors Representatives, Inc.- aaronline.org

Romance Writers of America (RWA) - www.rwa.org

Historical Novel Society - historicalnovelsociety.org

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) - mysterywriters.org

Sisters in Crime - www.sistersincrime.org

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) - www.sfwa.org

International Thriller Writers (ITW) - http://thrillerwriters.org

Women's Fiction Writers (WFWA)- https://www.womensfictionwriters.org

Horror Writers -- www.horror.org

The Authors Guild - www.authorsguild.org

Publishers Marketplace - www.publishersmarketplace.com

Query Tracker: www.querytracker.net

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The Stringer Literary Agency LLC

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Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

For any general or rights inquiries, please fill in the following contact form. This form is not for submissions.

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21 Top Literary Agencies that Authors Should Know About

By Hiten Vyas

If you want to publish your book the traditional way, you’ve most likely thought about literary agents. If you’re looking for a literary agent to represent you and negotiate contracts on your behalf with publishing houses, we’ve compiled a list of 21 top literary agencies you should take a look at. Read on to learn who these are.

1. Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Andrea Brown Literary Agency is focused on representing both new authors and also those with established careers. With offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay region, authors benefit from the agency’s collaborative approach, where they are supported by a team of people. In addition to its team of highly experienced agents, Andrea Brown Literary Agency has a number of co-agents, enabling the organization to be highly active in the area of selling subsidiary rights. The agency was founded by Andrea Brown in 1981.

Submissions information: https://www.andreabrownlit.com/how-to-submit.html

2. Conville & Walsh

Co-founded by Clare Conville and Patrick Walsh in 2000, Conville & Walsh is one of the best literary agencies in the world, whose headquarters are in the UK. The agency is highly experienced in both commercial and literary fiction, and has capabilities to represent all types of books including nonfiction. Conville & Walsh has worked on behalf of numerous bestselling and award-winning authors who come from different walks of life. Agents at Conville & Walsh can assist authors in producing the best possible book, along with representation across various types of media, and selling of rights into international markets and in different languages.

Submissions information: https://www.convilleandwalsh.com/index.php/literary/submissions

3. Curtis Brown

As one of the world’s largest literary and talent agencies, Curtis Brown has experience of representing individuals across the creative sector including authors, film and television writers and directors, playwrights, television presenters, actors, radio presenters and theatre directors. The books department at Curtis Brown in particular, was founded in 1899 and the agency has a renowned translations rights department.

Submissions information: https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/submissions/submissions-guide

4. David Black Literary Agency

Founded by David Black in 1989, David Black Agency focuses on helping authors to both get books published and on assisting them to develop their careers as writers. The organization uses a team-based approach, so that authors can gain input from individuals with different expertise. Top literary agents at the agency are David Black, Jenny Herrera, Linda Loewenthal, Gary Morris, Susan Raihofer, Sarah Smith, and Joy Tutela.

Submissions information: https://www.davidblackagency.com/submissions

5. Donald Maass Literary Agency

The President of Donald Mass Literary Agency is Donald Mass who founded the agency in 1980. Jennifer Jackson is Vice President. Other agents working at the organization include Stacia Decker, Cameron McClure, Jennifer Udden, Caitlin McDonald, Michael Curry, and Katie Shea Boutillier who also oversees rights management. Every year, Donald Mass Literary Agency sells in excess of 150 novels to major publishers in the United States and across the world. The agency’s team of agents look for submissions in various genres and sub-genres of fiction, and also nonfiction.

Submissions information: https://maassagency.com/submissions

6. Dystel & Goderich Literary Management

Dystel & Goderich Literary Management was formed by Jane Dystel in 1994 and provides authors will a full range of services including selling, negotiating contracts, collecting monies for clients, and also strong editorial support. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, the agency has a team of literary agents who are looking for books from various genres across both nonfiction and fiction spectrums.

Submissions information: https://www.dystel.com/submission-requirements

Nonfiction proposal submissions information: https://www.dystel.com/nonfiction-proposal-guidelines

7. Folio Literary Management

Folio Literary Management works with both first-time authors, as well as renowned ones. In addition to representation, the agency offers a full suite of services including marketing, development of websites, and media training. The agency’s support spans across all platforms, including film adaptation, digital books and apps. Folio Literary Management represents authors of both fiction and nonfiction. The organization also has a division called Folio Jr, which is devoted to working on behalf of first-class children’s book authors.

Submissions information: https://www.foliolit.com/submissions/how-to-submit-to-us

8. Foundry Literary + Media

In addition to negotiating contracts for authors with publishers, Foundry Literary + Media also offers a host of other services such as foreign rights, film, television, stage and digital publishing. The agency is also credited with having a book development team that helps take a book from concept to completed copies. Assistance can also be obtained in brand development, merchandising and licensing. Foundry Literary + Media works with various types of authors; these can range from first-time ones to those who are established and have celebrity status.

Submissions information: https://www.foundrymedia.com/submissions

9. Harvey Klinger

Agents at Harvey Klinger are David Dunton, Sara Crowe, Andrea Somberg and Harvey Klinger who is also President of the agency. The organization represents authors of high quality adult fiction, children’s fiction and nonfiction books. Harvey Klinger has extensive relationships with co-agents across the world, in order to reach publishers globally, and with other co-agents that assist in film and television rights.

Submissions information: https://www.harveyklinger.com/submissions.php

10. InkWell Management

Based in New York, InkWell Management is a globally leading literary agency whose clients include authors, chefs and personalities across the world. The authors which InkWell Management represents are literary prize winning and writers of bestselling works. The agency has a large staff base consisting of agents, assistants, and other experts who handle foreign rights, social media, marketing, publicity and contracts management.

Submissions information: https://inkwellmanagement.com/contact

11. Janklow & Nesbit Associates

With offices in New York and London, Janklow & Nesbit Associates is one of the biggest names in the world of literary agencies. The organization was formed in 1989 and has represented some of the most famous authors in the world, such as Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, Thomas Harris, Danielle Steel, and politicians such as Jimmy Carter and Senator John Kerry, among many more famous authors, scholars, scientists and celebrity status figures. The agency was founded by Morton Janklow and Lynn Nesbit.

Submissions information: https://www.janklowandnesbit.com/submissions

12. MacGregor Literary

MacGregor Literary has been in business for more than two decades, and has experience of representing authors of bestselling books that have been featured on major lists, which among others includes New York Times , Wall Street Journal , Publishers Weekly and USA Today . The organization was founded by Chip MacGregor who has been a lover of books since childhood. Other agents at the agency include Holly Lorincz, Erin Buterbaugh, and Amanda Luedeke, all of whom have varied interests in the types of books they like to represent, covering a vast range of fiction and nonfiction.

Submissions information: https://www.macgregorliterary.com/submission

13. Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Marsal Lyon Literary Agency works with authors, right from concept stage, through to editorial and then finding a publisher and beyond, as the organization emphasizes on helping individuals develop their careers. Founded by Kevan Lyon and Jill Marshal, other members of the team at the agency include Kathleen Rushall, Deborah Ritchken, Shannon Hassan and Patricia Nelson. Marsal Lyon Literary Agency represents fiction and nonfiction, as well as offering subsidiary rights services.

Submissions information: https://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/submissions/submission-info

Nonfiction proposals submissions information: https://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/submissions/non-fiction-proposals

14. Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Open to both new authors and experienced ones, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency is headed up by Sandra Dijkstra and its agents include Elise Capron, Jill Marr, Roz Foster, Andrea Cavallaro, Karla Gomez, Thao Le and Jessica Watterson. The agency has represented countless bestseller books across the entire range of genres and also offers internships opportunities to students at college.

Submissions information: https://www.dijkstraagency.com/submission-guidelines.html

15. Sterling Lord Literistic

With offices in New York City, Sterling Lord Literistic is a literary agency born out of the merger in 1987 between Sterling Lord and Literistic. It is a prestigious organization, which is credited with representing authors who are Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award recipients, New York Times bestsellers, literary and commercial authors, politicians, scientists, journalists and renowned writers of children’s works. In addition to representation of authors, Sterling Lord Literistic has particular strengths in the adaptation of literary works into films and television programmes, and in foreign rights.

Submissions information: https://www.sll.com/submissions.aspx

16. The Knight Agency

Formed in 1996 by Deidre Knight, The Knight Agency through its agents has negotiated contracts for more than 2000 book titles with the largest publishers in the world and also with independent publishing houses. Many of these have reached bestseller lists in New York Times , USA Today , and Publishers Weekly , among others. The agency has offices spread across the United States and provides a full suite of services for its clients including subsidiary rights management for foreign, electronic, film, television and audio, along with branding and book marketing support. The Knight Agency represents both authors of fiction and nonfiction.

Submissions information: https://knightagency.net/manuscript_submissions

17. The Steve Laube Agency

With over 34 years of experience in the publishing industry the President and founder of this agency is Steve Laube. He is supported by a team of literary agents that includes Tamela Hancock Murray, Karen Ball, and Dan Balow. The Steve Laube Agency is a renowned expert in the Christian marketplace and offers a full range of services that are founded upon three key principles. The first one is a focus on content and assisting an author to produce the best book possible that has commercial appeal for years to come. The second principle is an emphasis on career and providing assistance in developing a writer’s career through giving advice and guidance on the intricacies of the publishing industry, and how to navigate it successfully. The third principle is contract negotiation, and getting the best possible contracts with publishers for authors.

Submissions information: https://www.stevelaube.com/guidelines

18. Transatlantic Agency

With David Bennett as President of Transatlantic Agency, the organization offers a complete literary service, including support for subsidiary rights. The agency has particular expertise in representing adult trade authors, children’s and young adult authors, and illustrators. The team is made up of highly experienced literary agents in Canada and America who you can query , such as Sandra Bishop, Shaun Bradley, Marie Campbell, Jesse Finkelstein and Samantha Haywood, among others. Transatlantic Agency has experience of representing more than 250 authors, many whose works have become award-winners and bestsellers.

Submissions information: https://transatlanticagency.com/agents/submissions

19. Trident Media Group

Trident Media Group (TMG) is a leading literary agency based in New York City. TMG has an entire team of agents specializing in different types of genres of fiction, in all variations of nonfiction, and in assisting authors in building their careers. Founded by Robert Gottlieb and Dan Strone in 2000, TMG has represented over 1000 authors. Many of the works of these authors have been New York Times bestsellers and have won prestigious awards, which among others, include the Pulitzer Prize, The Booker Prize, and The National Book Award. TMG offers a full range of services; some of these include editorial support, book sales, foreign rights, film and TV sales, contract negotiation and audio and eBooks.

Submissions information: https://www.tridentmediagroup.com/contact-us

20. Waxman Leavell Literary Agency

Waxman Leavell Literary Agency (WLLA) with offices in New York and Los Angeles was co-founded by Scott Waxman and Byrd Leavell in 2012. This was after Scott Waxman had initially formed Waxman Literary Agency in 1997. The agency is an expert in representing both fiction and nonfiction authors; these range from first time authors, established authors and renowned journalists, to well-known personalities, sector specific experts and celebrities. Waxman Leavell Literary Agency has represented numerous New York Times bestsellers award-winning works.

Submissions information: https://www.waxmanleavell.com/submission.html

21. Writers House

Founded by Al Zuckerman in 1973, Writers House is one of the biggest literary agencies in the world. In addition to being highly client focused, Writers House provides services such as foreign rights, subsidiary rights, contracts, film, television and stage representation, estate representation, royalty and financial analysis, as well as digital publishing. With a full team of senior agents, and upcoming junior ones, the agency over the years has assisted hundreds of authors of fiction and nonfiction; these works have gone on to become New York Times bestsellers and have won prestigious books awards and medals in the literary world. Some of its bestselling books for adults include titles such as Flowers in the Attic by Vic Andrews, The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry, and The Fixer by Joseph Finder, among many others such as those that can be found at this page .

Submissions information: https://www.writershouse.com/submissions

11 More Literary Agencies You Should Take a Look At

1. the bent agency.

The Bent Agency is a boutique agency with offices in New York and London. Since their establishment in 2009, they have represented more than 50 New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, and they have many titles on the charts of USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and other international lists. Many of their authors have also won or been shortlisted for major literary awards, including the Nebula Award, the Carnegie Medal, the Edgar Award, and more. They represent both fiction and non-fiction authors, and their agents all have different areas of interest.

If you are interested in submitting your work to The Bent Agency, the first step is reading the agent bios on their website. Once you have determined which agent best suits your work, you can send them a query according to the submission guidelines listed here . Do not query more than one agent at a time. For general inquiries, you can reach the agency via email .

2. Pippin Properties

Founded by Holly McGhee in 1998, Pippin Properties is a small literary agency based in New York City. They specialize in picture books, graphic novels, middle grade, and young adult novels, but they do occasionally represent adult trade books. They currently represent an array of talented authors and illustrators, including Sarah Weeks, Kate McMullan, Kim Baker, Erin Bowman, Leila Howland, Laurie Morrison, and Jess Redman, among others.

If you’d like to submit your work to one of the agents at Pippin Properties, you can check out their submission guidelines here . You may only query one agent at a time, so make sure you read the agent profiles on their website to find the best fit. When submitting a manuscript, paste the first chapter of your manuscript in the body of your email. Do not send any attachments. Should you have any additional questions, you can reach the Pippin Properties team via email .

3. Jane Rotrosen Agency

Also based in New York City, the Jane Rotrosen Agency has been representing fiction and non-fiction authors since 1974. They currently have more than 1000 bestsellers on their list, including Kelly Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say, Joanne Fluke’s Christmas Cake Murder, Mark Sullivan’s Beneath a Scarlet Sky, Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, and Barbara O’Neal’s When We Believed in Mermaids. JRA works with both established authors and those who are looking to publish their first book, but they are not interested in screenplays or children’s picture books at the moment.

Before querying JRA, make sure you get to know each of their agents by checking out the agent bios on their website. Once you are ready, you may submit your query to the JRA agent that represents your genre. Make sure you follow JRA’s submission guidelines . For fiction submissions, include a synopsis and the first three chapters of your manuscript. For non-fiction submissions, include a proposal and several sample chapters.

4. Sanford J. Greenburger Associates

Sanford J. Greenburger Associates is a full-service literary agency based in New York City. They have been operating since 1932, representing both fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. Throughout the years, they have helped nurture the careers of many bestselling and award-winning authors. Some of the titles on their list are Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, Clint Emerson’s 100 Deadly Skills, Jane O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy, Keri Smith’s Wreck This Journal, Katherine Hall Page’s The Body in the Wake, and Dana Schwartz’s Choose Your Own Disaster, among others.

Sanford J. Greenburger Associates only accepts submissions via email, and your submission must be sent to the agent you are interested in working with. Do not query multiple agents from the agency. To determine which agent is the best fit for your work, you can read each agent’s profile and preferred submission guidelines here . Due to the volume of submissions they receive, they cannot guarantee that every query will be responded to.

5. Liza Dawson Associates

Founded in 1996, Liza Dawson Associates is a successful literary agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York City. Prior to launching the agency, founder Liza Dawson spent two decades in the publishing industry and was executive editor at William Morrow and Putnam Publishing. Liza Dawson Associates specializes in commercial and literary fiction, as well as narrative non-fiction, and they represent books for readers of all ages. Some of the titles on their list include Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, Rebecca Zanetti’s Hidden, Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown, Pierce Brown’s Iron Gold, Kameron Hurley’s The Light Brigade, Robyn Carr’s Virgin River, and Tawni O’Dell’s Back Roads, among others.

Interested authors can learn more about LDA’s agents and their areas of interest here . On each agent’s profile page, you will also find their submission guidelines, contact information, and the kinds of books they are looking for at the moment.

6. Adams Literary

Based in North Carolina, Adams Literary is a full-service boutique agency that specializes in children’s and young adult books. The agency was founded in 2004 by Tracey and Josh Adams, a husband-and-wife team. Before launching Adams Literary, Tracey spent nearly a decade working at literary agencies Writers House and McIntosh & Otis, while Josh spent more than a decade in media and publishing. Together, they now represent a range of talented authors and illustrators, including Joe Berger, John David Anderson, Jeffrey Salane, Megan Shepherd, Jane B. Mason, and many others.

Adams Literary is temporarily closed for submissions at the moment, but if you are interested in submitting your work to them in the future, you can check out their submission guidelines here . For general inquiries, you can reach the Adams Literary team via email .

7. Jo Unwin Literary Agency

Jo Unwin Literary Agency is a London-based agency that works with both established and debut authors. The agency is part of the Association of Authors’ Agents and is committed to promoting their clients’ works in both the domestic and global markets. They primarily represent authors from the UK and Ireland, as well as a select number from Australia and New Zealand. They don’t usually take on authors from the US, but they may do so under exceptional circumstances. Some of the clients they represent include Sylvia Johnson, Louise Lee, Maudie Smith, Jesse Armstrong, Gabriel Krauze, and Mick Finlay, among others.

If you would like to submit your work to Jo Unwin Literary Agency, you can send them a query via email . Make sure you indicate the name of the agent you wish to work with in the subject line. For more information, check out their submission guidelines here . If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can reach Jo Unwin Literary Agency via email .

8. Andrew Lownie Literary Agency

Established in 1988, Andrew Lownie Literary Agency is another literary agency based in London. They are considered one of the leading literary agencies in the UK, having represented titles such as The Oxford Classical Dictionary, The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English, and The Penguin Companion to the Edinburgh Union. The agency’s founder, Andrew Lownie, has been shortlisted multiple times for the Agent of the Year award at the British Bookseller Awards. Their client list includes David Roberts, Daniel Tammet, Michael Schuster, Laurence Gardner, and more.

Andrew Lownie Literary Agency is currently open for submissions, but they are only considering non-fiction works at the moment. Both established writers and first-time authors are encouraged to submit. Submissions may be sent via email or through their online contact form . For more information about submitting your work, you can check out their submission guidelines here .

9. Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency

Also based in London, the Caroline Literary Agency is one of the leading literary agencies in the UK. Caroline Sheldon founded the agency more than three decades ago after years of working as a publisher of children’s books and women’s fiction. She was joined by Felicity Trew in 2015. Caroline continues to specialize in women’s fiction and books for children, while Felicity specializes in historical and contemporary fiction, as well as fun and imaginative children’s books. You can learn more about their areas of interest and the kinds of books they are currently interested in here . Their client list includes Julia Donaldson, Elaine Everest, Sandra Dieckmann, Fiona Gibson, Kirsty Eyre, and Corrinne Averiss, among others.

If you are interested in being represented by the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, you can send an email to either Caroline or Felicity. For more information about submitting a proposal, you can check out their guidelines here .

10. Cooke McDermid Literary Management

Cooke McDermid Literary Management is a full-service literary agency that was formed in 2017 as a result of a merger between The Cooke Agency and The McDermid Agency. Based in Ontario, the agency represents authors across various genres, including commercial, speculative, and literary fiction; middle grade and young adult literature; and narrative non-fiction. Titles on their list include Rupi Kaur’s The Sun and Her Flowers, Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life, Anna Olson’s Set for the Holidays, Cherie Dimaline’s Empire of Wild, and Robyn Doolittle’s Had It Coming.

Interested authors can submit a query through Cooke McDermid’s submission form . Make sure you indicate which agent you are interested in working with. If you’re not sure, you can check out the agent profiles on Cooke McDermid’s website. For general inquiries, you can contact the Cooke McDermid team through their online inquiry form or by sending them email .

11. Margaret Kennedy Agency

Founded in 1996, the Margaret Kennedy Agency is a literary agency based in Brisbane, Australia. Margaret Kennedy, the agency’s founder, launched the agency after nearly a decade of working as a book editor. Since then, they have earned a reputation for building strong and lasting relationships with the authors they represent, some of whom have been under the agency’s care since it was first established. They have worked with many talented Australian writers, including Judith Wright, Patricia Clarke, James Cowan, and more.

If you are interested in working with the Margaret Kennedy Agency, you can send them a brief query letter via email . If they are interested in your idea, they will ask you to submit a full proposal. For more information on submitting a query, you can check out their submission guidelines here .

Editor’s Note: This article was first published in October 2015.

Image credit: Pixabay

Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India . He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.

20 Literary Agents Seeking Romance Fiction

In every possible sub-genre and vibe variation.

Do you like money? How about love? Bit of both? How does a romantic fiction publishing industry valued $1.44 billion sound? Yeah…go write that rom-com. You (probably) won’t regret it.

One of my best modes of research is when you’re not actively researching but just learning as you go, on to go, without it feeling like work. I feel like you surprisingly retain more information and make better analytical judgments. I’ve been doing these agent lists for a few weeks now. Here’s what I’ve observed: genre fiction (Romance very much included), sells prolifically. This is both after the publication stage and well before it, during querying. When you know an agent is seeking a specific genre and sub-genre (especially if they mention tropes, comps and vibes), then it’s pretty easy to filter out who not to send your work to. This might be limiting compared to literary fiction, but it’s also freeing…plus, statistically, lesser chance of rejection.

Having said my spiel about random not-research, I do intend to write something more more backed by data and shit about my agent-exploration. What do you think?

This list includes:

The agent & agency they work for

What they are looking for right now

Authors they’ve represented

Exact details on how to query them

Favorite books (where we could find them)

What else do you want to know? If we can find it, we’ll include it.

This is one of our paid subscriber lists this month. Our paid subscriptions are what give us the ability to gather all of this information and maintain our database. If you have the means, you can upgrade here.

Of course, we are always happy to help those in need; just let us know.

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Man who posed as hollywood agent charged with three sexual assaults, new social-focused publisher bindery books signs with atlas literary & iag .

By Matt Grobar

Matt Grobar

Senior Film Reporter

Miley Cyrus Signs With CAA

‘Little Wing’ Filmmaker Dean Israelite Signs With UTA

Bindery books coming up for publication on October 15 include Tiffany Wang’s elemental YA fantasy Inferno’s Heir , acquired by Kevin Norman; Kay Synclaire’s House of Frank (acquired by Jaysen Headley), a whimsical, cozy fantasy about grief; Susan J. Morris’s gothic historical fantasy, Strange Beasts , acquired by Kathryn Budig; and S. Hati’s sweeping climate fantasy And the Sky Bled , acquired by Zoranne Host.

In a statement on the signing, Bindery Books’ co-founder and CEO, Kaye, said that the company’s “new generation of tastemakers has their pulse on the stories people want, allowing us to surface those trends with more immediacy. Atlas Literary and IAG share our vision for the future of publishing and entertainment. I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with them to take these incredible stories to the next level.”

Added Atlas Literary CEO Alex Hertzberg, “Bindery empowers literary communities and influencers and creates an entirely new approach to making books relevant as IP. We are excited to help them execute their vision.”

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Reedsy Live: How to Query Nonfiction: An Agent Explains with Max Sinsheimer Reedsy Live: The Podcast

🔍 Literary agent Max Sinsheimer talks about querying nonfiction books and how to make a positive first impression 📝 Find a full transcript of this podcast episode here: blog.reedsy.com/live/query-non-fiction-sinsheimer/

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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Nonfiction Submissions

Showing 483 agents that match your search.

Jonny Geller

💼 Agency: Curtis Brown UK

🌍 Location: London, GB

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics

Previous clients: John le Carré, David Mitchell, Susanna Clarke, Sacha Baron Cohen, Nelson Mandela

Query Tracker

Lane Heymont

💼 Agency: The Tobias Agency

🌍 Location: Nashville, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.thetobiasagency.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Diana Rodriguez Wallach, John Maszka, Rachel Neff, Claire O'Dell

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Laura Blake Peterson

💼 Agency: Curtis Brown, Ltd.

🌍 Location: New York, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://curtisbrown.com/

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Christian, Memoir, Spirituality, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Kathleen Dean Moore, Wendy Corsi Staub, Thor Hanson

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Nicole Aragi

💼 Agency: Aragi Inc.

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.aragi.net

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Feminism

Previous clients: Jonathan Safran Foer, Nathan Englander, Edwidge Danticat, Colson Whitehead, Junot Diaz

Joanna Volpe

💼 Agency: New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.newleafliterary.com/

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Susan Dennard, Holly Black, Daniel Nayeri, Leigh Bardugo, Anna Jarzab

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Andrea Somberg

💼 Agency: Harvey Klinger, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York City, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.harveyklinger.com/

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Sports, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction

Previous clients: Sarah Beth Durst, Erin Celello, B.A. Binns, Jessica Warman, Christopher Lee Barish, Lyla Ward

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Scott Miller

💼 Agency: Trident Media Group

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.tridentmediagroup.com/

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Rebecca Forster, Sean Lynch, Sean Naylor, Jennifer Coburn

| Agent Query

Russell Galen

💼 Agency: Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.sgglit.com/

Genres: Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Business Book, Children's Book, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Middle Grade, Mystery, Politics, Romance, Spirituality, Sports, Thriller, Young Adult, Diverse Fiction

Previous clients: Terry Goodkind, Diana Gabaldon, Norman Spinrad, Mercedes Lackey, Joan Schenkar, Nick Tosches

Jane Dystel

💼 Agency: Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.dystel.com/

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Self-Help, Sports, Thriller, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Colin Broderick, David Morrell, Scott Hamilton, Michele R. McPhee, Anne Stuart, Mary Ann Esposito

Chris Ferebee

💼 Agency: Christopher Ferebee

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

🧑‍💻 Website: christopherferebee.com/

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Memoir, Spirituality

Previous clients: Cindy Beall, Christa Black Gifford, Rob Bell, Shauna Niequist, Jonathan Merritt

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What do literary agents do?

A literary agent represents your book to acquiring editors who want to publish it. In other words, an agent gets your foot in the door of a publishing house — and onto the path of getting traditionally published.

In addition to championing you and your writing and serving as your point of contact with others in publishing, literary agents understand editors’ tastes and the types of books that publishers are looking to add to their lists — a crucial component in getting any publishing house to invest in the works of new authors. Since most big publishers don’t accept unsolicited submissions, getting a literary agent who’s accepting submissions is the most realistic route to traditional publication, particularly for debut authors.

Aside from getting your foot in the door, what else do literary agents do?

They are expert negotiators, combining publishing acumen with a nose for the value of good, sellable writing;
They act as mediators between you and your publisher (when you don’t want to hurt your working relationship with an editor by talking brass tacks);
They manage the financial and marketing side of things while you concentrate on the writing; and
They often have strong editorial skills, helping refine your manuscript before you send it to a publisher .

As you might've guessed, literary agents are especially important for debut authors, who often don't have a starting point in the vast maze that is the publishing industry. That's what a literary agent will become for you: a guide to help you throughout the publishing process, and kickstart your publishing career.

New authors might be intimidated by the wealth of information and cautionary signs in the industry. It's especially tricky to research literary agents when some are open to submissions from new authors, and some are not.

If you're one of those debut authors, don't fret! We've got you covered with the resources that you need to gain your bearings.

Resources for new authors landing a literary agent in 2024

You might think that a great book is all you need to catch a literary agent’s attention. But you’ll need to put in a good amount of work to land them — and that includes everything from the careful study of each agent's wishlist to personalizing your query letter for each candidate..

Whether you’re a new author learning how to research literary agents or an experienced writer refining your query letter, here are the resources that can give you a headstart.

Free online materials for debut authors

How to Get a Query Letter Review - Find out here
How to Find a Literary Agent - Our 7-step guide
How to Write a Query Letter - Includes a free template
How to Personalize Your Query Letters - Watch webinar here
How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal - Learn more here
How to Write a Nonfiction Query Letter - To accompany your proposal
How to Format Your Manuscript - A simple how-to guide

Recommended books

For writers in the UK: Writers' & Artists' Yearbook
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List of Literary Agents 2023-2024
10 Top UK Literary Agents for YA Fiction
17 Top Dystopian Fiction Literary Agents
[VIDEO] Your Step-by-Step Guide to Finding a Literary Agent
19 Top Fantasy Fiction Literary Agents
12 Literary Fiction Agents Now Accepting Submissions

VIDEO

How to Get a Literary Agent: 6 Quick Tips!
Literary Agents in the Publishing World
Literary Agents, Book Marketing & Publishing
Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg) of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2014
Diving into Literary Depths: Unveiled Treasures of Fiction
Where to find Literary Agents

COMMENTS

336 Literary Agents Seeking Literary Fiction Submissions in 2024
A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking literary fiction submissions in 2024A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking literary fiction submissions in 2024, vetted by the team at Reedsy. Filter for the perfect agent by genre, location, and more! ... 💼 Agency: The Book Group 🌍 Location: New York City, US
Literary Agents Database
201 literary agents seeking new poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. What they're looking for. Who they represent. How to query. ... Whether you're pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the ...
581 Literary Agents Seeking Fiction Submissions in 2024
A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking fiction submissions in 2024A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking fiction submissions in 2024, vetted by the team at Reedsy. Filter for the perfect agent by genre, location, and more! ... Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ ...
676 Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in 2024
A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking submissions in 2024A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking submissions in 2024, vetted by the team at Reedsy. Filter for the perfect agent by genre, location, and more! ... Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book Previous clients: Rachael Allen, Marcie ...
Best Literary Agents 2023-2024
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author.Mark's authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random ...
108 Literary Agents Accepting Submissions [LIST]
Our list of 108 literary agents accepting submissions from writers is a great place to begin building a list of literary agencies to query and submit your work. The list below offers the name of 108 active literary agents, the genres of work they represent, the agency they work manage or work for, and a link to their literary agency website (if ...
12 Literary Fiction Agents Now Accepting Submissions
Literary Fiction Agents. Here's our list of 15 literary fiction book agents who can help you get your book published. You might also like to read our full guide to finding a literary agent. Also, make sure you do your research before writing a query letter or contacting any literary agents. 1. Andrea Morrison. Agency: Writers House LLC ...
Literary Agent Directory 2023-2024
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author.Mark's authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random ...
Literary Fiction Agents
New Agent Alert: Rebekah Von Lintel of Embolden Media Group. Literary agent alerts (with this spotlight featuring Rebekah Von Lintel of Embolden Media Group) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list. By Robert Lee Brewer Apr 15, 2024.
The Knight Agency
The Knight Agency is a world-renowned literary agency that has guided countless writers from query letter to published book for over 20 years. ... literary, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction, as well as multicultural and inspirational/religious fiction. Our agents have also placed narrative nonfiction, self-help, health, memoirs, and ...
Agents
Alec Shane Writers House Literary Agency Fiction: Historical, Horror, Literary, Middle Grade, Military, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult Non-Fiction: Biography, History ...
50 Top Literary Agents in the USA for Authors in 2024
Working as a literary agent since 1979, Amy Berkower is the President of the Writers House LLC. She is one of the best literary agents for fiction books. Some of the clients she has represented are Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, Ann Martin, and Andrew Clements. Her interests lie in helping authors publish commercial fiction and literary fiction books.
30 top historical fiction literary agents
Literary agents based in Canada. 1. Rachel Letofsky. Agency: Cooke McDermid. Rachel Letofsky has been with Cooke McDermid since 2010 and is on the lookout for historical fiction for adults, along with middle-grade and young adult titles in all genres. Clients include Natalie Morrill and Ellen Keith.
15 Top Literary Agents Looking for Upmarket Fiction
Irene Goodman, founder of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, has been an important member of the publishing community for more than 30 years. Throughout her career as a literary agent, she has over 1500 books, and many of her clients have appeared on the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller lists.
How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book
Expecting to call your agent at any time and have a discussion, expecting daily contact, or expecting near-instant response. Remember: agents work for free until your book is sold. Their most immediate responses go to their established clients—the ones bringing in the revenue. 3.
30 Best Literary Agencies For New Authors (in 2023)
Emerald City Literary Agency is a boutique literary agency based in Seattle. It was founded by Mandy Hubbard, a veteran in the publishing industry and a published author herself. The agency primarily represents children's literature, from picture books to young adult (YA) novels. This includes middle-grade fiction, which is for readers aged 8 ...
How to Find a Literary Agent (+ List of Directories)
Here are 7 steps to get a literary agent to represent your book: 1. Browse literary agent directories. 2. Know your book's genre and market appeal. 3. Look for agents representing books like yours. 4. Research and vet your shortlist.
Literary Agent Database
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark's authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller ...
Stringerlit, literary agency, fiction literary agency
StringerLit welcomes queries from both published and unpublished writers in our areas of interest. Don't waste your time, or ours. Do your homework on the agency before you query and submit. We do not charge reading or other types of evaluation fees to review submissions. StringerLit is now working with Query Manager.
21 Top Literary Agencies that Authors Should Know About
Cooke McDermid Literary Management is a full-service literary agency that was formed in 2017 as a result of a merger between The Cooke Agency and The McDermid Agency. Based in Ontario, the agency represents authors across various genres, including commercial, speculative, and literary fiction; middle grade and young adult literature; and ...
261 Literary Agents Seeking Thriller Submissions in 2024
A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking thriller submissions in 2024A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking thriller submissions in 2024, vetted by the team at Reedsy. ... Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Action & Adventure, Business Book, Chick Lit, Crime Fiction, Fantasy ...
20 Literary Agents Seeking Romance Fiction
Anjanette Barr, Dunham Literary, Inc. Seeking a romance set in a place so vivid she feels she's traveled there and wants to take up the protagonists hobbies will definitely get her attention. She has a soft spot for gothic novels and magical realism. She loves slow burn romance. Favorite Books: The Snow Child, The Winter Sea, Gregor the Overlander, Understood Betsy, A Whale of the Wild
Bindery Books Signs With Atlas Literary, Independent Artist Group
The newly launched Bindery Books has signed with Atlas Literary and ... IAG's Media Rights department represents five of the Top 10 New York Times Fiction Bestsellers. The agency has packaged ...
‎Reedsy Live: The Podcast: Reedsy Live: How to Query Nonfiction: An
‎Show Reedsy Live: The Podcast, Ep Reedsy Live: How to Query Nonfiction: An Agent Explains with Max Sinsheimer - May 24, 2024
483 Literary Agents Seeking Nonfiction Submissions in 2024
A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking nonfiction submissions in 2024A comprehensive directory of literary agents seeking nonfiction submissions in 2024, vetted by the team at Reedsy. Filter for the perfect agent by genre, location, and more!