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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions

Showing 665 agents that match your search.

Warren Frazier

💼 Agency - John Hawkins & Associates
🌍 Location - New York, US
🧑‍💻 Website - http://www.jhalit.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Literary Fiction, Business Book, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Short Story

Previous clients

Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Z. Danielewski, Olga Grushin, Jess Walter

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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

Emily Forland

💼 Agency - Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.
🌍 Location - New York, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://brandthochman.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Graphic Novel, Humor, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients

Heidi Durrow, Alice Fulton, Bill Hayes, James Magnuson, Greil Marcus, Dominic Smith

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Jane Dystel

💼 Agency - Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
🌍 Location - New York City, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.dystel.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Self-Help, Sports, Thriller

Previous clients

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

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Caitlin McDonald

💼 Agency - Donald Maass Literary Agency
🌍 Location - New York, US
🧑‍💻 Website - http://maassagency.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients

C.L. Polk, A.J. Hackwith, Caitlin Starling, Wendy Trimboli

Query Tracker | MSWL

Caryn Wiseman

💼 Agency - Andrea Brown Literary Agency
🌍 Location - Chicago, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.andreabrownlit.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Online submission form
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients

Kelly Starling Lyons, Tom Angleberger, Cece Bell, Debbie Levy

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Jennie Dunham

💼 Agency - Dunham Literary
🌍 Location - New York, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.dunhamlit.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients

Robert Sabuda, Matthew Reinhart, Mark Bowden, Tod Goldberg, Margaret McMullan

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Terra Chalberg

💼 Agency - Chalberg & Sussman Literary Agency
🌍 Location - New York, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.chalbergsussman.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Short Story, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients

Victoria Fedden, Margaux Fragoso, Elizabeth Isadora Gold, Lori Ostlund

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Faye Bender

💼 Agency - The Book Group
🌍 Location - New York City, US
🧑‍💻 Website - http://www.thebookgroup.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Memoir, Politics, Self-Help, Thriller

Previous clients

Rainey Hopson, Courtney Summers, Melissa Albert, Angeline Boulley

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Anne Sibbald

💼 Agency - Janklow & Nesbit Associates
🌍 Location - New York, US
🧑‍💻 Website - http://www.janklowandnesbit.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir

Previous clients

Terry Brooks, Stuart Woods, Bob Colacello, Nicholas Christopher

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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 the foot of new authors 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 they 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 submit 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 2022

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

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