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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions

Showing 666 agents that match your search.

Rachel Ekstrom

💼 Agency - Courage Literary
🌍 Location - New York City, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://rachelekstromcourage.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Business Book, Spirituality

Previous clients

Rachael Lippincott, Kristin Fields, Nina Laurin, Jeff Garvin, Sandra Block

Query Tracker | MSWL

Anna Ghosh

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

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Spirituality, Women's Fiction

Previous clients

Alia Malek, Caroline Heller, Roby James, Garin Hovannisian, Chris Impey

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Thao Le

💼 Agency - Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
🌍 Location - San Diego, US
🧑‍💻 Website - http://www.dijkstraagency.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

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

Previous clients

Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, Emily Duncan, Jessie Sima

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Jodi Reamer

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

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's Book, Self-Help

Previous clients

Stephenie Meyer, John Green, Dan Santat, Ransom Riggs, Lisa Yee

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Irene Goodman

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

Genres

Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients

Lori Handeland, Linda Lael Miller, Amanda Elyot, Boyd Morrison, Juliet Grey

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Amy Giuffrida

💼 Agency - Belcastro Agency
🌍 Location - New York City, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.belcastroagency.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Online submission form
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients

Maria Tureaud, Jax McQueen, Sarah Elynn, Haley Hwang

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Nancy Gallt

💼 Agency - Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency
🌍 Location - Newark, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.galltzacker.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients

Rick Riordan, Bety G. Birney, Sophie Blackall, Jeanne DuPrau, Bagram Ibatoulline

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Michael Harriot

💼 Agency - Folio Literary Management
🌍 Location - New York City, US
🧑‍💻 Website - https://www.foliolit.com/
📣 Preferred contact method - Email
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Humor, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Sports

Previous clients

Ben Mezrich, Tony Fletcher, Alisa Bowman

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Elaine Spencer

💼 Agency - The Knight Agency
🌍 Location - Atlanta, US
🧑‍💻 Website - http://www.knightagency.net/
📣 Preferred contact method - Online submission form
☑️ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Diverse Fiction

Previous clients

Sara Ackerman, Joy Avery, Dakota Cassidy, Laure Greer, Carlos Evans

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Mitchell S. Waters

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

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Nonfiction, Memoir, Thriller

Previous clients

Joy Castro, Sarah Schulman, Michael Thomas Ford, Laurel Ann Nattress, Vestal McIntyre

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 2023

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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