Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions

Showing 238 agents that match your search.

💡 This information is based on the agent's bio on their agency website, and may not reflect the current state of their submission policy. We encourage authors to browse all agents in your genre and check QueryTracker to find your best match.

Elaine Spencer

💼 Agency: The Knight Agency

🌍 Location: Atlanta, US

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.knightagency.net/

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Diverse Fiction, Chick Lit, Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, New Adult, Politics, Spirituality, Thriller

Previous clients: Sara Ackerman, Joy Avery, Dakota Cassidy, Laure Greer, Carlos Evans

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Alexandra Machinist

💼 Agency: ICM Partners

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.caa.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Kevin Kwan, Martha Hall, Jen Sincero, Tomi Adeyemi, Beatriz Williams, Sabaa Tahir

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Karolina Sutton

💼 Agency: Creative Artists Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.caa.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller

Previous clients: Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo, Tara Westover, Malala Yousafzai, Anthony Doerr

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker

Looking for an editor to polish your query letter?

The best professionals are already on Reedsy, come meet them. Create your free account to request free quotes today.

Learn more about the Reedsy Marketplace.

Lisa Erbach Vance

💼 Agency: Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

🧑‍💻 Website: http://aaronpriest.com

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, Crime Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Harlan Coben, Gregg Hurwitz, Glen Erik Hamilton, B.J. Daniels, Rebecca Hardiman, Sandra Kitt

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Lauren Spieller

💼 Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: Pittsburgh, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Cookbook, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ, Graphic Novel, Horror, Humor, Romance, Spirituality

Previous clients: Laura Weymouth, Jen Wilde, Wendy Heard, Marilou Reeder, Erica Waters

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Bonnie Nadell

💼 Agency: Hill Nadell Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics

Previous clients: David Foster Wallace, Antonya Nelson, Lynn Schooler, Richard Polsky, Kate Racculia

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Margaret Sutherland Brown

💼 Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Kelly Carlisle, Teresa Link, Jill Orr

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Uwe Stender

💼 Agency: Triada US Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Pittsburgh, US

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.triadaus.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Adiba Jaigirdar, Dana L. Davis, Elizabeth LaBan, Christi Paul, Jared Reck

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Jessica Faust

💼 Agency: BookEnds Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Newark, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Self-Help, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, African-American, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction

Previous clients: Kay Finch, Vickie Fee, Krista Davis, Melissa Payne, Julie Stone, Laura Bradford

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Andrea Somberg

💼 Agency: Harvey Klinger, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

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

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | 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 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

Recommended books

Reedsy | Editors working on Query Letter | 2023-10

Submitting your query letter?

Professional editors can help your query stand out for the right reasons.

Reedsy Marketplace UI

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account: