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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Diverse Fiction Submissions in Canada

Showing 12 agents that match your search.

Cecilia Lyra

πŸ’Ό Agency: P.S. Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.psliterary.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Lene Andersen, Jenna Ferrey, Amy Rosen, Jessica Hinkson

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Marilyn Biderman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Transatlantic Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.transatlanticagency.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, LGBTQ, Thriller

Previous clients: Susan Aglukark, Cathie Borrie, Corinna Chong, Jjohn Delacourt, Cecil Foster, Lea Love, Robyn Maynard, Kai Check Thom

Query Tracker

Maria Vicente

πŸ’Ό Agency: P.S. Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.psliterary.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Memoir, Fantasy, Horror, Literary Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Feminism, Mystery, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Thriller

Previous clients: Austin Gilkeson, Sam Maggs, Nina Nesseth, Megan Orsini, Drew Shannon, Ruthanne Snow, Whitney Taylor

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

Timothy Travaglini

πŸ’Ό Agency: Transatlantic Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.transatlanticagency.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Action & Adventure, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, Graphic Novel, Humor, Narrative Nonfiction, Spirituality, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Patrick O'Brien, James Rallison, Joe Dator, Marilyn Daigle

Query Tracker

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Denise Bukowski

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Bukowski Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: http://www.bukowskiagency.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Alan Bradley, Lori Lansens, George Bowering, Frank Koller, Kevin Armstrong, Judy Fong Bates, Anita Rau Badami

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Rachel Letofsky

πŸ’Ό Agency: CookeMcDermid Literary Management

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://cookemcdermid.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Commercial Fiction, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ, Memoir, Mystery, Science Fiction

Previous clients: Danny Ramadan, Cherie Dimaline, Ellen Keith, Vivek Shraya

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Kathryn Willms

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Rights Factory

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.therightsfactory.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Cookbook, Self-Help, Sports, Business Book, Diverse Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Lisa Brahin, Krista Towns, Laura Pratt, Michelle McIvor, Karen Pierce

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Jes Trudel

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Rights Factory

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.therightsfactory.com

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Children's Book, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Howard Pearlstein, Eileen Manes, Katie Bono

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Nour Sallam

πŸ’Ό Agency: P.S. Literary

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.psliterary.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: BIPOC, Commercial Fiction, Diverse Fiction, Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ, Mystery, Nonfiction, #ownvoices, Politics, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult, Fantasy, Memoir

Previous clients: Building client list

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Amanda Orozco

πŸ’Ό Agency: Transatlantic Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.transatlanticagency.com/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Poetry, Chick Lit, Humor, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Charlene Hsu, Stephanie Morrill, Matt Sedillo, Dennis Danziger, Vanessa AngΓ©lica Villarreal, Vickie Vertiz, Dr. Anthony Christian Ocampo, Nick Medina, Tania De Rozario, MarΓ­a Alejandra Barrios

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

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 β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” 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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