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 in Chicago

Showing 15 agents that match your search.

Kelly Sonnack

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Humor, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Christine Lynn Herman, Kim Smith, Sharon Cameron, James Burks, Joy Ang, Alastair Heim

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Caryn Wiseman

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

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

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Paul Rodeen

💼 Agency: Rodeen Literary Management

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

🧑‍💻 Website: http://rodeenliterary.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Peter Brown, Lauren Castillo, Victoria Jamieson, Ryan Higgins

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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.

Lori Kilkelly

💼 Agency: LK Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Camille Andros, David Bernardy, Shinji Fujioka, Lauren Eldridge, Julia Denos

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Laura Rennert

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Horror, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, Feminism

Previous clients: Maggie Stiefvater, Jay Asher, Ellen Hopkins, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Barry Eisler

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Jennifer Rofe

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Meg Medina, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Crystal Allen, Barry Wolverton

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Danielle Egan-Miller

💼 Agency: Browne & Miller Literary Associates

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Christian, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help

Previous clients: Elizabeth Blackwell, Kylie Brant, Jo Furniss, Iain Lawrence, Kimberly Brock

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Jennifer Soloway

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Mia Wenjen, Amber Lough, Kim Johnson, Aiden Thomas

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Jemiscoe Chambers-Black

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, New Adult, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, African-American, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Horror

Previous clients: Tiffany Brownlee, Heather Powell, Shondra Walker, Carol Williams

Interested in debut authors

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Jennifer Laughran

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Daniel Pinkwater, Calef Brown, Sergio Ruzzier, Stephanie Oakes, Erine Lange

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: