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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Children's Book Submissions

Showing 169 agents that match your search.

Mandy Hubbard

πŸ’Ό Agency: Emerald City Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Seattle, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's Book, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Aprilynne Pike, Ashley Ruggirello, Ashley Shuttleworth, Becky Wallace, C.J. Mosley,

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Alison Fargis

πŸ’Ό Agency: Stonesong

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Susan B. Anderson, Sara Bliss, Michael Buckley, Erin Gleeson, Eric Gorges

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Gail Hochman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Children's Book, Young Adult

Previous clients: Scott Turow, Michael Cunningham, Leah Stewart

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

David Dunton

πŸ’Ό Agency: Harvey Klinger, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Lori Culwell, Chris Carlton Brown, Alex McAulay

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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Brianne Johnson

πŸ’Ό Agency: HG Literary

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, LGBTQ, Crime Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction

Previous clients: Wesley King, Fran Manushkin, Margo Kelly, Andrew Root

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Lisa Leshne

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Leshne Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email or QueryTracker

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Sports, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, Commercial Fiction, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Stacey Abrams, Julissa Arce, Leslie Lehr, Christie Pearce Rampone, AJ Mendez, Ivan Klima

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Molly O'Neill

πŸ’Ό Agency: Root Literary

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

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

Previous clients: Adib Khorram, Lynne Kelly, Sarah Sax, Ellen T. Crenshaw, Sophia Glock

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Paul Rodeen

πŸ’Ό Agency: Rodeen Literary Management

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

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

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Alice Williams

πŸ’Ό Agency: Alice Williams Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.alicewilliamsliterary.co.uk/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Lara Hawthorne, Pete Williamson, Fabi Santiago, Rachel Delahaye, Paul Whitfield

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Veronique Baxter

πŸ’Ό Agency: David Higham Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.davidhigham.co.uk

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Diana Wynne Jones, Richard Adams, Nick Butterworth, Jonathan Stroud, Alix Nathan

Open to queries

Query Tracker

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.Β 

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.Β 

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 2025

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

Recommended books

Get a professional opinion on your query letter

Reedsy editors have worked as agents and acquiring editors. Ask for a "query letter review."