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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Commercial Fiction Submissions

Showing 327 agents that match your search.

Cameron McClure

πŸ’Ό Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Horror

Previous clients: Robert McCammon, Robert Jackson Bennett, Ada Palmer, Amy Alkon

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Julie Barer

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Book Group

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Celeste Ng, Madeline Miller, Alice Sebold, Mia Alvar, Joshua Ferris

Open to queries

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Douglas Stewart

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sterling Lord Literistic Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through online form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Gabrielle Zevin, David Mitchell, Jeanine Cummins, Matthew Quick, Rye Curtis

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Andrea Somberg

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: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction

Previous clients: Sarah Beth Durst, Erin Celello, B.A. Binns, Jessica Warman, Christopher Lee Barish, Lyla Ward

Open to queries

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Dorian Karchmar

πŸ’Ό Agency: William Morris Endeavor

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, Feminism

Previous clients: Alexandra Curry, Marc Estrin, Robert Rosenberg, Patricia Wood, Kate Jacobs

Open to queries

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Ginger Clark

πŸ’Ό Agency: Ginger Clark Literary

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Women's Fiction, Commercial Fiction

Previous clients: Ursula K. Le Guin, Patricia Wrede, Elizabeth Wein, Tim Pratt, John Langan

Open to queries

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Helen Heller

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Helen Heller Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Khaled Hosseini, Bruce Holsinger, Nora Murphy

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Sarah Younger

πŸ’Ό Agency: Nancy Yost Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Christian, Commercial Fiction

Previous clients: Shannon Richard, Asa Maria Bradley, Gina Conkle, Alexis Daria

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Jill Marsal

πŸ’Ό Agency: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Self-Help, Chick Lit, Crime Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Melinda Leigh, Angela Pisel, Matthew Dixon, Lynn Cahoon, Marina Adair

Open to queries

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Joanna Volpe

πŸ’Ό Agency: New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Susan Dennard, Holly Black, Daniel Nayeri, Leigh Bardugo, Anna Jarzab

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | 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 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 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

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