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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Cookbook Submissions

Showing 71 agents that match your search.

Susan Golomb

πŸ’Ό Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Cookbook, Self-Help

Previous clients: Jonathan Franzen, Krys Lee, William T. Vollman, Rachel Kushner, Imbolo Mbue

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Christine Witthohn

πŸ’Ό Agency: Book Cents Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email.

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Feminism, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Kerrigan Byrne, Lisa Marie Rice, Anita Clenney, Sherelle Green, Yahrah St. John, A.C. Arthur.

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Bonnie Nadell

πŸ’Ό Agency: Hill Nadell Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Cookbook

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

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Louise Fury

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Fury Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Graphic Novel, Romance, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Self-Help, Sports, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, Humor

Previous clients: Fred Aceves, Lindsay Emory, Lonnie Busch, Dante Medema

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Vicky Bijur

πŸ’Ό Agency: Vicky Bijur Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Memoir, Nonfiction, Self-Help, Thriller

Previous clients: Laura Lippman, Lisa Genova, James Sallis, Christina Shea, Margaret Maron

Open to queries

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Margret McBride

πŸ’Ό Agency: Margret McBride Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Self-Help, Politics, Feminism, Narrative Nonfiction, Humor, Mystery, Cookbook, LGBTQ, Action & Adventure, Chick Lit, Crime Fiction, Diverse Fiction, Graphic Novel, Literary Fiction, New Adult, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Benjamin Bikman, Grant Sabatier, Sheldon Bowles, Brandon Webb

Open to queries

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Lisa Grubka

πŸ’Ό Agency: United Talent Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook, Sports

Previous clients: Robin Benway, Elizabeth Ames, Alex Snodgrass, Kathleen Barber

Open to queries

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Cristina Concepcion

πŸ’Ό Agency: Don Congdon Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Previous clients: David Sedaris, Susan Allen, Russell Baker, Jane Cleland

Open to queries

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Stacey Glick

πŸ’Ό Agency: Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Self-Help

Previous clients: Larry D. Rosen, Jenny Hart, A. J. Hartley, Christie Matheson

Open to queries

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Sandy Lu

πŸ’Ό Agency: Book Wyrm Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryMe

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Cookbook, Horror, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Business Book

Previous clients: Jennifer Harlow, Robert Baty, Angela Grace, Michael Dempsey, Michael Boccacino

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

Cookbook Literary Agents in Other Countries 🌎

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

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