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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Crime Fiction Submissions

Showing 95 agents that match your search.

Dan Conaway

πŸ’Ό Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Children's Book, Fantasy, Memoir, Young Adult

Previous clients: John McWhorter, Louis Bayard, Matt Siegel, Lisa Napoli

Open to queries

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Nancy Yost

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, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction

Previous clients: Beverly Jenkins, Stephanie Laurens, Suzanne Enoch, Miranda James, Victoria Thompson

Open to queries

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Madeleine Milburn

πŸ’Ό Agency: Madeleine Milburn Literary

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult

Previous clients: Gail Honeyman, C.L. Taylor, Ashley Audrain, Matthew Blake, Charmaine Wilkerson

Open to queries

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Elaine Spencer

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Knight Agency

🌍 Location: Atlanta, US

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: http://www.knightagency.net/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Romance, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Commercial Fiction, Feminism

Previous clients: Sara Ackerman, Joy Avery, Dakota Cassidy, Laure Greer, Carlos Evans

Open to queries

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Alex Cochran

πŸ’Ό Agency: C&W Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Tade Thompson, Luke Arnold, G.V. Anderson, Nicholas Binge, Dave Hutchinson, Mike Brooks

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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Joshua A. Bilmes

πŸ’Ό Agency: JABberwocky Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Politics, Sports, Graphic Novel, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction

Previous clients: Charlaine Harris, Brandon Sanderson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Peter V. Brett, Jack Campbell, Grady Hendrix, Lilliam Rivera, Simon R. Green.

Open to queries

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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

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Harvey Klinger

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, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Crime Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Augusta Trobaugh, Natasha Mostert, Paul Elliott Russell, Paul Russell, George M. Taber, Julie Stav

Open to queries

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Laurie McLean

πŸ’Ό Agency: Fuse Literary

🌍 Location: San Francisco, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Julie Kagawa, Brian D. Anderson, Pip Ballantine, Melissa D. Savage, Linda Wisdom

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 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."