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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Diverse Fiction Submissions

Showing 169 agents that match your search.

Molly Friedrich

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Friedrich Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Jane Smiley, Frank McCourt, Terry McMillan, Melissa Bank, Leslie Daniels, Alison Espach

Open to queries

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Stephanie Thwaites

πŸ’Ό Agency: Curtis Brown UK

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Thriller, Chick Lit, Diverse Fiction, Romance

Previous clients: John Steinbeck, Isla Fisher, Cat Deeley, Celia Rees, A A Milne, Steven Butler

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Lisa Erbach Vance

πŸ’Ό Agency: Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: email

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

Previous clients: The estate of Madeleine L’Engle, Harlan Coben, Gregg Hurwitz, Glen Erik Hamilton, B.J. Daniels

Open to queries

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Laura Rennert

πŸ’Ό Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, Mystery, Romance

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

Open to queries

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Lizzy Kremer

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, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Feminism, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Paula Hawkins, Lucy Dillon, Annie Bell, Laura Kemp, Sadie Matthews

Open to queries

Query Tracker

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

Query Tracker | MSWL

Jessica Alvarez

πŸ’Ό Agency: BookEnds Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Newark, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Chick Lit

Previous clients: Stacey Kennedy, Sharon Culle, Amy Rose Bennett, Laurel Blount

Open to queries

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Johanna Castillo

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, Romance, Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, Commercial Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Isabel Allende, Justin Baldoni, Emily Baldoni, Victoria Alonso, Leila Meacham, Reyna Grande

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Jenny Bent

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Bent Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Self-Help, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Horror

Previous clients: Angie Thomas, AG Howard, Lori Wilde, Julia London, Lynsay Sands

Open to queries

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Patricia Nelson

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, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Candice Iloh, Mary McCoy, Axie Oh, Dahlia Adler, Anna Meriano, Kristi Wientge

Open to queries

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. 

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 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 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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