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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Fiction Submissions

Showing 518 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

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

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Amy Giuffrida

πŸ’Ό Agency: Belcastro Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction, Self-Help, Fantasy, Narrative Nonfiction, Thriller, Science Fiction

Previous clients: Maria Tureaud, Jax McQueen, Sarah Elynn, Haley Hwang

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Anna Olswanger

πŸ’Ό Agency: Olswanger Literary LLC

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Children's Book, Picture Book

Previous clients: Vince Vawter, Michael Hall, Patricia Hruby Powell, Michelle Markel, Jennifer Sattler

Open to queries

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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

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Kevan Lyon

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, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Kate Quinn, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Laura Kaye, Stephanie Dray

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Marya Spence

πŸ’Ό Agency: Janklow & Nesbit Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Jess Arndt, Gabriella Burnham, Arabelle Sicardi, Yrsa Daley-Ward

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Laura Blake Peterson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Curtis Brown, Ltd.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Spirituality, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Kathleen Dean Moore, Wendy Corsi Staub, Thor Hanson

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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Warren Frazier

πŸ’Ό Agency: John Hawkins & Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Business Book, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Short Story

Previous clients: Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Z. Danielewski, Olga Grushin, Jess Walter

Open to queries

Query Tracker | 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

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