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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Fiction Submissions

Showing 508 agents that match your search.

Luke Janklow

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, Action & Adventure, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Sports, Cookbook, Horror

Previous clients: Anderson Cooper, Emma Watson, Simon Cowell, Brian Haig, Jilliane Hoffman

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Sam Stoloff

πŸ’Ό Agency: Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Susan Bordo, Monica Byrne, Mandy Catron, Pratap Chatterjee, Julia Scheeres, Heather O'Neill

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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

Patricia Nelson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Looking Glass Literary & Media

🌍 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, Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Horror

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

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

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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

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Darley Anderson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Darley Anderson Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Horror, Mystery

Previous clients: Lee Child, Martina Cole, Margaret Dickinson, John Connolly, Tana French

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Hannah Bowman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Liza Dawson Associates

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: R.F. Kuang, Pierce Brown, Tobias Buckell, Kameron Hurley, Kelly Robson

Query Tracker | MSWL

Ellen Geiger

πŸ’Ό Agency: Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Women's Fiction, Short Story

Previous clients: Margaret Wise Brown, Adrienne Rich, Juan GonzΓ‘lez, James Kugel, Robert Tsai

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Rob McQuilkin

πŸ’Ό Agency: Massie McQuilkin & Altman Literary Agents

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Poetry

Previous clients: Kim Addonizio, Douglas A. Martin

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Victoria Doherty-Munro

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, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Alexandra Ott, Jennifer Sommersby, Eliza Gordon

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

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

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."