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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Fiction Submissions

Showing 513 agents that match your search.

Sarah Younger

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, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Christian, Commercial Fiction

Previous clients: Shannon Richard, Asa Maria Bradley, Gina Conkle, Alexis Daria

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Joshua Getzler

πŸ’Ό Agency: HG Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Politics, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Geoff Rodkey, Paul Goldberg, Todd Moss, EM Powell, Jessica Burkhart, Gerald Elias

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

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

Douglas Stewart

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sterling Lord Literistic Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Gabrielle Zevin, David Mitchell, Jeanine Cummins, Matthew Quick, Rye Curtis

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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Thao Le

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, Emily Duncan, Ali Hazelwood, Thea Guanzon, Sandhya Menon, Evelyn Skye, Jessie Sima, Jessica Kim

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

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

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Cameron McClure

πŸ’Ό Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Horror

Previous clients: Robert McCammon, Robert Jackson Bennett, Ada Palmer, Amy Alkon

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Michael Harriot

πŸ’Ό Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Previous clients: Ben Mezrich, Tony Fletcher, Alisa Bowman

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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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Lane Heymont

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Tobias Agency

🌍 Location: Nashville, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Diana Rodriguez Wallach, John Maszka, Rachel Neff, Claire O'Dell

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | 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.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."