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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Fiction Submissions

Showing 513 agents that match your search.

Jenni Ferrari-Adler

πŸ’Ό Agency: Verve Talent & Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Middle Grade, Short Story, Young Adult

Previous clients: Kristen Roupenian, Susie Yang, Mo Daviau, Rebecca Dinerstein, Eileen Pollack

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Cathryn Summerhayes

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, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Self-Help

Previous clients: Ranulph Fiennes, Adam Kay, Lucy Foley, Sandi Toksvig, Shappi Khorsandi, Naomi Wood

Open to queries

Query Tracker

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

Jess Regel

πŸ’Ό Agency: Helm Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Diverse Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Middle Grade, New Adult, Romance, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Rayo Casablaca, Emily Danforth, Heather Demetrios, Shea Ernshaw, Cecilia Galante, I.W. Gregorio, Adrienne Kress, Christina Li

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

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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

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

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Jessica Saint Jean

πŸ’Ό Agency: Root Literary

🌍 Location: Boston, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, Picture Book

Previous clients: Building a client list

Query Tracker

Robin Rue

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, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Previous clients: JoAnn Ros, S.L. Viehl, Kresley Cole, Dianne Emley

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Amy Berkower

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, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Ken Follett, Laurie Halse Anderson, Ann M. Martin, Erica Bauermeister, Ridley Pearson, Rachel Vail

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

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

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | 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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