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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in the UK

Showing 50 agents that match your search.

Peter Straus

πŸ’Ό Agency: RCW Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Action & Adventure, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Memoir, Politics, Romance, Science Fiction, Spirituality, Thriller, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Kazuo Ishiguro, Colm Toibin, Kate Atkinson, Jenny Pitman, Rupert Thomsom, Lucy Caldwell, Peter Carey, Rachel Cooke, Tom Crewe, Carol Ann Duffy, Anne Enright, Ian McEwan

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Will Francis

πŸ’Ό Agency: Janklow & Nesbit Associates

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Jasper Fforde, Evan Davis, Charles Cumming, Kevin Fong

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Jonny Geller

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, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics

Previous clients: John le CarrΓ©, David Mitchell, Susanna Clarke, Sacha Baron Cohen, Nelson Mandela

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Sarah Hornsley

πŸ’Ό Agency: Peters Fraser + Dunlop

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Romance, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Ciara Attwell, Olivia Beirne, Roxie Cooper, Drew Davies, Nick Hollin

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

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Felicity Blunt

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, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Commercial Fiction, Feminism, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Jeffrey Deaver, Jennifer Egan, Abi Dare, Daphne du Maurier, Jilly Cooper

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Kari Stuart

πŸ’Ό Agency: Creative Artists Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook, Memoir, Self-Help

Previous clients: Amy Ephron, Kevin Roose, Maura Kelly, Mimi Kirk, Laura Marshall, Carol Miller, Samin Nosrat

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

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

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

Molly Ker Hawn

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Bent Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Previous clients: Hilary McKay, Matt Killeen, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, Alwyn Hamilton, Heidi Heilig

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Alex Cochran

πŸ’Ό Agency: C+W

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Tade Thompson, Luke Arnold, G.V. Anderson, Nicholas Binge, Dave Hutchinson, Mike Brooks

Open to queries

Query Tracker

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

Recommended books

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