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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in the UK

Showing 53 agents that match your search.

Peter Straus

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - RCW Literary Agency
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://www.rcwlitagency.com/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients

Kazuo Ishiguro, Colm Toibin, Kate Atkinson, Jenny Pitman, Rupert Thomsom

Query Tracker

Madeleine Milburn

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Madeleine Milburn Literary
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - http://madeleinemilburn.com/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email
โ˜‘๏ธ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Children's Book, Self-Help, Spirituality, Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Women's Fiction

Previous clients

Gail Honeyman, C.L. Taylor, Ashley Audrain, Matthew Blake, Charmaine Wilkerson

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Darley Anderson

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Darley Anderson Literary Agency
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://www.darleyanderson.com/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email
โ˜‘๏ธ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Children's Book

Previous clients

Lee Child, Martina Cole, Margaret Dickinson, John Connolly, Tana French

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Simon Trewin

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Simon Trewin Literary and Media Rights Agency
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://www.simontrewin.co.uk/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller

Previous clients

Andrew Motion, John Boyne, Andrew Miller, Lalline Paul, Mackenzie Crook, Keith Lowe, Isabel Greenberg

Kari Stuart

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Curtis Brown UK
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook, Memoir, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports

Previous clients

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

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Julia Churchill

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://amheath.com
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Online submission form
โ˜‘๏ธ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients

Joan Aiken, Lloyd Alexander, Zillah Bethell, Helen Douglas

Query Tracker | MSWL

Felicity Blunt

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Curtis Brown UK
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Previous clients

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

Query Tracker

Will Francis

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Janklow & Nesbit Associates
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://janklowandnesbit.co.uk/agency/will-francis
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email

Genres

Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics

Previous clients

Jasper Fforde, Evan Davis, Charles Cumming, Kevin Fong

Query Tracker

Nancy Miles

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Miles Stott Agency
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://milesstottagency.co.uk/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email
โ˜‘๏ธ Interested in debut authors

Genres

Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients

Frances Hardinge, Gill Lewis, Mark Burgess, Kirsty Applebaum

Query Tracker

Alice Williams

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency - Alice Williams Literary Agency
๐ŸŒ Location - London, GB
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website - https://www.alicewilliamsliterary.co.uk/
๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method - Email
โ˜‘๏ธ Interested in debut authors

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

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 the foot of new authors in the door of a publishing house โ€” and onto the path of getting traditionally published.ย 

In addition to championing you and your writing and serving as your point of contact with others in publishing, literary agents understand editorsโ€™ tastes and the types of books they are looking to add to their lists โ€” a crucial component in getting any publishing house to invest in the works of new authors. Since most big publishers donโ€™t accept unsolicited submissions, getting a literary agent whoโ€™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 donโ€™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 submit 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.ย 

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.ย 

Resources for new authors landing a literary agent in 2023

You might think that a great book is all you need to catch a literary agentโ€™s attention. But youโ€™ll need to put in a good amount of work to land them โ€” and that includes everything from the careful study of each agent's wishlist to personalizing your query letter for each candidate..

Whether youโ€™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

Save agents to shortlist them

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