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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Mystery Submissions in the UK

Showing 10 agents that match your search.

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

Madeleine Milburn

πŸ’Ό Agency: Madeleine Milburn Literary

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult

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

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

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

Lizzy Kremer

πŸ’Ό Agency: David Higham Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Feminism, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Paula Hawkins, Lucy Dillon, Annie Bell, Laura Kemp, Sadie Matthews

Open to queries

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Kate Nash

πŸ’Ό Agency: Kate Nash Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

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

Previous clients: Amanda Brittany, Casey King, Andie Newton, Maggie Baggot

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Andrew Lownie

πŸ’Ό Agency: Andrew Lownie Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk//

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Previous clients: Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Joe Holliday, John Heale

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Gaia Banks

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sheil Land Associates

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Children's Book, #ownvoices, Science Fiction

Previous clients: Neil Chapman, MacKenzie Common, Catherine Cooper, Rachel Elliott, Michelle Frances, Jane Fraser, Kate Goldbeck, Janice Hallett, Felicity Hayes-McCoy, Charlie Hodges, Ann Featherstone, Julia Lee, Cas Lester, Robert J Lloyd, Jane Lythell

Open to queries

| Publishers Marketplace

Sophie Hicks

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sophie Hicks Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's Book, Action & Adventure, African-American, BIPOC, Crime Fiction, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Eoin Colfer, Emerald Fennell, Benedict Jacka, Paddy O'Reilly

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Sheila Crowley

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, Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Sports, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Sarah Archer, Yolanda Barker, Melissa Hill, Alice Hoffman

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Michelle Kass

πŸ’Ό Agency: Michelle Kass Associates

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Action & Adventure, BIPOC, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Thriller

Previous clients: Derek Landy, Patrick Ness, Bridget O'Connor, Robert Farrar, Elizabeth Cook, John Milarky

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

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Get a professional opinion on your query letter

Reedsy editors have worked as agents and acquiring editors. Ask for a "query letter review."