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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Picture Book Submissions in the UK

Showing 7 agents that match your search.

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: 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

๐Ÿ“บ LIVE EVENT โ€“ November 24th, 2024

How to Find a Literary Agent

During this one-day event, youโ€™ll hear directly from literary agents, editors, and authors who will shed light on the querying process through presentations, panel discussions, and Q&As. Grab your ticket here.

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: Submit queries through email

Genres: Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Joan Aiken, Lloyd Alexander, Zillah Bethell, Helen Douglas

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Caroline Sheldon

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency: Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency

๐ŸŒ Location: London, GB

๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website: https://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk/

๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Julia Donaldson, Penny Dale, John Agard, Jean Ure, Kaye Umansky, Katie Flynn, Elaine Everest

Query Tracker

Bill Hamilton

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency: A.M. Heath Literary Agents

๐ŸŒ Location: London, GB

๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website: https://amheath.com

๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through online form

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Politics, Children's Book, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, New Adult, Picture Book, Romance, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Hilary Mantel, Katie Ward, George Orwell, Michael Crick, Christopher Hill

Query Tracker

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Caroline Walsh

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency: David Higham Literary Agency

๐ŸŒ Location: London, GB

๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website: https://www.davidhigham.co.uk

๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult

Previous clients: Antonia Barber, Joe Berger, Kathryn Cave, Eve Edwards, Candida Harper, Trish Cooke

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Clare Wallace

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: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Caroline Crowe, Tom Ellen, A M Howell, Martyn Ford, Stewart Foster

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Louise Lamont

๐Ÿ’ผ Agency: LBA Literary Agency

๐ŸŒ Location: London, GB

๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Website: https://lbabooks.com/

๐Ÿ“ฃ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Allison Saft, Andrea Mullaney, Anna Carey, Anne Miller, Carol Morley, Chris Beardshaw

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 โ€” 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 editorsโ€™ tastes and the types of books that publishers 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 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 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

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