Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Memoir Submissions

Showing 295 agents that match your search.

Gail Hochman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Children's Book, Young Adult

Previous clients: Scott Turow, Michael Cunningham, Leah Stewart

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Henry Dunow

πŸ’Ό Agency: Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Sports, Short Story, Spirituality, Politics

Previous clients: Aimee Bender, Alice Sebold, Peter Mountford, Jean Thompson, Robin Black, Hilma Wolitzer

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Eric Myers

πŸ’Ό Agency: Myers Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Chris Grabenstein, Lydia Kang, Bryan Batt, David Neilsen, Simon Gervais

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Jill Marsal

πŸ’Ό Agency: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Self-Help, Chick Lit, Crime Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Melinda Leigh, Angela Pisel, Matthew Dixon, Lynn Cahoon, Marina Adair

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Looking for an editor to polish your query letter?

The best professionals are already on Reedsy, come meet them. Create your free account to request free quotes today.

Learn more about the Reedsy Marketplace.

ZoΓ« Pagnamenta

πŸ’Ό Agency: Calligraph Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Literary Fiction, Politics, Self-Help, Spirituality

Previous clients: Hisham Matar, Edmund de Waal, Stephen Greenblatt, Prentis Hemphill, Adam Nicolson, Priya Parker, Tom Vanderbilt

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Adam Schear

πŸ’Ό Agency: DeFiore and Company

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, #ownvoices

Previous clients: Jake Wolff, Julie Lekstrom Himes, Scott Bedford, Jen Adams

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

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

Mitchell S. Waters

πŸ’Ό Agency: Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Nonfiction, Memoir, Thriller, Humor, Young Adult

Previous clients: Joy Castro, Sarah Schulman, Michael Thomas Ford, Laurel Ann Nattress, Vestal McIntyre

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Jeff Kleinman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics

Previous clients: Garth Stein, Eowyn Ivey, Elizabeth Letts, Robert Hicks, Charles J. Shields, Karen Dionne

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Elaine Spencer

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Knight Agency

🌍 Location: Atlanta, US

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: http://www.knightagency.net/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Romance, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Commercial Fiction, Feminism

Previous clients: Sara Ackerman, Joy Avery, Dakota Cassidy, Laure Greer, Carlos Evans

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | 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

Recommended books

Get a professional opinion on your query letter

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