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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Memoir Submissions

Showing 296 agents that match your search.

Celeste Fine

πŸ’Ό Agency: Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Politics

Previous clients: Sara Gottfried, Amanda Steinberg, Dave Asprey, J.J. Virgin, Joseph Pizzorno

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Lane Heymont

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Tobias Agency

🌍 Location: Nashville, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Diana Rodriguez Wallach, John Maszka, Rachel Neff, Claire O'Dell

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Bonnie Nadell

πŸ’Ό Agency: Hill Nadell Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

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

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

Previous clients: David Foster Wallace, Antonya Nelson, Lynn Schooler, Richard Polsky, Kate Racculia

Open to queries

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Liza Dawson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Liza Dawson Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Tawni O'Dell, Annie Barrows, Robyn Carr, Ross Gay, Marie Bostwick

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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

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Cecilia Lyra

πŸ’Ό Agency: P.S. Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Lene Andersen, Jenna Ferrey, Amy Rosen, Jessica Hinkson

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Stephanie Rostan

πŸ’Ό Agency: Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Spirituality, Chick Lit

Previous clients: Gillian Flynn, Lisa Lutz, Wendy Wax, Julia Dahl, Heather Swain

Open to queries

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Karolina Sutton

πŸ’Ό Agency: Creative Artists Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Crime Fiction, Memoir, Nonfiction, Thriller

Previous clients: Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo, Tara Westover, Malala Yousafzai, Anthony Doerr

Open to queries

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Jenny Bent

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Bent Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Self-Help, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Horror

Previous clients: Angie Thomas, AG Howard, Lori Wilde, Julia London, Lynsay Sands

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Emma Patterson

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, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Patrick Arden, Louise Aronson, Rita Mae Brown, Kim Church

Open to queries

Query Tracker | 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

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