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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Middle Grade Submissions

Showing 193 agents that match your search.

Victoria Doherty-Munro

πŸ’Ό Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Alexandra Ott, Jennifer Sommersby, Eliza Gordon

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Jim McCarthy

πŸ’Ό Agency: Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Sports, Chick Lit

Previous clients: Richelle Mead, Cynthia Ceilan, Victoria Laurie, Carrie Ryan, Julia Templeton, Michelle Rowen

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

Nancy Gallt

πŸ’Ό Agency: Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Newark, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Rick Riordan, Bety G. Birney, Sophie Blackall, Jeanne DuPrau, Bagram Ibatoulline

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Stephen Barr

πŸ’Ό Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Graphic Novel, Humor, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: David Macaulay, F.C. Yee, John Corey Whaley, Maggie Thrash, Christopher Silas Neal

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

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Louise Fury

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Fury Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Graphic Novel, Romance, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Self-Help, Sports, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, Humor

Previous clients: Fred Aceves, Lindsay Emory, Lonnie Busch, Dante Medema

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Jennie Dunham

πŸ’Ό Agency: Dunham Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Robert Sabuda, Matthew Reinhart, Mark Bowden, Tod Goldberg, Margaret McMullan

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

David Dunton

πŸ’Ό Agency: Harvey Klinger, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Lori Culwell, Chris Carlton Brown, Alex McAulay

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Lori Kilkelly

πŸ’Ό Agency: LK Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Camille Andros, David Bernardy, Shinji Fujioka, Lauren Eldridge, Julia Denos

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Jennifer Rofe

πŸ’Ό Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

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

Previous clients: Meg Medina, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Crystal Allen, Barry Wolverton

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Jessica Sinsheimer

πŸ’Ό Agency: Context Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help

Previous clients: Margot Harrison, Shannon Alexander, Jonathan Chesner, Gwen Hayes

Open to queries

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 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."