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 Narrative Nonfiction Submissions

Showing 345 agents that match your search.

Allison Hunter

πŸ’Ό Agency: Trellis Literary

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Romance, Thriller, Chick Lit, Diverse Fiction, Historical Fiction, New Adult

Previous clients: Rosie Walsh, Lauren Ho, Randall Klein, Alexandra Borowitz, Katie Heaney

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Wendy Sherman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Wendy Sherman Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports

Previous clients: Anthony Youn, Nani Power, Gabrielle Korn, Wendy Walker, Marjan Kamali

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Susan Ramer

πŸ’Ό Agency: Don Congdon Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Kathryn Stockett, Rachel Weaver, Ellen Gilchrist, Amy Belding Brown, Rachel Louise Snyder

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Sandy Lu

πŸ’Ό Agency: Book Wyrm Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryMe

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Cookbook, Horror, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Business Book

Previous clients: Jennifer Harlow, Robert Baty, Angela Grace, Michael Dempsey, Michael Boccacino

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | 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.

Lorin Rees

πŸ’Ό Agency: Rees Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Boston, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Uzma Jalaluddin, Rin Chupeco, Arlene Weintraub, Will Holtham, Sylvia Lafair, Hank Gilman

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Jenni Ferrari-Adler

πŸ’Ό Agency: Verve Talent & Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Middle Grade, Short Story, Young Adult

Previous clients: Kristen Roupenian, Susie Yang, Mo Daviau, Rebecca Dinerstein, Eileen Pollack

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Alison Fargis

πŸ’Ό Agency: Stonesong

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Susan B. Anderson, Sara Bliss, Michael Buckley, Erin Gleeson, Eric Gorges

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

James A. Levine

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

Genres: Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Spirituality, Sports

Previous clients: Tom Brady, Gisele BΓΌndchen, Safi Bahcall, Francis Bok, Cornelia Dean

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Sydelle Kramer

πŸ’Ό Agency: Susan Rabiner Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Sports, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Nate Silver, Alison Bechdel, Martha Nussbaum, Marya Hornbacher

Query Tracker

Gail Ross

πŸ’Ό Agency: William Morris Endeavor

🌍 Location: Washington DC, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Business Book, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Joshua Green, Van Jones, James Clapper, Michael Isikoff, David Corn

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. 

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 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."