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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in New York

Showing 215 agents that match your search.

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

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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

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Cristina Concepcion

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 email

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Previous clients: David Sedaris, Susan Allen, Russell Baker, Jane Cleland

Open to queries

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Tamar Rydzinski

πŸ’Ό Agency: Context Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Commercial Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Danielle L. Jensen, Bryan Denson, Bruce Goldfarb, Nina Berry, Robin Constantine

Open to queries

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Holly McGhee

πŸ’Ό Agency: Pippin Properties

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Kate DiCamillo, David Small, Jandy Nelson, Doreen Cronin, Harry Bliss, An Na

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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

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Warren Frazier

πŸ’Ό Agency: John Hawkins & Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Business Book, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Short Story

Previous clients: Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Z. Danielewski, Olga Grushin, Jess Walter

Open to queries

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Melissa Flashman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Janklow & Nesbit Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir

Previous clients: Stephanie Danler, Anne Boyer, Amina Cain, Emily Gould, Richard L. Hasen

Open to queries

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Mel Parker

πŸ’Ό Agency: Mel Parker Books, LLC

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Spirituality

Previous clients: Jon Birger, Mick Cornett, Dickson Despommier, Emily Parker, Robert McCaw

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Monika Verma

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: Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Nick Offerman, Janie Bryant, Allie Brosh

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | 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

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