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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in New York City

Showing 116 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

Stacy Testa

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, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Clara Bensen, Lucie Britsch, Julie Carrick Dalton, Gerta Keller, Rheea Mukherjee

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Joshua A. Bilmes

πŸ’Ό Agency: JABberwocky Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Politics, Sports, Graphic Novel, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction

Previous clients: Charlaine Harris, Brandon Sanderson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Peter V. Brett, Jack Campbell, Grady Hendrix, Lilliam Rivera, Simon R. Green.

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | 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

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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

Harvey Klinger

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: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Crime Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Augusta Trobaugh, Natasha Mostert, Paul Elliott Russell, Paul Russell, George M. Taber, Julie Stav

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Donald Maass

πŸ’Ό Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Nnedi Okorafor, Brent Weeks, Anne Perry, Todd McCaffrey

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Jane Dystel

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 email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Cookbook, Self-Help, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Colin Broderick, David Morrell, Scott Hamilton, Michele R. McPhee, Anne Stuart, Mary Ann Esposito

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Elizabeth Harding

πŸ’Ό Agency: Curtis Brown, Ltd.

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Jane Yolen, Karen Cushman, Robert Cormier, S.E. Hinton, Nikki Grimes

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Stephen Barbara

πŸ’Ό Agency: InkWell Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Sports, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Middle Grade, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Lauren Oliver, Paul Tremblay, Laura Amy Schlitz, Lisa Graff

Open to queries

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.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."