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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in New York City

Showing 118 agents that match your search.

Daniel Lazar

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, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Hannah Kent, Chandler Baker, Raymond Villareal, Ingrid Law, Jennifer McMahon, Matt Rothschild

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

πŸ“Ί LIVE EVENT – November 24th, 2024

How to Find a Literary Agent

During this one-day event, you’ll hear directly from literary agents, editors, and authors who will shed light on the querying process through presentations, panel discussions, and Q&As. Grab your ticket here.

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

Alex Glass

πŸ’Ό Agency: Glass Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Cookbook, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports

Previous clients: Haylie Pomroy, Chad Kultgen, Matt Bondurant, Jon Cryer, Da Chen, Marcy Dermansky, Jennifer Esposito

Open to queries

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Ginger Clark

πŸ’Ό Agency: Ginger Clark Literary

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Women's Fiction, Commercial Fiction

Previous clients: Ursula K. Le Guin, Patricia Wrede, Elizabeth Wein, Tim Pratt, John Langan

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

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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

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

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

Annelise Robey

πŸ’Ό Agency: Jane Rotrosen Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Terri Garey, Monica McCarty, James Hayman

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Emily van Beek

πŸ’Ό Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Jenny Han, Lois Lowry, Morgan Matson, Julie Morstad, Tamora Pierce, Jordan Scott

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Christina Hogrebe

πŸ’Ό Agency: Jane Rotrosen Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Romance, Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Middle Grade, Thriller, Fantasy

Previous clients: Kaya McLaren, Beth Kendrick, Robert Dalby, Lacey Alexander, Cathy Yardley

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Suzie Townsend

πŸ’Ό Agency: New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: Laura Steven, Victoria Aveyard, Natalie Lloyd, Jennifer Ryan, Brigid Kemmer, Christine Day

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | 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. 

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 2024

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

Reedsy | Looking for an agent? | 2024-09

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