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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Nonfiction Submissions

Showing 443 agents that match your search.

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

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Emily Forland

πŸ’Ό Agency: Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Humor, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Heidi Durrow, Alice Fulton, Bill Hayes, James Magnuson, Greil Marcus, Dominic Smith

Open to queries

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Liza Dawson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Liza Dawson Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Tawni O'Dell, Annie Barrows, Robyn Carr, Ross Gay, Marie Bostwick

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Carol Mann

πŸ’Ό Agency: Carol Mann Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Spirituality, Politics

Previous clients: Jermaine Dupri, Samantha Marshall, Lauren Winner, Morris Dees, Roy Rowan

Open to queries

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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

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Margaret Sutherland Brown

πŸ’Ό Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Kelly Carlisle, Teresa Link, Jill Orr

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Bonnie Nadell

πŸ’Ό Agency: Hill Nadell Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Cookbook

Previous clients: David Foster Wallace, Antonya Nelson, Lynn Schooler, Richard Polsky, Kate Racculia

Open to queries

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Ellen Geiger

πŸ’Ό Agency: Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Women's Fiction, Short Story

Previous clients: Margaret Wise Brown, Adrienne Rich, Juan GonzΓ‘lez, James Kugel, Robert Tsai

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Stephanie Tade

πŸ’Ό Agency: Stephanie Tade Agency

🌍 Location: Philadelphia, US

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

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

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Self-Help, Spirituality

Previous clients: Jeff Corwin, Bob Stahl, Elisha Goldstein, Chris Downie, Kevin Griffin

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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

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."