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 Nonfiction Submissions

Showing 442 agents that match your search.

Cecilia Lyra

πŸ’Ό Agency: Wendy Sherman Associates

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Lene Andersen, Jenna Ferrey, Amy Rosen, Jessica Hinkson

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Jonny Geller

πŸ’Ό Agency: Curtis Brown UK

🌍 Location: London, GB

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Website: https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: John le CarrΓ©, David Mitchell, Susanna Clarke, Sacha Baron Cohen, Nelson Mandela

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Cassandra Rodgers

πŸ’Ό Agency: 5 Otter Literary

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Politics, Sports

Previous clients: Dayle Furlong, Gabriele Wills, James R. Wallen, Kath Jonathan

Query Tracker

Susan Golomb

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, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Cookbook, Self-Help

Previous clients: Jonathan Franzen, Krys Lee, William T. Vollman, Rachel Kushner, Imbolo Mbue

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

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.

Amy Giuffrida

πŸ’Ό Agency: Belcastro Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction, Self-Help, Fantasy, Narrative Nonfiction, Thriller, Science Fiction

Previous clients: Maria Tureaud, Jax McQueen, Sarah Elynn, Haley Hwang

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

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 or QueryTracker

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

Emma Patterson

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, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Patrick Arden, Louise Aronson, Rita Mae Brown, Kim Church

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Theresa Park

πŸ’Ό Agency: Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Nicholas Sparks, Frances Cha, Deborah Harkness, Emily Giffin, Janice Lee, Robert Whitaker

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Michael Harriot

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, Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Previous clients: Ben Mezrich, Tony Fletcher, Alisa Bowman

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Brian DeFiore

πŸ’Ό Agency: DeFiore and Company

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help, Sports

Previous clients: Brandon Stanton, Frank Warren, David Potter, Benjamin Hale, Tom Ryan, Rick Yancey

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."