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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Nonfiction Submissions

Showing 454 agents that match your search.

Stacey Glick

πŸ’Ό Agency: Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Self-Help

Previous clients: Larry D. Rosen, Jenny Hart, A. J. Hartley, Christie Matheson

Open to queries

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Lorin Rees

πŸ’Ό Agency: Rees Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Boston, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help

Previous clients: Uzma Jalaluddin, Rin Chupeco, Arlene Weintraub, Will Holtham, Sylvia Lafair, Hank Gilman

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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

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Meg Thompson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Thompson Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbook, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Spirituality, Sports, Feminism, Self-Help

Previous clients: Lisa Leake, Ken Denmead, Kelle Hampton, Tom Hart, Tim Kreider, Emily Flake

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Peter Straus

πŸ’Ό Agency: RCW Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Action & Adventure, Cookbook, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Memoir, Politics, Romance, Science Fiction, Spirituality, Thriller, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Kazuo Ishiguro, Colm Toibin, Kate Atkinson, Jenny Pitman, Rupert Thomsom, Lucy Caldwell, Peter Carey, Rachel Cooke, Tom Crewe, Carol Ann Duffy, Anne Enright, Ian McEwan

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

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

Open to queries

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Carly Watters

πŸ’Ό Agency: P.S. Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Toronto, CA

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Narrative Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Mystery, Romance

Previous clients: Colin Mochrie, Mary Akers, Danny Appleby, Jay Onrait, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Lorene Sauro

Open to queries

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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

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Farley Chase

πŸ’Ό Agency: Chase Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Sports, Fantasy, Business Book, Horror, Politics, Self-Help

Previous clients: Alia Volz, Robert Weintraub, Gregory Crough, Gilbert King, Matt Stoller

Open to queries

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Lisa Leshne

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Leshne Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email or QueryTracker

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Sports, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, Commercial Fiction, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Stacey Abrams, Julissa Arce, Leslie Lehr, Christie Pearce Rampone, AJ Mendez, Ivan Klima

Open to queries

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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."