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 Poetry Submissions

Showing 18 agents that match your search.

Kerry Sparks

πŸ’Ό Agency: Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Poetry

Previous clients: Jennifer Niven, Camille Perri, Jennifer Mathieu, Mark Pett, Susan Wittig Albert

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Marya Spence

πŸ’Ό Agency: Janklow & Nesbit Associates

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Jess Arndt, Gabriella Burnham, Arabelle Sicardi, Yrsa Daley-Ward

Open to queries

Query Tracker

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

Query Tracker

Rob McQuilkin

πŸ’Ό Agency: Massie McQuilkin & Altman Literary Agents

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Poetry

Previous clients: Kim Addonizio, Douglas A. Martin

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.

Caroline Walsh

πŸ’Ό Agency: David Higham Literary Agency

🌍 Location: London, GB

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Commercial Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult

Previous clients: Antonia Barber, Joe Berger, Kathryn Cave, Eve Edwards, Candida Harper, Trish Cooke

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Bill Clegg

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Clegg Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Helen Macdonald, Nick Flynn, Emma Cline, Rob Spillman, Alice Knott

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Suhail Mathur

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Book Bakers Literary Consultancy

🌍 Location: New Delhi, IN

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports

Previous clients: Neil D’Silva, Kulpreet Yadav, Anirban Bhattacharya, Nalin Verma

Open to queries

Chris Calhoun

πŸ’Ό Agency: Chris Calhoun Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Poetry

Previous clients: Amy Adler, Billy Collins, Jesse Eisinger, Jim Holt, Lee Jenkins

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Jessica Watterson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: By referral only.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Diverse Fiction, LGBTQ, Cookbook, Memoir, Nonfiction, Poetry, Self-Help

Previous clients: Rosie Danan, Alexa Martin, Renee Carlino, Katie Ruggle, Debbie Burns

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Katherine Latshaw

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, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ, Poetry

Previous clients: Burt Reynolds, Layla Saad, Cary Elwes, Kimberly William-Paisley, Madisen Kuhn

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Poetry Literary Agents in Other Countries 🌎

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."