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 Romance Submissions

Showing 156 agents that match your search.

Jodi Reamer

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, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Stephenie Meyer, John Green, Dan Santat, Nicola Yoon, Ransom Riggs, Lisa Yee

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

Beth Phelan

πŸ’Ό Agency: Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Newark, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance

Previous clients: Rick Riordan, Randy Ribay, Shveta Thakrar, Kacen Callender, Kat Cho, Lin Thompson, Camryn Garrett

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Stephanie Thwaites

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, Thriller, Chick Lit, Diverse Fiction, Romance

Previous clients: John Steinbeck, Isla Fisher, Cat Deeley, Celia Rees, A A Milne, Steven Butler

Open to queries

Query Tracker

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.

Kevan Lyon

πŸ’Ό Agency: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Kate Quinn, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Laura Kaye, Stephanie Dray

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Jessica Sinsheimer

πŸ’Ό Agency: Context Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Narrative Nonfiction, Self-Help

Previous clients: Margot Harrison, Shannon Alexander, Jonathan Chesner, Gwen Hayes

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL

Jessica Alvarez

πŸ’Ό Agency: BookEnds Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Newark, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Chick Lit

Previous clients: Stacey Kennedy, Sharon Culle, Amy Rose Bennett, Laurel Blount

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Thao Le

πŸ’Ό Agency: Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

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

Previous clients: Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, Emily Duncan, Ali Hazelwood, Thea Guanzon, Sandhya Menon, Evelyn Skye, Jessie Sima, Jessica Kim

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Lane Heymont

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Tobias Agency

🌍 Location: Nashville, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Fiction, #ownvoices, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Diana Rodriguez Wallach, John Maszka, Rachel Neff, Claire O'Dell

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Hillary Jacobson

πŸ’Ό Agency: Creative Artists Agency

🌍 Location: Los Angeles, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult, Memoir, Historical Fiction, Horror, Crime Fiction, Humor, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Tomi Adeyemi, Kate Elizabeth Russell, Karen Hamilton, Eiko Kadono

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Laura Rennert

πŸ’Ό Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, Mystery, Romance

Previous clients: Maggie Stiefvater, Jay Asher, Ellen Hopkins, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Barry Eisler

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | 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. 

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

Get a professional opinion on your query letter

Reedsy editors have worked as agents and acquiring editors. Ask for a "query letter review."