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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions in San Diego

Showing 20 agents that match your search.

Jill Marsal

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, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Self-Help, Chick Lit, Crime Fiction, Memoir

Previous clients: Melinda Leigh, Angela Pisel, Matthew Dixon, Lynn Cahoon, Marina Adair

Open to queries

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David Fugate

πŸ’Ό Agency: LaunchBooks Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

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

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Science Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Sports

Previous clients: Chris Guillebeau, Andy Weir, Kevin Mitnick, Peter Clines, DJ Molles

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace

Margret McBride

πŸ’Ό Agency: Margret McBride Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Self-Help, Politics, Women's Fiction, Feminism, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Benjamin Bikman, Grant Sabatier, Sheldon Bowles, Brandon Webb

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Patricia Nelson

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, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Candice Iloh, Mary McCoy, Axie Oh, Dahlia Adler, Anna Meriano, Kristi Wientge

Open to queries

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Laura Bradford

πŸ’Ό Agency: Bradford Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, African-American, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Alison Kent, Jenn Bennett, Rachel Solomon, Tessa Bailey

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

Kari Sutherland

πŸ’Ό Agency: KT Literary

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Humor, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Saadia Faruqi, Kelly Coon, Laura Pohl

Query Tracker | MSWL

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

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

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Steven Malk

πŸ’Ό Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book

Previous clients: Bob Shea, Michelle Zink, Matt de la Pena, Marla Frazee, Mac Barnett

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Jolene Haley

πŸ’Ό Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency

🌍 Location: San Diego, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Self-Help, Spirituality, Children's Book, Middle Grade

Previous clients: Building a client list

Open to queries

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. 

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

Reedsy | Looking for an agent? | 2024-09

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