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 Young Adult Submissions

Showing 280 agents that match your search.

Nancy Gallt

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 online form

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

Previous clients: Rick Riordan, Bety G. Birney, Sophie Blackall, Jeanne DuPrau, Bagram Ibatoulline

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Jenni Ferrari-Adler

πŸ’Ό Agency: Verve Talent & Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Commercial Fiction, Cookbook, Middle Grade, Short Story, Young Adult

Previous clients: Kristen Roupenian, Susie Yang, Mo Daviau, Rebecca Dinerstein, Eileen Pollack

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Agent Query

Andrea Morrison

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, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction

Previous clients: Hillary Frank, Shreya Gupta, Diana Sudyka, Aja Gabel, Aimee Sicuro

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

Sandy Lu

πŸ’Ό Agency: Book Wyrm Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryMe

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Cookbook, Horror, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Business Book

Previous clients: Jennifer Harlow, Robert Baty, Angela Grace, Michael Dempsey, Michael Boccacino

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

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.

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

Carrie Pestritto

πŸ’Ό Agency: Laura Dail Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Middle Grade, LGBTQ, Chick Lit, Fantasy, Narrative Nonfiction, Business Book, Crime Fiction, Feminism, Historical Fiction, Horror, New Adult, Self-Help

Previous clients: Kalyn Josephson, Jon Birger, Lily Chu, Graci Kim, Claire Kann

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

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, Children's Book, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

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

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL | Agent Query

Annelise Robey

πŸ’Ό Agency: Jane Rotrosen Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

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

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Previous clients: Terri Garey, Monica McCarty, James Hayman

Open to queries

Query Tracker | 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

Caitlin McDonald

πŸ’Ό Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Diverse Fiction, Feminism, LGBTQ, Graphic Novel

Previous clients: C.L. Polk, A.J. Hackwith, Caitlin Starling, Wendy Trimboli

Query Tracker | 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.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."