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DIRECTORY

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions

Showing 652 agents that match your search.

Julie Barer

πŸ’Ό Agency: The Book Group

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Celeste Ng, Madeline Miller, Alice Sebold, Mia Alvar, Joshua Ferris

Open to queries

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Amy Berkower

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, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction

Previous clients: Ken Follett, Laurie Halse Anderson, Ann M. Martin, Erica Bauermeister, Ridley Pearson, Rachel Vail

Open to queries

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Gail Hochman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Children's Book, Young Adult

Previous clients: Scott Turow, Michael Cunningham, Leah Stewart

Open to queries

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Lisa Erbach Vance

πŸ’Ό Agency: Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: email

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction

Previous clients: The estate of Madeleine L’Engle, Harlan Coben, Gregg Hurwitz, Glen Erik Hamilton, B.J. Daniels

Open to queries

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Emily van Beek

πŸ’Ό Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Jenny Han, Lois Lowry, Morgan Matson, Julie Morstad, Tamora Pierce, Jordan Scott

Open to queries

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Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein

πŸ’Ό Agency: McIntosh & Otis, Inc.

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Politics, Feminism

Previous clients: Eleanor Brown, Phyllis T. Smith, Kimberly Frost

Open to queries

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Allison Hunter

πŸ’Ό Agency: Trellis Literary

🌍 Location: New York City, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Romance, Thriller, Chick Lit, Diverse Fiction, Historical Fiction, New Adult

Previous clients: Rosie Walsh, Lauren Ho, Randall Klein, Alexandra Borowitz, Katie Heaney

Open to queries

Query Tracker

Merrilee Heifetz

πŸ’Ό Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Neil Gaiman, Robin McKinley, Octavia E Butler, Laurell K. Hamilton, Melissa Marr, Cynthia Voigt

Open to queries

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Susan Hawk

πŸ’Ό Agency: Upstart Crow Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

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

Previous clients: Rachael Allen, Marcie Colleen, Alison Oliver, Ruth Spiro, Sarah Tolcser, Shelley Tougas, Lisa Tyre

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

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

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."