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 Submissions

Showing 652 agents that match your search.

Michelle Brower

πŸ’Ό Agency: Trellis Literary Management

🌍 Location: Boston, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through QueryManager

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Thriller

Previous clients: Tolani Akinola, Zaina Arafat, Manuel Aragon, Clare Beams, Jamey Bradbury, Mikki Brammer, Brittany Bronson.

Open to queries

Query Tracker | MSWL | Agent Query

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

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

Leigh Feldman

πŸ’Ό Agency: Leigh Feldman Literary

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Sarah Dessen, Charles Frazier, Matt Burgess, Parnaz Foroutan, Arthur Golden

Open to queries

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | 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.

Tracy Marchini

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: Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Jennifer Robin Barr, Charlene Chua, Sally Deng, Margaret Finnegan, Rita Lorraine Hubbard

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | MSWL

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

Query Tracker | Publishers Marketplace | Agent Query

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

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

Mel Parker

πŸ’Ό Agency: Mel Parker Books, LLC

🌍 Location: New York, US

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

πŸ“£ Preferred contact method: Submit queries through email

Genres: Thriller, Nonfiction, Business Book, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Spirituality

Previous clients: Jon Birger, Mick Cornett, Dickson Despommier, Emily Parker, Robert McCaw

| Publishers Marketplace

Erin Niumata

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 QueryManager

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Romance, Horror, Commercial Fiction, Humor, Feminism, Mystery

Previous clients: Carolyn Brown, Sandy Robins, Amy Clark, Josh Shipp, James Guiliani

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.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."