YA Romance Literary Agents

Young adult, new adult, fantasy, thrillers, mysteries, suspense, romance, women's fiction, horror, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary, nonfiction, faith-based books, illustrators

YA (all subgenres except sci-fi), thrillers/suspense/mystery, horror, contemporary, romance, new adult, women's fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, faith-based/inspirational fiction and nonfiction, true crime, illustrators. Welcomes BIPOC and disabled main characters.

Query via agency submission process

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, nonfiction, romance, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, manuscript or proposal, portfolio link

Abigail Frank wants weird, expansive books for young readers, including original picture books, chapter books with big personalities, and novels about unforgettable teens falling in love. She is especially interested in author-illustrators, lyrical and inventive picture book texts, distinct visual art, stories by marginalized creators, and select adult projects including visual nonfiction, gift nonfiction, genre-defying nonfiction, lightly speculative fiction, commercial rom-coms, and work about labor and capital.

Query Abigail Frank at afrank@sjga.com with the subject line QUERY - project title. Include a brief bio in the cover letter and attach the manuscript or proposal. Visual artists should include a portfolio link. Greenburger accepts email queries only and asks writers not to query more than one Greenburger agent simultaneously.

Middle grade, ya, sff, children's

Wants: Per fba new voices bio: YA and commercial adult fiction; romance and fantasy for all ages; smart/engaging/bold with international appeal. note: agency submissions page currently not accepting fantasy/romantasy/SFF or children's/YA.

Actively building a list spanning middle grade, YA and crossover fiction across all genres, and selective adult fiction in the SFF space. Drawn to immersive world-building, complex characters, twisty plots, and stories exploring identity, belonging and transformation.

Submit via the PFD submissions page. Include a covering letter, one-page synopsis, and first three chapters or approximately 10,000 words.

Adult fiction, thriller, psychological thriller, historical fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, young adult romance

Wants: Query form, first five pages unless form specifies otherwise

Jillian Schelzi is a junior agent at HG Literary. She is primarily looking for adult fiction, especially psychological thrillers, shocking twists, page-turning suspense, and rich historical fiction set against war. She also likes mental-health representation, darker and challenging themes, literary and upmarket fiction, book club fiction, and YA romance. She is not looking for middle grade, picture books, religious books, fantasy, romantasy, or horror.

Submit through Jillian Schelzi's official QueryTracker form. HG Literary accepts electronic submissions only and asks writers to query one agent at a time. Unless the agent-specific form says otherwise, HG requests a query letter and the first five pages. HG does not represent screenplays or religious fiction.

Fiction and select non-fiction

Commercial and book-club fiction, selective romance, thrillers/mystery, different-feeling historical fiction, selective YA, selective non-fiction (popular history/untaught areas, cultural deep-dives, narrative non-fiction). Not children's, not sci-fi, not grisly horror

Submit via the online form on Hannah Schofield's agent page at https://lbabooks.com or agents or hannah-schofield

Fiction, non-fiction

Wide taste, currently especially women's commercial fiction/romance, funny books, untold/queer histories, and diverse voices in narrative food/travel/nature writing

Email submissions@lutyensrubinstein.co.uk with a cover letter, short synopsis, and the first three chapters or approximately 5,000 words.

Commercial fiction, horror, thriller, suspense, romance, mystery, young adult, non-fiction, true crime, essays

Wants: Query letter

Kristen seeks commercial fiction including horror, thriller/suspense, and romance. She wants horror novels with dark twists, ghosts, and romance, plus young adult slashers. For mysteries/thrillers, she prefers ambiguous endings, contained whodunits, and surprising twists. In romance, she loves second chances, beach settings, and coming-of-age stories, plus crossover romance with fantastical elements. She also accepts respectful true crime and personal essay collections.

Send a query letter using the online form to one literary agent only. The query should include only a paragraph about yourself, a brief plot synopsis and your contact information. Do not include a manuscript, proposal, or writing samples. Do not send a manuscript or proposal until requested.

Literary fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, historical fiction, romantic comedy, gothic, horror, crime, psychological thriller, speculative fiction, ya, middle grade, memoir, narrative non-fiction, true crime

Literary and upmarket commercial fiction of all kinds, especially meditative or moving novels about modern life with warmth and heart alongside sharpness. Historical and period fiction that sheds light on untold stories, ambitious cross-centuries narratives, and historical mysteries. High-concept love stories and romantic comedies with depth. Gothic, horror, murder mysteries, ghost stories, psychological thrillers, speculative and magical realist fiction, and novels with a true-crime feel. A small list of YA and middle grade that feels current and contemporary with a real conversation at its core — not currently seeking fantasy or anything younger than middle grade. On the non-fiction side: memoirs of extraordinary people, narrative non-fiction on subjects the author is passionate about, books on mental health, untold stories across popular science, history and popular culture, and a brilliant true crime book. Particularly keen on LGBTQI+ stories and diverse voices from across the globe. Not currently looking for cookery, wellness, or lifestyle.

Email submissions@greeneheaton.co.uk with your covering letter in the body of the email. Include the agent's name in the subject line. Fiction: attach the first three chapters or around fifty pages plus a one-to-two page synopsis that reveals the ending, as Word documents. Non-fiction: attach three sample chapters or around fifty pages plus a chapter summary or synopsis, and explain why you are best placed to write the book and who the intended readership is. AI-generated or AI-edited content is not accepted. No postal submissions.

Children's books

Actively seeking new clients, MG adventure/series potential, YA romance and fantasy, horror/monster stories, contemporary teen, queer/found-family, SFF across YA/new adult (not grimdark)

Email - childrens@darleyanderson.com

Adult romance, adult romantic comedy, adult science fiction and fantasy, adult speculative, crossover romance, crossover romantic comedy, crossover science fiction and fantasy, crossover speculative, young adult science fiction and fantasy, young adult speculative

Wants: Query letter, first 5 pages

Allegra is only accepting queries from marginalized writers and represents romance, romcom, Science Fiction and Fantasy and speculative fiction across adult, crossover, and young adult categories.

Submit through QueryManager form with query letter, first 5 pages, and confirmation of marginalized writer status. Address query to Allegra without titles that could misgender.

Fiction

Commercial/genre fiction: romance/romcom, adult and YA fantasy (romance/spice, trials), crime/thrillers/mysteries, hooky pitches and page-turning drama

Email - maddalenacavaciuti@davidhigham.co.uk

Children's fiction and non-fiction (to ya or crossover)

Ambitious storytelling, bold structure/voice, fresh takes on genre, author/illustrators, underrepresented/marginalised voices, high-concept contemporary YA romance, horror/thrillers, hooky YA fantasy/speculative, hilarious MG, screen potential

Email - rachelsubmissions@theblairpartnership.com

Commercial fiction, historical mystery, mystery, romance, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, women's fiction, young adult, children's

Wants: Query letter

Miriam is passionate about commercial fiction with strong voice and narrative drive, representing everything from children's through adult, with special emphasis on fantasy, science fiction, women's fiction, romance, thrillers, and historical mysteries.

Submit through Miriam Kriss's Codex Literary online query form. Codex asks writers to choose only one Codex agent and notes that it cannot represent authors who have worked with one of its agents on Reedsy or work-for-hire projects.

Picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, young adult, children's, adult projects, illustration, author-illustrators, fantasy, magical realism, contemporary, romance

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, synopsis, artwork samples, portfolio link

Marissa is open to a wide range of children's book authors, illustrators and author-illustrators, and is especially looking for stories by underrepresented and marginalized creators.

Submit through Marissa Brown's QueryManager form. Query only one Pippin agent at a time.

New adult, adult fiction, young adult, middle grade, fantasy, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, dark academia, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, contemporary fantasy, romance, diverse voices

Wants: Query letter

Isabelle is actively looking for New Adult books across genres and is also interested in adult, young adult, and middle grade fantasy plus upmarket and commercial adult fiction with worldbuilding, unique characters, strong plotting, hooks, romantic subplots, and diverse voices.

Submit through Isabelle Rader's Codex Literary online query form. Codex asks writers to choose only one Codex agent and notes that it cannot represent authors who have worked with one of its agents on Reedsy or work-for-hire projects.

Commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, women's fiction, romance, mystery, horror, romantasy, young adult, narrative nonfiction, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, first twenty five pages, proposal, sample chapter, bio, comparable books

Ann Leslie Tuttle is seeking commercial and upmarket women's fiction, contemporary and historical fiction, fiction with complex family dynamics and sagas, psychological thrillers, romance, mystery, horror, romantasy, YA, narrative nonfiction by journalists, academics, and experts with a timely premise and platform, stories with strong sense of place, voice-driven fiction, female hidden histories, uplifting work, select faith or art history projects, MG, and nonfiction from underrepresented voices.

Submit by email to atuttle@dystel.com. Dystel asks writers to query one agent at a time, include the full query in the body of the email, and include the first 25 pages for fiction or a proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction in the email body. Picture book and graphic novel submissions have separate sample requirements listed on the official guidelines page.

Young adult romance, literary fiction, family saga, magical realism, narrative nonfiction, wellness, social activism

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first five pages, author bio, comparable books

Jesseca is selectively looking for contemporary YA romance, literary fiction with family stories, strong sense of place, magical or mystical elements or daring voice, and narrative nonfiction in wellness, social activism and purposeful living.

Submit through Jesseca Salky's QueryManager form. Submit to only one SLM agent at a time, no response within 12 weeks means pass.

Commercial fiction, literary fiction, suspense, women's fiction, contemporary romance, young adult, journalistic nonfiction, memoir

Wants: Query letter, first chapter

Rebecca is interested in commercial and literary fiction with a focus on literary novels of suspense, women's fiction, contemporary romance, and young adult, as well as journalistic nonfiction and memoir. Most of all, she is looking for great stories told in strong voices.

Email queries@rfliterary.com with only a brief query letter of no more than three paragraphs and the first chapter pasted into the email, not exceeding fifteen double-spaced pages. Do not send attachments. Queries sent directly to Rebecca are deleted.

Young adult, adult fiction, science fiction, fantasy, romance, women's fiction, horror, domestic suspense, psychological thriller, speculative thriller, queer, bipoc

Wants: Query letter

Kiana represents young adult and adult fiction across genres, especially high-concept commercial stories with queer BIPOC characters. Her wishlist includes science fiction, fantasy, romance, women's fiction, horror, domestic suspense, psychological and speculative thrillers, adult and YA horror, YA fantasy, and selected romantasy/dark academia with a twist.

Submit through Kiana Nguyen's QueryTracker or QueryManager link from her official wishlist page. Her personal site says the listed contact email is not for queries.

Young adult, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters, full proposal for nonfiction

Laura represents YA, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction with speculative elements, and select contemporary and historical fiction. She is aggressively looking in adult horror, mystery, and thriller, and is interested in genre-crossing work.

Submit through QueryManager. Follow standard query-letter format, query one Headwater agent at a time, and do not email queries.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, picture books, author-illustrators, mystery, thriller, romance, pop culture nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Kristin represents middle grade, young adult and adult fiction, plus picture book author-illustrators. She is actively looking for adult mystery, thriller and romance, plus nonfiction focused on popular culture.

Submit through Kristin Ostby's QueryTracker form. Submit to only one SLM agent at a time, no response within 12 weeks means pass.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, contemporary fiction, grounded fantasy, horror, mystery, cozy mystery, romantic suspense, cookbooks, health, fitness, advocacy, bipoc voices

Wants: Query letter, first 50 pages, proposal

Stefanie is exclusively taking on clients systemically excluded from publishing, with a focus on BIPOC authors. She is seeking MG, YA, and adult fiction and nonfiction, especially gutsy contemporary, grounded fantasy, horror, mystery, cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, cookbooks from immigrant perspectives, and advocacy-centered nonfiction around sports/exercise science, health, fitness, nutrition, medicine, and animals.

Submit through Stefanie Molina-Santos's QueryTracker form with a query plus the first 50 pages, or a full proposal for nonfiction.

Contemporary, fantasy, horror, romance, picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 20 pages

Books with pain-in-the-ass heroines, dark and creepy settings with lyrical voices, and books with well-thought out twists and turns. Fantasy should be easily accessible and horror should not make her need to keep the lights on. She seeks LGBT+ books that are about more than just a coming out story and is particularly keen to grow her adult list in rom-coms and fantasy/romantasy.

For Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult novels: paste the first 20 pages into the sample text field. For picture books: include a link to the full dummy. For Author or Illustrated graphic novels: include a link to a few sample spreads. Note that for picture book and graphic novel creators, she is only considering author or illustrator projects at this time.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, new adult, adult fiction, illustrators, contemporary fiction, magical realism, fantasy, horror, romance, romantic comedy, romantasy, women's fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, spirituality, self-help, health and fitness, parenting, business, celebrity, lifestyle, pets, psychology, relationships and dating, true crime, bipoc voices, lgbtq and voices

Lynnette Novak is an agent at The Seymour Agency. When she reopens, she is especially excited about BIPOC, diverse, and LGBTQ+ projects; illustrators for board books, picture books, illustrated MG, and illustrated covers; fiction and nonfiction picture books; MG contemporary, magical realism, contemporary or grounded fantasy, and horror; YA romcom, romantasy, fantasy, magical realism, and horror; NA contemporary romance, romcom, and romantasy; adult horror, dark romance, contemporary romance, romcom, romantasy, and women's fiction; and adult nonfiction including memoir, narrative, spirituality/New Age, self-help, health/fitness, parenting/family, motivational/inspirational, business, celebrity, lifestyle, pets, psychology, relationships/dating, and true crime by experts with platforms.

Lynnette Novak is currently closed to all queries according to the official Seymour Agency about page. The page says to watch her MSWL page for updates when she reopens, but no current open official query route is listed.

Young adult, new adult, adult fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, romance, romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, cookbooks, food writing, gardening, health, fitness, pets

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first twenty pages, full proposal

Kimberly seeks YA, New Adult and adult fiction, including mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, romance, romantasy, fantasy and science fiction, plus adult nonfiction in cookbooks, food, gardening, health, fitness, natural healing and pets. She does not represent children's books, erotica, poetry, short stories, screenplays, novellas, literary/upmarket/women's fiction, or memoir.

Kimberly is currently closed to queries except for periodic windows. When open, fiction and nonfiction use separate QueryManager or QueryTracker forms from her submissions page.

Children's fiction, adult fiction, children's nonfiction, adult nonfiction, picture books, graphic novels, middle grade, young adult, literary fiction, romantic comedy, author-illustrated graphic novels

Sara Crowe is founder of Sara Crowe Literary. She has 25 years of publishing experience and 20 years representing clients. She represents a diverse group of children's and adult fiction and nonfiction, from picture books to graphic novels to literary fiction and adult romantic comedies. Her official submissions page says she is looking for author-illustrated graphic novels, middle grade and YA fiction, children's and adult nonfiction, and adult fiction, specifically romantic comedies and literary fiction, with special interest in underrepresented voices.

Sara Crowe is currently closed to queries according to the official Sara Crowe Literary submissions page.

Young adult, adult genre fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, horror, genre crossovers, queer fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, romance, romantic comedy, nerd culture, queer history

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters

Rebecca Podos is Senior Agent at Neighborhood Literary. She is looking for young adult and adult genre fiction, with select nonfiction projects considered. Current fiction interests include character-driven fantasy rooted in folklore and culture, horror as a vehicle for otherness, identity, and trauma, fresh genre crossovers such as cozy science fiction and horror romance, queer contemporary and historical fiction, and romance or rom-com with a strong commercial hook and upmarket prose. In nonfiction she is interested in deep dives into nerdy topics such as TTRPGs, cosplay, and fandoms; strong narrative voice paired with expertise; and kid lit centering queer history.

Rebecca Podos accepts queries only through QueryManager, but her official linked QueryManager page currently says she is closed to queries while working through her inbox. The Neighborhood submissions page says to include a query letter and the first three chapters when she is open.

Science fiction, fantasy, romance, young adult

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, synopsis

Rebecca seeks character-driven stories with strong friendships and relationships, fantasy romance, stories of self-discovery and reinvention, queer romance particularly featuring f/f, bi, pan, trans, ace and other underrepresented identities, and fantasy worlds that are wholly original or drawn from non-medieval European backgrounds.

Submit queries through QueryManager with a query letter, first chapter, and synopsis. Include genre and word count in the cover letter.

Romance, fantasy, horror, lgbtq and, literary fiction, thriller, mystery, new adult, science fiction, young adult

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Des is a literary agent at Metamorphosis. The agency submissions page lists romance, fantasy, horror, LGBTQ+, literary, thriller, mystery, New Adult, science fiction, and young adult among Des's categories.

Des Salazar's QueryManager route says they are closed at this moment and to consider submitting again when they are accepting more work in January and July.

Children's fiction

Middle grade with mystery/adventure, heartfelt contemporary MG, ambitious fantasy, young fiction (5-8) with clear hook, YA (incl romantasy/thrillers/romance tropes), underrepresented voices

Email chloe@darleyanderson.com when open to submissions

Kidlit, picture books, middle grade, young adult, contemporary romance, mystery, thriller, illustrators, author-illustrators

Rosa Frazier is a literary agent at The Seymour Agency. Her official Seymour profile says kidlit is her passion, with emphasis on picture books, middle grade, YA contemporary romance, mystery, and thrillers. She is drawn to underrepresented BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled creatives, and encourages Caribbean and South American stories, folklore, and mythologies with representation of second languages and dialects. Illustrators and author-illustrators are also welcome when she is open to them.

Rosa Frazier is currently closed to queries according to her official Seymour Agency profile and linked QueryManager status. Do not send unsolicited queries while closed.

Middle grade, young adult, children's books, contemporary fiction, urban fantasy, magical realism, adventure, romantic comedy

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Kate represents middle grade and young adult fiction and fantastic stories for children and avid adult readers, including contemporary drama, urban fantasy, magical realism, adventure stories, and romantic comedies.

Kate Testerman is currently closed to queries according to KT Literary's official agents page.

Upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, young adult, literary fiction, suspense, supernatural horror, speculative romance, romantasy, fantasy, adventure, romance, science fiction, magical fabulism, romantic comedy, speculative thriller

Victoria Marini is Agent and Founder at High Line Literary Collective. Her list spans upmarket and commercial adult and young adult work, from literary page-turners to commercial suspense, supernatural horror, whimsical speculative romantasy, big-world fantasy, adventure, romance, edgy science fiction, grounded magical fabulism, rom-coms, and speculative thrillers. She likes unforgettable authentic characters, hooky concepts with strong plotting and an emotional core, unique voices or visions, quirk, mystery, small-town hysteria, atmosphere, secrets, things that go bump in the night, charm, magic, and humor.

Victoria Marini is currently closed to queries according to her official High Line profile. Requested Thrillerfest 2025 materials have a specific official QueryTracker link, but general unsolicited queries are closed.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, romance, contemporary fiction, design, cooking, fashion

Whitney Ross is an agent at High Line Literary Collective. She represents middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction across genres, with emphasis on historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, romance, and contemporary fiction. She is also open to nonfiction in design, cooking, and fashion. She likes novels set in unusual time periods and locations, with or without fantastical elements; trickster-king motifs; subtle romances; tropes turned upside down; unusual takes on old favorites; compelling characters; and emotionally involving plotlines.

Whitney Ross is currently closed to queries according to her official High Line profile and the official High Line submissions page.

Young adult, adult fiction, mystery, psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, romance, fantasy, historical fiction, women's fiction, marginalized voices

Lesley Sabga is Media Rights Manager and Agent at The Seymour Agency. She loves intricate and vivid world-building, character-driven plots with commercial pacing, dark and twisty suspense or thrillers featuring strong female protagonists, mysteries with large casts where the pieces slowly fall into place, big sweeping love stories, voice-driven fiction for millennial women, and marginalized authors.

Lesley Sabga is not open to general queries at this time. The official Seymour submissions page says she is accepting queries by referral only, and the official linked QueryManager page currently says she is not accepting queries.

Speculative fiction, psychological horror, mystery, romance fantasy, literary fiction, picture books, middle grade fiction

Wants: Query letter

Bonnie seeks underrepresented authors across all age groups. She wants speculative psychological horror mysteries, normalized queerness where it isn't the focus of the plot, romance fantasy with HEA required, and issue-driven stories addressing timeless social issues. For picture books, stories must be child-centered giving kids agency. For middle grade, she seeks stories based on kid-focused issues with magic elements.

Send queries only through QueryManager. Anything sent to email or social media will be deleted immediately.