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United States Literary Agents

Literary agents based in the United States. Browse verified listings with submission guidelines, open status, and direct links to agency websites.

1207 agents · 679 currently open to submissions

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Represents

Adult thriller, horror, speculative fiction, mystery, grounded science fiction, young adult thriller, young adult horror, young adult speculative fiction, young adult contemporary, young adult literary fiction, young adult historical fiction, picture books

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, full manuscript for picture books, sample art

Looking for

Jennifer March Soloway is actively building her Starling list and is drawn to complicated, deeply human characters and stories about the difficulty of getting along with others. She is seeking adult literary psychological thrillers, horror, gothic, grounded science fiction, page-turning mysteries with unexpected twists, stories that blur the real and imagined, beautiful line-level writing, horror about motherhood, rural settings, scandal, and messy characters. In Young Adult she wants thriller, horror, speculative, contemporary, literary, and historical work, including high-school horror, dark speculative stories, psychological thrillers, grounded science fiction, creepy doll stories, coming-of-age, recovery from addiction, friendship breakups, and historical stories that show how the past led to the present.

How to submit

Submit through Jennifer March Soloway's official QueryManager form linked from her Starling profile. Starling asks writers to query one Starling agent with one project at a time and only through the agent query form. The query form asks for a query letter and the first 10 pages, or the full manuscript for a picture book, and supports sample artwork where applicable.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Adult fiction, adult nonfiction, graphic novels, narrative nonfiction, commercial nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Looking for

Jennifer Chen Tran works with a wide range of authors and artists, including entrepreneurs, journalists, physicians, thought leaders, James Beard nominated chefs, and graphic novelists. Her official profile says she is deeply committed to amplifying voices from persons with disabilities, BIPOC, LGBTQ, underrepresented, marginalized, and neurodiverse communities, and to books with lasting positive social impact that inform, entertain, and inspire.

How to submit

Submit to Jennifer Chen Tran through the QueryManager form linked from the official Glass Literary submissions page. Glass prefers queries that describe the book concisely, are well-written and typo-free, show an understanding of the marketplace and where the book fits, and, for nonfiction, show why the author is the best person to write the book. If interested, Glass will request the complete manuscript or proposal.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Sports, historical nonfiction, nonfiction

Wants: Proposal

Looking for

John Thorn is an Affiliate Agent at Thompson Literary with more than four decades in the book industry as publisher, author, and literary representative. He is interested in sports projects and historical nonfiction of all sorts.

How to submit

Submit to John Thorn through the QueryManager link on his Thompson Literary bio. The official bio says to send him a proposal, preferably nonfiction on a historical subject, and that he prefers not to see writing samples as part of an initial submission.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Literary fiction, nonfiction, history, journalism, music, film, sports, biography, narrative nonfiction, criticism, essays, hybrid nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Looking for

Jim Rutman represents adult literary fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, he is interested in audacious novels that test the form and prioritize language. His nonfiction interests are wide ranging, including history, journalism, music, film, sports, biography, traditional narrative approaches, criticism, and essays. He is often drawn to interdisciplinary and hybrid treatments and authorities seeking to complicate long-held assumptions.

How to submit

Submit to Sterling Lord Literistic through the official submissions page online form. SLL says it can only respond to queries if interested in seeing more material and does not represent screenplays.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, literature in translation, graphic novels, criticism, genre-bending writing

Wants: Query letter

Looking for

Jessica Friedman represents literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction, as well as literature in translation and select graphic novels. She is interested in distinctive voices and writing that challenges the expected stylistically, formally, or otherwise. She is particularly drawn to voice-driven prose, thoughtful criticism, genre-bending writing, and underrepresented narratives.

How to submit

Submit to Sterling Lord Literistic through the official submissions page online form. SLL says it can only respond to queries if interested in seeing more material and does not represent screenplays.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Journalism, narrative nonfiction, sociology, psychology, child welfare, politics, education, environment, history, memoir, voice-driven fiction, mystery

Wants: Query letter

Looking for

Jenna Land Free is looking for journalism that takes readers deeply into a world they have not seen before; leaders in sociology, psychology, child welfare, politics, education, and the environment; history for a general audience; uncommon personal stories that offer perspective into something greater than the individual; voice-driven novels; and page-turning mysteries.

How to submit

Email queries to jenna@foliolit.com. Jenna Land Free says she cannot reply to every submission individually, if you have not heard back within four weeks, it was not the best fit for her.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

History, business, self-help, science, gardening, cookbooks, crafts, parenting, memoir, true crime, travel, women's fiction, paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Looking for

Gina Panettieri is open to queries and submissions. She is interested in nonfiction that teaches something new and is based on original research, including history, business, self-help, science, gardening, cookbooks, crafts, parenting, memoir, true crime, and travel. In fiction she likes quirky, edgy characters and wants women's fiction, paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, science fiction, historical, mystery, thrillers, and suspense.

How to submit

Submit to Gina Panettieri through the official QueryMe link on her Talcott Notch profile. Talcott Notch says query letters should be one to two pages and may be accompanied by the first ten pages of the manuscript, the agency strongly prefers online agent-query submissions over email queries and asks email queries to be addressed to a specific agent.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryMe
Represents

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, new adult fiction, fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance, mystery, contemporary fiction

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters

Looking for

Jamie Vankirk is currently looking for Young Adult and New Adult novels across all genres, especially work by authors from marginalized communities. Her official MSWL highlights gothic, spooky, atmospheric stories, witches, vampires, werewolves and monsters, non-western folklore and mythology, cozy fantasy, stories involving video games or nerdy culture, psychological horror, one-night stories, compelling villains, queer romance or rom-com, genre blends, voice with humor, drag queens, and sapphic horror. She is closed to Middle Grade submissions at this time.

How to submit

Email submissions@rnliterary.com with a query letter and the first three chapters of the completed manuscript in the body of the email. Include the title and genre in the subject line. Do not send unsolicited attachments. If you receive an offer of representation or publication within six weeks of submitting, send a follow-up email to notify Jamie Vankirk.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Narrative nonfiction, literary fiction, memoir, biography, science, social issues, women's issues

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, bio, first twenty five pages

Looking for

Eve MacSweeney is developing narrative nonfiction and literary fiction that speak to emotionally driven stories, singular voices, and compelling social issues, especially as they concern the lives of women. Her official profile also notes memoirs focused on the criminal justice system, science-based investigation, biography, and literary fiction.

How to submit

Email submissions@calligraphlit.com with a query letter, brief synopsis, short bio, and 25 pages of sample material in the body of the email. Include Eve MacSweeney's name, the project title, and genre in the subject line. Do not query Eve directly, send attachments, or submit by postal mail or phone.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Middle grade, young adult, adventure, fantasy, mystery, thriller, suspense, paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, science fiction, contemporary fiction, romance, pop culture nonfiction, picture books, adult horror, adult mystery, adult thriller, women's fiction, new adult

Wants: Query letter, first 20 pages

Looking for

Marlo seeks emotionally involving stories with compelling characters and tight plots. She is interested in middle grade and young adult across many genres, picture books primarily from author-illustrators, and adult horror, mystery, thriller, suspense, women's fiction, and romance.

How to submit

Submit a query and the first 20 pages through Marlo Berliner's QueryManager. Picture book queries should include a portfolio link and the full text of the manuscript. Email, social, and postal queries are not considered.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Adult fiction, new adult, romance, contemporary romance, historical romance, science fiction, dystopian fiction, craft, homemaking

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, comps, first 50 pages

Looking for

Marrissa is seeking adult and New Adult fiction and craft/homemaking, especially work depicting BIPOC voices in a full spectrum of lives. She likes detailed narratives, intelligent and cool characters, layered romance, slice-of-life, medical, historical, light academia, culturally rooted stories, dystopian fiction, accessible science fiction, aliens, parallel universes, and time travel.

How to submit

Submit through Marrissa Childs's QueryTracker route. Her form asks for query letter, synopsis, one-paragraph pitch, target audience, comparable books, and the first 50 pages. Ladderbird asks writers not to query more than one agent at a time.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryTracker
Represents

Literary fiction, short stories, novels, narrative nonfiction, immersive journalism, personal essay, pop culture, memoir, anti-lifestyle, adult nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, proposal, manuscript

Looking for

Kent D. Wolf represents literary fiction, including story collections and novels, and narrative nonfiction in immersive journalism, personal essay, pop culture, memoir, anti-lifestyle, and anything that aims to dismantle prevailing power structures. He is drawn to writing that is bizarre, profane, unsettling, dark, darkly funny, and literary-uncanny, and to writers who move the cultural needle through direct confrontation, self-interrogation, genre blurring, language bending, and strong writing.

How to submit

Email submissions to submissions@neonliterary.com and specify in the subject line that you are querying Kent. Neon asks for a query letter, proposal, and or or manuscript. Attachments should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Google Docs, or writers may paste the file in the body of the email. Personal emails should be used only when invited.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Romance, adult fiction, new adult, emotional fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Looking for

Haley is interested in adult and New Adult fiction, especially romance with heat, strong emotion, and broad storytelling appeal. She is drawn to work that makes her laugh, cry, think, and stay with the story after reading.

How to submit

Submit through the query route linked from Haley Warrington's Booker Albert profile and follow the current agency guidelines.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryTracker
Represents

Narrative nonfiction, journalistic nonfiction, memoir, commercial fiction, literary fiction, science fiction, speculative fiction, folk tale, poetry

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Looking for

Sophie is interested in smart narrative and journalistic nonfiction, memoirs from radical new voices, commercial and literary fiction with sci-fi, folk-tale, or speculative elements, and urgent poetry that plays with genre.

How to submit

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate that the query is for Sophie Pugh-Sellers.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Science fiction, fantasy, horror, young adult, genre mashups, political intrigue, found families, queer stories

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Looking for

Caitlin represents adult and young adult science fiction, fantasy, and horror, with an emphasis on high-impact stories that have something powerful to say.

How to submit

Submit through Caitlin McDonald's QueryManager route when open. Follow her posted FAQ and do not submit unfinished manuscripts.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Science fiction, fantasy

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first pages

Looking for

He is currently looking for adult science-fiction and fantasy that is ambitious, original, and thematic, with a broad scope and excellent characterization. In science fiction, he is especially interested in books about space exploration from BIPOC authors. He is happy to see books written as the first in a 2-3 book series and books that fall on the longer side of genre standards.

How to submit

Query online via QueryManager with a query, a 1-2 page synopsis, and the first 25 pages of your project. Queries sent elsewhere will be deleted unread.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Fiction, non-fiction, children's, memoir, biography, natural history, literary fiction, mystery, suspense, women's fiction, health, fitness, young adult, faith, popular culture

Wants: Query letter, first 50 pages

Looking for

Laura represents a wide range of fiction, nonfiction and books for children. Her interests include memoir and biography, natural history, literary fiction, mystery, suspense, women's fiction, health and fitness, children's and young adult, faith issues and popular culture.

How to submit

Email Laura directly at lbp@cbltd.com and attach the first 50 pages of your project. Include 'lbpquery' in the subject line.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, non-fiction, science fiction

Wants: Query letter, first fifty pages, full proposal

Looking for

James Farrell seeks literary and upmarket adult fiction, non-fiction, and occasionally science fiction. He is especially seeking voices from underrepresented backgrounds.

How to submit

Direct queries to jtf@cbltd.com with the first fifty pages of your manuscript or a full proposal in the body of your email, and include the title, genre, and 'jtf query' in the subject line.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, young adult, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 50 pages, full proposal

Looking for

Kerry is particularly drawn to character-driven work, unconventional plot structures, unreliable narrators, complicated family relationships, and speculative elements that challenge our ways of thinking about the world.

How to submit

Email query letters to Kerry at kd@cbltd.com and include either the first fifty pages of your manuscript or your full proposal in an attachment as a Word document.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, creative non-fiction, young adult literary fiction, middle grade literary fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 30 pages, author biography

Looking for

Katie Grimm seeks plot-driven literary and upmarket fiction, narrative and creative nonfiction, and literary fiction for young adult and middle grade audiences. She looks for voice-driven books with a heartbeat and sense of purpose, particularly interested in the darker and weirder side of human history, previously under- or misrepresented experiences, and narratives that contribute to larger cultural conversations.

How to submit

Send query via Query Manager at https://querymanager.com or KGRIMM with query letter, first 30 pages, and author biography.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Children's fiction, children's non-fiction, middle grade fiction, middle grade non-fiction, picture books, young adult

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

She focuses on middle-grade fiction and nonfiction with the goal of amplifying underrepresented voices and experiences. She particularly loves stories with friendship ties, complicated family dynamics, and grief or loss. Being a New York native, anything based in NYC has her heart.

How to submit

Email queries to jky@cbltd.com with the first 10 pages of your manuscript in the body of the email with QUERY in the subject line.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, young adult fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

Looking for

Alexandra is particularly interested in upmarket and literary fiction, narrative nonfiction and memoir, and select literary Young Adult.

How to submit

Email queries to acf@cbltd.com with a synopsis and the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of the email with QUERY in the subject line.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, women's fiction, chick lit, mystery, suspense, thriller, picture books, middle grade, young adult, memoir, celebrity biography, arts, popular culture, self-help, health, spiritual

Wants: Query letter, first pages, synopsis, bio

Looking for

She seeks literary fiction with unique voices and commercial fiction including women's fiction, mysteries, and thrillers. For children's books, she wants picture books and character-driven middle grade and Young Adult with distinctive voices. In nonfiction, she represents memoirs, celebrity biographies, books about arts and popular culture, and empowering self-help titles.

How to submit

For fiction queries, send the first twenty pages in the email body to jenndec@aol.com with a one-paragraph bio and synopsis. For nonfiction, attach the complete proposal as a Word document with a sample chapter, plus bio and synopsis in the email body.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, new adult, fantasy, thriller, mystery, adventure, contemporary romance, horror, paranormal romance

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, author bio, comparable books

Looking for

Lindsey is building a list in picture books, middle grade, young adult and new adult. She is open to fantasy, thriller, mystery, adventure, contemporary romance, horror and paranormal romance, with fresh concepts, strong voice, high stakes and emotional drive.

How to submit

Submit through Lindsey Aduskevich's QueryTracker form. Query only one Martin-Newens representative at a time.

Last checked 30 Sept 2026Via Online Form

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