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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

Science fiction, fantasy, horror

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 10-20 pages

Looking for

Stories from BIPOC who are born and raised in the Global South. Work that burns down the patriarchy and colonizers, contains gaming Easter eggs, has emotional resonance like indie games, and political complexity like anime. Dragons, sapphic power couples, cozy Studio Ghibli-like stories, BIPOC vampires, dark academia with e-sports or tabletop gaming, and stories where emotional intelligence is valuable.

How to submit

Select one agent to submit to. Submit to one agent at a time, but if one passes, you can submit to up to three agents at ALA. Submit 10-20 polished pages for novels. Must be complete manuscript.

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Fantasy, romance, mystery, horror, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, thriller, science fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, biography, sample pages

Looking for

She seeks accessibly-written novels that transport readers and make them forget the world around them. She loves deep POV, compelling hooks, and confident voices. She's particularly interested in fantasy, romance, mystery, horror, and upmarket or commercial fiction, especially with speculative elements. In nonfiction, she wants paradigm-shifting, platform-driven books that make readers reconsider what they know about the world.

How to submit

Submit through Query Manager only. Include query letter, bio, and 10-20 polished pages for novels. No email submissions accepted unless requested or on referral.

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Graphic novels, young adult contemporary, young adult science fiction, young adult fantasy, adult romance, adult non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, biography, first 10 pages

Looking for

He loves lyrical prose, wordplay, and humor. He is especially excited about working with queer, neurodivergent, BIPOC, and disabled creators. In Young Adult, he seeks contemporary realistic fiction and science fiction/fantasy. In adult fiction, he wants queer romance. For nonfiction, he prefers accessible, queer, and neurodivergent works.

How to submit

Fill out his submission form via QueryManager. Submit one agent at a time, but can submit to up to three ALA agents if one passes. Include polished query letter, bio, and complete work.

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Adult speculative fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters

Looking for

He is most drawn to narratives that explore hierarchies of power, novel world-building in secondary world fantasy, and protagonists with unique voices. He is also looking for stories on the cozier side of speculative fiction. In nonfiction, he is most interested in history and philosophy.

How to submit

Email query letter and the first three chapters of your novel or full non-fiction book proposal

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Non-fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, prescriptive, christian, sports

Wants: Query letter, project summary, author credentials, first five pages

Looking for

She is passionate about stories that must be told and is drawn in particular to authors whose faith engages the wider world. Chris represents books across a broad spectrum of nonfiction including memoirs, narrative, prescriptive, Christian, and sports, and works with authors to develop books that are appealing and accessible to a broad audience.

How to submit

Submit query letter including a brief summary of your project, short description of why you're writing it, any specific credentials, and first five pages for fiction only via the online form.

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Query letter, synopsis, first five pages

Looking for

Caroline is drawn to incisive, compelling storytellers with prose that jumps off the page. She is particularly interested in up-and-coming Gen Z voices, as well as diverse perspectives across the topics of pop culture, investigative journalism, women's studies, history, true crime, technology, and self-improvement.

How to submit

Send a query letter that includes a brief summary of your novel or the scope of your non-fiction project, a short description why you're writing the project, any specific credentials you have for writing the book in question, and the first five pages for fiction only.

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Upmarket fiction, literary fiction, women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, first ten pages

Looking for

Abby Walters represents upmarket and literary fiction, especially voice-led, psychologically deep novels about flawed characters at moments of rupture. She is interested in desire, power, class, addiction, creativity, self-mythologizing, strong settings outside the United States, narrative momentum, and witty or scandal-led women's fiction.

How to submit

Send a query letter, author bio, and the first ten pages of the manuscript to awalters@dblackagency.com. The agency does not accept paper, phone, mail, or fax queries and asks writers to query one agent at a time.

Last checked 25 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

Looking for

In nonfiction, she is particularly interested in conversation-changing books including journalism, science, technology, business/finance/economics, memoir/narrative, self-help/wellness, and essays and cultural criticism. She is drawn to a range of literary and commercial fiction and is particularly excited about stories that touch on the deeper meaning of life, family, identity and love.

How to submit

Direct submission to an individual agent. For fiction: send an informative description, brief synopsis and the first ten pages. For non-fiction: send an informative description, full outline, and the first ten pages of the manuscript. Include sample pages in the body of the email below your query.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Fiction, non-fiction, picture books, graphic novels

Looking for

Query Letter, Synopsis, Sample Pages

How to submit

Direct submission to an individual agent. For fiction: send informative description, brief synopsis and first ten pages in email body. For non-fiction: send informative description, full outline, and first ten pages in email body. For picture books: send informative description, full outline, dummy as PDF and full-color samples as JPEGs or PDFs. For graphic novels: send 10 illustrated pages with text as PDF and synopsis in email body.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Fiction, nonfiction, children's books, adult, young adult, middle grade, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

Contemporary & Upmarket fiction, Upmarket Romance, Speculative & Cozy Fantasy, Literary Thriller/Suspense/Psychological, Atmospheric & Genre-Bending, Fun & Offbeat, Graphic Novels, Big Ideas & Culture nonfiction, Literary Memoir

How to submit

Send query and first 10 pages in body of email to helmsubmissions@gmail.com. No attachments will be opened.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Science fiction, fantasy, speculative literature

Wants: Query letter, first 1-2 chapters

Looking for

Science fiction, fantasy, and speculative literature that falls anywhere along the commercial to literary spectrum. Books that delve into the intricacies of language or explore forgotten mythologies.

How to submit

Queries should be emailed to submissions@inkwellmanagement.com. In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). You may specify the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, contemporary novels, fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, horror, mysteries, middle grade fantasy, picture books, graphic novels, arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, occult

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

Literary and upmarket fiction, non-fiction book proposals, select children's books, and graphic novels. In fiction, she's looking for contemporary novels (with or without speculative elements), fantasy, grounded science fiction, magical realism, horror, and mysteries. In non-fiction, she's interested in projects that explore the arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, and the occult

How to submit

Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction. For graphic novels, Maria is only considering projects by a single creator both writing and illustrating the book.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Speculative fiction, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction, fantasy, young adult, self-help, spiritual, occult, nature memoir, nature non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

In fiction, she is particularly drawn to speculative, atmospheric, and voice-driven narratives for both adult and young adult audiences. She has a soft spot for hybrid genres, such as horror-romance or speculative thrillers, and books with big hooks. On the non-fiction side, she is interested in self-help, spiritual (Marina loves the woo woo!), and the occult. She's also very keen to find poignant nature memoirs and other nature-based non-fiction.

How to submit

Please use this format in the subject field of your email: 'Marina or BOOK TITLE or CREATOR NAME or GENRE'

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

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

Looking for

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.

How to submit

Query via agency submission process

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Voice-driven fiction, short story collections, narrative nonfiction, science, history, biography, memoir, pop culture

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, bio, first 3 chapters

Looking for

Voice-driven fiction, short story collections, narrative nonfiction (especially science, history, biography, memoir, and pop culture)

How to submit

Query her directly at renee@mmqalit.com with word 'query' in subject line, attach excerpt up to three sample chapters as Word document

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, mysteries, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, first 3 chapters, book proposal

Looking for

Fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, and mysteries as well as literary writers, and smart narrative nonfiction

How to submit

Please send query letter in the body of your email to querymb@sjga.com, and then send the following as an attachment: the first three chapters of your book (for fiction) or your complete book proposal (for nonfiction)

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Adult nonfiction, adult fiction, children's literature, picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels

Looking for

Cooking, drinks, health/wellness, lifestyle, self-help, women's issues, memoir, cat content, underrepresented voices. Occasional adult fiction for existing clients or via referrals. Select children's literature in special circumstances.

How to submit

Submit queries here: http:// queryManager.com or JenNewens

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, thriller, mysteries, speculative fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

Looking for

Kirby represents both literary and commercial authors. He seeks manuscripts that straddle the fence with upmarket expression combined with a genre element or plot device. For literary work, he's drawn to rich, sweeping stories that encompass a time or place, or tightly written, narratively innovative stories with award potential. His commercial interests include thrillers, mysteries and speculative fiction. He also represents nonfiction from leaders and journalists in science, culture and current affairs, plus pop culture including music and comedy.

How to submit

For fiction submissions, send an informative description, a brief synopsis and the first ten pages. For non-fiction submissions, send an informative description, a full outline, and the first ten pages of the manuscript. Include the sample pages in the body of the email below your query. Direct your submission to an individual agent and send your material to submissions@janklow.com.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, fantasy, mystery, romantasy, horror, humor, narrative nonfiction, nature and ecology, pop culture, women's issues

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters or proposal

Looking for

Emelie Burl represents books for all ages and across many genres. She is drawn to cozy projects across fiction and nonfiction, found family, magic, nature, self-acceptance, folklore, diversity, queer joy, female rage, immersive storytelling, hopeful stories with edge, grounded fantasy, unusual or offbeat characters, journalistic deep dives with personal narrative, humor, and children's books that meet kids where they are.

How to submit

Submit to Emelie Burl through her official linked QueryManager form only. Direct email queries will be deleted unread. The form asks for author information, query letter, synopsis, AI-use disclosure, and the first three chapters or, for nonfiction, the full book proposal.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

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

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

Looking for

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.

How to submit

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.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Adult nonfiction, memoir, history, pop culture, science, parenting, literary fiction, upmarket fiction

Wants: Query letter, proposal, manuscript

Looking for

Anna Sproul-Latimer represents all types of adult nonfiction, from memoir and history to pop culture, science, and parenting, as well as select literary and upmarket fiction. She is drawn to buzzing, bright, curious authors with enthusiasm and national or international audiences, especially books with humor, vulnerability, honesty, refuge, and relief.

How to submit

Send a query letter, proposal, and or or manuscript to submissions@neonliterary.com. Specify in the subject line that you are querying Anna. Neon Literary represents adult nonfiction and literary fiction for national audiences, accepts Word or Google Docs attachments or pasted pages, and cannot read mail, in-person, or phone queries unless previously agreed for accessibility reasons.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Pop culture, pop science, fashion, design, literary commentary, history, folktale-inspired horror, fantasy, gothic mystery, romance, puzzle-driven mysteries, literary fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

In non-fiction, she is drawn to narrative projects that bring niche subjects to a wide readership, particularly those that blend memoir with expertise. Her interests include pop culture, pop science, fashion, design, literary commentary, and the history of subcultures and counterculture. In fiction, she loves immersive atmosphere, sharp observation, twisty storytelling, and offbeat wit. She is especially interested in folktale-inspired horror and fantasy, gothic mystery and romance, fantasies featuring mundane magic, puzzle-driven mysteries, and cozy stories that feel hopeful yet grounded, like a Studio Ghibli movie.

How to submit

Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, speculative fiction, psychological thriller, true crime, music, religion, history, wellness, psychology, science

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

In non-fiction, she is particularly drawn to true crime, music (almost any genre, but especially blues and classic rock), religion, and history (especially ancient civilizations or intellectual history). She also likes expert-driven wellness, popular psychology, and other science-related ideas (especially in biology or physics). In fiction, she is interested in fantasy, historical, romance (especially fantasy, historical, or LGBTQ), speculative, and psychological thrillers.

How to submit

Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary, commercial, mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, business, history, politics, current affairs, memoir, health, wellness, sports, humor, pop culture, pop science, pop psychology

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

In terms of fiction, he is seeking literary, commercial, mystery, thriller, suspense and romance. In terms of non-fiction, he is looking for business, history, politics, current affairs, memoir, health, wellness, sports, humor, pop culture, pop science, and pop psychology.

How to submit

Address your query to the attention of the agent you feel is the best match for your work. Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction.

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Women's fiction, upmarket adult, commercial adult, domestic suspense, literary mystery, thrillers, historical, contemporary romance, book club fiction, pop science, business, psychology, cookbooks, memoirs, lifestyle, narrative non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

In terms of fiction, she is seeking women's fiction, upmarket adult, commercial adult, domestic suspense, literary mystery and thrillers, historical, contemporary romance, and smart book club fiction. In terms of non-fiction, she is looking for pop science, business, psychology, cookbooks, unique memoirs, lifestyle (health, wellness, relationships, parenting), narrative, and platform based non-fiction

How to submit

For fiction queries, please format email subjects as 'Fiction: TITLE or GENRE or CREATOR NAME' and non-fiction queries as 'Non-Fiction: TOPIC or TITLE or CREATOR NAME'

Last checked 24 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction, history, memoir, culture, politics, science, natural history

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, bio, first 30 pages

Looking for

Literary and commercial fiction that put immersive storytelling and authentic emotional consequences front and center. In nonfiction, deeply reported narrative nonfiction, history and singular memoir

How to submit

Send query letter and first 30 pages (fiction) or query letter and book proposal (nonfiction) to aram@mmqalit.com with 'Query' in subject line

Last checked 23 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Literary fiction, book club fiction, grounded speculative, horror, thrillers, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, poetry, ya

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Looking for

Literary and book club fiction, grounded speculative, horror, thrillers, narrative and practical nonfiction, as well as select poetry and YA

How to submit

Email queries directly to Ashley at ashley@mmqalit.com with word 'query' and project title in subject line, include first 10 pages in body of email

Last checked 23 Sept 2026Via Email
Represents

Narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction, big-idea books, journalism, culture, spirituality, religion, philosophy

Looking for

Daring nonfiction that pushes boundaries and changes conversations. Voice-driven narrative and creative nonfiction, big-idea books, high-stakes journalism with receipts, fresh slants on culture and creativity, meaningful explorations of spirituality, religion, or philosophy

How to submit

Check agent's submission page

Last checked 23 Sept 2026
Represents

Literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, history, current affairs, science, investigative journalism, cultural criticism

Wants: Query letter, bio, first 10 pages

Looking for

Bold voices and writers with a strong point of view; in nonfiction, she seeks perspective-changing ideas packaged in narrative form

How to submit

For fiction submissions, please include your query letter, bio, and the first 10 pages of your manuscript in the body of your email. For nonfiction submissions, please include your query letter and bio and proposal if available.

Last checked 23 Sept 2026Via Form

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