United States Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Picture books, mg fiction, ya fiction, adult commercial fiction, fantasy, mystery or thriller, upmarket women's fiction

Picture Books: Author/Illustrators ONLY. MG fiction: funny, mad-cap adventures; epic fantasy; magical realism; high-concept twists; strong plots and voices. YA fiction: commercial and high-concept fiction (all genres). Plot-driven and escapist books. Humor, imagination, adventure, romance. Adult commercial fiction (accessible fantasy, mystery/thriller, upmarket women's fiction). Fun, escapist reads. Great hooks. Great writing.

Use QueryManager link provided

Visit agent's website for details

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Starting January 2026, Dunham Literary will ONLY accept queries through QUERYMANAGER. Please address your query to the agent you think would be the best fit for you and your manuscript.

Literary fiction, speculative fiction, short story collections, international fiction, upmarket fiction, genre fiction, narrative non-fiction, cultural criticism, journalism

Wants: Query letter

Audrey seeks literary fiction, grounded speculative fiction, story collections, international works, and upmarket and genre fiction with a literary bent. She is drawn to smart, voice-driven stories with a sense of humor and style. For nonfiction, she looks for select narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, and human-centered journalistic deep-dives, with particular interests in food and dining, fashion, nightlife, dance, the cultures of the contemporary Middle East, and the American South.

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

Commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, romance, romantasy, thriller, book club fiction, retellings, memoirs, narrative non-fiction, essay collections

Wants: Query letter

Aurora seeks commercial and upmarket fiction, particularly narratives with romantic or fantastical threads. She loves romance from smart romcoms to romantasy, with favorite tropes including forced proximity and rivals-to-lovers. She's drawn to thrillers like Megan Miranda's work and upmarket fiction with interesting female dynamics and moral dilemmas. For nonfiction, she wants select memoirs, narrative nonfictions, and essay collections on pop culture, modern dating, women's issues, and respectful true crime.

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

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, popular culture, history, politics, women's issues, biography, science, essays

Wants: Query letter

Ellen treasures working with brilliant authors of literary fiction and loves to handle well-written popular commercial fiction. She represents memoir, narrative non-fiction, popular culture, history, politics, women's issues, biography, science, essayistic work, and the odd quirky book. She enjoys guiding established authors' careers and loves discovering fresh talent and new voices.

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

Fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter

Mark Gottlieb is actively seeking submissions in all categories and genres and looks forward to bringing new and established authors to the curious minds of their future readers.

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

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, thriller, young adult, memoir

Wants: Query letter

Great storytelling that gets into your head and heart, anything you can't stop thinking about. Books and stories that touch the soul, make you laugh or cry or both. Stories that haven't been told before or are told in a different way.

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

History, science, medical, politics, biography, literary fiction, poetry, theology

Wants: Query letter

Don roams widely in terms of subject areas and categories, but what catches his attention first is the author's voice. He is particularly drawn to historians, scientists, medical writers, political commentators, novelists, poets, and theologians.

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

Illustrators, children's illustration, educational publishing, religious publishing

Wants: Pdf portfolio, website link, art samples

Children's education and religion illustration projects, with a focus on pairing artists with children's publishing clients.

Use the official Bright submissions form. Illustrators should upload a PDF portfolio with at least 10 samples and a website or social media link. Author-illustrators should follow the relevant picture book or Middle Grade instructions and include art samples.

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.

Romance, science fiction, fantasy, gothic tales, horror, cozy mysteries, upmarket commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, author bio, sample pages, one-sentence pitch

Saritza seeks commercial fiction by diverse authors, particularly romance with complex characters, propulsive science fiction, character-driven fantasy, atmospheric horror, cozy mysteries, upmarket commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction about culture and food, and all Young Adult/Middle Grade genres especially science fiction and romance.

Submit via QueryManager link with query letter, author bio, contact information, and first 10 pages for novels. Include one-sentence pitch. Follow submission guidelines on agency website.

Middle grade, young adult, romance, science fiction, fantasy, commercial fiction, contemporary fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

She is looking for characters who aren't afraid to stand up for their convictions and beliefs. She's open to all genres of middle grade and especially loves stories that push the Middle Grade boundary. She represents all genres in Young Adult and in adult fiction adores swoony romances, light science fiction or fantasy, commercial fiction, and heartwarming or heart wrenching contemporaries. She enjoys feminist stories that highlight women's experiences, strong female friendship narratives, unique voices, diverse perspectives, vivid settings, and stories that explore tough topics.

Submit through QueryManager with query letter, 1-2 page synopsis, and sample pages of either 3 chapters or first 30 pages. Format submissions with double spacing, Times New Roman 12pt font, 1 inch margins, and indent each new paragraph.

Nonfiction, popular reference, business, health, psychology, poker, spirituality, self-help, humor, cookbooks, pop culture, biography, women's issues, decorating, crafts, music

Wants: Query letter

Sheree is currently only considering nonfiction, including popular reference, business, health, psychology, poker, spirituality, self-help, humor, cookbooks, pop culture, biography, women's issues, decorating, crafts, music, and related adult nonfiction.

Email a one-page nonfiction query in the body of the email to shereebee@aol.com. Put Query and your name in the subject line. Do not send attachments unless requested.

Nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, history, science, sports, technology, business, pop culture

Wants: Query letter, full proposal

Howard Yoon works exclusively with nonfiction writers, especially reported narratives, memoir, history, science, sports, technology, business, and popular culture. He represents leading experts and thought leaders, and has a soft spot for underdog stories and voices of the underserved.

Query Howard Yoon via the contact or query button on his WME Books profile page. For nonfiction, include a query letter addressed to him and a full proposal. WME asks writers to query one agent at a time, if there is no response in six weeks, writers may try another WME Books agent.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, women's fiction, crime, thrillers, narrative non-fiction, memoir, current affairs, personal development, humor, ya

Jessica Rios is based in the New York office of Susanna Lea Associates, which represents a range of fiction and non-fiction. The agency seeks literary and commercial fiction, women's fiction, crime, thrillers, narrative non-fiction, memoir, current affairs, personal development, humor, and select young adult with crossover appeal. They focus on projects with strong potential across all rights including translation, film, television, and audio.

Check agent's submission page

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.

Literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, nonfiction, graphic memoir, journalism

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Imaginative, genre-bending literary fiction and capacious historical novels that push boundaries, beautifully told queer stories, and smart, feminist romance. In nonfiction, projects that probe assumptions and invite nuance, with special attention to queer, trans, and underrepresented experiences, as well as narratives exploring culture, technology, food, and the environment.

Submit your query via Query Manager at the link provided. Include a cover letter, synopsis, and sample pages as appropriate for your project.

Picture books, preschool, nonfiction, graphic novels, authors, illustrators

Wants: Submission form, full picture book text, synopsis, first three chapters, graphic novel script

Georgia Tournay-Godfrey is a literary agent at The Bright Agency. She works across picture books, preschool, nonfiction, and graphic novels, and focuses on authors and illustrators with distinctive perspectives, bold ideas, clever structure, playful pacing, real expertise, passion, humour, inventive visual storytelling, and voices from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Use Bright's official literary submissions form. For picture books, upload the full text. For fiction or nonfiction, send a synopsis and first three chapters. For graphic novels, send a synopsis and the full script. Bright does not accept postal submissions.

Mystery, thriller, suspense, historical fiction, young adult

Wants: Query letter

Ella Marie is looking for adult mysteries, thrillers, suspense, historical fiction, and YA thriller, suspense, mystery, detective fiction, and historical fiction. She is looking for diverse authors and fast-paced stories.

Submit through Ella Marie's official QueryManager route. Belcastro asks writers to read each agent's wishlist, submit to one agent at a time, and use the Submit a Story button to reach the query form.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, children's nonfiction, horror, fantasy, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, adult fantasy

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio, sample pages

Christa is actively acquiring for all age groups in children's, is taking picture books sparingly, and prioritizes BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and disabled writers. She is interested in contemporary, horror, fantasy, mystery/thriller, historical, and very sparse adult fantasy.

Query Christa through her official QueryManager link. For children's and YA, include query letter, synopsis, first three consecutive chapters up to 25 pages, author bio, and any relevant illustrations.

Young adult, middle grade, picture books, contemporary fiction, contemporary fantasy, fantasy, speculative fiction, suspense, romance, historical fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio, sample pages

Daniele is open to YA, middle grade, and picture books. She prioritizes contemporary but is also open to contemporary fantasy, selective fantasy/speculative, suspense, romance, and historical, especially lyrical, literary, voice-driven work by diverse authors.

Query Daniele through her official QueryManager link. For children's and YA, include query letter, synopsis, first three consecutive chapters up to 25 pages, author bio, and any relevant illustrations.

Fiction, nonfiction, young adult, commercial fiction, literary fiction, book club fiction, thriller, speculative fiction, food, true crime, pop culture, history

Wants: Query letter

Lily represents fiction and nonfiction, including YA, from commercial to literary. She is actively looking for novels with strong hooks, propulsive plots, book club appeal, nuanced female perspectives, high-concept thrillers, speculative fiction, atmospheric settings, strange women in strange circumstances, and nonfiction on food, true crime, pop culture, and untold history with a feminist angle.

Submit through the Sterling Lord Literistic submissions form. The agency asks writers to complete the form by email and says it only responds if interested.

Fantasy, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, adult fiction, young adult fiction, horror, gothic, dark academia

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages, synopsis

Crockett seeks upmarket, character-driven adult and Young Adult fiction with emotional depth, compelling stakes, and diversity. She represents fantasy including epic, historical, folklore/fairytale, horror, gothic, and dark academia, plus contemporary realistic fiction perfect for book clubs. In adult fiction only, she also seeks historical fiction that brings a new perspective.

Submit queries through Query Manager. Include query letter, first 10 pages, word count, genre, target audience, and comparable books.

Nonfiction, practical lifestyle, how-to, wellness, mindfulness, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction, history, cultural criticism, ecology, food, social justice, illustrated books, literary estates

Wants: Query letter

Jenny represents award-winning nonfiction, including practical lifestyle and how-to projects, wellness and mindfulness, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction about history, cultural criticism, ecology and the natural world, food, and social justice. For adults and kids, she loves highly designed books that inform and inspire through text and image.

Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's submissions page and choose only one SLL agent to query. The agency says it can only respond if interested in seeing more material.

Dark romance, romantic comedies, genre-bending romantasy, bold speculative fiction

Dark romance, sharp romantic comedies, genre-bending romantasy, and bold speculative fiction. Especially drawn to Queer and own voices, stories with complex emotions, unforgettable relationships, and high-stakes worldbuilding

Only accepts queries through QueryManager

Adult fiction, adult nonfiction, commercial horror, fantasy, grounded science fiction, mystery, thriller, pop culture, cultural history, spiritual, occult, cookbooks, food writing

Wants: Query letter, creator bio, first ten pages

Alexandra Grana is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, she is looking for commercial horror, fantasy, grounded science fiction, mysteries, thrillers, gothic horror, atmospheric stories, inventive stories with big hooks, dramatic and messy feelings, diverse stories from marginalized perspectives, and stories inspired by folklore. In nonfiction, she is looking for pop culture, cultural history, spiritual, occult, cookbooks, and food writing from creators with fresh approaches to their subject matter.

Email query@psliterary.com and address the query to Alexandra Grana. P.S. Literary asks for a query in the email body with an introduction, brief overview, and creator bio. For adult fiction, adult memoir, adult nonfiction essay collections, and children's fiction or nonfiction, include the first ten pages in the body of the email. Do not send attachments, full manuscripts, phone queries, paper queries, social media queries, original screenplays, poetry, or AI-generated work. Query one P.S. Literary agent at a time.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, investigative journalism

Sweeping narratives with voice-driven prose, particularly genre-bending projects that offer fresh perspectives. Timeless stories exploring migration, family, socioeconomic inequality, and speculative worlds that reveal complicated truths about our own reality. Also select narrative nonfiction, memoir, and investigative journalism projects; across all genres, books that uplift historically underrepresented voices.

Submit queries through Aevitas Creative Management's contact and submissions form or contact the agency directly by phone at and 1 (212) 765-6900.

Suspense, literary fiction, commercial fiction, current affairs, politics, history

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Will is looking for original and unpredictable suspense novels, both literary and commercial, plus nonfiction focused on current affairs, politics, and history.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Literary fiction, nonfiction, children's fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Sarah represents literary fiction, nonfiction, and children's fiction.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, poetry, translation

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Nora is interested in literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoirs, cookbooks, select poetry, translation, Spanish-language authors, and international writers.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Literary fiction, crossover fiction, creative nonfiction, illustrated work

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Meredith represents literary and crossover fiction, creative nonfiction, and occasional illustrated work, with emphasis on bold, humane storytelling and literary-leaning narratives that incorporate genre elements.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Podcast creators, journalism, romance, women's fiction, romantasy

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Joy represents podcast creators, journalists, and authors, and is expanding into romance, especially contemporary romance, paranormal romance, romantic fantasy, and smart, big-hearted women's fiction.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Fiction, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Jack loves stories about heroes, real or imagined, and is often hooked by writing with a sense of humor or an unforgettable narrator.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Fiction, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

David is the President and Founder of The Gernert Company. The agency represents literary and commercial fiction, general nonfiction, practical nonfiction, children's literature, graphic novels, comics, and podcasts.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Nonfiction, literary fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Chris has wide-ranging nonfiction tastes and literary fiction tastes; in both categories he is looking for great writing by smart writers and prefers queries with a sample chapter or two.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.