Upmarket Fiction Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, cultural criticism, memoir

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Chris represents literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, and memoir.

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

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, upmarket women's fiction, romance, thriller, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, popular science, parenting, pop culture, humor, how-to, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, business

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

Andrea represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects for adult, young adult and middle grade audiences. She actively seeks literary and commercial fiction, upmarket women's fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction. In nonfiction, she seeks memoir, narrative nonfiction, popular science, parenting, pop culture, humor, how-to, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, and business.

Submit via email with a short synopsis of your work, author bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email. No attachments.

Upmarket fiction, literary fiction, women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, first ten pages

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.

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.

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 non-fiction

Fiction: literary/upmarket with edge, romance (incl dark academia, paranormals, grounded romantasy), mysteries with fresh angle, some literary speculative (not hard SFF). Non-fiction: science/nature, art/culture, social issues/politics, love/relationships, illustrated non-fiction, food/drink

Email (to one agent) - dchandley@pfd.co.uk

Fiction and non-fiction

Fiction: high-concept crime/thrillers, female-led commercial, upmarket commercial, book club, contemporary women's stories, romance, underrepresented voices, fresh-take historical, funny smart romcoms, sagas, gothic, sweeping love stories. Non-fiction: humour, memoir, lifestyle, social justice/polemic, cookery. Not horror/ghosts, not SFF, not YA/children, not sport/true crime, no short stories/novellas, no poetry/screenplay

Email db.submission@dhhliteraryagency.com with a cover letter, first 3 chapters, and a 1-page synopsis as Word attachments.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, select expert-driven practical nonfiction, horror

In nonfiction she is drawn above all else to lyrical writing and rigorous thinking, and is interested in climate change, nature, ecology, geopolitics, migration, pop culture, tech, psychology, and in works that might be defined as cultural anthropology. In fiction she is looking for horror—especially social horror, feminist horror, and folk horror—, literary fiction that flirts with genre, working class characters, and intimate novels. She is particularly interested in LGBTQ+ writing across categories. She does not represent books for children, including YA.

Accepts queries exclusively via query manager

Fantasy, romantasy, rom-coms, book club romance, female-focused psychological thrillers, historical fiction, commercial non-fiction

Dark fantasy, romantasy (commercial and upmarket), dark academia, political intrigue, genre-blending (horror/romance, fantasy/horror), psychological thrillers with a dark edge, unhinged female protagonists, stories from underrepresented backgrounds. Interested in previously self-published authors within these genres and fanfiction authors writing original fiction

Send your cover letter, synopsis, and first three chapters or 10,000 words for fiction, or a proposal for non-fiction, to ciara.finan@curtisbrown.co.uk. Due to the volume of submissions received, a response to every query is not guaranteed. Writers should keep the agent updated if they receive a full manuscript request or an offer of representation from another agent.

Adult fiction, young adult, contemporary fiction, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, family saga, coming-of-age, rom-com, narrative nonfiction, memoir, self-help, sports, humor, pop culture, business, science, technology, social justice, human rights, feminist issues

Wants: Query letter, first five pages, full proposal

JL is reviewing fiction and nonfiction projects: adult and YA contemporary, upmarket and commercial fiction, family stories, coming-of-age, rom-coms, plus prescriptive and narrative nonfiction, memoir, style, fashion, art, culture, mental health, spirituality, self-help, sports, humor, pop culture, business, science, tech, social justice, human rights and feminist issues.

Submit a query letter and first five pages or full nonfiction proposal through the Next Level Lit QueryManager form. Do not query JL by email.

Speculative fiction, literary science fiction, upmarket book club fiction, thrillers, fairy tale retellings, magical realism, horror, suspense

Dorian is actively building her list in YA and adult fiction, especially speculative fiction, literary science fiction, upmarket book club fiction, thrillers, reimagined fairy tales, magical realism, unique voices, contemporary novels with mystery, horror, suspense, and innovative storytelling.

QueryManager submissions

Fiction and non-fiction

Non-fiction: history, popular science, social issues, nature, money/life management, music, sport, film, technology, memoir, true crime, experts with wide appeal. Fiction: literary and well-written commercial, boundary-pushing style with emotional heart and plot, upmarket with satisfying arc, historical or contemporary, genre-mixing

Email submissions@watsonlittle.com with a cover letter in the body of the email, a synopsis, and approximately 10,000 words from the beginning of the manuscript for fiction, or a proposal including a sample chapter and chapter summaries for non-fiction. Address one agent only. No AI-originated or AI-edited material.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, non-fiction

Literary and upmarket fiction and non-fiction (incl lifestyle/wellbeing), stand-out stories with strong leading idea and emotional depth, humour/charm. Currently not looking for crime fiction

Email submissions@watsonlittle.com with a cover letter in the body of the email, a synopsis, and approximately 10,000 words from the beginning of the manuscript as a Word document. For non-fiction, send a proposal as a single document including a sample chapter and chapter list with summaries.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, speculative fiction, literary thrillers, narrative nonfiction, longform journalism, essays, academic crossover

Wants: Query letter, first 20 pages

Fiction that grapples with climate change; ambitious multigenerational novels or family sagas; speculative fiction; literary thrillers; dark or darkly comic domestic fiction. Narrative nonfiction on climate, environment, institutional corruption, big idea books, object histories. Academic writers with narrative sensibilities

Email emma@triangle.house with a query letter and first 20 pages (or full proposal) in the body of an email. Please include QUERY in your subject line

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

Wants: Query letter, proposal, manuscript

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.

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.

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, essay collections, cultural criticism, military history, intellectual history, narrative journalism, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, biography, history, memoir, pop culture, young adult, middle grade, upmarket women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Benjamin is interested in representing literary fiction, essay collections, cultural criticism, military and intellectual history, and narrative journalism. The agency also welcomes narrative/practical nonfiction, biography, history, memoir, pop culture, literary fiction, young adult, middle grade, and upmarket women's fiction.

Email a query letter to query@elizabethkaplanlit.com. Do not send attachments, fiction writers may paste the first ten pages into the body of the email. The agency replies only if interested.

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.

Thriller, mystery, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, young adult, adult fiction, horror, suspense

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Barbara is looking for high-octane thrillers, edgy mysteries, literary, upmarket and commercial YA and adult fiction, suspense, horror and anything with a unique voice.

Email Barbara.queries@wordonelit.com with the query letter and first 10 pages of the work in the body of the email.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, adult fiction, light speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, author bio

Callie Deitrick is looking for contemporary literary/upmarket adult novels with a fresh hook and strong character-driven plot. She enjoys smart and entertaining books with humor and suspense, flawed Millennial characters, diverse voices, sympathetic protagonists, light speculative fiction with a simple premise that feels grounded in reality, narratives that subvert genre norms, and complicated female friendships.

Send all queries to submissions@wsherman.com. Include your last name, title, and Callie Deitrick's name in the subject line. For fiction, paste a query letter and the first 10 pages in the body of the email. For nonfiction, send the query letter and author bio. Do not query multiple Wendy Sherman agents at the same time and do not send to direct agent emails.

Fiction and non-fiction

Fiction: literary prize-winners to upmarket reading group, well-written crime, ambitious/surprising, messy family stories, longing/relationships. Non-fiction: art, culture, music, food, nature, mental health

Submit via the online portal at https://felicitybryan.com or submissions or submit-your-work/ — upload a synopsis or proposal and the first 3–4 chapters.

Practical nonfiction, business, health, wellness, mind body spirit, psychology, parenting, technology, narrative nonfiction, memoir, biography, history, pop culture, current affairs, women's interest, social trends, sports, fitness, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, suspense, thriller

Wants: Query letter, author bio

Dana is interested in practical nonfiction by authors with smart, unique perspectives and established platforms, compelling narrative nonfiction, memoir, biography, history, pop culture, current affairs, women's interest, social trends, sports and fitness, plus select literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and suspense/thriller.

Email dananewmanliterary@gmail.com with QUERY and the title in the subject line. Send a one-page query letter in the body of the email with category, title, word count, project overview, credentials, publishing history, contact details, and disclosure of simultaneous submissions. Do not send attachments.

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.

Speculative fiction, historical fiction, upmarket crime and thriller, memoir, narrative-led non-fiction, nature, food, sport, psychology, business, craft and design, social sciences, investigative journalism

Wants: Quality and commercial fiction and non-fiction (no children's). fiction: first 3 chapters/50pp and synopsis. non-fiction: pitch and sample chapter

In fiction, books combining compelling storytelling, engaging characters and strong plotting, especially novels of ambition and scope with big-hearted characters. Particularly interested in speculative fiction with a real-world edge or near-future settings. In non-fiction, broad tastes including memoir, narrative non-fiction with deep focus that expands outward to explain a culture or subculture, immersive journalism, and books where subject-matter expertise meets great writing. Does not represent children's books.

Fiction: first 3 chapters or 50 pages and synopsis. Non-fiction: pitch and sample chapter

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, food writing, journalism

Wants: Query letter, first five pages, author bio

Kate is particularly interested in literary and upmarket fiction, memoir and narrative nonfiction that contributes to conversations that move society forward, with strong narrative voices and clear confidence of intention.

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

Fiction and non-fiction

Fiction: literary/upmarket with escapism and page-turning readability, big high-stakes love stories from original angles. Non-fiction: writers shifting public discourse, health, medicine, history, politics, biographies/memoirs, cookery, art, music, lifestyle with a strong angle

Email submissions@aitkenalexander.co.uk with subject line marked FAO Monica MacSwan. For fiction, attach the first three chapters or fifty pages plus a short synopsis. For narrative non-fiction, attach a short overview and up to 10,000 words of sample writing. For subject-led non-fiction, attach a proposal of approximately 5,000 words and no less than 5,000 words of sample writing. Include a cover letter with a brief description of the book, any writing credits or qualifications, and a short biographical note. All attachments should be Microsoft Word compatible.

Narrative nonfiction, idea-driven nonfiction, science, technology, nature, social justice, psychology, culture, literary memoir, cultural criticism, essays, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, psychological thriller, romantic comedy

Wants: Query letter, first ten to fifteen pages, proposal

Caroline Eisenmann is drawn to narrative and idea-driven nonfiction shaped by expansive curiosity, especially work that makes hidden structures more legible, including science, technology, nature, social justice, psychology, culture, capitalism, deeply reported narratives, literary memoir, cultural criticism, and essays. In adult literary and upmarket fiction, she responds to speculative elements used for emotional truth, obsession, ruthless narrators, intimacy and its discontents, social issues on a human scale, underrepresented voices, visceral prose, vivid consciousness, driving plot, upmarket psychological thrillers, and romantic comedies.

Send Caroline Eisenmann a query at ce@goldinlit.com. For fiction, memoir, essays, or narrative nonfiction, include a query letter and the first 10-15 pages in the body of the email. For other nonfiction, send a query letter and attach a proposal if prepared. Submit to only one Frances Goldin agent at a time.

Fiction, nonfiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, science, nature, journalism, current events, food, lifestyle, subcultures

Wants: Query letter, first fifteen pages, proposal

Lisa represents fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, she looks for literary and upmarket novels, contained settings, unique communities, family sagas, complex relationships, strong writing, voice, diverse voices, and page-turning momentum. In nonfiction she represents narrative, science, nature, journalism, conversation-changing current events, food/lifestyle, and deep dives into subcultures or topics that help readers live better.

Submit through UTA Publishing's official query form and select Lisa Grubka where available. UTA requires the first 15 pages of any manuscript or book proposal and asks writers not to query multiple UTA literary agents.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, nonfiction, science writing, memoir, history, cultural criticism, journalism

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Sarah represents literary and upmarket fiction and a wide range of nonfiction, including science writing, literary memoir, revisionist history, cultural criticism, and urgent journalism.

Submit through UTA Publishing's official query route and select Sarah Fuentes where available. Do not query multiple UTA literary agents simultaneously.

Children's books, adult contemporary fiction, upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, light fantasy, magical realism, romantic comedy, thriller, mystery, suspense, horror, picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, full manuscript, full proposal, artwork samples

Savannah Brooks is an associate literary agent whose official personal site says she joined KT Literary in 2022 and represents all of kid lit plus adult contemporary and upmarket fiction, speculative/light fantasy/magical realism, romcoms, thrillers, mystery, suspense, and horror. She is especially interested in stories that teach her something new, add to a larger sociopolitical conversation, and highlight underrepresented identities and cultures.

Submit through Savannah Brooks's QueryManager route. The live form asks writers to check her website before submitting, confirm whether the project has been submitted to her before, and include author details, title, word count, genre, query letter, synopsis, and full manuscript or nonfiction proposal, artwork samples may be uploaded if applicable. The form says she is only open to children's books by request or referral, so public unsolicited submissions should match the currently open adult categories.

Debut fiction, horror, new adult, paranormal fiction, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, romance, mystery, suspense, contemporary romance, sapphic romance, upmarket fiction, dark romance, dystopian, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter

Sade and Beck Literary are seeking romance, character-driven stories, unique trope mash-ups, books by BIPOC authors, mystery, suspense, thriller, contemporary romance, sapphic romance, upmarket fiction, dark romance, horror, dystopian, paranormal romance, fantasy, m/m romance, and speculative fiction.

Submit through the Beck Literary Airtable form. The agency does not represent short stories, poems, plays, or scripts. No response after eight weeks means pass.