Young Adult (YA) Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Nonfiction, fiction, commercial fiction, literary fiction, young adult

Tia Ikemoto is a CAA literary agent based in New York. She represents a diverse range of nonfiction and fiction across the commercial to literary spectrum. She is seeking fiction and nonfiction projects that resonate with a wide audience, and is drawn to compelling and propulsive storytelling, emotionally resonant narratives, and high-concept projects with unique hooks or fresh perspectives.

Use Tia Ikemoto's official CAA agent profile submission button or form. CAA says writers can find query instructions by clicking an agent profile and that open agents show a button or link on their profile to begin a submission.

Fiction, non-fiction, ya, children's

Big, expansive, emotionally powerful 'game-changing' stories, commercial fiction and non-fiction and children's titles (priority focus on under-represented groups and lower socio-economic backgrounds), stories with cross-media potential

Email a covering letter, synopsis, and first three chapters to originatesubmissions@originateliterary.co.uk. For illustrated fiction or non-fiction, include sample spreads instead of chapters. A completed manuscript is not required for fiction queries.

Illustrators, author-illustrators, children's illustration, picture books, board books, young adult, graphic novels, educational publishing

Wants: Portfolio link, art samples, picture book dummy

Illustrators and author-illustrators for children's publishing, including picture books, board books, educational work, Young Adult jackets, fantasy, graphic novels, and related children's illustration.

Email an introduction, five samples of children's-specific illustration work, or a direct link to a children's-specific website. Author-illustrators should include at least one and no more than three full-length picture book scripts. Put Nicole Tugeau's name in the subject line.

Picture books, cookbooks, middle grade, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, horror, suspense, contemporary fiction, upmarket women's fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir

Jennifer Wills is a literary agent at The Seymour Agency. She is interested in a wide range of picture books and cookbooks, especially author-illustrators of sweet and wacky picture books and cookbooks with health-conscious, budget-friendly, or celebrity-chef recipes. In fiction she is interested in middle grade and YA with a sci-fi/fantasy, horror/suspense, or contemporary bent, and upmarket women's fiction with a sense of humor. In nonfiction she welcomes narrative nonfiction and memoir. She wants a great hook, a distinct voice, and work that can make her laugh out loud or ugly cry.

Query Jennifer Wills through her official Seymour QueryManager link: https://querymanager.com or query or JenniferWills. The current Seymour profile also lists jennifer@theseymouragency.com as a contact email, but the public query route is QueryManager.

Fantasy, science fiction, horror, thriller, crime, romantasy, young adult, nonfiction, technology, politics, education, true crime, cookbooks, food writing

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

Charlie is building a genre-fiction and selective nonfiction list, especially fantasy, science fiction, horror, adult thrillers, crime fiction, YA horror, romantasy with a twist, and nonfiction on hard truths, new technology, political intrigue, restaurants, lesser-known people or situations, education and true crime.

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

Literary fiction, young adult, middle grade, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, biography, history, memoir, pop culture, upmarket women's fiction, food writing, cookbooks

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Elizabeth focuses on literary fiction, young adult fiction, narrative nonfiction, issue-based nonfiction, history, biography, food writing, cookbooks, memoir, 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.

Romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, dark academia, mystery, gothic, romance, upmarket fiction

Wants: Query letter

Andrea is open to YA, new adult and adult romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, dark academia, mystery and gothic; for adult and new adult she is also open to romance and upmarket fiction.

Submit through Andrea's official QueryTracker route.

Fantasy, romantasy, romance, speculative fiction, magical realism, thriller, science fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books

Wants: Query letter

Andie is building a list in adult fantasy, romantasy, romance, speculative fiction, thriller, grounded near-future science fiction, young adult fantasy, contemporary, mystery/thriller, eco-fiction, middle grade, and picture books with nature, science, STEM, humor or hopeful themes.

Submit through Andie Smith's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, book club fiction, contemporary fiction, commercial women's fiction, crime, mystery, thrillers, fantasy, genre romance, historical fiction, horror, ghost stories, sagas, science fiction, biography, memoir, cookery, gardening, gift books, humour, history, military history, lifestyle, mind-body-spirit, self-improvement, politics, popular science, psychology, travel, children's, ya

SF/fantasy, sweeping historical fiction, character-driven sci-fi, action/adventure, crime. Non-fiction: history, biography, music

Email submissions@sheilland.co.uk with a cover letter, a one-page synopsis (fiction) or brief outline (non-fiction), a short CV, and the first three chapters or around fifty pages. Submissions should be 1.5 line spaced with margins and page numbers, and must include a word count. Only one work at a time. No AI-generated content accepted.

Children's fiction, middle grade, ya, adult fiction

Children: singular/underrepresented voices, powerful ideas. Adult: commercial women's fiction, uplit, sagas, romance (contemporary, romcom, historical)

Email catherine@marjacq.com with a covering letter in the body of the email, the first fifty pages of the manuscript and a synopsis (for fiction) attached as Word or PDF documents, with total file size not exceeding 2MB.

Suspense, psychological suspense, domestic suspense, romance, book club fiction, women's fiction, women's issues, practical nonfiction, pop culture, pop science, education, social science, young adult

Wants: Query letter

Laurie is looking for adult suspense, romance, book club fiction, women's fiction, practical nonfiction, women's issues, pop culture, pop science, education, social science, and young adult with a strong commercial hook.

Submit through Laurie Dennison's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.

Women's fiction, book club fiction, fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, horror, romance, memoir, narrative nonfiction, true crime, cultural issues, lgbtq and, young adult, middle grade

Wants: Query letter

Haley is building a list in adult women's fiction, book club fiction, grounded genre fiction, romance, memoir, narrative nonfiction, true crime, cultural, LGBTQ+ and women's issues, plus young adult and middle grade across contemporary, mystery, fantasy, science fiction and horror.

Submit through Haley Casey's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.

Young adult, adult fiction, horror, horror romance, gothic horror, folk horror, historical horror, paranormal fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, fantasy, magical realism, dark academia, lgbtq and, bipoc

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Ellen is seeking young adult and adult fiction, especially women-led and own-voices stories that subvert genre expectations. Her wishlist includes horror, horror romance, gothic horror, folk horror, historical horror, paranormal fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, fantasy, magical realism, dark academia, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ stories.

Submit through Ellen Moore's QueryManager link from her Corvisiero profile. Corvisiero says email submissions are not accepted and writers should submit only one project to one Corvisiero agent at a time.

Commercial fiction, romance, saga, crime, thriller, book club fiction, children's fiction, ya, non-fiction, business, finance, self-help, wellbeing, lifestyle, cookery

Commercial fiction (romance/saga, crime/thriller, book club), children's novels 9+ to YA, non-fiction including business/finance, self-help/wellbeing, lifestyle/cookery. Not sci-fi, short stories, or poetry

Email submissions@susanyearwoodagency.com with your name and title or genre in the subject line (e.g. Joe Bloggs, The Title, Book Club fiction). Attach the first 30 pages and a separately titled synopsis or outline. Include a cover email with a pitch sentence, a brief description of the submission, comparative authors published in the last three years, your writing background, and a paragraph on why you wrote the book. Attachments should be Word or PDF, 1.5 or double-spaced, with page numbers. Let the agent know if you are also submitting to other agents.

Illustrators, author-illustrators, children's illustration, picture books, board books, young adult, graphic novels, educational publishing

Illustrators and author-illustrators for children's publishing, including picture books, board books, educational work, Young Adult jackets, fantasy, graphic novels, and related children's illustration.

Submit through Carter Hasegawa's QueryTracker form linked from the official contact page. Follow the form instructions for illustrator or author-illustrator queries.

Fantasy, horror, thriller, women's fiction, romance, nonfiction, cookbooks, memoir

Wants: Query letter, first twenty pages, full proposal

V. is primarily interested in adult and teen fiction, especially fantasy, horror, thrillers, women's fiction, and romance, and is open to spiritual or esoteric nonfiction, cookbook proposals, and very select memoir.

Submit through V.'s official QueryTracker route. Fiction queries include a query letter and first twenty pages, nonfiction queries include the full proposal.

Young adult fiction, adult fiction, commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, fantasy, romance

Wants: Query letter

Gabriella represents YA fiction and adult fiction, with interest in stories by Latinx/Hispanic authors, commercial or upmarket fiction, stories that present real issues in a digestible format, and YA/new adult fantasy or romance.

Submit through Gabriella's QueryManager form. Great Dog accepts queries only through QueryManager and asks writers not to query multiple Great Dog agents.

Young adult, historical fiction, romantic comedy, dark romance, true crime, psychological thriller, gothic fiction, romantasy

Wants: Query letter

Rachel is looking for YA centering Jewish and/or queer voices, historical fiction about powerful women and hidden history, quirky rom-coms, dark romance without non-consent, respectful true crime, psychological thrillers, gothic fiction, and fresh romantasy.

Rachel accepts queries in the first and last week of each month through her official QueryTracker route.

Fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, crossover fiction, macabre, folklore

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters

Ben is looking for quirky, cozy, character-driven fantasy, science fiction, and other speculative fiction; crossover fiction; the macabre for all ages; off-the-beaten-path folklore; Deaf culture and community; and food-related work.

Submit through the Handspun QueryManager form. Query each project once with the agency.

Commercial fiction, upscale fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, women's fiction, romance, memoir, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, business, parenting, young adult, middle grade

Wants: Query letter

Paige is looking for unique stories, fresh voices, snappy dialogue, unexpected twists, commercial and upscale fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, women's fiction, romance, and narrative or prescriptive nonfiction from authors with a platform and new ideas.

Submit through Paige Wheeler's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time, if querying Paige, send to her first because she does not accept pitches previously submitted to another CMA agent.

Romantasy, young adult, fantasy, romance, dark academia, science fiction

Wants: Query letter, author bio, comp titles

Tara is primarily interested in romantasy with strong female characters, lush worlds and messy interpersonal relationships. She is open to YA and adult fantasy, romance, fairytale or legend retellings, dark academia, accessible fantasy, and science fiction with romantic elements.

Submit through Tara's official QueryTracker route. Include word count, series information, author bio, comp titles, what sets the book apart, and character-led query material.

Fiction, nonfiction, literary fiction, mainstream fiction, children's, young adult, middle grade, picture books, memoir, wellness, self-help, lifestyle

Wants: Query letter

Cindy creates publishing opportunities for clients across a wide array of fiction and nonfiction. CAA client/title pages show representation across adult nonfiction, fiction, young adult, middle grade, and picture books.

Submit through CAA Books Submittable from Cindy Uh's official CAA profile. The CAA profile is marked Accepting Submissions and links directly to the Books Submission form.

Literary fiction, health nonfiction, young adult, short stories

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

Ismita is seeking literary fiction, health-related nonfiction, YA, and short story collections. She is drawn to Southern settings, gritty realist writing, health or disability themes, and writing with a sense of humor.

Submit through Ismita's QueryManager form. Great Dog accepts queries only through QueryManager and asks writers not to query multiple Great Dog agents.

Literary fiction, historical fiction, crime, mystery, thrillers, horror, women's fiction, romance, young adult fiction, memoirs, essays, narrative nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, brief sample in email body

Literary fiction; historical fiction; sophisticated genre (crime, mystery, thrillers, horror); upmarket character-rich women's fiction and smart romance; realism-based young adult fiction; memoirs, essays, and narrative nonfiction. Nonfiction interests include: music, sports, wellness, the natural world, animal welfare, feminism, true crime, sociology, and culture both pop and serious.

Submissions strictly via dedicated email address: submissions@dvagency.com

Crime fiction, thriller, mystery, psychological thriller, supernatural suspense, ghost stories, romantic suspense, historical fiction, women's fiction, middle grade, ya, horror, non-fiction, self-help, narrative non-fiction, memoir

Crime fiction encompassing thriller, mystery, and psychological thriller; supernatural suspense; ghost stories; romantic suspense; historical fiction; women's fiction; children's fiction at middle grade and YA level; horror; and non-fiction including topical, accessible works such as self-help, narrative non-fiction, and memoir. Does not represent science fiction, fantasy, short stories, poetry collections, erotica, or picture books.

Submit by email only. Fiction submissions should include a cover letter in the body of the email, a short bio, a synopsis, and three sample chapters as separate attachments. Non-fiction submissions should include a cover letter in the body of the email, a short bio, a proposal with chapter breakdown, and three sample chapters as separate attachments. Use the submissions page at https://shesto-literary.com or submissions or to send your materials.

Young adult, new adult, romance, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, retellings

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters

Jess is building a list in young adult, new adult and select romance. She is open to any YA subgenre except tech-heavy science fiction, new adult romance focused on characters under twenty-five, and witchy or cozy fantasy romance.

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

Romance, horror, contemporary fantasy

Wants: Query letter

She is particularly drawn to books that showcase a strong commercial appeal combined with literary writing. She has a soft spot for stories that break genre boundaries, especially those that incorporate speculative elements or deliver unexpected twists to familiar genre structures. She is looking for stories that are both engaging and thought-provoking, offering readers a truly immersive and memorable reading experience.

Submit via Query Tracker. Unsolicited queries sent to her email address will be deleted unread.

Young adult, poetry, adult fiction, horror, fantasy, romance, romantasy, dark academia, gothic horror, graphic novels, creative nonfiction, memoir

Wants: Query letter

Kenna is looking for LGBTQIA+ adult fiction and YA, horror, fantasy, romance, poetry collections, weird girl fiction, romantasy, dark academia, gothic horror, full-length story collections, graphic novels, and punk memoir or creative nonfiction.

Submit through Kenna's official QueryTracker route.

Adult fiction, adult non-fiction, young adult fiction, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter

Seeks narrative nonfiction, popular science, and pop culture in adult non-fiction. In adult fiction, he loves suspense, thrillers, mysteries, and adult romance. In Young Adult, he looks for contemporary romance, rom coms, boarding school settings, thrillers with horror hints, and fantasy. He has particular interest in Young Adult graphic novels.

Submit via Query Manager. Include trigger warnings with queries. Unsolicited queries sent to email will be deleted unread.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, literary fiction, general fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction, humor, drama

Wants: Query letter, first twenty pages

Ritu is looking for kidlit, including picture books, middle grade and young adult novels; literary fiction such as drama, fairy tales and fiction in verse; general fiction including women's fiction, humor, realistic fiction, satire and tragedy; historical fiction, women's historical fiction, historical romantic fiction and historical fantasy.

Send a query letter and the first twenty pages of the manuscript to ritu@d4eo.com.

Speculative fiction, middle grade, young adult, horror, science fiction

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Justina is looking for well-executed speculative fiction in most categories, including middle grade and young adult that asks complicated questions and offbeat adult books. She does not accept nonfiction, picture books, romantasy, contemporary, or previously self-published work.

Submit through Justina's QueryManager form.

Contemporary romance, women's fiction, horror, folklore, dark academia, magical realism, young adult, mystery

Wants: Query letter

Megan is building a list in contemporary romance, women's fiction, horror, folklore-inspired stories, dark academia, magical realism, and young adult contemporary, romance, mystery, magical realism and horror. She especially likes atmospheric writing, compelling characters, found families, banter, and underrepresented voices.

Submit through Megan Frayser's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.

Adult fiction, young adult, middle grade, nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, true crime memoir

Wants: Online form submission

Stephanie Rostan is Principal at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. About three quarters of her clients are fiction. She is drawn to unusual and vivid voices, genre-straddling stories, and intense emotion, whether funny, creepy, warm, or sad, that makes a book stick with the reader. She represents adult, YA, and middle grade projects. In nonfiction she likes projects that solve a problem or make readers see things in a new way, and she has also worked on narrative nonfiction and true crime memoir.

Submit through Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency's official online submission form linked from the official submissions page. Stephanie Rostan's profile lists srostan@lgrliterary.com, but LGR's public submissions route is the agency online form.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, genre fiction, young adult

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Jess is actively seeking compelling literary and commercial fiction, most genre fiction, and select young adult. She is probably not the right fit for nonfiction.

Send a query letter and the first ten pages of the manuscript to jess@d4eo.com.

Middle grade, young adult, children's nonfiction, adult commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction

Wants: Short description, short bio, first five to ten pages

Tamar Rydzinski is President of Context Literary Agency. The official submissions page says she is looking for middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction of all types, adult commercial fiction except political espionage, and adult narrative nonfiction.

Email querytamar@contextlit.com with a short description, short bio, and 5-10 pages of text pasted into the body of the email. Tamar Rydzinski does not open attachments. Context Literary asks writers to query only one agent at a time, if that agent passes, they may query another.

Middle grade, young adult, literary fiction, general fiction, historical fiction, thriller, women's fiction, science, popular science, self-help, health, wellness

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, proposal

A.J. is seeking middle grade and YA in all genres, plus adult literary, general, historical, thriller, and women's fiction. They are drawn to books that merge literary sensibility with compelling plot and are also interested in fresh nonfiction ideas in science, popular science, self-help, and health/wellness from authors with platforms.

A.J. Van Belle is currently closed to queries, with conference pitches noted as an exception. When open, submit through the query route linked from their Booker Albert profile.