Young Adult (YA) Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, young adult, middle grade, contemporary children's books, lgbtq and, stem

Wants: Query letter, bio, comparable books, first ten pages, full nonfiction proposal, ai disclosure

Lauren Scovel represents fiction, nonfiction, and children's books. She is looking to amplify underrepresented stories and voices across genres, especially literary and upmarket-crossover fiction, narrative nonfiction, and contemporary middle grade and YA with a timely, distinctive story, propulsive plot, and diverse cast. In adult fiction she is drawn to off-beat or speculative projects and work aimed at a millennial audience; in narrative nonfiction she likes stranger-than-fiction stories with expertise, curiosity, and beautiful writing; in children's projects she is especially interested in LGBTQIA+ and STEM subject matter.

Submit to Lauren Scovel through the official QueryTracker or QueryManager form linked from the LGLA submissions page. The form asks for author details, biography, book details, query letter, comparable books, AI disclosure, and the first 10 pages, or the full proposal for nonfiction.

Book club fiction, commercial fiction, psychological suspense, domestic suspense, women's fiction, young adult, romance, health, wellness, psychology, memoir, current events, narrative nonfiction

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

Jennifer Weis specializes in high-concept, cleverly plotted book club fiction of all categories and nonfiction with new voices and new angles on perennial subjects. Above all, she is looking for books with a hook, a strong voice, and a powerful plot. The Weis Agency submissions page says it seeks high-concept, intricately plotted fiction of all categories, including psychological and domestic suspense, women's fiction, selected young adult, high-concept thrillers in unusual settings, and romance with a positive conclusion. In nonfiction, the agency wants new voices, fresh angles on provocative subjects, authors with platform, and compelling narratives that read like fiction, including health and wellness, psychology, memoir, current events, and narrative nonfiction of special interest to women.

Submit to Jennifer Weis via email at jweis@theweisagency.com or through the QueryTracker page linked from the official Weis Agency submissions page. Fiction submissions should include a query letter, synopsis, and first three chapters attached as a Word document. Nonfiction submissions should include a query letter and proposal with author credentials, detailed outline, and sample chapters attached as a Word document.

Memoir, biography, food writing, graphic nonfiction, essays, pop science, pop culture, self-help, historical narrative, humor, business, high concept suspense, women's fiction, literary fiction, verse novels, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, graphic excerpt, proposal

Gordon Warnock seeks fresh voices, timely and timeless projects, socially responsible nonfiction by authors with strong expertise or platforms, memoir and biography, food narrative and history, graphic and illustrated nonfiction, essays on social issues, pop science, pop or geek culture, self-help, historical narrative, humor, how-to, business and career, high-concept suspense, book club women's fiction, literary fiction, verse novels for YA and MG, and graphic novels for adults, YA, and MG.

Query Gordon Warnock by email at querygordon@fuseliterary.com or through conferences he attends. For text-based works, paste the first chapter below the query, for memoir, paste the first chapter, for graphic nonfiction or graphic novels, attach a 10-page sequential PDF excerpt of finished artwork not exceeding 50 MB. Unsolicited submissions by paper mail or social media will be discarded unread.

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

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.

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.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, horror, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, graphic nonfiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, history, investigative journalism, nature, science, food, travel, pop culture, cultural criticism

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages, full outline, sample art

Jane Chun is interested in stories centering marginalized communities and prose that is cinematic and atmospheric with good rhythm. In fiction and nonfiction she is drawn to compelling, fresh voices with intimacy, rich inner worlds, and emotional depth. She is interested in literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction across adult, middle grade, and young adult; select nonfiction; and graphic novels or graphic nonfiction. In fiction she is open to contemporary, historical, fantasy, science fiction, speculative, and horror. In nonfiction she is looking for memoir, narrative nonfiction, history, investigative journalism, books about nature, climate and science, and books about food, travel, pop culture, and cultural criticism.

Submit to Jane Chun through her official QueryManager form. If QueryManager is not working, email queryjane@transatlanticagency.com, but do not submit through both methods. For email queries, include the book title, category or genre, word count or estimated page count for graphic work, and author bio. Fiction should include a brief introduction, synopsis, and first ten pages in the body of the email. Nonfiction should include a brief introduction, full outline, and first ten pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. Graphic novels or nonfiction should include a brief introduction, synopsis or outline, and at least five illustrated pages with text, or ten script pages and sample art if five pages are not available.

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

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters

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.

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.

Literary fiction, historical fiction, suspense, magical realism, multicultural fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, journalism, travel, popular science, women's issues, parenting, food writing, young adult, business, sports, pop culture

Wants: Query letter, bio, publishing history, proposal or manuscript status

Felicia Eth is interested in literary accessible fiction, historical and suspense novels with a literary bent that transcend genre, magical realism or multicultural fiction, narrative nonfiction including memoir, journalism, unusual travel books, popular science, psychological and social concerns, women's issues, fresh parenting ideas, and culinary writing. She may occasionally consider strong short story collections, crossover YA, idea-driven business books, sports books, and pop culture.

Send an email query to feliciaeth.literary@gmail.com or submit by hardcopy to the agency address. For fiction, write a query letter introducing yourself, the book, and your writing background, and wait for a response before sending sample pages unless requested. For nonfiction, introduce the idea, what has already been written, your background and expertise, and your platform.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, children's fiction, illustrated books

Fiona Kenshole represents children's and YA authors from picture books to older teenage. She is hungry for middle grade, especially animal stories, stories about the natural world and saving the planet, funny books, commercial YA page-turners, quirky contemporary, humor, unreliable narrators, wilderness adventures, immigrant stories, sister stories, practical feminism, ghost stories, and funny picture books, especially clever British-style humor and author-illustrators.

Submit to Fiona Kenshole through the official Submit Here link on her Transatlantic profile, which points to QueryMe. Transatlantic asks writers to review each agent's mandate, submit to one agent at a time where possible, disclose simultaneous Transatlantic submissions, and not submit by mail.

New adult, young adult, middle grade, picture books, romantasy, mystery, speculative fiction, comedy, romantic comedy

Wants: Query letter

Estelle Laure edits picture books, middle grade, young adult, and new adult at Folio Jr. and shares a list with Emily van Beek. She is looking for new adult coming-of-age stories with series potential, romantasy, cozy mystery, high-concept speculative fiction, family drama, comedy, rom-coms, high-concept YA with bold voice and emotional connection, carefully chosen imaginative middle grade, funny or mischievous middle grade, and picture books by author-illustrators with award-worthy artwork and diverse stories.

Email Estelle Laure directly at estelle@foliolitmanagement.com. Her official profile says queries to her should also be considered queries to Emily van Beek.

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

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.

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.

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

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

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

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

Fiction and non-fiction

High-quality adult non-fiction and fiction, YA for young teens. Non-fiction: natural history, memoir, biography, history, cookery, current affairs, humour, lifestyle

Send an initial letter to Barn Cottage, Veryan, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5QA with a short description of your book or idea. The agency prefers postal submissions due to high email volume.

Adult literary fiction, book club fiction, narrative non-fiction, children's books, historical fiction, family sagas, memoir, self-help, young adult, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, brief bio, book description

She responds to voice and character-driven stories that draw her in and give her a new perspective on a world she doesn't know, or make her think more deeply about a world she does know. She seeks books with a heart and writers with wonderful storytelling abilities. She is particularly interested in finding emerging and underrepresented voices, and loves books that focus on diversity and explore the experiences of BIPOC people.

Send an email query to querymiriam@defliterary.com with a brief description of your book, a brief relevant bio, the first chapter pasted in the body of your email, and what you feel the heart of your book is in one or two sentences. Attachments will not be opened.

Fiction and non-fiction

Crossover romantasy/romance/dark academia, SFF with strong hook, gothic/horror/thriller, magical MG, adventure, funny books all ages, inspiring non-fiction all ages, diverse authors

Online form - https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk or submissions/

Sff, romance

SFF across genres for all ages, romance including romcom/paranormal/romantic suspense/dark/historical/fantasy, wants big worlds, strong hooks and distinctive voice

Online form - https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk or submissions/

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

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.

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

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

Wants: Query letter, first 50 pages, full proposal

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.

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.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, women's fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, young adult, pop culture, select non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, first five pages

She seeks compelling stories with clear concepts, fresh voices and emotional heart that grab readers from the first page. She is especially interested in emerging writers and underrepresented voices, looking to develop long-term relationships.

Email a brief query letter containing information about your book, your bio, and the first five pages in the body of the email. Include the word 'query' and your book title in the subject line.

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

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.

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

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

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Children's fiction, children's non-fiction, picture books, illustration

Author/illustrator proposals for picture books, young fiction and non-fiction, illustration with creative brand-building potential beyond publishing

Email claire@holroydecartey.com with a cover letter. Authors: attach synopsis and full manuscript as separate Word files named with title and author name. Picture book authors: up to three finished texts. Non-fiction authors: CV, three-page proposal, and market analysis. Illustrators: portfolio of around a dozen images as JPEG or PDF up to 5MB. Do not submit to both agents.

Fiction, non-fiction

Wide taste, currently especially women's commercial fiction/romance, funny books, untold/queer histories, and diverse voices in narrative food/travel/nature writing

Email submissions@lutyensrubinstein.co.uk with a cover letter, short synopsis, and the first three chapters or approximately 5,000 words.

Chick lit, commercial, contemporary, cozy fantasy, cozy romantasy, crime, detective, police, family saga, fantasy, fantasy: magical realism, fantasy: urban, graphic novel, historical, horror, lgbtq and, literary, middle grade, military, espionage, multicultural, mystery, new adult, offbeat, quirky, romance, romantasy, suspense, thriller, upmarket, women's fiction, young adult

Query Letter, Synopsis, One Paragraph Pitch, Comparable Books, First 10 Pages

Submit through Query Manager. Unsolicited queries sent to his email address will be deleted unread.

Literary fiction, mainstream fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, historical fiction, contemporary women's fiction, young adult, middle grade, memoir, biography, history, business, psychology, pop culture, popular science

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 5 to 10 pages, writing credentials

Maria Carvainis Agency represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction with special interest in literary and mainstream fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, historicals, contemporary women's fiction, young adult and middle grade, memoir, biography, history, business, psychology, pop culture, and popular science.

Email a query letter, a synopsis of the work, the first 5 to 10 pages, and a note of any writing credentials to mca@mariacarvainisagency.com. Attachments must be Word documents or PDF files. Queries are also accepted by post.

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.

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

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

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

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.

Young adult fiction, adult romance, adult science fiction, adult fantasy, adult speculative fiction, middle grade fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 3 chapters

Books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms, stories featuring queer characters or characters with disability, neurodiversity, chronic illness, or mental health challenges, atmospheric fantasies, speculative mysteries, and stories with complicated sibling relationships.

Submit queries through Query Manager. Include query letter, synopsis, and first 3 chapters for fiction. Provide content warnings especially for sexual assault or OCD behaviors.

Fiction

Character-driven debuts, sweeping stories with big universal themes, high concepts, thought-provoking, uplifting, original narrative voices, emotional journeys. Not: sci-fi, fantasy, children/YA, poetry, plays, screenplays, short stories/novellas, any non-fiction

Read each agent's profile and only submit to one agent from DHH. Follow the individual agent's submission guidelines. Do not submit via phone or the general enquiries email.

Children's (mg or ya or crossover), adult commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction

Genre fiction and crossover children's, boy-led MG, teen fiction, graphic novel/illustrated MG or younger YA, quirky fantasy, dark/off-beat romantic comedy, domestic noir, cultural history/narrative non-fiction with strong voice

Email submissions@nurnberg.co.uk with a cover letter in the body of the email, a one-page synopsis and first three chapters or up to 50 pages as attachments. Mark the subject line FAO Gyamfia Osei. For non-fiction, send an overview, chapter outlines, and three sample chapters.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, horror, magical realism, mythology reimaginings, fairy tale reimaginings, folklore reimaginings, cultural criticism, narrative nonfiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, food writing, short story collections, novellas

Wants: Cover letter, synopsis, first three chapters

Literary and upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, horror, magical realism, and reimaginings of myths, fairy tales, and folklore. Also cultural criticism, narrative nonfiction, big-idea nonfiction, and select cookbooks and food writing. Maria is the only agent at the agency who accepts novellas and short story collections.

Email submissions@mushens-entertainment.com with your submission addressed to Maria. For fiction, include a clear subject line (e.g. Fiction Submission: TITLE), a cover letter in the body of the email, an attached synopsis, and a PDF or Word document containing either the first three chapters, the first 10,000–15,000 words, or the first 50 pages. For non-fiction, include a proposal or the first 10,000–15,000 words of a completed manuscript. For short story collections (40,000–75,000 words total), include a synopsis and the full collection. For novellas (17,000–40,000 words), include a synopsis. Do not use AI to write or edit any part of your submission. Notify the agency if another agent requests your full manuscript or offers representation.

Middle grade, ya, crossover, new adult, picture book, adventure, mystery, horror

Wants: Cover letter, synopsis, first 3 chapters or 20 pages

Kat is actively building her own list from middle grade through YA, crossover and New Adult, with a character-led taste and interest in adventure, mystery, darker YA and select picture book authors.

Email Kat directly at kat@darleyanderson.com. For novels, send the first three chapters or first twenty pages plus a one-page synopsis. Picture book writers may send up to three full texts.

Action or adventure, chapter book, diversity, funny, graphic novels, illustrated fiction, underrepresented voices, picture book, non-fiction

Wants: Cover letter, synopsis, first 3 chapters or 20 pages, proposal for non-fiction

Lorna is looking for illustration-led children's books including board books, picture books, chapter books, highly illustrated fiction, graphic novels and non-fiction.

Email Lorna directly at lorna@darleyanderson.com. For novels, send the first three chapters or first twenty pages plus a one-page synopsis. Picture book writers may send up to three full texts. Non-fiction submissions should include a proposal, full chapter list and up to three sample chapters.

Romance, women's fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books, thrillers, mysteries, nonfiction

Wants: Querymanager form

Cori Deyoe is actively looking to expand her list. She represents all subgenres of romance, women's fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books, thrillers, mysteries, and select nonfiction.

Submit through Cori Deyoe's official QueryManager link. 3 Seas does not accept email queries, asks writers to use the QueryManager links on agent pages or the submissions page, and says no response within 12 weeks should be considered a pass.

Illustrators, artists, children's illustration, picture books, publishing, art licensing

Wants: Jpg samples, art samples

Professional children's illustrators and commercial artists for publishing, licensing, greeting cards, products, and related illustration work.

Use the official artist submissions page. Submit JPG samples for consideration and state interest in Advocate Art Agency. Applications are reviewed with ITSme and Advocate Art agents.

Illustrators, artists, children's illustration, picture books, publishing, art licensing

Wants: Jpg samples, art samples

Professional children's illustrators and commercial artists for publishing, licensing, greeting cards, products, and related illustration work.

Use the official artist submissions page. Submit JPG samples for consideration and state interest in Advocate Art Agency. Applications are reviewed with ITSme and Advocate Art agents.