US Children's Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Nonfiction, faith, culture, memoir, practical nonfiction, children's books

Wants: Query letter, proposal, sample pages

Morgan Strehlow is listed as a literary agent at The Bindery. Her agenting is associated with nonfiction, faith and culture, memoir, practical nonfiction, and selected children's projects.

Use the agent-specific submission link from Morgan Strehlow's profile on The Bindery about page. The agency states every project submitted is considered.

Fiction, nonfiction, women's issues, children's books, picture books, middle grade, young adult, history, science, pop culture, memoir, big ideas, graphic novels, subsidiary rights, film rights, television rights, stage rights

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages, outline, picture book dummy, graphic novel sample

Susan Schulman is Founder and Literary Agent at Susan Schulman Literary Agency. The agency represents its own clients domestically and internationally and specializes in subsidiary rights. It has particular interest in fiction and nonfiction books for, by, and about women and women's issues, all levels of children's books including picture books, middle grade, and young adult, history, science, pop culture, memoir, and authors/projects that explore big ideas about the world and being human. Susan is currently looking with particular interest for projects in the vein of The War That Ended Peace, Caste, Quiet, and 1599.

Send submissions to the individual agent best positioned to represent the work, using the official Susan Schulman Literary Agency submissions guidance. For fiction, send a description, brief synopsis, and first 10 pages pasted below the query. For nonfiction, send an informative description, full outline, and first 10 pages pasted below the query. For picture books, send a project description, complete outline, dummy, and at least one full-color sample. For graphic novels, send 10 illustrated pages with text as a PDF and a synopsis in the email body.

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.

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.

Nonfiction, memoir, faith, culture, poetry, children's books

Wants: Query letter, proposal, sample pages

John Blase is listed as a literary agent at The Bindery and is associated with nonfiction, memoir, faith and culture, poetry-adjacent writing, and selected children's work.

Use the agent-specific submission link from John Blase's profile on The Bindery about page. The agency states every project submitted is considered.

Nonfiction, faith, culture, memoir, practical nonfiction, children's books

Wants: Query letter, proposal, sample pages

Trinity McFadden is listed as a literary agent at The Bindery. Her agenting is associated with nonfiction, faith and culture, memoir, practical nonfiction, and selected children's projects.

Use the agent-specific submission link from Trinity McFadden's profile on The Bindery about page. The agency states every project submitted is considered.

Adult fiction, young adult fiction, non-fiction, children's literature

Synopsis, Sample Pages

Complete a form available on genre submission pages for fiction, nonfiction, children's or Young Adult, and photography or illustration. Submit a synopsis and first fifty pages or first three chapters for fiction, proposal for nonfiction.

Fiction, narrative nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Doug has been an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic since 2003. His list consists of fiction and narrative nonfiction for all ages, ranging from literary to commercial work.

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.

Children's, young adult, romance, science fiction, fantasy, middle grade

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

She enjoys clever, heartfelt, and commercial middle grade and Young Adult in prose or graphic novel format across genres. In adult science fiction and fantasy, she seeks contemporary fantasy, near future science fiction, and romantic fantasy. She's drawn to character-driven stories about family and friendships from diverse protagonists, especially those passionate about arts, STEM, activism, and geeky fandoms.

Submit through QueryMe.Online or thaole platform. Do not send queries to multiple agents at SDLA. Include query letter, 1-page synopsis, brief bio with publishing history, and first 10-15 pages for fiction.

Children's picture books, pop culture, cookbooks, gift books, general nonfiction, brand extensions, lifestyle or design books

Children's Picture Books, Pop Culture, Cookbooks, Gift Books, General Nonfiction, Brand Extensions, Lifestyle/Design Books. NOT interested in Memoirs or Medical/Reference. Typically Sports and Self-Help are not a good fit. Also does not represent Travel Books.

Use Query Manager submission form

Horror, fantasy, science fiction, graphic novels

Strong commercial genre concepts with beautiful prose across horror, fantasy, science fiction, and graphic novels for all age ranges. Stories with big, campy stakes but surprising emotional cores, lovably immoral characters, queer-coded villains, and romantic moments amid chaos. Prioritizes queer and BIPOC joy, creating space for marginalized authors to rework the tropes that historically oppressed them.

Submit your query through Query Manager at the link provided. Maeve only accepts queries via this platform.

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.

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, children's nonfiction, illustrated books

Wants: Contact information, bio, synopsis or proposal, sample chapters or manuscripts, portfolio link

Emily Mitchell represents authors and illustrators from picture books to YA and is accepting new clients in all genres for children. Wernick & Pratt is most interested in author-illustrators in picture books, humorous young chapter books with strong voice, unique and compelling chapter books, and literary or commercial middle grade and YA novels.

Email submissions to submissions@wernickpratt.com and indicate that you are submitting to Emily Mitchell. Send contact information, referral information if any, whether the submission is exclusive, background and publishing history, and format-specific materials: first three chapters and brief synopsis for novels, two different picture book manuscripts for picture books, full manuscript for chapter books, synopsis or proposal plus three sample chapters for MG or YA nonfiction, or PDF samples and a portfolio link for illustrators.

Adult fiction, non-fiction, ya, middle grade, children's

Jennifer Weltz has sold books domestically, internationally, and for film for over three decades. She takes on an author's career rather than just a single project, serving as business manager, confidant, task master, preliminary editor, and matchmaker. She is very careful and selective about signing on new authors.

Please only submit your query to one agent at the agency. Your query should include a brief description of your work and a short author bio.

Fiction, nonfiction, children's, adult, teen

Wide ranging tastes—born out of deep curiosity and a passion for great writing in all its forms and for all readerships

Email submissions

Adult fiction, adult nonfiction, young adult, children's books, romance, romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, southern gothic, memoir, humor, gift books, bipoc voices, queer voices, chronically ill voices

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, sample chapter, ai disclosure

Patrice Caldwell is Founder and CEO of The Caldwell Agency and a literary agent. Her list is focused on adult fiction and nonfiction, YA, and children's books. Her official QueryManager notes broad interests across adult, YA, and children's work, including romantic fantasy, retellings, thrillers, memoir, humorous or tabletop nonfiction, science fiction, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, southern gothic, family dynamics, and work by BIPOC, queer, and chronically ill writers.

Submit to Patrice Caldwell through her official QueryManager or QueryTracker form. The form asks for author details, project details, genre, query letter, AI disclosure, and the first 10 pages or one sample chapter for nonfiction. Patrice notes that she may forward queries to Caldwell Agency colleagues if she thinks they are a better fit.

Fiction, non-fiction, children's books

Wants: Query letter

She values strong and unique narrative voices and represents bestselling and award-winning writers of compelling fiction, non-fiction and children's books.

Query by email only. Query letters should be no more than two pages and should include a convincing overview of the book project and information about the author and his or her writing credits.

Fiction, non-fiction, children's

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

She is often drawn to voice-driven writing with a sense of playfulness or sharpness, strong geographical sensibility, or work that thoughtfully explores culture, recent history, or current human experience.

Email query letters to mail@dclagency.com and paste the first ten pages of your manuscript below your letter. Encourage addressing email to a specific agent. Submitting to more than one agent at a time is permitted, but indicate which agents you are querying. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Literary fiction, literary memoir, children's books, idea-driven non-fiction

Wants: Query letter

Gail represents works of literary fiction, idea-driven non-fiction, literary memoir and children's books that she loves most to read.

Query by email only. Query letters should be no more than two pages and should include a convincing overview of the book project and information about the author and his or her writing credits.

Literary fiction, historical fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, investigative journalism, popular history, children's books

Wants: Query letter

She is looking for fresh, lyrical, and voice-driven writing, suspenseful plots, emotional narratives, transporting settings, and unforgettable characters. Books that grapple with the dynamics of relationships (of all kinds, but especially from a female perspective), have a grounded speculative bent, or explore the current cultural landscape are all of perennial interest.

Query by email only. Query letters should be no more than two pages and should include a convincing overview of the book project and information about the author and his or her writing credits.

Fiction, children's, young adult, non-fiction

Query Letter, First Ten Pages

Email query letters to mail@dclagency.com and paste the first ten pages of your manuscript below your letter. Address your email to a specific agent who you think might be the right fit. Submitting to more than one agent at a time is permitted, but please indicate in your letter which agents you are querying. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Children's fiction, young adult fiction, genre fiction, speculative fiction, non-fiction, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Susan Graham represents illustrators across format and age categories, genre and speculative fiction, select nonfiction, and children's and young adult prose. They are very interested in children's and young adult nonfiction.

Email query letters to mail@dclagency.com and paste the first ten pages of your manuscript below your letter. Address your email to a specific agent. Submitting to more than one agent at a time is permitted, but indicate which agents you are querying. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Literary fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, biography, memoir, current affairs, cultural criticism, science, sports, children's

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

He works primarily with quality fiction – literary, historical, strongly written commercial – and with voice-driven nonfiction across a range of areas including narrative history, biography, memoir, current affairs, cultural trends and criticism, science, and sports.

Email query letters to mail@dclagency.com and paste the first ten pages of your manuscript below your letter. Address your email to a specific agent who you think might be the right fit. Submitting to more than one agent at a time is permitted, but indicate in your letter which agents you are querying. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Children's

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

He is keen to develop partnerships with authors and artists who wish to look beyond the obvious and strive for the exceptional.

Email query letters to mail@dclagency.com, and paste the first ten pages of your manuscript below your letter. Address your email to a specific agent who you think might be the right fit. Submitting to more than one agent at a time is permitted, but please indicate in your letter which agents you are querying. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Children's, fantasy, graphic novel, middle grade, new adult, science fiction, young adult

Query Letter, Synopsis, First 50 Pages

Submit query letter, synopsis, and first 50 pages through QueryManager platform. Include author biography and book details.

Middle grade, young adult, upmarket adult fiction, grounded fantasy, adult romance, narrative non-fiction, graphic novels, picture books

Michaela is most strongly interested in finding middle grade and young adult projects of all genres, upmarket adult fiction, and grounded fantasy. They are also open to select adult romance, narrative nonfiction for both children and adults, graphic novels, and picture books. Specifically seeks sibling stories.

Submit only via Query Manager. Include full query in body, first 25 pages for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction. For picture books, include full text and dummy or sample art if available. Query only one agent at the agency at a time.

Thriller, horror, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, adult fiction, board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult fiction, young adult non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, author bio, first 10 pages

Lara is currently open to adult fiction queries only. She seeks thrillers, horror with purpose, historical fiction that feels immediate and hooky, and grounded and unexpected science fiction and fantasy. She is always excited to see unreliable narrators, twisty mysteries, eerie settings, psychological horror, and character-driven stories with sparks of magic.

Submit through QueryManager with a short query letter, author bio, contact information, and first 10 pages of text for novels. Complete the required fields in the submission form.

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

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, picture book dummy, portfolio link

Emily van Beek is looking for new adult coming-of-age stories with series potential, romantasy with a fresh hook, cozy mysteries with series potential, high-concept speculative fiction, family drama, comedy, rom-coms, high-concept and well-written YA with bold voice and emotional connection, exquisitely imagined middle grade, funny or mischievous middle grade, and picture books by author-illustrators with award-worthy artwork, character-driven series potential, and diverse creators featuring diverse stories.

Email Emily van Beek at emily@foliolitmanagement.com with QUERY in the subject line. Send a query letter and the first ten pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. For picture books, attach a PDF dummy, portfolio links are welcome. Send queries to this address only because queries to other addresses may not be considered.

Picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, adult fiction, magical realism, commercial fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Adria represents picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, and adult fiction. She likes eclectic projects with magic, heart, and a compelling commercial hook.

Adria Goetz is open to queries exclusively via QueryManager on the first day of each month. Queries received by email will not be reviewed.

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.

Illustrators, authors, picture books

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters, picture book manuscript, website link

Authors, illustrators, and picture book creators. Illustrators should provide a website URL with their submission.

Use the official online submission form and select Emily Sylvan Kim. Include a query letter, three chapters, and a brief synopsis in one document. Picture book writers should include the full manuscript, and illustrators should provide a website URL. Do not submit to more than one Prospect agent.

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.

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.

Picture books, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, portfolio, sample pages

Kait specializes in picture books and graphic novels and is only accepting queries from illustrators.

Query Kait through the route linked from KT Literary and Kait Feldmann's website. She is only accepting queries from illustrators.

Illustrators, authors, picture books

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters, picture book manuscript, website link

Authors, illustrators, and picture book creators. Illustrators should provide a website URL with their submission.

Use the official online submission form and select Charlotte Wenger. Include a query letter, three chapters, and a brief synopsis in one document. Picture book writers should include the full manuscript, and illustrators should provide a website URL. Do not submit to more than one Prospect agent.