US Contemporary Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Commercial romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, upmarket thrillers, contemporary fiction, young adult fiction, cookbooks, food writing, sports, pop culture, music, psychology, lifestyle, wellness

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

In fiction, she is looking for commercial romance, adult and crossover fantasy, science fiction, horror, upmarket thrillers, contemporary fiction and select young adult fiction. She is drawn to stories that embrace genre conventions from a fun, fresh angle. In non-fiction, she is looking for cookbooks and food writing, sports, pop culture, music, psychology, lifestyle, and wellness, especially when approached from a specific, unique perspective.

Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction.

Literary fiction, horror, thriller, contemporary fiction, queer fiction, magical realism, narrative non-fiction, memoir, essay collections

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters, nonfiction book proposal

Nina is looking for literary fiction, horror/thriller, contemporary fiction, queer fiction, and magical realism. She is drawn to emotionally complex characters, family sagas (especially those that focus on mothers and daughters), voice-driven novels, and untold queer stories. She is always on the lookout for psychological horror, particularly queer horror novels. In nonfiction, she is most interested in narrative nonfiction such as memoirs and essay collections, with climate, psychology, and gender/queer studies as top categories.

Submit query via QueryManager profile. Include query letter and first three chapters for fiction or full nonfiction book proposal.

Mysteries, thrillers, cozies, contemporary romance, romcoms, upmarket women's fiction, memoirs, narratives, cookbooks, self-help, mg fiction, ya fiction, historical narratives

Adult Fiction: High-stakes mysteries and thrillers, and funny cozies––especially ones featuring ensembles, intergenerational family dynamics, and/or main characters outside of law enforcement, military, or journalism; contemporary romance and romcoms; upmarket women's fiction. Adult Non-Fiction: memoirs, narratives, cookbooks involving family heritage, self-help with concrete takeaways, empowerment, cultural tradition, and parts of history not typically taught in school. MG and YA: commercial fiction, including contemporary fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, and thriller––including ones with spooky or paranormal elements––especially ones that grapple with identity and/or intersectionality with fresh perspectives.

Use QueryManager link provided

Graphic novels, young adult contemporary, young adult science fiction, young adult fantasy, adult romance, adult non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, biography, first 10 pages

He loves lyrical prose, wordplay, and humor. He is especially excited about working with queer, neurodivergent, BIPOC, and disabled creators. In Young Adult, he seeks contemporary realistic fiction and science fiction/fantasy. In adult fiction, he wants queer romance. For nonfiction, he prefers accessible, queer, and neurodivergent works.

Fill out his submission form via QueryManager. Submit one agent at a time, but can submit to up to three ALA agents if one passes. Include polished query letter, bio, and complete work.

Romantic suspense, contemporary romance, young adult, urban fiction, erotica, suspense, thriller, christian fiction, women's fiction, inspirational fiction, mystery

Wants: Query letter

La Sheera is open to romantic suspense, contemporary romance, young adult, urban fiction, erotica, suspense/thriller, Christian fiction, women's fiction, inspirational fiction, mystery, thriller, romance, and general fiction.

Submit through La Sheera Lee's QueryTracker form. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

Commercial nonfiction, commercial fiction, health and well-being, psychology or self-help, politics and current affairs, memoir, personal finance, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, women's bookclub fiction

Wants: Query letter

Women's bookclub fiction, Epic juicy generational sagas, Historical mysteries and thrillers, Genre mash-ups, A great triplets thriller, Activist fiction or fiction that illuminates a topical or societal issue in a new way, Experts bringing new ideas that can help people in their everyday lives

Query via QueryTracker only - we do not accept unsolicited proposals or manuscripts

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, contemporary novels, fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, horror, mysteries, middle grade fantasy, picture books, graphic novels, arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, occult

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Literary and upmarket fiction, non-fiction book proposals, select children's books, and graphic novels. In fiction, she's looking for contemporary novels (with or without speculative elements), fantasy, grounded science fiction, magical realism, horror, and mysteries. In non-fiction, she's interested in projects that explore the arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, and the occult

Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction. For graphic novels, Maria is only considering projects by a single creator both writing and illustrating the book.

Contemporary romance, thrillers, suspense, ya or na romance, commercial fiction, romantic comedies, fantasy, paranormal romance

Emotionally driven stories and swoony character arcs, contemporary romance, thrillers, suspense, YA/NA romance, commercial fiction, romantic comedies, and fantasy or paranormal romance, but only when the romance leads the way

Check agent's submission page

Mg, ya, graphic novels, contemporary romance, horror, speculative sci-fi, book club fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, first 5-10 pages

Stories about identity, family relationships, and travel. MG, YA, & Graphic Novels. Contemporary romance, horror, speculative sci-fi, and book club fiction. Non-fiction submissions and illustrators

Send a short description, short bio, and 5-10 pages of text pasted into the body of the email. I do not open attachments

Young adult, new adult, fantasy, thrillers, mysteries, suspense, romance, women's fiction, horror, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary, nonfiction, faith-based books, illustrators

YA (all subgenres except sci-fi), thrillers/suspense/mystery, horror, contemporary, romance, new adult, women's fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, faith-based/inspirational fiction and nonfiction, true crime, illustrators. Welcomes BIPOC and disabled main characters.

Query via agency submission process

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.

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.

Women's fiction, historical fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, narrative nonfiction, prescriptive nonfiction, gift nonfiction, true crime, pop culture, motivational or self-help, business, finance, wellness, spiritual, diet, parenting, lifestyle

Wants: Query letter, book proposal for nonfiction

Transportive upmarket and commercial fiction, strong female voices, sweeping love stories, historical fiction, new adult, romantic comedies, quirky mysteries, family dramadies, psychological thrillers, and broad nonfiction topics.

Use The Knight Agency submissions page and the relevant QueryManager link, do not query multiple TKA agents simultaneously.

Women's fiction, upmarket adult, commercial adult, domestic suspense, literary mystery, thrillers, historical, contemporary romance, book club fiction, pop science, business, psychology, cookbooks, memoirs, lifestyle, narrative non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

In terms of fiction, she is seeking women's fiction, upmarket adult, commercial adult, domestic suspense, literary mystery and thrillers, historical, contemporary romance, and smart book club fiction. In terms of non-fiction, she is looking for pop science, business, psychology, cookbooks, unique memoirs, lifestyle (health, wellness, relationships, parenting), narrative, and platform based non-fiction

For fiction queries, please format email subjects as 'Fiction: TITLE or GENRE or CREATOR NAME' and non-fiction queries as 'Non-Fiction: TOPIC or TITLE or CREATOR NAME'

Middle grade, young adult, new adult, adult fiction, fantasy, dystopian, mystery, horror, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, science fiction

Wants: Query letter

Jenissa is looking for middle grade, YA, New Adult and adult projects, especially high-concept fantasy, near-future dystopia, mysteries in fresh settings, genre-blending horror and coming-of-age contemporary work centered on strong emotional journeys.

Submit through Jenissa Graham's QueryManager form from her official BookEnds profile.

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

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

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

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

Commercial women's fiction, ya, contemporary romance, thrillers, suspense, historical fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters

Commercial women's fiction with a fresh and fun hook, all genres of YA (especially diverse stories), contemporary romance, thrillers and suspense, the occasional historical fiction, and anything that might be read in a day on the beach

Complete the form with query letter, synopsis, and first three chapters

Commercial, contemporary, family saga, genre-bending, horror, lgbtq and, literary, multicultural, mystery, offbeat, quirky, short stories, suspense, thriller, upmarket, women's fiction, cultural, social issues, current affairs, history, journalism, lifestyle, narrative, nature and ecology, politics, pop culture, psychology, relationship and dating, science and technology, women's issues

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

She seeks writers driven by curiosity and discovery, whether through formal inventiveness in fiction or rigorous investigative journalism. She is drawn to poets who have turned to prose and writers whose dexterity with language allows them to articulate emotions or sensibilities. She loves moody atmosphere, setting-as-character, and fantastical elements in literary and upmarket fiction, particularly when genre elements explore where language fails us.

Send query letter and 5 sample pages to only one agent with the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject line, or submit through Query Manager. Do not send attachments, include all materials in the body of the email.

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

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages, synopsis

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

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

Nonfiction, young adult, fantasy, science fiction, action adventure, contemporary, magical realism, mystery, thriller, horror

Wants: Query letter

Sharon is seeking nonfiction and young adult, including YA fantasy, science fiction, action/adventure, contemporary, magical realism, mystery/thriller, and horror.

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

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.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, contemporary fiction, christian fiction, family saga, historical fiction, literary fiction, romance, women's fiction, humor, commercial fiction, multicultural fiction

Wants: Query letter

Syrone is focused on strong diverse and multicultural voices, picture books with humor and heart, middle grade, YA, graphic novels, coming-of-age, friendships, family saga, contemporary fiction, Christian fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, contemporary romance, women's fiction, humor, commercial fiction, and stories with faith, redemption, forgiveness, and strong conversation hooks.

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

Adult fiction, contemporary fiction, upmarket fiction, literary fiction, commercial fiction, historical fiction, grounded speculative fiction, thriller, suspense, horror, romance, mystery, adult nonfiction, spirituality, mind body spirit, food, agriculture, science, stem, natural living, animals, pets, community, culture, pop culture, health, wellness

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Carleen is building a list in adult fiction and nonfiction. In fiction she likes contemporary genres, upmarket or literary voices, commercial work, historical genre blends, grounded speculative stories, thrillers, suspense, horror, mysteries, and romance with a strong subplot. In nonfiction she is interested in niche topics with wide appeal, including spirituality, food, agriculture, science, natural living, animals, culture, pop culture, and health/wellness.

Submit through Carleen Geisler's QueryManager form. The form asks for a query letter, synopsis, genre, word count, comparable books, AI-use disclosure, publication history, and the first 10 pages, or a book outline for nonfiction.

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.

Contemporary fiction, historical fiction, memoir, expert nonfiction, narrative nonfiction

Trena Keating is co-founder and agent at Union Literary, where she represents both fiction and nonfiction authors. She is most interested in books that draw readers into new perspectives and settings. She loves contemporary fiction with strong narratives, innovative historical fiction, memoirs with compelling voices, groundbreaking expert-based nonfiction, and accounts that broaden the lens on human experience.

Trena Keating accepts submissions through QueryTracker and by email. The official Union Literary agents page lists tk@unionliterary.com as her contact.

Commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, chick lit, contemporary fiction, dark romance, erotica, family saga, fantasy, magical realism, urban fantasy, historical fiction, horror, romance, lgbtq and fiction, multicultural fiction, mystery, new adult, science fiction, suspense, thriller, women's fiction, young adult

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, one sentence pitch, comparable books, first five pages

Shannon Snow is an Associate Agent at Rosecliff Literary and is actively building her list. She has eclectic reading taste across most genres in the commercial and upmarket space, seeks books with a unique angle and authors with engaging voices, depth, and nuance, and is especially drawn to vivid, well-developed characterization and stories that make her laugh, cry, or feel emotion. Her official linked form lists commercial, upmarket, romance, thriller, suspense, speculative, historical, horror, mystery, women's fiction, new adult, and young adult categories.

Submit through Shannon Snow's official Rosecliff-linked QueryTracker form. The form asks for author details, one-agent confirmation, title, word count, genre, query letter, synopsis, one-sentence pitch, comparable books, AI disclosure, publication status, and the first 5 pages.

Contemporary romance, paranormal romance, young adult, new adult, romance

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Brittany is looking for novels that keep her up at night, especially YA and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance, adult witty contemporary romance, and slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance with rich characters, unique plots, southern settings, and happy endings.

Brittany Booker Carter is currently closed to queries. Do not use the agency contact form for queries.

Speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction, horror, gothic fiction, mystery, thriller, contemporary fiction, romance, new adult, young adult

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, comps, sample pages

Leah is exclusively looking for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander and other underrepresented or marginalized voices. She is acquiring YA, New Adult, and adult projects, especially speculative fiction, dark academia, gothic or horror, fantasy with myth, legend, history or fairytale elements, accessible science fiction, YA mystery/thriller, and select contemporary or romance.

Submit through Leah Pierre's QueryManager route. Ladderbird asks writers to use each agent's own query page and not query more than one Ladderbird agent at a time.

Romance, contemporary romance, dark romance, new adult, mature young adult

Georgana (Nina) Grinstead is particularly interested in romance, especially contemporary, dark, New Adult, and mature YA romance. She is not looking for historical romance or paranormal/fantasy romance.

The Seymour Agency says it is currently open to submissions and lists Georgana (Nina) Grinstead as an agent contact at georgana@theseymouragency.com. Query by email unless a more specific future form is posted on her official profile or submissions page.

Women's issues, pop culture, illustrated nonfiction, photography, history, politics, self-help, current events, narrative nonfiction, biography, business, lifestyle, cookbooks, contemporary fiction, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, romantic comedy, women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 20 pages, proposal

Dani represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. In nonfiction she is drawn to women's issues, pop culture, illustrated and photography projects, history, politics, self-help, current events, narrative nonfiction, biography, business, lifestyle, and cookbooks. In fiction she seeks contemporary and upmarket adult fiction, historical fiction, rom-coms, and women's fiction with compelling narrators and voice-driven writing.

Submit to Dani Segelbaum via QueryManager. Her form asks for a query letter and the first 20 pages of fiction or a full nonfiction proposal. Do not query multiple Arc agents simultaneously.

Commercial fiction, women's fiction, romance, thriller, domestic suspense, speculative fiction, contemporary young adult, new adult, romantasy, subsidiary rights

Wants: Query letter, first twenty-five pages, first chapter

Kimberly works with commercial fiction authors from debuts to bestselling writers. She is interested in adult commercial fiction, especially women's fiction, romance, thrillers and domestic suspense, speculative fiction, contemporary YA/New Adult crossover, and grounded romantasy.

Email queries@parkfinebrower.com and specify Kimberly Brower plus the category and genre in the subject line. Adult fiction submissions should include a query letter and roughly the first 25 pages in the body of the email. YA fiction should include a query letter and first chapter or about the first 10 pages.

Fiction, book club fiction, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, horror, mystery, crime fiction, upmarket fiction, literary fiction, underrepresented voices

Wants: Query letter, description, bio, publishing history, synopsis, first three chapters

Logan Harper is a staff agent at Jane Rotrosen Agency. She is seeking a wide range of character-driven fiction and is particularly drawn to book club fiction, contemporary romance and romantic comedies, psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, horror, mystery and crime, upmarket fiction, and literary fiction. She is eager to read and champion underrepresented voices and perspectives.

Email Logan Harper at lharper@janerotrosen.com and include all material in the body of the email with no attachments. JRA submissions guidance asks writers to query one agent only and to include a concise description, relevant biographical information, previous publishing history, and, for fiction, a synopsis and the first 3 chapters.

Adventure, children's books, juvenile, young adult, mainstream fiction, mystery, politics, law, romance, thriller, women's fiction, comic books, graphic novels, business, commerce, contemporary culture, popular culture, how-to, self-help, mind body spirit, relationships, sports

Wants: One page query letter, book proposal, sample chapter, complete manuscript

Paul S. Levine is a literary agent and publishing attorney. His fiction interests include adventure, children/juvenile/YA, mainstream, mysteries, politics and law, romance, thrillers, women's fiction, comic books, and graphic novels. His nonfiction interests include business/commerce, children/juvenile/YA, contemporary and popular culture, how-to and self-help, mind/body/spirit, politics and law, relationships, and sports. He is not interested in science fiction, fantasy, or horror.

Email Paul S. Levine a one-page query letter, preferably by email, at paul@paulslevinelit.com. No query-related phone calls. If interested, the agency will request material: for nonfiction, a book proposal and sample chapter, for memoir, a proposal and complete manuscript, for fiction, a complete polished manuscript. All requested submissions should be PDF attachments.

Adult fiction, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, literary fiction, crime fiction, mystery, cozy mystery, historical mystery, suspense, thriller, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, book club fiction, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters, proposal, author bio, pitch

Sandy Harding is Senior Literary Agent at Spencerhill Associates. She is seeking mainly upmarket commercial and literary fiction for the adult market, including women's fiction for book clubs, smart page-turning thrillers, suspense with complex protagonists, mysteries of all sorts including cozies, historical, and traditional mysteries, and romance. Her official submissions page adds engaging adult upmarket and commercial fiction, crime fiction of all sorts, historical and contemporary upmarket fiction, book club reads, romantic comedies, and contemporary romance. She is drawn to complicated protagonists, multiple points of view, diverse voices, and writing with a captivating voice and story.

Submit through Sandy Harding's official Spencerhill linked QueryManager form. Spencerhill accepts submissions only through Query Manager, asks writers to query one agent, and says a response from one agent should be considered a response from all. Sandy's form requests a query letter, author biography, book details, synopsis, first 3 chapters or full nonfiction proposal, pitch, target audience, and similar books.