US Horror Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, thriller, fantasy, horror, young adult, picture books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

The Book Group represents award-winning novelists and illustrators, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, thrillers, fantasy, horror, young adult classics, memoirs, cookbooks and picture books.

Email a query letter addressed to the agent at submissions@thebookgroup.com. Put the agent name in the subject line and paste the first ten sample pages below the query. The Book Group only accepts electronic queries to that inbox and does not read attachments.

Romance, romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, thriller, mystery, suspense, horror, women's fiction, memoir, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, author bio

Jeanne is interested in romance, romantasy, thrillers, mysteries, suspense, horror, women's fiction, fantasy, science fiction, dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, plus selective character-driven memoir and expert-led nonfiction.

Submit through Jeanne De Vita's QueryTracker form. Query only one Martin-Newens representative at a time.

Adult fiction, young adult, middle grade, narrative nonfiction, memoir, commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, magical realism, horror, rom-com, women's fiction, science fiction

Wants: Pitch

Jen represents adult, YA and middle-grade fiction, plus narrative nonfiction and memoir. She does not represent picture books, novellas or high fantasy.

Email Jen Nadol with a pitch at Jen.Nadol@theunteragency.com. If there is no response within three months, consider it a pass.

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.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, thriller, fantasy, horror, young adult, picture books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

The Book Group represents award-winning novelists and illustrators, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, thrillers, fantasy, horror, young adult classics, memoirs, cookbooks and picture books.

Email a query letter addressed to the agent at submissions@thebookgroup.com. Put the agent name in the subject line and paste the first ten sample pages below the query. The Book Group only accepts electronic queries to that inbox and does not read attachments.

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.

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.

Young adult, adult fiction, science fiction, fantasy, romance, women's fiction, horror, domestic suspense, psychological thriller, speculative thriller, queer, bipoc

Wants: Query letter

Kiana represents young adult and adult fiction across genres, especially high-concept commercial stories with queer BIPOC characters. Her wishlist includes science fiction, fantasy, romance, women's fiction, horror, domestic suspense, psychological and speculative thrillers, adult and YA horror, YA fantasy, and selected romantasy/dark academia with a twist.

Submit through Kiana Nguyen's QueryTracker or QueryManager link from her official wishlist page. Her personal site says the listed contact email is not for queries.

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.

Young adult, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters, full proposal for nonfiction

Laura represents YA, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction with speculative elements, and select contemporary and historical fiction. She is aggressively looking in adult horror, mystery, and thriller, and is interested in genre-crossing work.

Submit through QueryManager. Follow standard query-letter format, query one Headwater agent at a time, and do not email queries.

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.

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.

Fantasy, science fiction, horror, romantasy, young adult, middle grade, graphic novels, romance

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio, first chapter, sample illustrations

Morgan is focused on marginalized voices and is open to adult and YA fantasy, science fiction, horror, romantasy, YA paranormal or mystery, middle grade fantasy, science fiction and horror, and graphic novels, especially fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance, and manga-inspired work.

Submit through Morgan's official QueryManager route with a query including metadata, pitch or blurb, short bio, synopsis, content warnings if applicable, and first chapter or proposal. Sample artwork may be uploaded where relevant.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, thriller, fantasy, horror, young adult, picture books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

The Book Group represents award-winning novelists and illustrators, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, thrillers, fantasy, horror, young adult classics, memoirs, cookbooks and picture books.

Email a query letter addressed to the agent at submissions@thebookgroup.com. Put the agent name in the subject line and paste the first ten sample pages below the query. The Book Group only accepts electronic queries to that inbox and does not read attachments.

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.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, thriller, fantasy, horror, young adult, picture books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

The Book Group represents award-winning novelists and illustrators, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, thrillers, fantasy, horror, young adult classics, memoirs, cookbooks and picture books.

Email a query letter addressed to the agent at submissions@thebookgroup.com. Put the agent name in the subject line and paste the first ten sample pages below the query. The Book Group only accepts electronic queries to that inbox and does not read attachments.

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.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, thriller, fantasy, horror, young adult, picture books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

The Book Group represents award-winning novelists and illustrators, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, thrillers, fantasy, horror, young adult classics, memoirs, cookbooks and picture books.

Email a query letter addressed to the agent at submissions@thebookgroup.com. Put the agent name in the subject line and paste the first ten sample pages below the query. The Book Group only accepts electronic queries to that inbox and does not read attachments.

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.

Middle grade, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, romance, women's fiction, inspirational fiction, horror, dystopian

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, pitch, first three chapters

Ali Herring represents a broad range of upmarket and commercial fiction, including middle grade and young adult fiction in all genres, adult contemporary, horror, science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, dystopian, thrillers, suspense, romance, women's fiction, southern fiction, and inspirational romance. Her current QueryManager form says she is only open to vampire fiction, Greek gods and goddesses fiction, dystopian fiction, and grounded fantasy, any age.

Submit to Ali Herring only through her official QueryManager link. Spencerhill asks writers to query only one agent and accepts no email or paper submissions. Ali's current form asks for a concise pitch with plot arc and stakes, query letter, synopsis, one-sentence pitch, comparable books, AI-use disclosure, and the first three chapters or full nonfiction proposal.

Literary fiction, literary horror, grounded fantasy, romance, queer romance, body horror, essay collections, new adult, young adult, lgbtq and, pop culture, fashion

Wants: Query letter, sample chapters

Dani is building her list and is looking for literary fiction that keeps her up at night, literary horror, grounded fantasy and romance with real emotion, atmospheric work, girlhood, nostalgia, queer romance, body horror, Los Angeles stories, and essay collections about home, the body, and family.

Sterling Lord Literistic asks writers to submit through the agency submissions route and choose only one SLL agent. Dani's Manuscript Wish List says submissions should be emailed to submissions@sll.com with a query letter and first three chapters.

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.

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.

Adult fiction, nonfiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, thriller, speculative fiction, horror, memoir, narrative nonfiction, social justice, cultural criticism, true crime, essay collections

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Meredith represents adult fiction and nonfiction, including transportive fiction, dark or darkly humorous stories, thriller/speculative/horror elements, voice-driven memoir, narrative nonfiction, social justice writing, cultural criticism, true crime, and essays about race, class, and identity.

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

Young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, graphic novels, women's fiction, romance, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, psychological thriller, narrative nonfiction, biography, culture, social justice, history

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first five pages, comparable books, full nonfiction proposal, ai disclosure

Michelle Witte founded Mansion Street Literary Management and represents MG and YA fiction, graphic novels, adult fiction, and narrative nonfiction. In YA she is looking for rom-com, historical, science fiction and fantasy, horror, psychological thrillers, and mashups of those categories; in MG, fun voices in adventure, contemporary, mystery, humor, horror, speculative, science fiction and fantasy, plus select graphic novels. In adult fiction she seeks women's fiction, romance, and speculative work. For nonfiction she is interested in biographies, culture, social justice, and history with a fresh lens and a personal element.

Submit to Michelle Witte through the official QueryManager link on the Mansion Street submissions page. Her form asks for project details, query letter, synopsis, comparable books, AI disclosure, and the first 5 pages or a full proposal for nonfiction. Mansion Street says if you do not hear back within 8 weeks, consider it a pass.

Commercial fiction, young adult, adult fiction, romance, fantasy, mythology, dark academia, dystopian, horror, thriller, cozy fantasy, romantasy, gothic horror, folk horror, psychological thriller, new adult, neurodivergent voices, disabled voices

Wants: Query letter, first five pages, comparable titles

Olivia specializes in commercial fiction for young adult and adult audiences. She is looking for romance, fantasy, mythology, dark academia, dystopian, horror, thriller, cozy fantasy, romantasy, nautical fantasy, gothic horror, folk horror, mythological retellings, psychological thrillers, genre-blending manuscripts, and speculative twists, with special interest in work from neurodivergent and disabled authors.

Submit through Olivia Emerick's QueryManager route. The current form asks for a query letter, one-paragraph pitch, target audience, comparable books, AI disclosure, publication status, and the first five pages uploaded as a file.

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.

Young adult, middle grade, adult book club fiction, upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, horror, women's fiction, romance, mystery, suspense

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Patricia represents YA and middle grade fiction in all genres, adult book club/upmarket fiction, including speculative and horror elements, and commercial women's fiction from beach reads and romcoms to darker stories with mystery or suspense.

Patricia Nelson is open to queries during the first week of every month via the QueryTracker route linked from her Looking Glass profile.

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

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

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

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

Fantasy, high fantasy, romantasy, dark romance, horror, atmospheric horror, young adult, new adult, mythology, magical realism, historical fantasy, lgbtq and, neurodivergent voices, disabled voices, bipoc voices

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

Shania is drawn to diverse literary worlds that subvert standard tropes in high fantasy, romantasy, dark romance, and horror. Her current QueryManager route says she is seeking YA and New Adult manuscripts, especially fantasy, plus chilling atmospheric horror, fairytale and myth retellings, LGBTQ+ relationships, neurodivergent and disabled characters, and BIPOC protagonists.

Submit through Shania Soler's QueryManager route. The current form requests author details, a query letter, synopsis, and the first ten pages uploaded as a Word document.

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.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, contemporary fiction, grounded fantasy, horror, mystery, cozy mystery, romantic suspense, cookbooks, health, fitness, advocacy, bipoc voices

Wants: Query letter, first 50 pages, proposal

Stefanie is exclusively taking on clients systemically excluded from publishing, with a focus on BIPOC authors. She is seeking MG, YA, and adult fiction and nonfiction, especially gutsy contemporary, grounded fantasy, horror, mystery, cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, cookbooks from immigrant perspectives, and advocacy-centered nonfiction around sports/exercise science, health, fitness, nutrition, medicine, and animals.

Submit through Stefanie Molina-Santos's QueryTracker form with a query plus the first 50 pages, or a full proposal for nonfiction.

Graphic novels, science fiction, fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, romantic comedy, romance, lgbtq and voices, bipoc voices, nonfiction, illustrated projects

Wants: Querymanager submission

Tamara Kawar is a literary agent at DeFiore and Company. She represents writer and illustrator clients in both the children's and adult markets, with particular focus on talented LGBTQ+ and BIPOC storytellers. She is actively seeking graphic novels for all ages and across genres; science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction for middle grade, YA, and adult readers; upmarket and book club fiction, especially genre-bending stories and those with an international bent; adult and YA rom-coms and romance featuring LGBTQ+ characters; and select nonfiction, including illustrated projects. Across categories, she is passionate about marginalized voices and perspectives.

Submit through Tamara Kawar's official DeFiore profile-linked QueryManager form at https://querymanager.com or tkawar.

Upmarket fiction, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, horror, magical realism, camp, kitsch, middle grade, young adult

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

Tess Weitzner is Rights Director and Agent at Frances Goldin Literary Agency. She is primarily looking for upmarket fiction, literary fiction, and narrative nonfiction narrow and deep in scope that might use unreliable narrators, interrogations of power and violence, reclamations of identity, or dark-as-night humor. Fresh takes on horror, magical realism, camp, and kitsch are welcome. In children's books she is looking for contemporary middle grade and YA stories that are fun, engaging, seemingly quiet, and crack open larger questions or underrepresented experiences. She is not accepting science fiction, fantasy, or picture books at this time.

Email Tess Weitzner at tw@goldinlit.com. Frances Goldin asks writers to submit to only one agency agent at a time. For fiction, memoir, essays, or narrative nonfiction, send a query letter and the first 10-15 pages in the body of the email. For other nonfiction, send a query letter and attach a proposal if one is prepared. Submissions must be original author work and not generated or co-written using AI tools.

Adult science fiction, adult fantasy, adult romance, adult horror, sff horror blend, adult graphic novels

Wants: Completed manuscript, querymanager submission

Tricia Skinner is Vice President of Fuse Literary and specializes in adult science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, and adult graphic novels. She seeks high stakes, solid conflicts, mounting tension, endearing characters, engaging dialogue, emotional depth, intriguing cultures, gripping adventures, strong heroic and villainous arcs, and life-or-death moments. She likes fresh perspectives, SFF blended with horror, darker science or magic costs, paranormal romance, urban fantasy romance, Mandalorian-style single fathers, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC protagonists, space operas, non-Milky Way colonies, and alien-species points of view.

Query Tricia Skinner only through QueryManager. Submit only adult novels and adult graphic novels in romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and make sure manuscripts are polished and completed before querying. Do not send unsolicited submissions by email or social media, they will be deleted unread.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, family saga, women's fiction, young adult, narrative nonfiction, history, biography, science, business, psychology, pop culture, food writing

Wants: Query letter, first five pages, proposal

Sandy Lu founded Book Wyrm Literary Agency after more than a decade as a literary agent. In fiction she seeks stories with a unique voice, thrilling plot, lasting characters, humor or emotion, and especially loves historical fiction, atmospheric world-building, and anything dark, twisted, or with a supernatural bent. In nonfiction she looks for projects that connect unexpected topics, explain complex research for general audiences, introduce cutting-edge science or little-known historical facts and figures, teach useful skills, or expand readers' knowledge of the world. Book Wyrm submissions are open for literary and commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, family saga, upmarket women's fiction, YA, narrative nonfiction, history, biography, science, business, psychology, pop culture, and food writing.

Submit through Sandy Lu's official Book Wyrm linked QueryManager form. The form asks for author details, book title, word count, genre, query letter, AI disclosure, publication history, and the first 5 pages, or a full proposal for nonfiction. Book Wyrm does not accept email queries.