321+ United States young adult (YA) literary agents whose current PairPi record says they are open to submissions. Each listing includes a source link and last-checked date.
321+ verified agents · 321 currently open
Women's fiction, romance, historical fiction, ya, fantasy, mystery, suspense
Bestselling authors in women's fiction, romance, historical fiction, YA, fantasy, mystery, and suspense, and is always looking for exciting new voices in fiction
Complete the form
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.
Literary fiction, commercial fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, science fiction, horror, western, women's fiction, middle grade, young adult, narrative non-fiction, true crime, memoir
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio, first five pages
She is a fan of magical realism, contemporary westerns, science fiction and all stories that quicken the pulse and imagination.
Make your submission letter to the point and as brief as possible. Include a short synopsis of your work, an author bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of your email, no attachments please.
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.
Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, popular culture, pop science, sports, self-help, inspiration, cookbooks, humor, lifestyle
Wants: Query letter, first five pages
DeFiore responds favorably to projects that demonstrate real storytelling talent with strong narrative drive and mastery of voice. In non-fiction he favors memoir, popular culture, pop science, sports, self-help and inspiration, cookbooks, humor and lifestyle. In fiction he seeks all sorts of novels except romance or western, for both adult and young adult readers.
Send a persuasive e-mail to Querybrian@defliterary.com indicating the kind of book you are writing, a brief description of the book's contents, anything about your life experiences that will make readers take notice, and demonstrate creativity, confidence, and precision in the prose.
Fantasy, mystery, horror, speculative fiction, romance, picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, one paragraph pitch, first 3 chapters
She is primarily looking for bold, emotional narratives with layered characters, lyrical and atmospheric writing, voicey genre-blending tales, big stakes, speculative worlds filled with haunting quietly wondrous magic, sharply funny rom-coms and coming of age narratives, witty and heartfelt picture books, and fearless storytellers tackling big ideas. She loves working with and supporting marginalized authors and their stories.
Submit materials via Query Manager.
Speculative fiction, literary science fiction, upmarket book club fiction, thrillers, fairy tale retellings, magical realism, horror, suspense
Dorian is actively building her list in YA and adult fiction, especially speculative fiction, literary science fiction, upmarket book club fiction, thrillers, reimagined fairy tales, magical realism, unique voices, contemporary novels with mystery, horror, suspense, and innovative storytelling.
QueryManager submissions
Fiction, narrative non-fiction, idea books, entertainment, sports, cookbooks, design, satire, science fiction, thriller, spy stories, young adult, humor
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages
Luke seeks books that are prime examples of their type, successful at what they're trying to be with natural storytelling and strong voices. He particularly enjoys satire, high concept science fiction, big ambitious novels, humor, thrillers and spy stories.
Direct submission to Luke Janklow at submissions@janklow.com. For fiction: send informative description, brief synopsis and first ten pages in email body. For non-fiction: send informative description, full outline, and first ten pages in email body.
Commercial fiction, horror, non-fiction, young adult horror
Wants: Query letter
Lane represents a broad range of commercial fiction and serious nonfiction. In fiction, he is especially interested in projects broadly defined as horror. He is always looking for projects by underrepresented voices both in horror, fiction in general, and nonfiction. In nonfiction, Lane focuses on the sciences, cultural studies, history, pop-culture, and celebrity projects.
Submit through Query Manager only. Fiction requires completed manuscript. Nonfiction requires full-length proposal. Cannot query multiple agents simultaneously.
Picture books, middle grade fiction, middle grade non-fiction, young adult fiction, young adult non-fiction, graphic novels
Wants: Query letter
High concept stories with high level writing that bring something new to shelves. For middle grade, she loves books with ensemble casts, books about good kids making bad decisions, quests and hijinks, spooky stories and mysteries, and historical novels that feel relevant. For young adult, she seeks books with atmospheric settings, lush writing, and romance threaded through but not primary. She is particularly interested in fantasy told from unique perspectives, ghost stories, accessible science fiction, magical realism, and contemporary stories that challenge assumptions.
Submissions through QueryManager only. Fiction requires completed manuscript. No simultaneous submissions to multiple agents at the agency.
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
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.
Nonfiction, fiction, commercial fiction, literary fiction, young adult
Tia Ikemoto is a CAA literary agent based in New York. She represents a diverse range of nonfiction and fiction across the commercial to literary spectrum. She is seeking fiction and nonfiction projects that resonate with a wide audience, and is drawn to compelling and propulsive storytelling, emotionally resonant narratives, and high-concept projects with unique hooks or fresh perspectives.
Use Tia Ikemoto's official CAA agent profile submission button or form. CAA says writers can find query instructions by clicking an agent profile and that open agents show a button or link on their profile to begin a submission.
Illustrators, author-illustrators, children's illustration, picture books, board books, young adult, graphic novels, educational publishing
Wants: Portfolio link, art samples, picture book dummy
Illustrators and author-illustrators for children's publishing, including picture books, board books, educational work, Young Adult jackets, fantasy, graphic novels, and related children's illustration.
Email an introduction, five samples of children's-specific illustration work, or a direct link to a children's-specific website. Author-illustrators should include at least one and no more than three full-length picture book scripts. Put Nicole Tugeau's name in the subject line.
Picture books, cookbooks, middle grade, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, horror, suspense, contemporary fiction, upmarket women's fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir
Jennifer Wills is a literary agent at The Seymour Agency. She is interested in a wide range of picture books and cookbooks, especially author-illustrators of sweet and wacky picture books and cookbooks with health-conscious, budget-friendly, or celebrity-chef recipes. In fiction she is interested in middle grade and YA with a sci-fi/fantasy, horror/suspense, or contemporary bent, and upmarket women's fiction with a sense of humor. In nonfiction she welcomes narrative nonfiction and memoir. She wants a great hook, a distinct voice, and work that can make her laugh out loud or ugly cry.
Query Jennifer Wills through her official Seymour QueryManager link: https://querymanager.com or query or JenniferWills. The current Seymour profile also lists jennifer@theseymouragency.com as a contact email, but the public query route is QueryManager.
Fantasy, science fiction, horror, thriller, crime, romantasy, young adult, nonfiction, technology, politics, education, true crime, cookbooks, food writing
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, comparable books, first twenty pages, full proposal
Charlie is building a genre-fiction and selective nonfiction list, especially fantasy, science fiction, horror, adult thrillers, crime fiction, YA horror, romantasy with a twist, and nonfiction on hard truths, new technology, political intrigue, restaurants, lesser-known people or situations, education and true crime.
Submit through Charlie Serabian's QueryTracker form. Query only one Martin-Newens representative at a time.
Literary fiction, young adult, middle grade, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, biography, history, memoir, pop culture, upmarket women's fiction, food writing, cookbooks
Wants: Query letter, first ten pages
Elizabeth focuses on literary fiction, young adult fiction, narrative nonfiction, issue-based nonfiction, history, biography, food writing, cookbooks, memoir, and upmarket women's fiction.
Email a query letter to query@elizabethkaplanlit.com. Do not send attachments, fiction writers may paste the first ten pages into the body of the email. The agency replies only if interested.
Romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, dark academia, mystery, gothic, romance, upmarket fiction
Wants: Query letter
Andrea is open to YA, new adult and adult romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, dark academia, mystery and gothic; for adult and new adult she is also open to romance and upmarket fiction.
Submit through Andrea's official QueryTracker route.
Fantasy, romantasy, romance, speculative fiction, magical realism, thriller, science fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books
Wants: Query letter
Andie is building a list in adult fantasy, romantasy, romance, speculative fiction, thriller, grounded near-future science fiction, young adult fantasy, contemporary, mystery/thriller, eco-fiction, middle grade, and picture books with nature, science, STEM, humor or hopeful themes.
Submit through Andie Smith's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.
Suspense, psychological suspense, domestic suspense, romance, book club fiction, women's fiction, women's issues, practical nonfiction, pop culture, pop science, education, social science, young adult
Wants: Query letter
Laurie is looking for adult suspense, romance, book club fiction, women's fiction, practical nonfiction, women's issues, pop culture, pop science, education, social science, and young adult with a strong commercial hook.
Submit through Laurie Dennison's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.
Women's fiction, book club fiction, fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, horror, romance, memoir, narrative nonfiction, true crime, cultural issues, lgbtq and, young adult, middle grade
Wants: Query letter
Haley is building a list in adult women's fiction, book club fiction, grounded genre fiction, romance, memoir, narrative nonfiction, true crime, cultural, LGBTQ+ and women's issues, plus young adult and middle grade across contemporary, mystery, fantasy, science fiction and horror.
Submit through Haley Casey's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time and to review each agent's bio, wishlist, and QueryManager page before submitting.
Young adult, adult fiction, horror, horror romance, gothic horror, folk horror, historical horror, paranormal fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, fantasy, magical realism, dark academia, lgbtq and, bipoc
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages
Ellen is seeking young adult and adult fiction, especially women-led and own-voices stories that subvert genre expectations. Her wishlist includes horror, horror romance, gothic horror, folk horror, historical horror, paranormal fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, fantasy, magical realism, dark academia, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ stories.
Submit through Ellen Moore's QueryManager link from her Corvisiero profile. Corvisiero says email submissions are not accepted and writers should submit only one project to one Corvisiero agent at a time.
Illustrators, author-illustrators, children's illustration, picture books, board books, young adult, graphic novels, educational publishing
Illustrators and author-illustrators for children's publishing, including picture books, board books, educational work, Young Adult jackets, fantasy, graphic novels, and related children's illustration.
Submit through Carter Hasegawa's QueryTracker form linked from the official contact page. Follow the form instructions for illustrator or author-illustrator queries.
Fantasy, horror, thriller, women's fiction, romance, nonfiction, cookbooks, memoir
Wants: Query letter, first twenty pages, full proposal
V. is primarily interested in adult and teen fiction, especially fantasy, horror, thrillers, women's fiction, and romance, and is open to spiritual or esoteric nonfiction, cookbook proposals, and very select memoir.
Submit through V.'s official QueryTracker route. Fiction queries include a query letter and first twenty pages, nonfiction queries include the full proposal.
Young adult fiction, adult fiction, commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, fantasy, romance
Wants: Query letter
Gabriella represents YA fiction and adult fiction, with interest in stories by Latinx/Hispanic authors, commercial or upmarket fiction, stories that present real issues in a digestible format, and YA/new adult fantasy or romance.
Submit through Gabriella's QueryManager form. Great Dog accepts queries only through QueryManager and asks writers not to query multiple Great Dog agents.
Young adult, historical fiction, romantic comedy, dark romance, true crime, psychological thriller, gothic fiction, romantasy
Wants: Query letter
Rachel is looking for YA centering Jewish and/or queer voices, historical fiction about powerful women and hidden history, quirky rom-coms, dark romance without non-consent, respectful true crime, psychological thrillers, gothic fiction, and fresh romantasy.
Rachel accepts queries in the first and last week of each month through her official QueryTracker route.
Fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, crossover fiction, macabre, folklore
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters
Ben is looking for quirky, cozy, character-driven fantasy, science fiction, and other speculative fiction; crossover fiction; the macabre for all ages; off-the-beaten-path folklore; Deaf culture and community; and food-related work.
Submit through the Handspun QueryManager form. Query each project once with the agency.
Commercial fiction, upscale fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, women's fiction, romance, memoir, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, business, parenting, young adult, middle grade
Wants: Query letter
Paige is looking for unique stories, fresh voices, snappy dialogue, unexpected twists, commercial and upscale fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, women's fiction, romance, and narrative or prescriptive nonfiction from authors with a platform and new ideas.
Submit through Paige Wheeler's QueryManager form. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time, if querying Paige, send to her first because she does not accept pitches previously submitted to another CMA agent.
Romantasy, young adult, fantasy, romance, dark academia, science fiction
Wants: Query letter, author bio, comp titles
Tara is primarily interested in romantasy with strong female characters, lush worlds and messy interpersonal relationships. She is open to YA and adult fantasy, romance, fairytale or legend retellings, dark academia, accessible fantasy, and science fiction with romantic elements.
Submit through Tara's official QueryTracker route. Include word count, series information, author bio, comp titles, what sets the book apart, and character-led query material.
Fiction, nonfiction, literary fiction, mainstream fiction, children's, young adult, middle grade, picture books, memoir, wellness, self-help, lifestyle
Wants: Query letter
Cindy creates publishing opportunities for clients across a wide array of fiction and nonfiction. CAA client/title pages show representation across adult nonfiction, fiction, young adult, middle grade, and picture books.
Submit through CAA Books Submittable from Cindy Uh's official CAA profile. The CAA profile is marked Accepting Submissions and links directly to the Books Submission form.
Literary fiction, health nonfiction, young adult, short stories
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages
Ismita is seeking literary fiction, health-related nonfiction, YA, and short story collections. She is drawn to Southern settings, gritty realist writing, health or disability themes, and writing with a sense of humor.
Submit through Ismita's QueryManager form. Great Dog accepts queries only through QueryManager and asks writers not to query multiple Great Dog agents.
Literary fiction, historical fiction, crime, mystery, thrillers, horror, women's fiction, romance, young adult fiction, memoirs, essays, narrative nonfiction
Wants: Query letter, brief sample in email body
Literary fiction; historical fiction; sophisticated genre (crime, mystery, thrillers, horror); upmarket character-rich women's fiction and smart romance; realism-based young adult fiction; memoirs, essays, and narrative nonfiction. Nonfiction interests include: music, sports, wellness, the natural world, animal welfare, feminism, true crime, sociology, and culture both pop and serious.
Submissions strictly via dedicated email address: submissions@dvagency.com
Young adult, new adult, romance, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, retellings
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters
Jess is building a list in young adult, new adult and select romance. She is open to any YA subgenre except tech-heavy science fiction, new adult romance focused on characters under twenty-five, and witchy or cozy fantasy romance.
Submit through Jess Taylor's QueryTracker form. Query only one Martin-Newens representative at a time.
Romance, horror, contemporary fantasy
Wants: Query letter
She is particularly drawn to books that showcase a strong commercial appeal combined with literary writing. She has a soft spot for stories that break genre boundaries, especially those that incorporate speculative elements or deliver unexpected twists to familiar genre structures. She is looking for stories that are both engaging and thought-provoking, offering readers a truly immersive and memorable reading experience.
Submit via Query Tracker. Unsolicited queries sent to her email address will be deleted unread.
Young adult, poetry, adult fiction, horror, fantasy, romance, romantasy, dark academia, gothic horror, graphic novels, creative nonfiction, memoir
Wants: Query letter
Kenna is looking for LGBTQIA+ adult fiction and YA, horror, fantasy, romance, poetry collections, weird girl fiction, romantasy, dark academia, gothic horror, full-length story collections, graphic novels, and punk memoir or creative nonfiction.
Submit through Kenna's official QueryTracker route.
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