US Contemporary Literary Agents

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'

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.

Romance, contemporary romance, sports romance, new adult romance, paranormal romance, suspense, romantic thriller, cozy mysteries, young adult

Wants: Query letter

Roxanne, listed as Roxie on the submissions page, is open to romance subgenres including contemporary, sports, new adult and paranormal, as well as suspense, romantic thrillers, cozy mysteries, young adult, and more.

Submit through SBR Media's submissions page and choose Roxie or Roxanne Madar. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

Contemporary romance, paranormal romance, dark romance, erotic romance, science fiction romance, romantic thriller, bdsm, erotica, women's fiction, thriller, suspense

Wants: Query letter

Nikki is particularly looking for heart-stopping epic romances, gritty nail-biting thrillers with clever twists, and captivating, unique writing styles. Her listed categories include contemporary romance, paranormal romance, dark romance, erotic romance, sci-fi romance, romantic thriller, BDSM, erotica, women's fiction, thriller, and suspense.

Submit through SBR Media's submissions page and choose Nikki Groom. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

Dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, erotica, bdsm, lgbtq and romance, suspense, christian fiction

Wants: Query letter

Kim is open to dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, erotica, BDSM, LGBTQ+ romance, suspense, Christian fiction, and may consider other genres outside the listed categories.

Submit through SBR Media's submissions page and choose Kim Tatum. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

Dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, erotica, bdsm, lgbtq and romance, suspense, christian fiction

Wants: Query letter

Laura is open to dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, erotica, BDSM, LGBTQ+ romance, suspense, Christian fiction, and may consider other genres outside the listed categories.

Submit through SBR Media's submissions page and choose Laura Pink. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

Contemporary romance, romantasy, new adult romance, sports romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, young adult romance, women's fiction, cozy mysteries, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Amanda is open to contemporary romance, romantasy, new adult romance, sports romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, romcom, young adult romance, women's fiction, cozy mysteries, and may consider nonfiction.

Submit through SBR Media's submissions page and choose Amanda Wooden. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

Contemporary romance, romantic comedy, dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, thriller, erotica, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Dani is open to contemporary romance, romantic comedy, dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, thriller, erotica, and may consider nonfiction depending on topic. SBR notes she is looking for authors with a strong social media following and presence.

Submit through SBR Media's submissions page and choose Dani Sanchez. Query only one SBR Media agent at a time.

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, mystery, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, romance, science fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, biography, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, first chapter

Ronald is focused on cinematic stories with strong hooks and relatable characters, and is actively looking for thriller and mystery, historical and contemporary fiction, romance, grounded science fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir and biography, and middle grade.

Email a query letter to assistant@bookhaven.com with the word "Query" in the subject line and the first chapter attached as a Word document.

Women's fiction, historical fiction, grounded speculative fiction, contemporary romance, thriller, psychological suspense, book club fiction, commercial fiction

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

Amy Tannenbaum represents women's fiction, historical fiction, grounded speculative fiction, contemporary romance, thriller, psychological suspense, fiction in the sweet spot between literary and commercial, and works by marginalized voices.

Send queries for Amy Tannenbaum to atannenbaum@janerotrosen.com. Include all material in the body of the email with no attachments. Jane Rotrosen Agency asks writers to query one agent at the agency and include a concise description, relevant bio, publishing history, and for fiction a synopsis and first three chapters or for nonfiction a proposal and sample chapters.

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.

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.

Young adult, middle grade, picture books, contemporary fiction, contemporary fantasy, fantasy, speculative fiction, suspense, romance, historical fiction

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

Daniele is open to YA, middle grade, and picture books. She prioritizes contemporary but is also open to contemporary fantasy, selective fantasy/speculative, suspense, romance, and historical, especially lyrical, literary, voice-driven work by diverse authors.

Query Daniele through her official QueryManager link. For children's and YA, include query letter, synopsis, first three consecutive chapters up to 25 pages, author bio, and any relevant illustrations.

New adult, adult fiction, young adult, middle grade, fantasy, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, dark academia, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, contemporary fantasy, romance, diverse voices

Wants: Query letter

Isabelle is actively looking for New Adult books across genres and is also interested in adult, young adult, and middle grade fantasy plus upmarket and commercial adult fiction with worldbuilding, unique characters, strong plotting, hooks, romantic subplots, and diverse voices.

Submit through Isabelle Rader's Codex Literary online query form. Codex asks writers to choose only one Codex agent and notes that it cannot represent authors who have worked with one of its agents on Reedsy or work-for-hire projects.

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, upmarket fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, food writing, journalism

Wants: Query letter, first five pages, author bio

Kate is particularly interested in literary and upmarket fiction, memoir and narrative nonfiction that contributes to conversations that move society forward, with strong narrative voices and clear confidence of intention.

Submit through Kate Garrick's QueryManager form. Submit to only one SLM agent at a time, no response within 12 weeks means pass.

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.

Picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, young adult, children's, adult projects, illustration, author-illustrators, fantasy, magical realism, contemporary, romance

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, synopsis, artwork samples, portfolio link

Marissa is open to a wide range of children's book authors, illustrators and author-illustrators, and is especially looking for stories by underrepresented and marginalized creators.

Submit through Marissa Brown's QueryManager form. Query only one Pippin agent at a time.

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.

Commercial fiction, literary fiction, suspense, women's fiction, contemporary romance, young adult, journalistic nonfiction, memoir

Wants: Query letter, first chapter

Rebecca is interested in commercial and literary fiction with a focus on literary novels of suspense, women's fiction, contemporary romance, and young adult, as well as journalistic nonfiction and memoir. Most of all, she is looking for great stories told in strong voices.

Email queries@rfliterary.com with only a brief query letter of no more than three paragraphs and the first chapter pasted into the email, not exceeding fifteen double-spaced pages. Do not send attachments. Queries sent directly to Rebecca are deleted.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.