PairPi

US Contemporary Literary Agents

116 agents · 69 currently open to submissions

Contemporary fiction remains one of the most competitive categories in American publishing, spanning everything from literary upmarket novels like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to book club favourites and women's fiction with commercial appeal. At least 28 agents actively represent contemporary work, though their preferences vary between character-driven literary fiction, plot-focused commercial narratives, and genre-adjacent stories that blend present-day settings with romance or suspense. Some agents gravitate toward domestic dramas exploring family dynamics, while others seek workplace fiction, cultural identity stories, or relationship-centred narratives with broader social pressure. The category overlaps with women's fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, and literary fiction, making recent deals and client lists especially useful before submitting. The strongest contemporary submissions usually know whether they are selling voice, hook, emotional payoff, or a particular cultural moment.

Refine search
Represents

Literary fiction, contemporary fiction, upmarket fiction, young adult romance, nonfiction, memoir, cookbooks, pop culture

Looking for

Cole Lanahan is listed by The Seymour Agency as a literary agent. He is interested in literary, contemporary, and upmarket fiction. For young adult romance, he wants big romantic, coming-of-age stories. In nonfiction, he is looking for memoirs, cookbooks, and pop-culture work. He says his favorite projects are books that move readers to tears, laughter, or a need to call their mom.

How to submit

The official Seymour Agency about page lists Cole Lanahan's contact as cole@theseymouragency.com. The current official contact or submissions page did not expose a separate Cole-specific QueryManager link or detailed materials checklist in this run, so use only the official Seymour contact route and verify current openness before querying.

Last checked 16 Oct 2026Via Email
Represents

Romance, contemporary romance, dark romance, new adult, fantasy romance, romantasy

Looking for

Valentine Grinstead is listed on the official Seymour Agency about page as an Assistant Agent. The page says she is particularly interested in romance, including contemporary, dark, new adult, and fantasy/romantasy.

How to submit

The official Seymour Agency about page lists Valentine Grinstead's contact as valentine@theseymouragency.com. The current official submission or acquiring-agents page did not expose a separate Valentine-specific materials checklist or QueryManager link in this run, so use the official email only where appropriate and verify current openness before querying.

Last checked 16 Oct 2026Via Email
Represents

Contemporary romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, book proposal for nonfiction

Looking for

Strong openings, engaging characters, unexpected twists, satisfying endings, lighter contemporary romance, non-WWII historical fiction, cozy mysteries, and heartwarming or entertaining middle grade.

How to submit

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

Last checked 15 Oct 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Adult fiction, ya, grounded speculative stories, contemporary romance, illustrated picture books, middle-grade fiction, nonfiction

Looking for

Grounded, speculative stories, page-turning contemporary romance, non-linear storytelling, and elevated writing across the board. In children's books, Rebecca's looking for illustrated picture books with humor or heart that would work well for story time and middle-grade fiction that discusses big life moments. In the non-fiction space, Rebecca is interested in millennial experiences and perspectives, especially ones that challenge societal norms, or that feel fresh and from underrepresented voices. She's also interested in food, pop culture, psychology, and social commentary with hints of humor

How to submit

Email: rrodd@lgrliterary.com

Last checked 14 Oct 2026Via Email
Represents

Young adult fantasy, young adult contemporary, romantasy, adult contemporary, thriller, grounded fantasy, women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, book proposal for nonfiction

Looking for

Unique hooks, propulsive writing, YA fantasy/contemporary/romantasy/genre-bending, adult contemporary, thriller, grounded fantasy, romantasy, genre-bending, and women's fiction.

How to submit

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

Last checked 13 Oct 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Women's fiction, literary fiction, book club fiction, contemporary romance, historical fiction, mystery, suspense, memoir, self-help nonfiction

Looking for

Fresh voices in women's fiction, literary fiction, book club fiction, contemporary romance, historical fiction, mystery and suspense, as well as memoir and selected self-help nonfiction

How to submit

Check agent's submission page

Last checked 11 Oct 2026
Represents

Commercial fiction, literary fiction, women's fiction, contemporary coming of age, light speculative fiction, young adult, cozy mystery, cozy fantasy, contemporary romance

Wants: Query letter

Looking for

Juliana loves commercial and literary fiction, stories that explore relationships and make her laugh, women's fiction, contemporary adult coming of age, light speculative fiction, young adult, cozy mysteries, cozy fantasies, and very select contemporary romance with a unique and strong hook.

How to submit

Submit through Juliana's QueryManager route from the agency submissions page. Send only one Rebecca Friedman Literary agent at a time, the agency may pass projects internally.

Last checked 8 Oct 2026Via QueryManager

More US Genres

US Age-Led Searches

Contemporary Agents in Other Countries

Find the right literary agent

Filter the full directory by genre, country, submission method, and open status, then save agents and track your submissions.

Browse all agents