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US Contemporary Literary Agents

117 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.

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Represents

Adult fantasy, adult science fiction, adult horror, adult romance, young adult science fiction, young adult fantasy, young adult romance, young adult contemporary

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, author website

Looking for

Matthew Valdez is a literary agent at Megibow Literary Agency. He represents adult and YA storytellers, especially voices from marginalized backgrounds and the LGBTQ+ community. He is looking for adult fantasy, high-concept science fiction, horror, romance, and YA science fiction, fantasy, romance, and contemporary.

How to submit

Email matthewquery@megibowliterary.com. Megibow asks for a query letter, the first ten pages of the manuscript, and an author website if available. Matthew is only open to queries from the 15th through the end of each month. He does not currently accept nonfiction, middle grade, picture books, chapter books, poetry, short-story collections, screenplays, or religious or inspirational material.

Last checked 9 Jul 2026Via Email
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 8 Jul 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 8 Jul 2026Via Email
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 9 Jun 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 8 Jun 2026Via QueryManager
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 8 Jun 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Romance, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, romantasy, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, cozy fantasy

Looking for

Heather is interested in representing works of popular fiction, mainly concentrated on romance of all genres and sub-genres other than inspirational—with a particular interest in romantasy (and if there are dragons, all the better!), humorous contemporary romance, and paranormal romance—as well as fantasy (particularly cozy fantasy), urban fantasy, and science fiction with strong romantic elements.

How to submit

Check agent's submission page

Represents

Cookbooks, investigative journalism, self-help, health, wellness, social science, popular science, culture, narrative nonfiction, upmarket fiction, literary fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, literary mystery, magical realism, science fiction

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, first 10 pages, author platform

Looking for

Kim primarily specializes in nonfiction and is actively seeking expertise- or platform-driven cookbooks, investigative journalism, self-help, health, wellness, social science, pop science, culture, and narrative nonfiction that adds nuance or makes niche subjects accessible. On a highly selective basis, she also considers adult upmarket and literary fiction, including contemporary and historical realism, literary mystery, magical realism, and near-future science fiction.

How to submit

Stonesong accepts electronic queries at submissions@stonesong.com, but the current submissions page does not list Kim among the named query recipients. Verify current route before querying Kim.

Last checked 25 May 2026Via Email

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