US Horror Literary Agents

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.

Middle grade, young adult, new adult, adult fiction, fantasy, dystopian, mystery, horror, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, science fiction

Wants: Query letter

Jenissa is looking for middle grade, YA, New Adult and adult projects, especially high-concept fantasy, near-future dystopia, mysteries in fresh settings, genre-blending horror and coming-of-age contemporary work centered on strong emotional journeys.

Submit through Jenissa Graham's QueryManager form from her official BookEnds profile.

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, 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.

Commercial fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, young adult, middle grade, narrative nonfiction, pop culture, food, travel, lifestyle, lgbtq and, latinx

Wants: Query letter

Lauren is interested in commercial, literary, and upmarket fiction; mystery, suspense, thriller, romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, young adult, and middle grade; and nonfiction with a strong platform in narrative nonfiction, pop culture, food, travel, lifestyle, LGBTQ+, and Latinx topics.

Submit via Lauren Abramo's QueryManager form following Dystel, Goderich and Bourret submission guidelines. Include the query materials requested by QueryManager, do not email queries outside the stated process.

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.

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, psychological horror, fantasy

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters, synopsis, picture book text, sample illustrations

Paula is open to picture book texts, illustrator portfolios, author-illustrator picture book proposals, high-concept chapter books, middle grade mysteries and adventure stories, YA heists, thrillers and rom-coms, psychological horror, and fantasy with unique magic systems.

Submit through Paula's QueryManager link or the ASH Literary submissions email, with a strong preference for QueryManager. Do not submit to multiple ASH Literary agents simultaneously or in succession.

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.

Chick lit, commercial, contemporary, cozy fantasy, cozy romantasy, crime, detective, police, family saga, fantasy, fantasy: magical realism, fantasy: urban, graphic novel, historical, horror, lgbtq and, literary, middle grade, military, espionage, multicultural, mystery, new adult, offbeat, quirky, romance, romantasy, suspense, thriller, upmarket, women's fiction, young adult

Query Letter, Synopsis, One Paragraph Pitch, Comparable Books, First 10 Pages

Submit through Query Manager. Unsolicited queries sent to his email address will be deleted unread.

Contemporary, fantasy, horror, romance, picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 20 pages

Books with pain-in-the-ass heroines, dark and creepy settings with lyrical voices, and books with well-thought out twists and turns. Fantasy should be easily accessible and horror should not make her need to keep the lights on. She seeks LGBT+ books that are about more than just a coming out story and is particularly keen to grow her adult list in rom-coms and fantasy/romantasy.

For Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult novels: paste the first 20 pages into the sample text field. For picture books: include a link to the full dummy. For Author or Illustrated graphic novels: include a link to a few sample spreads. Note that for picture book and graphic novel creators, she is only considering author or illustrator projects at this time.

Speculative fiction, psychological horror, mystery, romance fantasy, literary fiction, picture books, middle grade fiction

Wants: Query letter

Bonnie seeks underrepresented authors across all age groups. She wants speculative psychological horror mysteries, normalized queerness where it isn't the focus of the plot, romance fantasy with HEA required, and issue-driven stories addressing timeless social issues. For picture books, stories must be child-centered giving kids agency. For middle grade, she seeks stories based on kid-focused issues with magic elements.

Send queries only through QueryManager. Anything sent to email or social media will be deleted immediately.

Literary fiction, literary suspense, thriller, book club fiction, speculative fiction, experimental fiction, true crime, upmarket fiction, crime fiction, literary horror

Danya Kukafka is interested in literary fiction with propulsive storylines, literary suspense, sophisticated thrillers, book club fiction, speculative fiction, experimental fiction, true crime attuned to cultural conversations, upmarket fiction, crime fiction with a literary bent, literary horror that plays with form and structure, lightly speculative fiction, expansive literary fiction, dark coming-of-age, and fun sophisticated upmarket fiction.

Danya Kukafka is currently closed to queries. Her official Trellis profile links to QueryManager, and the linked QueryManager page states that she is not accepting queries at this time and will be closed through the summer.

Adult fantasy, young adult fantasy, science fiction, horror, speculative fiction, upmarket fiction, literary fiction, mystery, thriller, crime fiction, young adult contemporary

Wants: Query letter, first twenty pages, synopsis, comparable books

Ernie Chiara specializes in adult and young adult fantasy, science fiction, and horror, speculative upmarket and literary fiction, BIPOC mystery, thriller, and crime fiction, and young adult contemporary. He wants character-driven stories with layered worldbuilding, original settings, immersive plotting, propulsive pacing, genre blends, distinct voice, and complex characters.

Ernie Chiara is currently closed to unsolicited queries and is considering queries by personal referral or event request only. When open, he accepts submissions exclusively through QueryManager, email and social-media queries are deleted unread.

Illustration, picture books, middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, thriller, romance, science fiction, horror

Chelsea Hensley represents work across ages and genres, including illustration, picture books, middle grade, YA, adult fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, thrillers, romcoms, science fiction, horror, and BIPOC creators. Her official profile highlights lyrical prose, voice, intricate plots, complex emotional arcs, immersive worlds, bold formal or genre-blending work, smart mysteries and thrillers, arresting horror, fresh fantasy and sci-fi, and author-illustrator picture books.

Chelsea Hensley is currently closed to queries. Her official Mad Woman profile links to QueryManager, and the linked form states that she is not accepting queries while focusing on existing clients and clearing her inbox.

Fiction, nonfiction, women's fiction, romance, thriller, horror, memoir, how-to, advice, relationships, health, wellness, politics, current events, history

Wants: Closed to unsolicited queries

Latoya has represented fiction and nonfiction, with past interests including high-concept women's fiction, romance, thrillers, horror, memoir, how-to/advice, relationships, health and wellness, politics, current events, and history.

No current unsolicited-query route found on the official LCS site. Treat as closed unless a current official submissions page appears.

Horror, thriller, mystery, suspense, paranormal, urban fantasy, western, speculative fiction, romance, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Paige seeks commercial horror, thriller, mystery/suspense, paranormal, urban fantasy, western, speculative fiction, select romance, and informative nonfiction. She is especially interested in hearing from Canadian authors but is not exclusively limited to them.

All submissions should be sent through Query Tracker. Include query letter, synopsis, and first ten pages. Query should contain agent personalization, metadata with title or word count or genre or comps, pitch, and author bio.

Fiction, narrative non-fiction, thriller, horror, science fiction, magical realism

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Carson seeks voice-forward fiction with distinct authorial voices and elevated, stylish writing across genres including thrillers, horror, science fiction, and magical realism, with a preference for novels that are hard to definitively categorize. In non-fiction, she looks for narrative works including previously untold history, intimate memoirs, or portraits of contemporary cultural phenomena.

Submit query letter and 5 sample pages through Query Manager with the word QUERY and project title in subject line. Do not send attachments unless requested.

Fantasy, science fiction, horror, young adult, thriller, romance

Lisa is interested in fantasy and science fiction with complex systems, cohesive worldbuilding, moral ambiguity, non-Western settings, marginalized protagonists, and stories driven by character choices. She also wants horror, YA fantasy, YA horror, YA science fiction, YA thriller, and YA romance, and likes non-traditional narrative structures.

Lisa is closed to unsolicited queries. Do not send queries by email.

Commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, dark romance, romantasy, romance, speculative fiction, mystery, thriller, gothic, horror, historical fiction, rom com, magical realism, current events, true crime, science, history, narrative non-fiction, sports, politics, health, nutrition, pop culture, humor, music, memoir

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

Jill seeks fiction and non-fiction by unrepresented voices, BIPOC and Latinx writers, disabled persons, and LGBTQ+ people. She wants commercial and upmarket fiction emphasizing dark romance, romantasy, speculative fiction, mysteries, thrillers, Gothic, horror, and historical fiction, plus food-centric novels and psychological suspense in the vein of Freida McFadden. For non-fiction, she seeks authors with big, timely, smart messages and deep dives into subcultures, social commentary, and historical projects.

Submit via QueryManager at QueryManager.com or JillMarr. Include query letter, 1-page synopsis, brief bio with publishing history, and first 10-15 pages for fiction. For non-fiction, include query letter and full book proposal.

Women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery, romance, romantic comedy, horror, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, humor, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Courtney represents women's fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, romance and rom-coms, horror, science fiction and fantasy, YA novels, humor, and nonfiction. Her list emphasizes work from underrepresented voices.

Check Handspun submission status and submit through the agency query system when open. Query each project once with the agency.

Romance, contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, speculative romance, horror romance, monster romance, dark romance, dystopian romance, new adult romance, romantasy, speculative fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, young adult, upper middle grade, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, synopsis

She is looking for high-concept, commercial-leaning stories with propulsive and accessible narratives. She particularly wants dark romance, horror/monster romance, genre-mashups, fresh takes on historical romance and dystopian, mystery/thriller and suspense stories with female protagonists, and cozy crime stories with humor and charm.

Submit queries only through QueryManager. Include a query letter, first chapter, and synopsis for fiction. Include genre and word count in the cover letter. Query only one agent at a time.

Romantasy, cozy fantasy, horror, science fiction, fantasy, southern gothic

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Cheyenne is interested in manuscripts from historically excluded communities, gritty or dark romantasies, cozy fantasy with high stakes, feminist-leaning horror, horror-romance crossover, grounded science fiction, epic fantasy, Southern Gothic, and speculative stories with folkloric and atmospheric elements.

Check Handspun submission status and submit through the agency query system when open. Query each project once with the agency.

Domestic thrillers, horror, african american literature, micro-histories, biography, memoir

Domestic thrillers, horror, African American literature, micro-histories and biography/memoir

Horror, speculative fiction, romantasy, fantasy, gothic, magical realism, contemporary romance, picture books, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 20 pages for graphic novels

#OwnVoices Horror, Speculative, and Romantasy; Horror including body horror, femgore, horror romance, monster horror, folk horror; Gothic romance; Magical Realism; Indigenous/First Nations works; Cozy fantasies; Picture books with climate change and environmental STEAM themes

Submit through QueryManager

Horror, gothic romance, grounded fantasy, thriller, mysteries, commercial fiction, science fiction, speculative fiction, historical fiction, erotic fiction

Wants: Query letter, 10-20 pages, synopsis

She seeks horror across almost all subgenres and age categories, gothic romance, grounded fantasy, thrillers and mysteries with non-cop protagonists, commercial fiction, science fiction, speculative fiction, historical fiction featuring BIPOC and queer characters, and adult erotic fiction especially featuring BIPOC and LGBTQIA characters. She particularly welcomes stories by Honduran authors and Latine/x authors from Central America and the Caribbean.

All ALA agents use Query Manager. Submit to one agent at a time, but if one agent passes, you can submit to up to three agents at ALA. Submit 10-20 polished pages for novels.

Fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, thriller, graphic novels, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, sample pages

Shannon seeks dark gothic fantasy, horror across all speculative levels, science fantasy that blurs magic and science, mysteries with cinematic feel, and graphic novels with found families or unsettling elements. She values experimental styles, unreliable narrators, excellent prose, strange concepts, botanical uncanniness, and stories incorporating religious elements.

Submit via QueryManager only. Select one agent to submit to initially. Include polished query letter, bio, and appropriate sample pages based on format.

Fantasy, science fiction, horror, contemporary romance, mysteries, thriller

Wants: Query letter, bio, 10-20 pages

She intends to represent marginalized authors and is especially seeking to uplift indigenous voices and voices from the Global South. She's particularly keen on growing her contemporary romance, thriller, and horror lists. She's looking for K-drama-style high-stakes romance, queer rivals-to-lovers sports romance, sapphic romantasy, BIPOC vampire horror with social commentary, and sex-positive, kink-positive contemporary romance.

All ALA agents use Query Manager. Submit to one agent at a time with a polished query letter, bio, and 10-20 polished pages for novels.