US Middle grade Literary Agents

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, thriller, mystery, middle grade, young adult, narrative non-fiction, essay collections

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

She seeks literary family sagas, genre-blending fiction, heists and cons that critique power systems, murder mysteries with humor, literary fiction about BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ protagonists, feminist revenge stories, whimsical fantasy, high-heat romance, historical fiction with unexpected settings, middle-grade adventures and slice-of-life, Young Adult queer and anticolonial revenge stories, narrative nonfiction connecting journalism to personal experience, and microhistories described as love letters to niche topics.

Submit via QueryManager submission form. Include polished query letter, bio, and manuscript pages according to genre guidelines. Select one agent at ALA to submit to initially.

Science fiction, fantasy, horror

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 10-20 pages

Stories from BIPOC who are born and raised in the Global South. Work that burns down the patriarchy and colonizers, contains gaming Easter eggs, has emotional resonance like indie games, and political complexity like anime. Dragons, sapphic power couples, cozy Studio Ghibli-like stories, BIPOC vampires, dark academia with e-sports or tabletop gaming, and stories where emotional intelligence is valuable.

Select one agent to submit to. Submit to one agent at a time, but if one passes, you can submit to up to three agents at ALA. Submit 10-20 polished pages for novels. Must be complete manuscript.

Fiction, nonfiction, children's books, adult, young adult, middle grade, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Contemporary & Upmarket fiction, Upmarket Romance, Speculative & Cozy Fantasy, Literary Thriller/Suspense/Psychological, Atmospheric & Genre-Bending, Fun & Offbeat, Graphic Novels, Big Ideas & Culture nonfiction, Literary Memoir

Send query and first 10 pages in body of email to helmsubmissions@gmail.com. No attachments will be opened.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, contemporary novels, fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, horror, mysteries, middle grade fantasy, picture books, graphic novels, arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, occult

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Literary and upmarket fiction, non-fiction book proposals, select children's books, and graphic novels. In fiction, she's looking for contemporary novels (with or without speculative elements), fantasy, grounded science fiction, magical realism, horror, and mysteries. In non-fiction, she's interested in projects that explore the arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, and the occult

Include the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction. For graphic novels, Maria is only considering projects by a single creator both writing and illustrating the book.

Adult nonfiction, adult fiction, children's literature, picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels

Cooking, drinks, health/wellness, lifestyle, self-help, women's issues, memoir, cat content, underrepresented voices. Occasional adult fiction for existing clients or via referrals. Select children's literature in special circumstances.

Submit queries here: http:// queryManager.com or JenNewens

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, fantasy, mystery, romantasy, horror, humor, narrative nonfiction, nature and ecology, pop culture, women's issues

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first three chapters or proposal

Emelie Burl represents books for all ages and across many genres. She is drawn to cozy projects across fiction and nonfiction, found family, magic, nature, self-acceptance, folklore, diversity, queer joy, female rage, immersive storytelling, hopeful stories with edge, grounded fantasy, unusual or offbeat characters, journalistic deep dives with personal narrative, humor, and children's books that meet kids where they are.

Submit to Emelie Burl through her official linked QueryManager form only. Direct email queries will be deleted unread. The form asks for author information, query letter, synopsis, AI-use disclosure, and the first three chapters or, for nonfiction, the full book proposal.

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, nonfiction, romance, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, manuscript or proposal, portfolio link

Abigail Frank wants weird, expansive books for young readers, including original picture books, chapter books with big personalities, and novels about unforgettable teens falling in love. She is especially interested in author-illustrators, lyrical and inventive picture book texts, distinct visual art, stories by marginalized creators, and select adult projects including visual nonfiction, gift nonfiction, genre-defying nonfiction, lightly speculative fiction, commercial rom-coms, and work about labor and capital.

Query Abigail Frank at afrank@sjga.com with the subject line QUERY - project title. Include a brief bio in the cover letter and attach the manuscript or proposal. Visual artists should include a portfolio link. Greenburger accepts email queries only and asks writers not to query more than one Greenburger agent simultaneously.

Fiction, middle grade, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, african-american fiction, literary fiction, mystery, thriller

Wants: Query form, first five pages unless form specifies otherwise

Jon Cobb is a literary agent at HG Literary. He reads all genres of fiction and has particular interest in contemporary middle grade and YA, science fiction and fantasy, African-American fiction, literary fiction, mysteries, and thrillers. He also has a soft spot for track and field, geek culture, weird science, and cutting-edge technology.

Submit through Jon Cobb's official QueryMe.Online form. HG Literary accepts electronic submissions only and asks writers to query one agent at a time. Unless the agent-specific form says otherwise, HG requests a query letter and the first five pages. HG does not represent screenplays or religious fiction.

Literary fiction, essay collections, cultural criticism, military history, intellectual history, narrative journalism, narrative nonfiction, practical nonfiction, biography, history, memoir, pop culture, young adult, middle grade, upmarket women's fiction

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

Benjamin is interested in representing literary fiction, essay collections, cultural criticism, military and intellectual history, and narrative journalism. The agency also welcomes narrative/practical nonfiction, biography, history, memoir, pop culture, literary fiction, young adult, middle grade, 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.

Commercial fiction, historical mystery, mystery, romance, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, women's fiction, young adult, children's

Wants: Query letter

Miriam is passionate about commercial fiction with strong voice and narrative drive, representing everything from children's through adult, with special emphasis on fantasy, science fiction, women's fiction, romance, thrillers, and historical mysteries.

Submit through Miriam Kriss'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.

Fiction, nonfiction, memoir, food writing, cookbooks, nature, environment, biography, pop culture, travel, adventure, true crime, politics, health, fitness, picture books, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Pitch

The Unter Agency is interested in quality fiction and general nonfiction, especially memoir, food/cooking, nature/environment, biography, pop culture, travel/adventure, true crime, politics and health/fitness, plus all types of children's literature.

Email Jennifer Unter with a pitch at Jennifer@theunteragency.com. If there is no response within three months, consider it a pass.

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.

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.

Commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, women's fiction, romance, mystery, horror, romantasy, young adult, narrative nonfiction, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, first twenty five pages, proposal, sample chapter, bio, comparable books

Ann Leslie Tuttle is seeking commercial and upmarket women's fiction, contemporary and historical fiction, fiction with complex family dynamics and sagas, psychological thrillers, romance, mystery, horror, romantasy, YA, narrative nonfiction by journalists, academics, and experts with a timely premise and platform, stories with strong sense of place, voice-driven fiction, female hidden histories, uplifting work, select faith or art history projects, MG, and nonfiction from underrepresented voices.

Submit by email to atuttle@dystel.com. Dystel asks writers to query one agent at a time, include the full query in the body of the email, and include the first 25 pages for fiction or a proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction in the email body. Picture book and graphic novel submissions have separate sample requirements listed on the official guidelines page.

Middle grade, young adult, narrative nonfiction, sports, science, mathematics, economics, psychology, journalistic nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Krista is looking for middle grade and young adult projects, plus several adult nonfiction areas: narrative, sports, accessible applied science, mathematics, economics, psychology and journalistic narrative.

Submit through Krista Van Dolzer's QueryTracker form. If there is no response within three months, consider it a pass.

Picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, young adult, children's, adult projects, illustration

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, synopsis, picture book manuscript

Pippin Properties is devoted primarily to picture books, middle grade, graphic novels and young adult novels, while also representing adult projects on occasion.

Email Holly McGhee at ExclusivetoHolly@pippinproperties.com. Holly accepts exclusive queries only and requires six weeks to consider.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, picture books, author-illustrators, mystery, thriller, romance, pop culture nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Kristin represents middle grade, young adult and adult fiction, plus picture book author-illustrators. She is actively looking for adult mystery, thriller and romance, plus nonfiction focused on popular culture.

Submit through Kristin Ostby's QueryTracker form. Submit to only one SLM agent at a time, no response within 12 weeks means pass.

Narrative nonfiction, popular science, spirituality, history, biography, pop culture, business, technology, parenting, health, self-help, music, food, thriller, crime fiction, science fiction, fantasy, military fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, bio, opening pages

Peter specializes in high-quality fiction and nonfiction, including narrative nonfiction, popular science, spirituality, history, biography, pop culture, business and technology, parenting, health, self-help, music, food, literate thrillers, crime fiction, science fiction, fantasy, military fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, and some boy-oriented young adult.

Query Peter through the QueryTracker link on his FinePrint profile. FinePrint asks writers not to submit to more than one FinePrint agent at a time and to follow the selected agent's preferred submission method.

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.

Picture books, author-illustrators, early readers, chapter books, heavily illustrated middle grade, novelty books, comics, jewish culture, bipoc voices, lgbtq and

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Erica represents a selective list of authors and illustrators, especially illustrated books for children. She is interested in author-illustrator picture books, early readers, chapter books, heavily illustrated middle grade, novelty formats, comics, projects focused on Jewish culture and inclusive experience, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ bookmakers, and stories with zany heart and emotional depth.

Email Erica Rand Silverman at the spelled-out SLS submissions address listed on the Stimola submissions page. Follow the agency's one-agent-at-a-time rule.

Fantasy, horror, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, synopsis

He seeks hooky and high-concept books with commercial plots, strong craft writing, and compelling characters. He prioritizes underrepresented voices and LGBTQ+ stories. For middle grade, he wants epic adventures and magical stories with series potential. For young adult, he seeks dark stories, atmospheric horror, and unique formats.

Submit through Query Manager form with query letter, 10-20 pages for novels, complete manuscript for picture books, and graphic novel proposals with sample pages.

Fiction, non-fiction, picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, adult fiction, adult non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

She seeks marginalized creators and diverse stories, prioritizing BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, genderfluid, neurodiverse, and disabled voices. She wants stories about found families, cozy grounded fantasy, queer love and community, magic and witches, heartbreak with hope, dark moody Young Adult/Adult writing, and narrative nonfiction about sciences and humanity.

Submit through Query Manager during the first week of each month (1st-7th). Select one agent at a time. Submit 10-20 polished pages for novels, complete manuscript for picture books, proposals for graphic novels and nonfiction.

Children's fiction, children's non-fiction, picture books, chapter books, middle grade, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, author bio, sample pages

She is drawn to stories with a distinct voice, unexpected wit, aggressive pacing, punchy and/or emotionally resonant endings. She is especially eager to see authentic explorations of underrepresented cultures, relationships, and identities.

Submit via QueryManager only during the first 15 days of each month. Include query letter, author bio, and sample pages as specified in agency guidelines.

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, picture books, narrative non-fiction, commercial fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 25 pages, synopsis

For middle grade and young adult fiction, he seeks authentic kids' voices and rousing, high concept stories with realistic settings and science fiction preferred over fantasy. He is eager to find the next great picture book author/illustrator. For adults, he actively looks for narrative nonfiction in music, sports, history, popular science, big think, performing arts, health, business, memoir, military history, and humor, plus commercial fiction but is very selective.

Send query letter via email with full query in body, include first 25 pages of manuscript for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction in body below query. For picture books include full text and dummy or sample art as PDF attachments no larger than 20MB. Query only one agent at agency at a time.

Picture books, middle grade, chapter books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, author bio, sample pages, portfolio link

Middle grade in all genres with children finding their space in their world, especially strong-willed underdogs or quirky, misunderstood, or overlooked children. Picture books that are funny and character-driven, beautifully written, or milestone moments with emotional endings. Commercial action-packed chapter book series for emerging readers.

Query via QueryManager with query letter, author bio, contact information, and sample pages. For picture book texts, must submit 3 completed texts and query only on the 1st day of each month. For illustrators, include portfolio link.

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.

Graphic novels, young adult, adult fiction, middle grade, horror, fantasy, speculative fiction, magical realism, marginalized voices

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, synopsis

Ellis specializes in graphic novels and prose from YA to adult, with occasional middle grade, and a sweet spot in genre fiction, especially horror, high-concept grounded fantasy, speculative fiction, magical realism, and formally ambitious work by marginalized voices.

D. Ellis Wilson is currently closed to queries according to the QueryManager route linked from their Looking Glass profile.

Historical narrative, biography, offbeat fiction, nonfiction, children's books, nature writing

Wants: Closed to unsolicited queries

William has a long-running interest in historical narratives, biography, slightly offbeat fiction and nonfiction, children's books, and nature writing.

William Reiss is closed to submissions according to the current John Hawkins and Associates agent profile.

Fantasy, horror, mystery, thriller, dark academia, gothic horror, supernatural folklore, caribbean folklore, bipoc voices, lgbtq and, history, spirituality

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages

Catherine is mainly focused on middle grade and young adult fantasy, horror, and mystery with lush settings, strong worldbuilding, atmospheric prose, isolated or contained settings, BIPOC characters by BIPOC authors, supernatural folklore, dark academia, feminine rage, witches, banshees, sirens, and gripping mysteries. Her Corvisiero profile also lists adult and YA fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, gothic horror, and nonfiction on Haitian and Louisianan Voodoo.

Submit through Catherine Ross's QueryManager route when open. Her current Manuscript Wish List says to send a query letter, one-to-two-page synopsis, and the first ten manuscript pages through her query form, unsolicited email submissions and submissions using AI will not be considered.

Adult commercial fiction, young adult, middle grade, graphic novels, adult nonfiction, picture books, dual-language projects

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, proposal

Jenna is seeking adult, YA and MG commercial fiction in most genres, graphic novels from middle grade to YA, adult nonfiction, very selective picture books, and dual-language English/Spanish projects.

Follow Jenna Satterthwaite's Storm Literary submission guidelines when available, no current direct query route was confirmed in this pass.

Thriller, suspense, horror, fantasy, romantasy, magical realism, speculative fiction, romance, mystery, women's fiction, historical fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books

Wants: Query letter

Vicky is interested in adult thriller and suspense with psychological, paranormal, supernatural or gothic elements, horror, dark fantasy, romantasy, magical realism, mystery, women's fiction, historical fiction, young adult horror and fantasy, middle grade, and picture books from author-illustrators.

Vicky's CMA profile links to QueryManager but states that she is currently closed to queries. CMA asks writers to query only one CMA agent at a time.

Children's books, picture books, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, portfolio

Essie White is founder/literary agent at Storm Literary Agency, a boutique agency focused on quality literature from authors and illustrators, especially children's books.

Essie White is closed to submissions according to Storm Literary Agency's official submission guidance.

Upmarket fiction, literary fiction, speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, middle grade, young adult, picture books, lgbtq and, marginalized voices

Wants: Closed to unsolicited queries

Lisa likes upmarket and literary fiction with lyrical prose, memorable characters, and fast-moving plots, especially stories about friendships, parents and children, or people facing hardship due to gender. She is also interested in speculative fiction with literary/upmarket writing, cozy fantasy, sci-fi/fantasy partly set in our world, middle grade and young adult speculative work, and high-concept picture books.

Lisa Gouldy is currently closed to queries, and email submissions will not be considered.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, mystery, thriller, middle grade, young adult, history, biography, current events, long-form journalism, popular science, children's books

Wants: Closed to unsolicited queries

Gina represents literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction for adults and children. In fiction she looks for upmarket novels, mysteries and thrillers, middle grade, and young adult. Nonfiction interests include history, biography, current events, long-form journalism, and popular science.

Gina Maccoby is currently closed to submissions. When open, email a query with the word QUERY in the subject line to query@maccobylit.com with no attachments. Check the official agency site for reopening.

Middle grade, young adult, adult genre fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, one paragraph pitch, comparable books, first ten pages, ai disclosure

Laurie McLean specializes in middle grade, young adult, and adult genre fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, and horror. Until further notice, she is only looking at queries she requested at conferences or online events, especially all types of middle grade fiction, YA horror, mystery, thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, and adult mystery, suspense, and thrillers.

Laurie McLean is requested-only until further notice. Query through her official QueryManager page only if she requested the query at a conference or online event. The form asks for book details, query letter, synopsis, one-paragraph pitch, target audience, comparable books, AI disclosure, and the first 10 pages.

Middle grade, young adult, picture books, illustration, author-illustrators, children's

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Jennifer represents authors, illustrators and author-illustrators with a distinct point of view and layered stories. She is interested in middle grade and YA with mind-expanding premises, survival stories, Dickensian sagas, puzzling plots, and middle grade about resilient kids sorting out messy lives.

Jennifer is currently closed to queries. Andrea Brown Literary Agency asks writers to select one agent, check that agent's bio and query status, and not query multiple ABLA agents simultaneously.