US Upmarket fiction Literary Agents

Adult fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, middle grade, young adult, children's fiction, children's nonfiction, business books, diverse voices

Lisa Abellera represents adult literary, upmarket/book club, women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, and crossover speculative fiction. In children's fiction she represents all fiction genres in middle grade and YA. She responds to well-crafted prose, strong hooks, high personal stakes, complex and sympathetic characters, tangible sense of place, lush world-building, non-Western cultural aspects, emotionally immersive fiction, and underrepresented voices. In limited nonfiction, she is looking for middle grade prescriptive projects and adult prescriptive business books for women or by women.

KC and A links Lisa Abellera's QueryMe or QueryManager form from the official team page. The linked form currently says Lisa Abellera is not accepting unsolicited queries, so there is no open submission route at this time.

Commercial fiction, upmarket women's fiction, romance, romantic comedy, paranormal romance, romantasy, young adult, middle grade, science fiction, fantasy, horror, thrillers, nonfiction, own voices, feminist literature

Lauren Bieker is a literary agent and vice president at FinePrint. She is looking for commercial and upmarket women's fiction, romance including rom-coms, paranormal, and romantasy, YA and MG novels in most genres, and adult and YA science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers. She primarily wants fiction but will consider nonfiction proposals, and she is looking for own voices stories, feminist and MeToo stories, and work by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors.

FinePrint directs authors to check Lauren Bieker's status and submit through her official QueryManager page. The linked QueryManager page currently says Lauren Bieker is not accepting queries, so there is no open submission route at this time.

Commercial romantic comedy, speculative fiction, thriller, upmarket fiction, book club fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Maria represents a broad range of fiction from commercial rom-coms to radical speculative fiction, subversive thrillers, and upmarket book club fiction. She is drawn to character-driven stories, unusual perspectives, genre-bending work, and pitchable high concepts.

Maria Napolitano will reopen to queries in the first half of 2026 according to KT Literary's official agents page.

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.

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.

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.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, upmarket fiction, political journalism, graphic books, memoirs

Wants: Query letter, first five pages, full manuscript for picture books

She typically looks for picture books that straddle piercing humor and heart, lyrical middle grade, and daring, sharp Young Adult. She loves graphic novels and memoirs that share lesser-known pieces of history and those quieter slices of life. She especially adores stories of all genres if they are from around the world and speak to multigenerational diaspora experiences.

Send a query letter and the first five pages of your manuscript within the email. If it is a picture book, include the entire manuscript. Only submit to one agent at a time.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, journalism, history

Wants: Query letter

She is interested primarily in literary and upmarket fiction and memoir, and especially stories grappling with racial, religious, sexual or national identity, narrative nonfiction, journalism, and history.

Submit queries through QueryManager.

Upmarket literary fiction, literary non-fiction, picture books, middle grade fiction, middle grade non-fiction, young adult fiction, young adult non-fiction

Wants: Query letter

She seeks first and foremost voice, a strong narrative, memorable characters, unusual premises, and underrepresented people, places, and perspectives, including #OwnVoices writers and stories.

Starting January 2026, queries must be submitted through QueryManager only. Address query to the agent you think would be the best fit. Only send one query to Dunham Literary as agents share queries with each other when appropriate.

Science fiction, fantasy, horror, upmarket fiction, historical fiction

Jordan is primarily pursuing genre and upmarket fiction for adults with a focus on Science Fiction and Fantasy and horror. She loves intergenerational stories that grapple with the complexities of families and culture through time and anything with an unreliable narrator or a speculative bent. She's always on the hunt for books that feature female wit and rage, bodies of water as foreboding, and eruptive moments of catharsis. She also considers historical fiction or retellings with a fresh approach and compelling perspective.

Check agent's submission page

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

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.

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.

Adult, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter, author bio, 25-page sample for fiction or proposal for nonfiction

Literary, upmarket, and speculative fiction including magical realism, fantasy, and science fiction. Strong essay collections, narrative nonfiction, archival works

Currently closed to submissions except for by referral

Adult upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, gothic, fantasy

Adult upmarket and speculative fiction, especially gothic and fantasy. If there's at least a hint of romance mixed in, all the better.

Check agent's submission page

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture

Literary and upmarket fiction, select narrative nonfiction and memoir, books that explore pop culture examining celebrity and fandom

Check agent's submission page

Business, health, psychology, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, upmarket fiction

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling authors writing in business, health, psychology, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction

Check agent's submission page

Ya, children's literature, upmarket fiction, projects on religion and spirituality

Elevating voices and stories that start important cultural conversations and is particularly interested in YA and children's literature, upmarket fiction, and projects on religion and spirituality

Check agent's submission page

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, upmarket women's fiction

Books that explore romantic relationships, stories that have a very specific point of view, and characters that make a lasting impression. loves realistic fiction and is currently on the hunt for historical fiction

Check agent's submission page

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, story collections, elevated genre fiction, literary journalism, idea-driven books, history, current affairs, politics, popular culture, natural world

Literary and upmarket fiction, story collections, and elevated genre fiction. She's drawn to novels with a distinct voice, and is especially interested in stories with setting-as-character, coming-of-age, family sagas, noir elements, narratives seeped in contemporary internet culture, and protagonists grappling with timeless questions around faith and desire. In non-fiction, she's looking for literary journalism and idea-driven books across history, current affairs, politics, popular culture, and the natural world. She enjoys narratives that refract a broader view of modern life, incisive cultural criticism, scholarly inquiries with literary sensibilities, and projects that demystify a subculture to reveal something consequential about society

Check agent's submission page

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, prescriptive nonfiction, illustrated projects

Work that is fierce, sharp, nuanced, and uncompromising. In fiction, she is looking for work with that is inventive and strange, brave and honest, with humor and heart. She especially loves fiction that employs genre elements—whether evocatively surreal, slightly askew, or supernatural. In nonfiction, work that investigates culture, identity, sexuality, disability, and mental health is especially welcome

Check agent's submission page

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, nonfiction

Literary and upmarket fiction and nonfiction, with a special interest in voices from underrepresented communities

Check agent's submission page

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, literary nonfiction, culture criticism, essays, political nonfiction, history, popular science

Wants: Query letter, first three chapters, full proposal for nonfiction

Erik represents fiction, literary fiction, general fiction with speculative elements, upmarket and commercial fiction, literary nonfiction, culture criticism, essays, political nonfiction and reporting, American history, and popular science.

Submit through QueryManager. Follow standard query-letter format, query one Headwater agent at a time, and do not email queries.

Business, health, politics, history, cookbooks, pop culture, jewish interest, lifestyle, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, romance, young adult, middle grade, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Irene's interests include business, health, politics and history, cookbooks, pop culture, Jewish interest, Francophilia, lifestyle, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance, historical fiction, middle grade and young adult fiction.

The official site has a contact form and states IGLA represents newcomers, but does not publish explicit current query guidelines.

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

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.

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.