US YA Romance Literary Agents

Film and tv scripts, young adult contemporary, young adult science fiction, young adult urban fantasy, adult fiction, women's fiction, upmarket fiction, romance, new adult, cookbooks, entertainment, food, health and fitness, lifestyle, pop culture, self-help, women's issues

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first ten pages, full nonfiction proposal, one sentence pitch, comparable books

Micah Brocker is interested in fostering authors' and screenwriters' careers from the start. In film, she is interested in YA contemporary stories dealing with messy relationships and issues that help young adults put words to their experiences, and YA science fiction and urban fantasy that provide escape while connecting to everyday growing-up troubles. In adult fiction, she likes women's fiction and upmarket fiction about burdensome secrets, messy relationships, and characters with a deep desire to change their lives or the world, especially with psychological, science-fiction, or romantic twists. Her official linked QueryManager form says that when it is accepting, it is limited to romance.

Micah Brocker is on leave and is presently not reviewing queries or taking additional clients for 2026 according to her official Corvisiero profile. The linked QueryManager form is visible and says it is only open to romance, but the profile-level leave notice is treated as controlling for this remediation. Do not query more than one Corvisiero agent at a time.

Commercial fiction, select nonfiction, book club fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction, older young adult, fantasy, contemporary fiction, crime fiction, thrillers, suspense, mystery, romance, psychological horror, magical realism

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, requested materials

Marlene Stringer represents commercial fiction and select nonfiction. Her official wishlist includes book club fiction that straddles the commercial/literary line, historical fiction, contemporary and historical women's fiction, older YA in fantasy and contemporary, crime fiction, all types of thrillers, suspense, all types of mysteries, romance except erotic romance, psychological horror, and magical realism.

StringerLit uses QueryManager and accepts queries only through the linked form, but Marlene Stringer's official linked QueryManager page currently says she is closed to catch up on requested manuscripts. When open, use the official QueryManager link only, queries sent otherwise are deleted unread. Submit to only one StringerLit agent at a time and only one manuscript at a 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.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, narrative nonfiction

Jacqui Lipton represents fiction and nonfiction from middle grade through adult, with selected projects for younger readers. Her official personal page says she is particularly interested in platform-driven nonfiction with a compelling narrative voice, mysteries with unique protagonists or settings, compelling plots and high stakes, and that she is not currently seeking high fantasy and considers science fiction selectively.

Jacqui Lipton is currently closed to general queries according to her official QueryManager page at The Tobias Literary Agency. The page says invited, conference, referral, and revise-and-resubmit submissions should use the invited-submission route and that general submissions are expected to reopen later.

Picture books, middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, christian fiction, new adult, women's fiction, book club fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, sweet romance, historical nonfiction, memoir

Mara Cobb is an agent at Lighthouse Literary. She is drawn to strong and feisty protagonists, antagonists with redemptive arcs, curveball plots, surprising twists, and books that are impossible to put down. Her wishlist includes MG with spunky characters navigating life changes with joy and humor; YA with believable, authentic characters, including dystopian, contemporary, and romance; adult Christian fiction, new adult, women's fiction, book club fiction, contemporary, historical, and sweet romance; and adult nonfiction including historical nonfiction, relevant topics for today's readers, and occasional memoir with a strong author platform.

Mara Cobb uses QueryTracker or QueryManager, but the official linked form currently says she is not accepting queries and expects to open again in spring 2026.

Middle grade, young adult, children's books, contemporary fiction, urban fantasy, magical realism, adventure, romantic comedy

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Kate represents middle grade and young adult fiction and fantastic stories for children and avid adult readers, including contemporary drama, urban fantasy, magical realism, adventure stories, and romantic comedies.

Kate Testerman is currently closed to queries according to KT Literary's official agents page.

Children's books, commercial fiction, crime, lgbtq and, middle grade, mystery, picture books, psychological thriller, romance, thriller, young adult

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Analieze is interested in character-driven books with strong world-building, clear plot, and a gripping first page, especially contemporary romance, contemporary YA, cozy mystery, domestic suspense, romantic suspense, and suspense.

Analieze Cervantes is currently closed to queries and on hiatus from agenting according to her current Manuscript Wish List profile.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mystery, thriller, sf, fantasy, romance, ya, memoir, humor, pop culture, health and wellness, cooking, self-help, pop psych, new age, inspirational, technology, science, writing

Mystery/thriller, SF/fantasy, romance, YA, memoir, humor, pop culture, health & wellness, cooking, self-help, pop psych, New Age, inspirational, technology, science, and writing

Check agent's submission page

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

Science fiction, fantasy, paranormal mysteries, queer romance, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, sample pages

Science fiction with feels; Immersive Fantasy; Heists with paranormal/supernatural elements; Genuine Magical Realism; Queer Romance and alternative relationship structures; Speculative fiction that falls between genre cracks

Submit through QueryManager

Science fiction, fantasy, romance, young adult

Wants: Query letter, first chapter, synopsis

Rebecca seeks character-driven stories with strong friendships and relationships, fantasy romance, stories of self-discovery and reinvention, queer romance particularly featuring f/f, bi, pan, trans, ace and other underrepresented identities, and fantasy worlds that are wholly original or drawn from non-medieval European backgrounds.

Submit queries through QueryManager with a query letter, first chapter, and synopsis. Include genre and word count in the cover letter.

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, 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.

Fantasy, adventure, romance, graphic novels

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, bio, sample pages

Morgan is seeking Middle Grade and Young Adult fantasy/adventure with a particular interest in graphic novels. She is also interested in picture books, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult romance. She loves unique narratives, strong voices, and impressive world-building but is also drawn to small-town vibes and sports settings.

Submit query letter with synopsis, bio, and opening 3-4 pages embedded in email body. Do not send attachments without request.

Commercial fiction, women's fiction, romance, mystery, thriller, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter

Lauren is particularly interested in adult and Young Adult commercial fiction, especially women's fiction, romance, mysteries, and thrillers, as well as select non-fiction titles.

Query via QueryTracker platform at the link provided on her profile page.

Adult fiction, adult non-fiction, children's books, historical fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, romance, fantasy, science fiction, biography, memoir, middle grade, young adult, picture books

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first 10 pages

In Adult Fiction she seeks captivating settings and relatable characters that highlight virtues like empathy and self-sacrifice in historical, literary/upmarket, romance, or fantasy/science fiction genres. In Adult Non-fiction she wants well-researched titles that make complex topics accessible, biography and memoir that connect diverse readers, and books about poverty and justice. For children's literature, she loves books that can be read aloud and shared with families, especially middle grade, and seeks books with hopeful, informative, or lyrical tones.

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

Women's fiction, thriller, speculative fiction, commercial fiction, horror, mystery, historical romance, poetry, picture books

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages, bio, title/genre/word count

She seeks stories that surprise and delight with characters readers can't stop thinking about and sharp writing. She wants high-concept, twisty stories with strong voices in women's fiction, thriller, and speculative fiction. She's particularly interested in timely commercial fiction where the personal intersects with world events, stories about female rage and friendships, complex family dynamics, incisive horror with social commentary, and atmospheric mysteries set in close-knit communities.

Submit through Query Manager with a brief bio including writing credentials, title or genre or word count, query letter, and first ten pages.

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, contemporary, fantasy, romance, suspense, non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, author bio, sample pages

She loves both contemporary and fantasy as well as the spooky and unexpected. She loves multi-generational stories, matrilineal magic, and is always happy to see high-concept contemporary romance. She also enjoys darker suspenseful reads and loves atmospheric settings that feel like a character. For picture books, she works on both fiction and nonfiction with interest in environmental and STEM themes, animals, emotional intelligence, and books for youngest readers including vehicle books.

Submit through QueryManager with query letter, author bio, publishing credentials, contact information, and sample pages. For novels: first 10 pages. For picture books text only: full manuscript. Response even if passing.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, narrative non-fiction, memoir, history, pop culture, children's non-fiction

Wants: Query letter, first 25 pages

Jim is particularly interested in literary fiction, underrepresented voices, fantasy, mysteries, romance, anything unusual or unexpected, and any book that makes him cry or laugh out loud. He wants to see more children's nonfiction.

Submit to Jim McCarthy only via Query Manager at https:// queryManager.com or JimMcCarthy. Include query letter in body with first 25 pages of manuscript for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction.

Narrative nonfiction, biography, memoir, commercial fiction, romance, women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, cozy mystery, middle grade, young adult

Carrie Pestritto represents projects across a range of genres and is drawn to immersive writing, engaging voices, meticulous world-building, and compelling premises. LDLA lists her interests as adult narrative nonfiction, biography/memoir, commercial fiction with a literary twist, fresh chick-lit, romance, upmarket women's fiction, near-historical fiction from about the Gilded Age on, mystery/thrillers for a female audience, cozies, and high-concept commercial MG and YA in contemporary, historical, mystery/thriller, horror, or fantasy genres, especially featuring POC or marginalized characters, high stakes, and exciting plot lines.

Carrie Pestritto is currently closed to queries. LDLA accepts queries via QueryManager only and says writers should submit to one agent at a time with one complete project. Carrie's official linked QueryManager page says she is not accepting queries at this time and suggests checking colleagues' bios while she is closed.

Young adult, new adult, adult fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, romance, romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, cookbooks, food writing, gardening, health, fitness, pets

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first twenty pages, full proposal

Kimberly seeks YA, New Adult and adult fiction, including mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, romance, romantasy, fantasy and science fiction, plus adult nonfiction in cookbooks, food, gardening, health, fitness, natural healing and pets. She does not represent children's books, erotica, poetry, short stories, screenplays, novellas, literary/upmarket/women's fiction, or memoir.

Kimberly is currently closed to queries except for periodic windows. When open, fiction and nonfiction use separate QueryManager or QueryTracker forms from her submissions page.

Young adult fiction, adult fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance, horror

Ciara has a wide range of interests, in young adult and adult, from fantasy and science fiction, to romance and horror. Above all, they wish to champion underrepresented voices and have strived to have a diverse list from the very beginning.

Check agent's submission page

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, adult fantasy, romance, diverse fantasy, rom-coms, historical romance

Bethany is seeking middle grade and young adult fiction in all genres, as well as adult fantasy and romance. She is especially interested in diverse fantasy, rom-coms, and historical romance. Bethany is always looking for new voices and diverse perspectives.

Check agent's submission page

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Commercial fiction, young adult, mainstream fiction, women's fiction, romance, suspense, thriller

Wants: Query letter

Michelle is actively seeking commercial fiction, young adult, mainstream fiction, women's fiction, romance, suspense, and thrillers. She is drawn to well-written material with strong, interesting characters.

Wolfson Literary accepts only online queries through QueryManager. Follow the agent's QueryManager form, email queries are deleted unread.

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.

Fantasy, science fiction, romance, young adult, middle grade, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Kat Kerr is listed as a literary agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency in current agent directories and query databases. Specific wishlist details require a deeper official-page pass.

Submit through Kat Kerr's current DMLA query route if open. Follow the agency rule to query one DMLA agent at a time.

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

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

Email: rrodd@lgrliterary.com