What PairPi Actually Does (And Why Smart Search Might Be the Best Part)

Most writers find out about PairPi because they're looking for a literary agent. It's a directory of hundreds of verified UK and US agents, with source links and last-checked dates on every listing. You can browse it for free, without signing up, and find out who's open, what they represent, and how to submit.

But the feature that gets the most reaction isn't the directory itself. It's Smart Search.

Put your idea in the box

Smart Search lets you describe a book in your own words and find agents who might want to receive it. Not a polished submission. Not a finished manuscript. Just an idea, described however you like.

You might type something like: "A novel about a woman who inherits a derelict house in Cornwall and discovers letters hidden in the walls that change everything she thought she knew about her family." Or: "Middle grade adventure set in space, funny, with a main character who talks too much. Oh, and they're all otters. Space Otters. Spotters."

Smart Search reads what you've written, looks across the full directory (and an enormous amount of enriched data kept in the backroom), and tells you which agents are a strong match for that kind of book and, crucially, why. Maybe an agent has been quoted in a recent interview saying, "I'm currently looking for a new middle grade voice, ideally sci-fi. Perhaps with otters."

Well, you guessed it, that agent would be at the top of your results (admittedly that is an astonishingly perfect match, but you get the point).

The practical use is obvious. Instead of spending hours reading through agent profiles trying to work out who wants what, you describe your book once and let PairPi do the matching.

But there's something else going on that we didn't expect. People use Smart Search before they've finished writing. Sometimes before they've properly started. They put in an idea they've been turning over for months and discover that there are real literary agents out there who would genuinely want to read that book. That turns out to be a surprisingly powerful nudge. The book stops being a private maybe and starts feeling like something that has a place in the world.

You might think, "No one would want this." Then you run a search and find out that, actually, several agents are on record actively looking for exactly that kind of thing. It's fun and, most importantly, inspiring.

The directory

Every agent on PairPi has been sourced from official agency websites and submission pages. Each listing shows what the agent represents, whether they're currently open to submissions, how to submit, and what materials they want. Every piece of information has a source link so you can check it yourself, and a last-checked date so you know how fresh it is.

You can filter by country, by genre, or by open status. Or simply run a keyword search. For example, you can search "crime thrillers" and receive a list of results. Then (here's the clever bit) select "include broad results" to get umbrella genres and terms. An agent who represents "commercial fiction" might well be interested in your thriller.

If an agent closes to submissions, PairPi reflects that. If their guidelines change, it gets updated.

The directory is free. You don't need an account to browse it.

Shortlists and submission tracking

Once you've found agents you're interested in, you can save them to a shortlist. If you're submitting to more than a handful, this is where things start to get useful. You can track what you've sent, when you sent it, and what happened next. No more spreadsheets, no more trying to remember whether you submitted to someone three months ago.

For writers who are actively sending work out, the tracker turns a stressful, chaotic process into something you can actually manage calmly. And if spreadsheets are your thing, the Pro tier includes the option to download your shortlist and search results.

The Submission Toolkit

PairPi also has a step-by-step guide to the whole submission process. Covering letters, synopses, what agents actually want to see, how to format your materials, what to do when you get a response (or don't get one). It covers the things that are genuinely hard to find clear advice on, especially if you're doing this for the first time.

If you know nothing about the publishing industry, everything you need is in this guide. Members can browse it on site or download the full PDF.

Free and paid

Browsing the directory, searching, filtering, reading agent profiles: all free, no account needed.

Smart Search, shortlists, submission tracking, and the Submission Toolkit are part of PairPi's paid plans, starting at £4.99 a month. There's a free tier too, which gives you a taste of everything: one Smart Search, a small shortlist, and a handful of tracked submissions.

PairPi is independent. It's not owned by a publisher, an agency, or a course provider. The information comes from public sources, verified and dated, with links so you can always check for yourself.

If you're looking for an agent, or even just wondering whether your book idea has a place in the world, PairPi is a good place to start.