These six literary agents are looking for thrillers. Each is from an established agency with a solid track record. Be sure to read the agency website for details before submitting.
If you are not sure whether your query letter will grab an agent's attention, go to Query Shark. Agent Janet Reid does an excellent job of explaining how queries do and don't succeed (with great examples).
Good luck!
IMPORTANT: You should NEVER query an
agent without checking the agency website first. Submission
requirements change, and agents may close their lists, or switch
agencies.
Note: You can find a complete listing of over 100 new and established agents seeking clients here:
Agents Seeking Clients
Carrie Pestritto worked at Writers House and Prospect Agency before becoming part of the LDLA team. She earned her BA in English, cum laude, from Amherst College in 2009, also spending a year studying abroad at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University.
As an agent, she loves the thrill of finding new authors with strong, unique voices and working closely with her clients. Carrie always strives to help create books that will introduce readers to new worlds and is drawn in by relatable characters, meticulous world-building, and unusual, compelling premises.
What she is looking for: “I am looking for thrillers, but am looking for more high-concept thrillers aimed at a female audience rather than police procedurals, etc.”
How to Submit: Use her query manager HERE.
———————–
Bernadette Baker-Baughman has a MS in Professional Writing and has worked on both the editorial and marketing sides of publishing. As the Marketing Coordinator for Beyond Words Publishing/Atria Books, she headed up campaigns for two New York Times best-selling titles. In 2005 Bernadette co-founded Baker’s Mark Literary Agency where she discovered talent such as Farel Dalrymple, Faith Erin Hicks, Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett, Dan Elconin, David Axe, Carson Morton, and Zack Giallongo, among others.
How to Submit: Send a query letter with the first three chapters (or about 25 pages) pasted into the body of the message to queriesvsa [@] gmail.com. Only accepts queries via e-mail. Query letters should describe the project and the author in the body of a single, one-page e-mail that does not contain any attached files.
———————–
NO LONGER AN AGENT
Having grown up with the same name as her favorite Sweet Valley High twin, Jess has always had a love for books, especially those that feature kickass female characters, child psychopaths, and serial killers. She loves a book that can scare her, that can make her cry when she’s least expecting it, and a book that she can’t put down no matter what time it is or what rerun of SVU is on. She has a BFA in Writing for Film and Television from the University of the Arts and worked in entertainment for eight years before returning to her home state of NY where she worked at a literary agency for two years before joining Brower Literary & Management.
What she is seeking: Jess Dallow is looking for adult commercial fiction. She loves family stories (in the vein of This is Where I Leave You), thrillers (serial killers; child psychopaths; and the things that keep you up at night), mysteries, and strong women’s fiction that delves into the complexities of our world today as well as supportive female friendships. She loves original voices and stories that are impossible to put down.
How to submit: Email query to queries@browerliterary.com with “QUERY: [Manuscript/Project Title]” in the subject line and include a query letter, a full synopsis (this should summarize the entire book), and your first chapter, pasted into the email, double-spaced.
———————–
Jessica Papin (Dystel & Goderich)
Jessica Papin first joined DGLM in 2003, after spending eight years as an editor at Warner Books (now Grand Central). In 2004, she moved to Egypt, where she spent three years working for the American University in Cairo Press. Upon her return to the United States, she rejoined Dystel and Goderich. With a background on both sides of the desk, she loves working collaboratively with clients to shape and refine their work. Her stay in the Middle East has given her an abiding interest in the history and politics of the region, as well as the broader Islamic world.
What she is looking for: She seeks dark, twisty literary thrillers
How to Submit: Query by email to jpapin [@] dystel.com. Paster cover letter in the body of the email. Include a synopsis, outline, sample chapter (one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) either below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email.
———————–
Mitch Hoffman (Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency)
Mitch Hoffman joined the Aaron Priest Literary Agency as a Senior Agent in 2015. A 20-year veteran of the publishing industry, he was most recently Vice-President, Executive Editor at Grand Central Publishing.
How to Submit: Please submit a one page query letter via e-mail. Please do not send attachments. However a first chapter pasted into the body of an e-mail query is acceptable. Send queries to queryhoffman [@] aaronpriest.com.
———————–
Evan Gregory (Ethan Ellenberg)
Evan Gregory has been a Senior Agent since 2014, specializing in genre fiction and commercial non-fiction. Previously he worked as subsidiary rights manager for the agency as well as an assistant to Ethan
How to Submit: Query by email only to agent [@] ethanellenberg.com. Paste all materials into the body of the email in the order mentioned below: a brief query letter, a synopsis (1-2 pages long), the first 50 pages (approximately) of your manuscript. No attachments.
Having grown up with the same name as her favorite Sweet Valley High twin, Jess has always had a love for books, especially those that feature kickass female characters, child psychopaths, and serial killers. She loves a book that can scare her, that can make her cry when she’s least expecting it, and a book that she can’t put down no matter what time it is or what rerun of SVU is on. She has a BFA in Writing for Film and Television from the University of the Arts and worked in entertainment for eight years before returning to her home state of NY where she worked at a literary agency for two years before joining Brower Literary & Management.
What she is seeking: Jess Dallow is looking for adult commercial fiction. She loves family stories (in the vein of This is Where I Leave You), thrillers (serial killers; child psychopaths; and the things that keep you up at night), mysteries, and strong women’s fiction that delves into the complexities of our world today as well as supportive female friendships. She loves original voices and stories that are impossible to put down.
How to submit: Email query to queries@browerliterary.com with “QUERY: [Manuscript/Project Title]” in the subject line and include a query letter, a full synopsis (this should summarize the entire book), and your first chapter, pasted into the email, double-spaced.
———————–
Jessica Papin first joined DGLM in 2003, after spending eight years as an editor at Warner Books (now Grand Central). In 2004, she moved to Egypt, where she spent three years working for the American University in Cairo Press. Upon her return to the United States, she rejoined Dystel and Goderich. With a background on both sides of the desk, she loves working collaboratively with clients to shape and refine their work. Her stay in the Middle East has given her an abiding interest in the history and politics of the region, as well as the broader Islamic world.
What she is looking for: She seeks dark, twisty literary thrillers
How to Submit: Query by email to jpapin [@] dystel.com. Paster cover letter in the body of the email. Include a synopsis, outline, sample chapter (one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) either below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email.
———————–
Mitch Hoffman joined the Aaron Priest Literary Agency as a Senior Agent in 2015. A 20-year veteran of the publishing industry, he was most recently Vice-President, Executive Editor at Grand Central Publishing.
How to Submit: Please submit a one page query letter via e-mail. Please do not send attachments. However a first chapter pasted into the body of an e-mail query is acceptable. Send queries to queryhoffman [@] aaronpriest.com.
———————–
Evan Gregory has been a Senior Agent since 2014, specializing in genre fiction and commercial non-fiction. Previously he worked as subsidiary rights manager for the agency as well as an assistant to Ethan
How to Submit: Query by email only to agent [@] ethanellenberg.com. Paste all materials into the body of the email in the order mentioned below: a brief query letter, a synopsis (1-2 pages long), the first 50 pages (approximately) of your manuscript. No attachments.
Plenty of useful info here for fiction writers who write thrillers. Great post!
ReplyDelete