4 Agents Seeking Literary Fiction, Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Humor

Updated 10//15/23

Here are four agents actively seeking clients. Rebecca Rodd is seeking adult and adult-leaning YA literary fiction that centers people of color in all genres. In the non-fiction space, Rebecca is interested in millennial experiences and perspectives. She’s also interested in pop culture and social commentary, especially from underrepresented voices. Margaret Riley King wants Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist, Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Humor, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Regional, Religious/Spiritual. Jaclyn Gilbert is looking to represent voice-driven, emotionally compelling literary fiction and upmarket nonfiction with an experimental bent. John Baker is looking for anything under the broad church of SFF as well as horror.

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to two agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another.

You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.

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Ms. Jaclyn Gilbert of Drift(less) Literary

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES (SHE HAS STARTED HER OWN AGENCY)

Jaclyn Gilbert began her career in 2007 as an assistant in online marketing and special sales at Workman Publishing. In 2011, she joined Janklow & Nesbit Associates' foreign rights team. She has taught writing at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute, Curious on Hudson in Dobbs Ferry, and Pace University, as well as contributed to the Bread Loaf, Colgate, and Tin House Writers' Conferences. In 2018, Jaclyn joined Cullen Stanley International as a literary agent. She is passionate about working with writers to prepare their manuscripts for submission in the U.S. and abroad. 

What she is seeking: Drift(less) literary seeks to represent debut and established writers working on experimental novels, memoirs, essay and short story collections, and poetry. We are a process driven agency set on embracing risk and defying genre.

How to submit: See submission requirements HERE. (Temporarily closed to submissions)

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Margaret Riley King of William Morris Endeavor

Margaret Riley King has been a literary agent at WME since 2007, where she began her career after graduating from Princeton University.

What she is seeking: Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist, Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Humor, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Regional, Religious/Spiritual.

How to submit: Please send an e-mail to MRK@wmeagency.com with a query letter and the first three chapters.

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Ms. Rebecca Rodd of Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency

Rebecca received her Bachelor’s degree in English from (the illustrious) Spelman College and holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from CUNY Queens College. Before joining the agency, she was a Library Information Supervisor at Brooklyn Public Library. As a former Children’s Librarian, Rebecca still maintains a soft spot for picture books perfect for Storytime, that either make kids laugh or encourage literacy development, all while offering diverse representation. Today she still serves as an active member of the New York Black Librarians Caucus.

What she is seeking: Rebecca’s interests cover a wide range of genres, but most of all, she loves to read adult and adult-leaning YA literary fiction that centers people of color full of nuance and dimension. Whether she’s reading literary fiction, science fiction, magical realism, or suspense, she loves to get wrapped up in a story with thoughtful world-building, where the setting is just as significant to the book as the characters. And while she will always argue that “the book was better,” she is intrigued by stories she can imagine watching on the big screen, or preferably, or on the small screen from the comfort of her couch. In particular she wants:

- anything set on an HBCU campus

- all of the magical realism

- mythological retellings

- romance/love stories (deep and profound and HARD or light and feel good)

- all the millennial joy and adulting hardships

In the non-fiction space, Rebecca is interested in millennial experiences and perspectives. She’s also interested in pop culture and social commentary, especially from underrepresented voices.

How to submit: Use their form HERE.

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Mr. John Baker of Bell Lomax Moreton Agency (UK)

Alongside reading every book containing a jaded space captain, an in-over-his-head supernatural detective, or a past-their-prime mercenary crew on one last mission and all possible adventures in between, John has been building a small but unique list of authors, who all share a passion for subverting expectations and creating rich new worlds of adventure.

What he is seeking: John is looking for anything under the broad church of SFF, from literary to pulpy, high fantasy to gritty urban, but he would especially love to hear from anyone under-represented in the genre, particularly neurodiverse writers. John is also keen to grow his horror list, but definitely in the vein of psychological terror more than straight gore-fest

How to submit: See submission instructions HERE.