Updated 11/12/23
Here are six literary agents actively seeking clients. All work with reputable literary agencies with good track records.
Trinity McFadden is interested in compelling practical and narrative nonfiction in categories including social & cultural issues, feminism, religion & spirituality, history, biography, reportage, subcultures, and mental health & wellness. She is also interested in select suspense, upmarket, literary, and book club fiction. Maria Cardona (UK) focuses in upmarket and literary fiction by authors who write in English and Spanish. She is also interested in narrative non-fiction about women’s experiences.
Lorna Hemingway (UK) is searching for picture books. Viola Hayden (UK) wants fiction and nonfiction. Maggie Sadler is seeking adult, YA and MG fiction. Lily Dolin represents clients in both fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, she is drawn to dark and offbeat humor, gripping narratives, strong commercial hooks, family dynamics, and nuanced female perspectives. For nonfiction, she is looking for short story collections and memoirs that are funny, outrageous, shocking, emotional, or all of the above. She also enjoys true crime, pop culture, and narrative history.
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. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO QUERIES
Maria Cardona has a BA in Translation and Interpreting and a BA in Linguistics, both from the Pompeu Fabra University, and a Masters in Publishing (IDEC). She is a 2015 Frankfurt Fellow, a 2021 Taipei Rights Workshop Fellow and a 2022 Torino Book Fair Fellow. She lives in Barcelona.
What she is seeking: She focuses in upmarket and literary fiction by authors who write in English and Spanish. Maria is an editorially minded agent that works closely with her authors with a long-term career plan. She is passionate about international voices and is used to working with authors that live in different corners of the world. She reads broadly yet is particularly drawn by character-driven, heart-wrenching fiction, modern love stories, and genre-bending upmarket crime. She is always looking for that perfect line that makes her thrill, paying special attention to the voice on the page and is always up for a surprise in a manuscript, looking for stories she hasn’t read before. She is also interested in narrative non-fiction about women’s experiences.
How to submit: Use her query manager HERE.
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Trinity McFadden joined The Bindery in 2020, after having worked in traditional publishing for more than 12 years in editorial and public relations roles. Trinity earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in business administration. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband and daughter.
What she is seeking: While her interests are broad, Trinity is especially seeking to promote under-represented voices with growing platforms. She is interested in compelling practical and narrative nonfiction in categories including social & cultural issues, feminism, religion & spirituality, history, biography, reportage, subcultures, and mental health & wellness. She is also interested in select suspense, upmarket, literary, and book club fiction.
How to submit: Queries can be sent directly to Trinity HERE.
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After graduating from the University of Exeter with a degree in English Literature, Lorna completed her MA in Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, where she was personally mentored by Michael Rosen. Lorna joined Bell Lomax Moreton in 2019 and is now one of the agency assistants; she runs the social media channels and creates bespoke assets for our clients and publishers.
What she is seeking: Lorna is searching for picture books that have heart at the core of their foundation that then stay with her for a long time after reading; narratives that subvert classic hooks (e.g. bedtime, new home, friendship) and tell them in a fresh new way and characters that exude warmth and familiarity. She also has a weakness for all things colourful, bold, and shiny! Lorna is particularly interested in hearing from LGBTQIA+ authors and illustrators as well as other submissions from diverse and marginalised individuals who are currently underrepresented in the industry.
How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.
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I joined the Curtis Brown Books Department in January 2020, having spent the previous six years as an editor at Penguin Random House and Hachette. I am associate agent in Jonny Geller’s office, working with him on his clients and building my own list.
What she is seeking: I am looking for confident writing that puts me at ease from the first page; a captivating voice or character, an exciting style, an unusual structure, an original premise or fresh take. A book that can’t be replicated. If you have written a book like that – fiction or non-fiction – then it’s on my wish list.
How to submit: Follow their guidelines HERE.
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Maggie Sadler is motivated to deepen her knowledge of literature from the industry perspective as the Literary Agent Apprentice at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Maggie earned her joint degree in Comparative Literature and English in 2016 from the University of St Andrews, a historical university tucked away in a tiny windswept Scottish town along the North Sea. A sea sprite at heart, Maggie returned to the North Atlantic coast to earn her Master’s in Literary Studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2019. The intricate, vivid, and deep-rooted folk traditions Maggie encountered in both Scotland and Newfoundland further enriched her literary interest in folklore, mainly the seafaring lore intrinsic to small North Atlantic communities.
What she is seeking: In adult fiction, Maggie enjoys:
Folklore and fairy tale retellings
Pre-1900 historical fiction, particularly any untold stories of boundary-pushing women
Maritime fiction that evokes the style of nineteenth-century adventure fiction
Imaginative, genre-bending literary fiction
Magical Realism
Fantasies with sophisticated world building and unconventional protagonists
In new adult and young adult fiction, Maggie seeks:
Own Voices folklore-inspired fantasies with lush, immersive aesthetics
Heroines that are equal parts resilient and gentle
Dark academia fantasies with sharply intelligent anti-heroes
Adventuresome romps featuring witty and daring pirates
In middle grade fiction, Maggie hopes to find:
Adventures of self-discovery
Complex themes like cultural identity, family struggles, gender identity, or climate change
Focused world building in unconventional settings
Endearing and introverted protagonists
Maggie also has a secret soft spot for equestrian-themed adventures filled with nostalgia and diverse characters
An experienced traveler, Maggie also enjoys travelogues depicting remote locations and thought-provoking encounters in a raw, authentic, and intentional narrative voice that blurs the boundaries between the literary and the nonfiction.
How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.
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What she is seeking: Lily represents clients in both fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, she is drawn to dark and offbeat humor, gripping narratives, strong commercial hooks, family dynamics, and nuanced female perspectives. For nonfiction, she is looking for short story collections and memoirs that are funny, outrageous, shocking, emotional, or all of the above. She also enjoys true crime, pop culture, and narrative history. She is not looking for historical fiction or science/psychology nonfiction at this time.
How to submit: Submissions should be emailed to lily.dolin@unitedtalent.com
Please include: The word "Query" in the subject line; A brief synopsis; Your bio; The first fifty (50) pages from your novel or book proposal.
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