Updated 12/7/23
Here are ten new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.
All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
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 several 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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I represent fantasy and sci-fi, while also working as the agency’s digital lead. My tastes vary but rather consistently I enjoy voice and character led stories with propulsive writing and strong worldbuilding. Across all genres, I’d love to see work by underrepresented writers.
In fantasy I’m looking for tropey romantasy especially any with stakes so high the world itself might be at risk. Give me messy characters in a complex world and foolish and difficult choices to be made. I’m also very happy to see these vary across the spice scale – from none at all to so hot my kindle might blow. My recent favourites include Fourth Wing, The Night Circus and Once Upon A Broken Heart.
At the other end, I’d love high-concept low-stakes cosy fantasy stories that feel like a don’t-leave-the-tavern DND session – like Legends and Lattes, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches or Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea.
I want to have fun with fantasy, so darker narratives have to feel indulgent or lyrical – a recent favourite was A Dowry of Blood. I can also get sucked into some really good world-building – like Dragonfall, Godkiller and The Final Strife. These stories were also wonderful for the queer normative worlds and I’d love to see that in my submissions.
I’m always thrilled by stories rooted in myth or folklore like Kaikeyi, Morgan Is My Name and Daughter of The Moon Goddess. I also really enjoy magical realism, especially in an evocative historical setting like the drawing of the 1930s in Shanghai Immortal or the 1920s in Gods of Jade and Shadow.
My sci-fi tastes are pretty specific in that I like sci-fi stories that use the possibility of space and the future to explore humanity and ideas of progress, often in a very fun and irreverent way. My favourites in this genre include The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet, Mindwalker and Frontier.
I do not represent children’s fiction but would happily look at any sci-fi or fantasy Young Adult fiction.
How to submit: You can submit to me at beasubmissions@theblairpartnership.com. If you are emailing us a fiction submission, please include the working title of your story in the subject line of your email. In the email, please include a one-line elevator pitch, a short blurb, the target market and genre of your writing and any competitions or prizes you’ve won for writing. Then, please attach the first thirty pages of your manuscript and a one-page synopsis in one Word document or PDF. Please lay out your manuscript and synopsis so they are easy to read.
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Originally from Michigan, Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford. She lives on the Upper East Side, where she constantly obsesses over the many dogs (on the street and in strollers) and enjoys eating a lot of good food.
What she is seeking: Elizabeth is looking for fiction and nonfiction from diverse perspectives and emerging voices that takes something familiar and turns it on its head, recounts history from a different point of view, sheds light on something previously unnoticed, or makes us think about the world in a different way. Of particular interest to her are intergenerational family sagas, historical fiction, books with surreal elements, and deep dives into the inner workings of human relationships.
How to submit:
Currently closed to queries.
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An experienced commissioning editor, Matt joined us from Pan Macmillan where he was responsible for signing and publishing some of the leading political, popular science, business, sport and lifestyle books of our time.
What he is seeking: Matt is responsible for Northbank’s non-fiction books representation in the UK, US and foreign language markets, including politics, history, science, economics, business, sport, lifestyle and memoir.
How to submit: Please send a cover letter, synopsis and the first three chapters of your submission as Word or Open Document attachments to nonfiction@northbanktalent.com.
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Elizabeth's background is in book marketing, for the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival, the Klaus Flugge Prize and then here at Northbank, which gives her a keen understanding of the kinds of books which sell, how to pitch and position projects in the marketplace, and how to build audiences across both digital and physical channels.
What she is seeking: Elizabeth is responsible for Northbank’s fiction books representation in the UK, US and foreign language markets, spanning all genres of commercial adult and young adult fiction.
How to submit: Please send a cover letter, synopsis and the first three chapters of your submission as Word or Open Document attachments to fiction@northbanktalent.com.
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Amanda Bernardi of
High Line Literary Collective
Amanda Bernardi comes to publishing after twelve years in publicity and branding. She did her graduate work in Social Science at the University of Colorado and a BA in English Creative Writing from Texas A&M University, where she was a lead reporter for The Battalion and founded a literary journal vandal with Angie Cruz and Daniel Pena. She then began communications work for purpose-driven organizations focused on environmental, fair labor, and health care initiatives.
What she is seeking: Amanda is actively building her client list and works exclusively with non-fiction. She is interested in platform- or expertise-driven cookbooks, home & design, art, investigative journalism, social justice, pop science, wellness, social science, sports, health, pop history, parenting, nature, environmentalism, pop culture and anything that advances our community dialogue towards a better tomorrow. She is looking for projects that are thoughtful, actionable, and engaging for a general audience.
Ms. Emma Dries of
Triangle HouseEmma Dries is a writer and editor, and an agent at Triangle House Literary. She has worked on bestselling and award-winning books in editorial at Alfred A. Knopf, Doubleday Books, Ecco, and Flatiron Books. She has a B.A. in History from the University of Chicago and an M.F.A in Fiction from Johns Hopkins University. She grew up in Lower Manhattan, above the Fulton Fish Market, and now lives in the Hudson Valley.
What she is seeking: Emma is interested in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction that grapples with climate change; ambitious multigenerational novels; speculative fiction; and dark or darkly comic domestic fiction. In nonfiction, she is interested in institutional corruption; memoirs incorporating science or policy; essays and longform journalism; and environmental and travel writing. She likes to work with academic writers with great narrative sensibilities, such as historians who can target an understudied era and spin an incredible yarn. Most importantly, she seeks to be immersed—whether in our own world or a world that's entirely invented.
How to submit: To query Emma, please send a query letter and the first 20 pages of your manuscript or full proposal through her query manager here.
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Mr. Thomas Dayzie of
The Deborah Harris Agency Thomas received his BA from Princeton University in English, Creative Writing, and Humanistic Studies. His fiction thesis, “Elisha: The Collected Works of M. Amichai,” was the first to be awarded a prize for Recognition of Innovative Work. He grew up between San Diego and the Navajo Nation, and moved to Jerusalem in 2022.
What he is seeking: Thomas is interested in literary fiction, memoir, non-fiction, and any work that presents a novel or fresh perspective.
How to submit: Email your query to: thomas at DHliterary.com
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Ms. Francesca Riccardi of
Kate Nash Literary Agency (UK)
AGENCY CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIESFrancesca has over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry, starting at RNIB where she transcribed books into accessible formats for blind and partially sighted readers. She has since worked in sales and marketing roles at publishers Canelo, Atlantic Books, Constable & Robinson and HarperCollins.
What she is seeking: Francesca reads widely, especially across popular commercial genres, but is a particular fan of crime and thrillers, and loves a dogged detective or unusual sleuth. She also enjoys books about unusual family dynamics, toxic friendships and people keeping secrets.
How to submit: Follow the agency's submission instructions HERE.
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Sophie Cudd joined The Book Group as Associate Agent in 2023, after nearly four years at William Morris Endeavor. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, Sophie has a degree in English Literature from Southern Methodist University, studied Shakespeare at the University of Oxford, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
What she is seeking: In fiction, Sophie loves compelling, high-stakes tales of love, loss, mystery and belonging. She is drawn to accessible and deeply resonant characters, plot-driven stories with a strong sense of time and place, and is a sucker for a twist she never saw coming. In nonfiction, Sophie's interests are wide-ranging, but she is particularly interested in moving and introspective memoirs, food writing, essay collections, and well-researched narrative nonfiction. Sophie also occasionally acquires children’s picture books – particularly those that make her laugh.
How to submit: Please email a query letter and 10 sample pages to submissions@thebookgroup.com. You will receive a bounce back to your query, which you should consider receipt of your work. Please include all materials in the body of the email, as we can’t open attachments. We only accept electronic queries sent to submissions@thebookgroup.com, and do not accept paper queries or queries by phone. Please include the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line of your query email.
Catherine Bradshaw (she/her) is a junior agent at Writers House, building her adult, young adult, middle grade, and picture book lists. Catherine joined Writers House in 2018 as the front desk administrative assistant and reader for the agency at large. In 2019, she began supporting Senior Agent Susan Ginsburg’s diverse list of clients. Under Susan’s guidance and mentorship, Catherine has worked closely—both editorially and administratively—with a broad range of award-winning and bestselling adult and children’s book authors, including Diane Chamberlain, Sara Farizan, Jessica B. Harris, Deborah Heiligman, Edward Humes, Pam Jenoff, Cedella Marley, Leonard Mlodinow, Sarah Morgan, and Alexandra Penfold. Prior to Writers House, Catherine worked for Alanna Feldman Scouting, advising international and domestic clients on acquiring translation and/or TV/film rights for upcoming releases. Before that, Catherine received her Bachelor of the Arts in English with a minor in Creative Writing from New York University, all the while interning in editorial at Scholastic Book Clubs, Viking Children’s Books, and Flatiron Books.
What she is seeking:
ADULT: My taste is wide when it comes to adult fiction—on one end of the spectrum, I love literary fiction, with a particular interest in literary horror and speculative work, and on the other end, I would love to see all of the rom-coms, especially those that subvert common tropes and represent LGBTQ+ stories. As for everything in between, I’m especially grabbed by a narrative that doesn’t follow “traditional” storytelling, plays with format and structure, or covers underexplored time periods, locations, etc. On the nonfiction adult side, I love quirky microhistories, topics within fashion, sexuality, mental health, and mortality, anything related to the Bravoverse, essay collections, and the occasional offbeat memoir.
YOUNG ADULT: As for YA, I’m hungry for all things literary, unnerving, witchy, darkly funny, ghostly, Gothic, and rom-com. I am particularly interested in first-time encounters with mental illness, complicated sibling relationships, unconventional high school life, sex positivity, emo vibes, angst, and international stories. I’m always after a good graphic novel as well, and anything that will break my heart.
MIDDLE GRADE: I love a spooky/dark middle grade—bring on the weird! In this category, I am also a huge fan of quirky/silly/banter, unlikely friendships, and unusual hobbies. At the same time, I appreciate when serious topics (such as death and mental health) can be discussed in a lively, engaging, not overly heavy way. I’d very much like to see novels in verse and illustrated/graphic novels. I have a particular hankering for stories with series potential.
PICTURE BOOKS: I’m looking for author-illustrators who can be both silly and heartfelt and create read-aloud books that will be remembered well into adulthood. I love picture books that are interactive, challenge expectations, and make me belly laugh. I also fall hard for picture books that break down difficult emotions or concepts in a digestible, meaningful way.
How to submit: Please email me a personalized query letter and 10 sample pages pasted in the body of the email (or a sketch dummy with sample finished art for picture book submissions) to cbradshaw@writershouse.com. No attachments.
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