5 New Agents and a New Agency Seeking Literary and Commercial Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Nonfiction, Memoirs and more

Here are five 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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Mr. Pieter Swinkels of Transatlantic Literary Agency

Pieter Swinkels worked as Chief Content Officer at Rakuten Kobo for the past twelve years, leading Kobo’s global publisher relations, the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life, the Kobo Originals publishing program, and the launch of Audiobooks and Kobo Plus subscriptions. Before that, Pieter was Publisher at the premiere Dutch publishing houses De Bezige Bij and Meulenhoff Publishers in Amsterdam, where he published bestselling and critically-acclaimed authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Aravind Adiga, Damon Galgut, Sebastian Barry, Jhumpa Lahiri, Mohsin Hamid, Rachel Cusk, Paolo Giordano, Robert Harris and Karin Slaughter.

Pieter holds a Cum Laude MA degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Amsterdam, and a MPhil in Irish Literature from Trinity College Dublin. He lives and works in Toronto.

What he is seeking: He represents literary fiction and nonfiction authors, as well as corporate publishing clients from around the world.

How to submit: Submit queries to querypieter@transatlanticagency.com

Authors are encouraged to email a cover letter with a sample/excerpt of the book in question. Please submit a maximum of 20 pages. Embed the sample/excerpt into the body of the email after the cover letter. Submit an author bio/publishing history and a synopsis. Please note if other agents are also considering the project and do not submit to Pieter if you have already submitted to another Transatlantic Agent.

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Mark Tavani of David Black Literary Agency

Mark Tavani has a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He circumnavigated the globe as a student on Semester at Sea and later worked as a forestry aid in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He is an adjunct professor with NYU's School of Professional Studies and lives with his wife, his daughters, and a headstrong dog in Rutherford, New Jersey. 

Mark started his publishing career in 2000 with Ballantine Books and spent over 23 years with Penguin Random House, Bantam, Del Rey, and G.P. Putnam's Sons. He edited bestsellers and award-winners across numerous categories of fiction and nonfiction, including books by Jim Abbott, Steve Berry, C.J. Box, Robert Crais, Justin Cronin, Clive and Dirk Cussler, Jeffery Deaver, George Dohrmann, Lisa Gardner, Jack McCallum, Lisa Scottoline, Bill Simmons, and R.L. Stine. He is now thrilled to have joined the David Black Literary Agency, where he represents both fiction and nonfiction. 

What he is seeking: Mark is interested in a wide range of literary and commercial fiction, including book club novels, thrillers, mysteries, speculative fiction, and historical fiction. He is looking for fiction that entertains and enriches the lives of readers. 

He is keen to discover nonfiction that illuminates or inspires. He looks forward to working with experts, journalists, and memoirists, especially those in the spaces of sports, history, wellness, narrative nonfiction, and big ideas. Mark also represents collaborative writers who partner with authors in such spaces. 

How to submit: For fiction, he asks for the first 50 pages of a manuscript pasted into the body of an email; for nonfiction, he asks for a pitch by way of email. He cannot respond to every submission he receives, but will respond to any that he is interested in. Send material to: mtavani@dblackagency.com

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Ms. Angelique Tran Van Sang of Felicity Bryan Literary Agency (UK)

I joined Felicity Bryan Associates as an agent after seven years as an editor at Bloomsbury, where I worked with authors such as Reni Eddo-Lodge and Kamila Shamsie, and published Jenny Zhang, Olivia Sudjic and Saba Sams amongst others.

What she is seeking: At FBA I am building a list of writers of fiction, non-fiction and select poetry, with a particular openness to authors who can work across these forms. As a former editor, I enjoy working with writers to develop their work at both structure and line level for submission to publishers.

In fiction I am looking for novels, short story collections and novellas that strike the heart and intellect in equal measure, that feature protagonists on the margins, and the full and complex lives of those not often represented in literature. I’m drawn to fresh and unexpected subversions of known narratives, the subtleties of class conflict, and writing that challenges, whether in form or content. Examples of novels I’ve admired recently: Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton and Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis.

In non-fiction, I’m interested in oral and narrative histories, explorations of contemporary political and philosophical issues, gripping investigative journalism, as well as literary and cultural criticism and biography. Works I’ve admired recently range from The Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan and The Years by Annie Ernaux, to Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe and the work of Janet Malcolm and Helen Garner.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Donya Dickerson of Aevitas Creative Management

Donya Dickerson has edited multiple award-winning and bestselling titles, including New York Times bestselling author Joseph Michelli; The Wall Street Journal bestseller Work Better Together by Jen Fisher and Anh Phillips; and The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller Arrive & Thrive by Susan Brady, Janet Foutty, and Lynn Perry Wooten.

Before joining Aevitas, Donya was the Associate Publisher for the Business Trade list at McGraw Hill, where she acquired books by CEOs, highly respected thought leaders, and top industry experts, and built multiple partnerships with global training companies. She’s worked with Crucial Learning, Keller Williams, Deloitte, Zenger Folkman, and other renowned organizations. Prior to McGraw Hill, Donya acquired books for Writer’s Digest on the craft of writing and the business of publishing. She has a BA in English and Philosophy from William Jewell College and a Master’s in Comparative Literature with an emphasis in Fiction Writing from the University of Cincinnati.

What she is seeking: Donya focuses primarily on nonfiction in the categories of business, personal development, self-help, pop culture, science, technology, history, and parenting.  She is looking for breakthrough thinking, experts with a fresh voice, and new approaches to solving the problems people face daily. She is especially drawn to books that help others be their best self and succeed in both their professional and personal lives. 

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Mr. Eloy Bleifuss Prados of Neon Literary

After studying journalism, Eloy’s first job in publishing was at Simon & Schuster editorial. He switched to the agency side when he joined Janklow & Nesbit Associates in 2019. In addition to working alongside Kirby Kim and Paul Lucas, Eloy is cultivating a growing list of fiction and nonfiction clients.

What he is seeking: Eloy is drawn to genre-blurring fiction and writers with a clear point-of-view. He’s looking for atmospheric horror, thrillers set in an under-explored time or setting, and character-driven speculative fiction. When it comes to nonfiction, he enjoys reading a broad sweep of categories from science writing and forgotten histories to pop culture and relatable self-help. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction, he is a fan of writing that is dark, strange, funny, and queer.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

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In addition to the above agents, here is a new Canadian literary agency.

The Ballpoint Agency is a new, artist-centred literary agency with many enthusiasms, but mostly books. They currently serve a small roster of writers with focused attention, creativity and care.  The three founders have 75 years of professional experience between them: 

Dave Bidini has spent 25 years writing books, earning valuable insight into the industry from an artist’s perspective. 

Warren Sheffer has 20 years as a lawyer, representing authors and performers and specializing in intellectual property law. 

Janet Morassutti has 30 years of publishing industry experience, most recently as a founder and  managing editor of a non-profit newspaper.

Read submission guidelines HERE.