Here are eight 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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What he is seeking: Seeking Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Magical Realism, particularly those that have a literary bent. Powerfully written Horror, Speculative, Romance (all subgenres except fantasy), YA, Humor, and Meta-Fiction. In these genres, I am looking for fast-paced plots penned with style and verve.
Nonfiction that expands a reader’s understanding of the world, Please have a well-structured proposal for nonfiction queries.
How to submit: Use the submission form HERE.
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Jennifer brings her years of editorial and advisory experience working with agents and publishers to Hesperides Literary. She has worked with authors through her role as a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University and Director of Pegasus Physician Writers, an organization of creative physician authors whose members include Dr. Daniel Mason, Dr. Seema Yasmin, and Dr. David Eagleman. In addition to her faculty leadership role in Stanford Medical Humanities and Arts, she is the Founder of The Pegasus Review, and serves as a founding faculty editor for the Oxford Review of Books x Stanford collaboration. Jennifer also serves on the Advisory Board for The Bellevue Literary Press and the Stanford School of Medicine Medical Humanities Fellowship. Jennifer's writing is represented by Amy Collins of Talcott Notch. She is the author of Healing the Healers, Johns Hopkins University Press, forthcoming 2025.
What she is seeking: Seeking Literary and Upmarket Women's Fiction including Magical Realism and Speculative Fiction. Science Fiction and Fantasy that appeals to a cross-sectional audience. I especially gravitate towards dark academia, science fantasy, space opera, and narratively driven nonfiction. Nonfiction with emphasis on creative narrative nonfiction or essays. Medical, Nature, Science, Psychology/Self-help or travel books.
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Emily MacDonald of 42 Management & Production (UK)
Emily MacDonald joined 42 in 2019, working with Eugenie Furniss across her clients. She is now an agent in the Books Department, and is building her own list.
What she is seeking: Bring me a story with characters that never leave you and a narrative that pulls you in, keeping you in the world well after you’ve finished reading. I read across a wide-range and have a particular interest in; book club, high-concept crime/thriller, upmarket and literary fiction (with a real soft spot for witty romcoms with an unassailable hook!) In both fiction and non-fiction, I love stories woven into their surroundings, where the setting is as central a character as those who drive the narrative.
I’m also looking for narrative non-fiction which immerses the reader into an untold true story (personal or historical), exploring a new point of view, and providing a compelling social commentary, with an investigative twist! Think the obsessive vein of Kirk W. Johnson or personal/political dispatches of Aidan Hartley. I want to have my horizons expanded when I read. Please note, I am not currently accepting submissions for Children's lit/YA and SFF.
In both spheres, I’m keen to hear from Scottish and regional voices with stories to tell.
How to submit: Please email all relevant submissions to - emilymacdonald@42mp.com
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John Meils joined DeFiore & Company in 2024 after five years as an editor at Workman Publishing. Previously, he held editor roles at Macmillan, Sterling/Union Square, and award-winning book packager Melcher Media. John has acquired and edited national bestsellers, including most recently Smart Brevity. Other titles of note that John acquired as an editor include: You Are What You Watch, Murderabilia, Brave New You, Patient Zero, How Sex Changed the Internet, and the forthcoming Whiskey Bible. John has also worked as a journalist in Washington, DC, where he covered national politics as well as local issues including cannabis regulation, corruption, and climate change.
What he is seeking: John is looking to build a wide-ranging non-fiction list that includes: how-to of all sorts, health & wellness, science (pop, space, biological, and psychological), technology, nature/outdoors, true crime, quirky histories (medical, adventure, offbeat), investigative journalism, international relations, sports, parenting, and business. For prescriptive how-to, John is particularly keen to see books with a clear promise and message, a programmatic approach, and a strong author platform.
John has a deep history of producing illustrated books as an editor and will consider author-artist and visually driven projects with a clear and unique focus. He has also worked extensively helping brands (Nike InStyle, Harley Davidson, Axios) translate their messages to books and is open to guiding established and emerging brands interested in launching book programs.
How to submit: John accepts only email queries. Send a brief email describing yourself and your project to john@defliterary.com. Please be sure to include the word “QUERY:” at the beginning of your subject line, followed by your book title. Attachments will not be opened unless expressly requested. John’s response time is usually less than two weeks and you need not query him exclusively. If you have not received a response within a month, please check that the defliterary.com domain name is on your email server whitelist, as the response may have been rejected by your server. John does not consider fiction queries of any kind or hard copy submissions.
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Edwina joined Mulcahy Sweeney Associates (literary agency of MMB Creative) after completing an English Language and Literature degree at Oxford University and an MA in East Asian Art History at SOAS.
What she is seeking: At the top of her present wishlist are family sagas, stories spanning multiple generations, horror amplified (rather than lightened) by dark humour, fantasy with romance (rather than romance with fantasy), socially-inflected psychological thrillers, expert-led non-fiction in self-help/personal development, investigative journalism on topics related to the beauty industry (like plastic surgery) and writing by academics on art history and non-canonical literature.
How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE. Note: Accepts UK authors only.
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Originally from rural Upstate New York, Mason Rowlee holds a BA in English, with a concentration in creative writing and journalism from Fordham College at Rose Hill. While in college, he interned at DeFiore & Company, as well as McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency, Gotham Writers Workshop, CBS Television Production and Farrar, Straus & Giroux. He previously worked as an assistant literary scout at Jenny La Plante, Inc., where he developed an eye for the types of literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction that also appeal to international publishers as well as film production companies.
What he is seeking: Mason loves innovative, boundary-pushing literary fiction, engrossing upmarket fiction, and nonfiction that amplifies traditionally underrepresented voices in publishing, particularly those by queer authors.
How to submit: Mason accepts only email queries. Send a brief email describing yourself and your project to mason@defliterary.com with the first five pages of your manuscript or proposal pasted in the body of an email. Attachments will not be opened unless requested. Submissions do not need to be exclusive, and response time is generally no more than two weeks. If you have not received a response within four weeks, please check that the defliterary.com domain name is on your email server whitelist; the response might have been rejected by your server.
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Originally from a small town in Eastern Kentucky, Lydia developed a passion for literature early on, often seen toting around a book and seeking any opportunity to read. She is a graduate of NC State University, where she earned her B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. When she’s not editing or reviewing submissions, you can find her attending live music events, tutoring Spanish, working on her own writing, or spending quality time outdoors with her dog, Rocky.
What she is seeking: Lydia is primarily looking for YA and Adult contemporary fiction, YA and Adult fantasy (she can appreciate both an urban setting or an immersive new world, and bonus points if there’s a romantic element, but the plot must shine regardless), light and cozy science fiction, mysteries with a strong and innovative protagonist, domestic suspense, and historical fiction that is not war-based or rooted in medical/medicinal history.
She is also an enthusiast of lyrical prose, atmospheric writing, emotionally complex and diverse characters, high-conflict stories with an unforgettable and witty heroine, and stories that explore deep and resounding themes. After she finishes a story, she wants it to linger in her head for days after.
As a hopeless romantic at her core, Lydia holds the romance genre close to her heart and is always on the lookout for raw and intimate depictions of love—all kinds by all voices. She also appreciates rom-coms with a good trope or two, and any period piece that provides a much-needed escape from reality. A few of her favorites include Seven Days in June by Tia Williams, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, and Normal People by Sally Rooney.
A few more of Lydia’s favorites include: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Go As a River by Shelley Read, and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.
How to submit: To query Lydia, submit by email only to Lydia@andreahurst.com. Please include a query letter and paste the first five pages into the email. Due to the high volume of queries received, Lydia will only respond to those she is interested in. Check her socials for updates on her current query status.
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Keith is a former writing teacher and bookseller. He graduated from the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and the Writer’s House Internship Program, and holds a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University. He has a diverse taste in books, but tends to lean toward upmarket crime and horror fiction with a tilt toward the bizarre and fantastic.
What he is seeking: Keith is open to crime fiction, mystery, light speculative fiction, and horror.
How to submit: Please send your pitch, first ten pages, and bio to kstillman@sobelweber.com.