New literary agencies are started by established agents with considerable experience in the publishing industry. They have reliable contacts in publishing houses and a roster of successes getting writers published. New agencies are looking to expand, and are eager to take on prospective clients.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. 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.
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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Lexington Literary (UK)Lexington Literary was founded in 2024 by Seren Adams and Kat Aitken. They represent a diverse range of authors of acclaimed and prize-winning fiction and non-fiction.
Seren Adams
She represents writers of literary fiction and narrative non-fiction, and many of her authors have been nominated for and won prizes for their work. She is always looking for exceptional literary voices, precise prose, and is drawn to the strange or surprising in both fiction and non-fiction.
To submit your work, please send a sample and description of the project along with a brief biographical note to seren@lexingtonliterary.co.uk
Kat Aitken
In fiction, I am looking for anything extraordinary and precise. I also cannot resist literary fiction which plays with genre. In prose, I am fiercely attracted to anything playful, lively and innovative. Novels which assess humanity at an angle, with a sharp gaze. I’m desperate to find novels which make me laugh. In non-fiction I am looking for looking for stylish writing, fresh perspectives and (to borrow a phrase from Haley Nahman) anything that makes you think about the impossible task of being alive. Any thought-provoking work from experts in their field always welcome, as well as academics, journalists and critics looking to write for a trade audience. I am also interested in finding work which is experimental and genre-defying. For whatever reason, I find myself constantly lured by writing on psychoanalysis and therapy.
To submit your work, please send a brief cover letter along with a biographical note and either the first three chapters of your work (if fiction) or a proposal (if non-fiction) to kat@lexingtonliterary.co.uk.
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Leslie Zampetti launched Open Book Literary after experiences with Odom Media Management, Dunham Literary, and The Bent Agency.
A former librarian in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus is on the right book at the right time for the reader. Having negotiated with organizations from Lexis-Nexis to elementary school PTAs, she obtains terms that favor her clients while building satisfying relationships with publishers. And after cataloging rocket launch videos for NASA & model rocket ships for elementary school, she welcomes working with the unexpected challenges that pop up in publishing.
Leslie serves as Secretary, Board Member, and on the Communications and Programming Committees of the Association of American Literary Agents, and she is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Leslie received her B.A. in English from Wake Forest University and her M.L.I.S. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a writer herself, familiar with querying from both sides of the desk. A frequent presenter at conferences, workshops, and retreats, you can follow Leslie on social media @literarylesliez .
What she is seeking: At Open Book Literary, the focus is on bringing under-represented voices to publishing, especially those voices centering disability, poverty, women, neurodivergence, and Judaism, Islam, and non-western religions. Life is messy, and so are people. Identities are complex, and Leslie champions the intersections between aspects of identity.
Overall, Leslie seeks books with a strong commercial premise, distinct prose, and multiple layers of meaning that keep you thinking long after you finish the story. Think of a calm sea: it’s cool and inviting, but deeper than you expect.
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Philippa Sitters Associates (UK)
PSA Ltd is a literary agency founded in 2024 by Philippa Sitters.
Working alongside a very talented contingency of co-agents globally, Philippa aims to take the stress out of the journey from pitch to publication. She works closely with authors on readying their books for submission to publishers, making sure everything runs smoothly and fairly along the way so that every author can have the best experience before and after the book is in the hands of the reader.
Having grown up in south Devon, Philippa graduated from Leeds University with a BA in Classical Civilisation before moving to London to do a Masters in Publishing at Kingston University. Since then she's worked in literary agencies, such as Peters, Fraser + Dunlop, Sheil Land and David Godwin Associates, where she spent ten years working with a diverse group of authors and building her list.
What she is seeking: Philippa has a broad range of interests, representing novels up and down the literary-commercial scale, as well as non-fiction, from highly illustrated to serious non-fiction. Diversity within her list is an ever-present priority.
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High Line is located in the heart of Manhattan just steps from the High Line, a once-abandoned railway track turned nature park pathway in the sky spanning from 20th to 34th street. High Line Literary Collective has seven experienced agents working in two divisions, fiction and nonfiction.
High Line Literary Collective is dedicated to providing robust film, television and documentary rights opportunities for their authors. High Line Literary Collective partners with Baror International for foreign rights. Founded more than 20 years ago, Baror International, Inc. is a premier literary agency and the first of its kind specializing in the international and domestic representation of literary works in both fiction and non-fiction.
What they are seeking: Genre fiction (all genres), children's and YA. Non-Fiction:Art, Biography, Cookbooks, Crafts/DIY, Cultural criticism, Current Events, Fashion, Feminism and women\'s issues, Fitness, Health, History, Humor, Illustrated, Journalism, LGBTQ, Memoir, Parenting, Pop Culture, Psychology, Relationships and family, Science, Self-help, Sports, Travel, True Crime, Wellness.
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Sara Megibow represents authors who write picture books (fiction and nonfiction/ all sub-genres), middle grade (all sub-genres), young adult (all sub-genres), adult romance (all sub-genres) and science fiction/ fantasy for the adult market (all sub-genres).
Helen Masvikeni represents authors who write adult thriller, adult mystery, adult crime, adult non-fiction and memoir, anything "folklore", picture books (fiction and nonfiction/ all sub-genres), upmarket commercial fiction, and adult romance (all sub-genres).
Matthew Valdez represents storytellers who write for both adults and young adults. He is looking for horror, science fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, psychological thriller, contemporary YA, adult contemporary romance, and graphic novels in any genre. He longs to champion stories from all marginalized backgrounds, and especially voices from the LGBTQ+ community.
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Portobello Literary (UK)
Caro Clarke is the founder and literary agent at Portobello Literary. They founded the agency in 2022 after twelve years working in publishing houses – Transworld (PRH) and Canongate Books as a Senior Rights Manager. They were named Rights Professional of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2021 and a Bookseller Rising Star in 2024.
Writers they have worked with have won or been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Wainwright Prize, Saltire National Book Awards, Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize, Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, Forward Prize, Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour, Mo Siewcharran Prize, Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, Northern Writers Award, Nan Shepherd Prize, Laurel Prize, Nature Chronicles Prize, Wasafiri New Writing Prize, Eric Gregory Award, Women in Journalism Georgina Henry award, SI Leeds Literary Award and the Frank Allen Bullock Creative Writing Prize.Portobello Literary.
What they are seeking: Adult fiction and non-fiction, including narrative non-fiction, memoir, popular science, big ideas, travel, culture, essays, queer culture and intersectional feminism, nature writing, food writing and cookbooks.
How to submit: To send in your submission, please address your email to Caro at submissions@portobelloliterary.co.uk with:
- A synopsis of your book
- A short biography
- And, depending on whether you're sending fiction or non-fiction:
- For fiction: the first three chapters or the first 50 pages of your manuscript along with the total word count
- For non-fiction: a chapter outline and three sample chapters no longer than 50 pages.
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I’ve been a literary agent since 2011, including as a director at The Bent Agency, and set up my own agency, Gemma Cooper Literary, in 2024. I represent #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, Barnes & Noble Children’s Book Award winners, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winners, the Australian Book Industry Overall Children’s Book of the Year, and books that have been shortlisted for the Edgar Award, the Carnegie Medal, and many more.
I’m lucky to have lived and worked in New York, Chicago and London, experience that has given me a global approach to representation. I work with authors all over the world and sell directly to publishers in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
What she is seeking: Children’s books, young adult books, and certain adult genres. My list is typified by big-concept, commercial series fiction. My current clients are a great snapshot of my taste. The best part of my job is getting to be the first fan of an unpublished book and then its champion – nothing beats talking about your favourite stories with other book lovers.
What she is seeking: Children’s books, young adult books, and certain adult genres: cosy crime, smart contemporary crime with humour. She is not open to contemporary adult fiction, adult non-fiction, literary novels, romance, nor poetry.
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Founded by Lori Steel in 2024 and based in the Washington DC area, Steelworks is a full-service, boutique literary agency representing authors, illustrators, and graphic novelists with an emphasis on children’s and young adult literature, and select titles for the crossover and adult markets.
What she is seeking: Lori considers fiction and nonfiction projects from picture books to New Adult, and author-illustrators who create picture books, illustrated novels, and graphic novels. She is drawn to character-driven stories that demonstrate a deep trust and respect for their readers. For all projects, she seeks stories with accessible, authentic, and unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience.
Submissions: Check the website for open submission periods.
8 New Agents Seeking Commercial and Upmarket Fiction, Kidlit, Picture Books, SF/F, Nonfiction, LGBT and BIPOC Writers and more
7 New Agents Seeking SFF, Thrillers, Rom-coms, Memoir, Horror, LGBT, Nonfiction and more
9 New Agents Seeking Literary and Genre Fiction, CNF, Nonfiction, Irish Fiction, Kidlit, Graphic Novels, and more
11 New Agents Seeking Kidlit, Women's Fiction, Memoir, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels and more
10 New Literary Agents Seeking MG, YA, New Adult, Cookbooks, Romance, Memoirs, Literary Fiction and more
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