How to Research an Agent

The best way to find an agent is to either marry one, give birth to one, or go to conferences. There is no substitute for face-to-face communication.

Unfortunately, most writers can't make it to conferences. So, they are left with the task of writing query letters. (Even if you do find an agent at a conference, you are not off the hook. You still have to write a query.)

Whether you meet an agent in person, or look one up online, you have to do your research. Does the agent represent your genre? Is he/she willing to take on new clients? Does she/he have a good track record for sales? Which publishers has the agent worked with? How does he/she treat clients? 

All of these questions are important, and all can be answered by researching agents online. These are the steps to take for researching an agent.

1) Go to AgentQuery. Not all agents on agentquery are members of the AAR, but all are established. You can search on an agent's name, or you can search by genre. If you search by genre, make sure you do a full search and filter for agents who are actively seeking clients. As you find agents who are taking on clients in your genre, make a list. This site has lots of great resources, including a list of twitter handles for agents, how to write a query letter, and lists of publishers and literary magazines, to name a few.

2) Go to the agent's or agency's website. (You can do this directly from agentquery.) Is the agent still taking clients? Does the agent still represent your genre? How does the agent sound? Does he or she appear helpful. and supportive? Does the agent charge a "reading fee"? (If so, cross the agent off your list. No reputable agent will charge a fee for reading a manuscript. No reputable agent will use a submission as an excuse to offer "editing" services either.) Very few agents post their contract on their websites, but when they do, read those contracts carefully. Literary agents, unlike talent agents, do not represent you, they represent your book. (Only one.) Contracts that demand representation rights for all your work, or for prequels or sequels, should be avoided.

3) Google the agent. Look for "querytracker," and "absolute write" entries. Both of these will give you insights as to turnaround time, and whether authors have had positive (or negative) experiences. You can also go straight to querytracker and look the agent up directly. If there are interviews posted online, read them. Interviews are a great way to discover what the agent does and does not like in a query letter, which genres he or she is particularly interested in, and other useful details.

4) Join QueryTracker.  This is a great resource for finding agents. You can search for agents with the fastest response times and who reps whom (which agents represent specific authors). Unlike some other sites, Querytracker is up date to date. It will tell you which agents are closed to queries, and which agents are newly minted. (New agents are always actively seeking clients.)

5) Google "agent [agent's name]". When authors publish a book, they almost always thank their agent in the "acknowledgements" section. Often you will find something like this: "I want to thank my agent, [name of agent] for her tireless support and encouragement." If the book has been listed on google books, this search will find all such acknowledgements. This is a good way to see how many books the agent has represented, which is particularly useful if the agent does not include a list on his or her website.

Once you have assembled a list of agents who meet all your requirements, it's time to send queries.

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Also see:

What Agents Want: Making Sense of Submissions - Definitions of terms agents use

Agents Seeking Clients - An extensive list of agents with their preferred genres

Getting an Agent: Schmooze or You Lose - A guide to writers' conferences

Finding an Agent: Look Before You Leap - The best print guides for finding a literary agent

Writers Are from Venus, Agents Are from Mars - How agents think

2 Established Literary Agents Seeking New Clients

Updated 6/4/24

Here are two established agents actively seeking clients. Anna Olswanger is interested in representing picture books (author-illustrators only) and graphic novels. Adam Muhlig is looking narrative nonfiction.

Always check the agency website before submitting. Agents may switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.

If these agents don't suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.

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Anna Olswanger of Olswanger Literary

Anna Olswanger has been a literary agent since 2005. She started her career at Liza Dawson Associates in Manhattan, and in 2014 launched her own literary agency, Olswanger Literary LLC, She is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR). Anna has sold to major publishers, including Bloomsbury, Chronicle, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster.

What she is looking for: Anna is actively looking for picture books (author-illustrators only) and graphic novels. In a recent interview with Chuck Sambuchino she says, "I like working with author-illustrators of picture books for children, and I like art that is sophisticated and that leans towards fine art. I am hoping to work with more authors of serious nonfiction (politics, science, finance). Kindness to animals is a big interest of mine, as are Judaica and Israel. Two books I wish I could have agented are Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle by Dan Senor and Saul Singer and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I have some interest in middle grade fiction, none in YA. In the case of middle grade fiction, the writing has to really sparkle. I would love to represent an author of adult or middle grade historical mysteries whose research is impeccable, and whose writing is sharp and reflects the research, but without the research showing. I wish there were an ancient Israel equivalent of Steven Saylor's ancient Rome mysteries."

How to submit: Send an email to anna@olswangerliterarycom with a few details about your book and the opening pages in the body of an email (not in an attachment). If Anna likes what she reads in your query, she'll ask to see the full manuscript.

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Adam Muhlig of McIntosh & Otis

Adam Muhlig was hired by McIntosh & Otis, a respected literary agency located in New York, in 2013. He was the former Director of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. In addition to authors (including several United States Poets Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winners), his clients include composers, performers, libraries, archives, and various private and public educational institutions throughout the United States.

What he is looking for:  As an agent, Adam’s current interests include popular culture, natural history, travel and adventure, and sports. Adam is pursuing books that offer fresh a perspective or new analysis by or about mavericks in these fields. 

How to contact him: Before contacting Adam, read McIntosh & Otis' submission guidelines HERE. Follow them to the letter. To query Adam Muhlig, please send the proper materials to AMquery@mcintoshandotis.com

2 Established Literary Agents Looking for New Clients

Updated 6/2/24

Every so often an established agent will announce that she or he is seeking new clients. Generally, this happens when the agent switches to another agency (which is why you need to read Publishers Weekly, where these job moves are posted).

Whenever an established agent seeks out new clients, it is a boon for new authors. You get the dual advantage of having someone who will work hard for you, and who has the connections to get you published.

Here are two established agents who are actively building their client lists. William Callahan is seeking a wide range of fiction and nonfiction. Emmy Parry is looking for "serious talent" in fiction and nonfiction.

As always, read the bios of the agents - and the websites of their agencies - very carefully to see if they are a good fit for your writing. Submission requirements can change, so make sure you check their submission page before submitting.

For a comprehensive list of dozens of agents looking for writers see: Agents Seeking Clients

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WILLIAM CALLAHAN of InkWell Management.

William Callahan is from Iowa City, Iowa. He went to the University of Iowa and Fordham University and has recently returned to InkWell Management.

Seeking: “For nonfiction, I am currently most interested in narrative nonfiction and memoir, comedy and pop culture, and American history. For fiction, I represent crime and commercial thrillers, and literary fiction.”

How to submit: Queries should be emailed to:
submissions@inkwellmanagement.com Along with your query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Emails with attachments will be deleted.




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EMMA PARRY of Janklow & Nesbit

Emma Parry joined Janklow & Nesbit as a literary agent, five years after selling her half of Fletcher & Parry — which she co-founded in 2004 . Parry was born in England, where she worked closely with VS Naipaul, Germaine Greer and Helen Fielding. She has been writing, developing and editing manuscripts and screenplays. She has helped launch the career of many prize winning and bestselling authors, including Rutger Bregman, Tara Isabella Burton, Bernadine Evaristo, Rebecca Godfrey, Tricia Hersey, Hannah Fry, Claire Keegan, Hari Kunzru, and Andrew Smith. She has also represented the work of great established talents including Harlan Ellison, Germaine Greer; Alan Hollinghurst, David Kennedy, Marian Keyes, Paul McCartney, Maggie O’Farrell, the late VS Naipaul, and Kamila Shamsie.

Seeking: "I love memoir, reportage, history, science, and narrative - all non-fiction with the power to surprise and gratify. I love novels with irresistible plots, distinctive voices, fresh perspectives, big characters, historical insights, heart and wit."

How to submit: For fiction submissions, send an informative cover letter, a brief synopsis and the first ten pages. If you are sending an email submission, please include the sample pages in the body of the email below your query.

For non-fiction submissions, send an informative cover letter, a full outline, and the first ten pages of the manuscript. If you are sending an email submission, please include the sample pages in the body of the email below your query.

Send submissions to to submissions@janklow.com.

2 Literary Agents Seeking Clients

If you are an unpublished writer looking for a literary agent, your best bet is someone who is building a client list. These agents are hungry for success, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

The only drawback to working with new agents is that they generally don’t have extensive contacts in the publishing industry. However, the agency they work for might.

Reading the bios of all the agents in an agency will give you a good idea of the breadth of the agency, as well as its contacts. (Which publishing houses, for example, has the agency worked with?)

Beth Campbell of BookEnds, LLC

CLOSED TO QUERIES

About Beth: After interning for BookEnds as an undergrad, Beth joined the company as a literary assistant in September 2012. Since then she's made her way up through the ranks and was promoted to Agent in April of 2017. She's diligently building her client list and is always excited to meet an author with an excellent story. She's also works as the company's royalty manager--processing statements for all of BookEnds' clients.

What she is looking for: Beth is primarily interested in science fiction, fantasy, and YA books of all sub-genres. She's also actively looking for romantic suspense and mystery titles, particularly those with a darker flavor. She loves women-centered stories across all genres and has an immense affinity for narratives featuring strong friendships, found families, and diverse characters of all stripes (race, sexuality, gender--you name it)

How to submit: Fill out the form on the website.


Sarah Nego of Corvisiero Literary

NO LONGER AN AGENT

What she is looking for: middle grade and young adult fiction manuscripts, particularly speculative fiction.

Contact: “To query me, send your query letter, 1-2 page synopsis and the first 5 pages pasted into the body of an email to Query [at] CorvisieroAgency.com. Please use ‘Query for Sarah’ as your subject line. I will respond to all queries. If I have not responded and you queried me prior to the dates listed above, feel free to send a follow-up email. Otherwise, please wait to follow-up unless you receive an offer of representation from another agent.”

The Details: "I am only accepting middle grade and young adult fiction manuscripts. I'm open to any genre within those age groups, but prefer speculative fiction. Contemporary is not my favorite, but I will look at it. I am not interested in seeing poetry, novels in verse, short stories/novellas or anything focused on saving the environment (I'm all for recycling, but don't want to represent it)."

Agents Seeking Authors

Believe it or not, literary agents seek new clients all the time, especially if they are building a list. Before you contact these, or any other literary agent, make sure you read everything on their website first.

Specifically, look at who their other clients are. Is this a club you would want to join? What other services do these agencies offer? Does it seem as if most of their services are "book doctoring?" Which publishing houses do they work with?

These are all good questions to ask yourself as you examine their websites with a fine-tooth comb.

1. Jessica Negron, Assistant and Junior Agent at Talcott Notch Literary
NO LONGER AN AGENT
Contact information: jnegron@talcottnotch.net
2 Broad Street
Second Floor, Suites 1,2 & 10
Milford, CT 06460
Phone: 203-876-4959
Fax: 203-876-9517

What she is looking for
"I'm interested in all kinds of YA and Adult fiction, but lean toward science fiction and fantasy (and all the little sub-genres), romance (the steamier, the better), and thrillers."

From the website:
I attended University of New Haven, where I initially studied Forensic Science. After two years I came to the realization that, despite my love for titrations (and saying “phenolphthalein”), I could not possibly spend the rest of my life staring at the color pink (the most vile color in all the world) and I would much rather read The Crucible than ever have to handle one again. I made my escape to the English department, where waiting for me were a plethora of musty tomes and a comforting absence of fire.

For five years I interned with various local publications in both an editorial and design capacity until finally I found a place with Talcott Notch. Moving forward, I will be working with the agency as an Assistant/Junior Agent, performing administrative duties around the office and taking on a select batch of clients. I’m interested in all kinds of YA and Adult fiction, but lean toward science fiction and fantasy (and all the little sub-genres), romance (the steamier, the better), and thrillers.

Some of my favorite authors are Juliet Marillier, Thomas Berger, Jane Austen, Garth Nix, Tamora Pierce, and Chuck Palahniuk. I admire these writers for their shared gifts to establish profound connections with readers through their characters; to build worlds that make my wander-lusting heart ache with longing; and, most of all, to make me consider, question, and reevaluate the pleasures I so often take for granted.

Among my indulgences are roses, breakfast at odd hours, learning useless trivia, video games, witty web comics, movies, and (of course) books.

2. Steven Hutson of WordWise Media
Contact: info@wordwisemedia.com
WordWise Media Services
4083 Avenue L, Suite 255
Lancaster, CA 93536
Phone: (866) 739-0440
Fax: (866) 501-4280

What he is looking for
Steve wants to be surprised with fresh ideas, particularly from young people. He represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction books for adults and children. Spiritual themes are a favorite. Please no erotica, poetry, chainsaw murders, picture books, or screenplays.

From the website
Steven Hutson is a native of Los Angeles, a child of the sixties, and a storyteller almost from birth. In the course of his career he has worn many hats, from clerk typist to lifeguard to meat cutter. His second book, In Search of Clarity, was released in October 2011. Today he writes a blog about politics and religion, and serves on the Board of Trustees for his local public library. In his limited free time he enjoys swimming, gardening, and cooking.

3 Literary Agents Seeking Nonfiction, Sci-fi, Mystery, Romance and more

Updated 6/12/24

Here are three agents who are actively seeking clients. Make sure you read their full bios and check out their agency's submission guidelines before sending a query. Roz Foster is actively seeking serious nonfiction as well as sci-fi, mysteries, thrillers, and multi-cultural fiction. Sarah Younger is specifically interested in representing all varieties of Romance, Women's Fiction, Mysteries, Thrillers, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and select Non-Fiction. Bridget Smith is interested in middle grade and young adult novels in a range of genres, including fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, romance, and contemporary, plus anything that bends the rules of genre. She is actively seeking books by underrepresented voices. She is also seeking fiction for adults, especially fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, and literary/upmarket women’s fiction.

If these agents don't suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.

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Bridget Smith of JABberwocky

Open the first 10 days of the month

Bridget graduated from Brown University in 2010. While there, she studied anthropology and archaeology, worked as a radio DJ, fenced on the varsity team, and helped design an experiment that she later performed in microgravity at NASA.

What she is seeking: Young adult fiction: I am open to all genres of YA. I have a soft spot for layered, emotional contemporary, preferably with more than an ounce of humor; sophisticated and unusual SFF; and vivid, immersive historical fiction about lesser-known stories. I love books about teenagers having complicated feelings, girls who try hard but mess up, clever concepts handled in an unusual way, and a voice that makes me feel like I know the character personally.

Science fiction and fantasy: I tend to prefer the more literary side of the genre: the first things that grab me are character and voice. Fantasy was one of my first loves, and I’m interested in a wide variety of novels; I particularly like stories where the characters drive the plot and the worldbuilding shapes the characters. In science fiction, I’m looking for books that are intimately human on a galactic scope. 

I’d particularly love to see romantic SFF (like A MARVELLOUS LIGHT or WINTER’S ORBIT), big fascinating stories with a moment that grabs you by the throat (THE TRAITOR BARU CORMORANT or GIDEON THE NINTH), and historical fantasy, but the whole genre is fair game.

Literary fiction: I tend to prefer literary fiction that includes elements of other genres or an interesting structure. I’m particularly interested in historical fiction about women, people of color, and LGBTQ people. Some non-client favorites include THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry, POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt, FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters, and THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker. I’m also interested in contemporary fiction with a speculative element and/or a strong plot (a la Alice Hoffman or Tana French).

Rom-coms: I’m newly open to adult rom-coms! Like in YA, I want them warm, funny, voicey, and layered; a high-concept premise that leaves space for big feelings and will appeal to a mainstream/crossover audience. I’m still not the best fit for genre romance.

How to submit: Use her query manager HERE.

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Roz Foster of Frances Goldin Literary Agency

With a BA in English literature from UC San Diego, Roz studied philosophy for a year at the University of Sheffield, U.K., and earned her MA in English, with an emphasis in composition & rhetoric and creative writing, from Portland State University. At PSU, she taught writing in exchange for tuition. She works from the Catskills of New York. Roz spent over five years as a qualitative researcher in high-tech consumer products marketing. In 2008, she co-founded a web design company for which she provided non-profit organizations with audience-focused market research, project planning, and digital design. She joined SDLA in 2013. 

What she is seeking: Roz is seeking mostly literary fiction. She’s especially drawn to contemporary literary fiction and literary speculative or grounded sci-fi—i.e. rather than hard sci-fi or high fantasy. She’s also looking for literary supernatural, magical realism, fabulism, mystery, crime, and thriller. She enjoys dark stories with big questions at their core.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Sarah E. Younger of Nancy Yost Literary

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

What she is seeking: She is specifically interested in representing all varieties of adult commercial fiction, from book club titles to romantic comedies, genre romance, adult science fiction, fantasy, and romantasy, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and very select non-fiction.

How to submit: At this time the Nancy Yost Literary Agency only accepts queries through the Query Manager system.  For fiction and narrative nonfiction, please include a query letter, which should include a brief overview of your project, previous publications, if any, and any relevant information about you, along with sample material. For prescriptive nonfiction, please send a query letter, and sample material which should include an overview, table of contents, information regarding your platform, and sample chapter. 

Finding an Agent – Look before you leap

"Just take another step back, my dear."

Updated 6/6/26

For those of us who either don't like to schmooze, or don't have the opportunity (See: Schmooze or You Lose), finding an agent can be quite a challenge. Sending cold queries is hard, and often frustrating, work. But even before you begin sending queries, you need to do some solid research, because getting an agent is somewhat like getting a spouse. It has to be a good fit for the marriage to work.

First, do you share common interests? An agent who usually represents military history may not be the best fit for your romance.

Second, do you want an involved, hands-on agent who will critique your work or do you prefer someone who lets you drive? If you don't like input, an agent who expects you to do several revisions before pitching your book to a publisher can get on your nerves.

Last, but not least, does the agent charge “reading fees”? If so, don't even propose.

Your first stop for locating an agent is AgentQuery.com. As one of its many valuable services, AgentQuery maintains a database of 900 reputable literary agents. And it's free! If you are interested in researching a specific agent, you can search by name. You can also search by genre, AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives) membership status, and whether they are actively seeking clients. Agents who appear on this list have track records. (AgentQuery also provides a useful blogroll of agent, editor and other publishing industry blogs.)

Once you have made a list of agents who represent your genre, go to their websites to get an idea of how they operate. How many authors do they represent? How many sales have they made this year? What kind of books have they sold, and to whom? This will give you an idea of how active they are, and also how overbooked. An agent with a lot of clients will not have time for you. An agent who sells books exclusively to publishers you never heard of is someone who does not have contacts in the major publishing houses.

Your next step is to look up agents in Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents. (Many library systems have copies.) Although there are several other guides to literary agents, this book is the best source of detailed information. Why? Because it reveals their attitudes. Would you want to marry a person who describes suitors as “blowhards, bigots, braggarts, bitches, and bastards”? Admittedly, some writers fall into one or more of those categories, but chances are good that an agent who uses that much alliteration has a short fuse. Not all agents in Herman's book are members of the AAR, so make sure you cross-check them on AgentQuery.

Query Tracker is another great source for information about agents. In addition to contact information, how to send queries (snail mail or electronic), and genres the agent represents, you can read comments by other writers who have submitted queries. One the best features of this site is the "who reps whom" database which allows you to look up the agent for any author.

If you have been approached by an agent, and don't know if he or she is legitimate, go to their agency's website. If they don't list their clients, or have any sales, you can check them out on Preditors and Editors, a website maintained by the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA), to see if there have been any legal actions against them, or other complaints.

You can also simply type the name of the agent (or the name of the agency) plus "absolute write" into a google search to read what other writers have to say. (Absolute write hosts a forum for writers - the watercooler - on which you can read the latest scuttlebutt.)

Armed with this knowledge, you can now propose.

(And remember: A writer without a literary agent is still a writer. An agent without clients is out of business. They need you more than you need them.)

Photo credit: Jared Platt.

Getting an agent: Schmooze or you lose

"It just so happens I have my manuscript right here!"

Updated 5/31/26

I frequently get contacted by people who want to know how to get published. They figure there must be some trick of the trade, some wisdom, that I can impart. A winning query letter. A perfect pitch.

The nasty truth is that getting published is basically about connections and luck. (Just type “how I got my agent” into a google search and you'll see what I mean.)

This is how I got published. I wrote a book. Then, not knowing a thing about how to get it into a publisher's hands, I called a former boss of mine who was the editor of an academic journal. One of his friends happened to have a sister who was a publisher. The friend made a call to his sister as a favor to my former boss. Then the publisher called me. “What have you got?” she said. I described the book, and she said, “I'll send you a contract.” That was it.

This story may fill you with self-righteous indignation and/or despair. After all, if you haven't been published, stories like mine will just piss you off. But wait, there's more.

My publisher turned out to be a dud. But, several years later, when I had written a work of fiction and had mailed out hundreds of query letters to agents who replied with one-sentence form rejections (they aren't even doing that anymore), it dawned on me that my publisher had used an agent to sell my book to a second publisher. Voila! I already had an agent.

I called the agent and informed her that she was my agent. She seemed to believe me, because she said, “Send me your manuscript.” And, after a couple of years, my novel got published.

That is also how my second, third and fourth books got published. No query letters, no agent's “auctions,” just one phone call to the right person at the right time.

This is how the entire system works. You don't get an agent by sending out query letters. You get an agent by knowing a guy who knows a guy who can hook you up. That is also how you get a manager, and a publisher, and an editor. It's a sad fact of life – but getting your work into print is all about who you know.

Don't jump off a bridge – yet. You can meet people in the industry rather easily.

There are numerous conferences and workshops that are attended by agents and writers. Go to one and talk to them. Join writers' groups and talk to other writers. (Don't even think of cold calling editors. I did that once. It surprises me that I am still alive.) Get out there and meet people, physically, in the flesh, or virtually on zoom. Let them know you are a real human being. You never know. Some of them may like you.

Below are some good sites for finding appropriate conferences for your genre and needs. Please read the article on conference etiquette first. It's got some wonderful tips.

Now, get out there and schmooze!

For Aspiring Writers: Your One-Stop Conference/Festival Etiquette Guide

Must-read article on etiquette at conferences.

http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/p/writers-conferences.html
Month-by-month list of conferences.