- Publishing Stats for the Writer
- Literary Agent and Literary Attorney
- Self Publishing vs. Traditional
- Private: 7 Types of Publisher Rejection And How To Deal With Them
- Shady Publisher: Five Things to Check
- Illustrated Book Submissions: The 7 Don’ts
- Publisher vs. Producer: what’s the difference
- How to Publish
- Traditional Publishers: the pros and cons
- Private: The Accidental Trilogy: mistake every writer makes no more than once
- Author Scott Turow Speaks: the biggest issues facing authors today
- Private: How to Get a Literary Agent
- Great Agents Looking for Children’s Books NOW
- Private: Book Sales Seasons
- The 9 Types of Editors
- Private: How To Find the Right Publisher
- Top 20 Children’s Book Agents 2015
- The Best Ways to get an Agent
- What to DO if your Book gets Stolen
- Publishers Accepting Submissions from Authors NOW
- The Query Letter That Works
- Query Letters: how to make them rock
- Deleted or Blacklisted Writers: what publishers never want to see from writers
Here is my freshly updated list of literary agents who are currently looking for children’s board books (ages 0-3), picture books (ages 3-7), chapter books / early readers (ages 5-8), middle grade books (ages 8-12) and YA novels (aged 12-15 or 14+). I’ll be adding more agents here as I’m able, so it’s a good place to check back.
As you begin your hunt for a literary agent, remember that they are readers who love good stories: they will have personal tastes and biases, just like anyone else.
Artwork by Jonny Lindner.
Agents work hard – and most query letters are read towards the end of the work day. So be gracious. Even though you are shopping around for an agent, don’t suggest that in your communications with them. It comes off as disrespectful and a bit flippant.
What agents want from you is a wicked-smart request that they consider your manuscript. Only give what they want.
As you learn more about agents, you’ll discover a trend: many like to use Twitter. If you already have an active Twitter account, use it to make a connection. (DO NOT QUERY VIA TWITTER!) You’ll be able to find out what literary agents like and don’t like very quickly. Don’t worry, this isn’t stalking! Agents tweet (in part) to make it clear what they seek.
IMPORTANTLY VITAL TIP!!! Never blast-query a lot of agents all at once. This is unprofessional and it will get you nowhere. Your queries should always be personal, and sent only after you have done the work of finding out that the agent is in fact a good match for your work. If they aren’t, don’t query them. Take time and care. It isn’t enough that they are looking for stories in your age group. You need to find out if they even like your genre.
Kurestin Armada
WHERE: Kurestin Armada is an agent at P.S. Literary, based in New York City. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: select Young Adult and Middle Grade, Graphic Novels.
HOW: Send your query to query [at] psLiterary [dot] com. Please limit your query to one page (pasted!) and include the following:
- an introduction (the title and category of your work and an estimated word count),
- a brief overview (similar to back-cover copy),
- and a writer’s bio (a little bit about yourself and your background).
- Do not send attachments or submit a full-length manuscript/proposal unless requested.
- In your email subject line, have it read “Query for Kurestin: [Book Title].”
Susan Armstrong
WHERE: Susan Armstrong is a literary agent at Conville and Walsh. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: YA novles (no children’s books), speculative fiction and magical realism.
HOW: Send a Word document to Susan Armstrong at Sue [at] ConvilleAndWalsh [dot] com. Read the agency Submission Guidelines for details.
Emily van Beek
WHERE: Emily van Beek is a literary agent at Folio Jr.
WHAT: “I am exclusively looking to acquire projects for young and teen readers, which includes picture books from author/artists only, chapter books, middle-grade, and young adult.” –from her Publisher’s Market Profile.
HOW: “Please send along your query letter and first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of the email to Emily [at] FolioLitManagement [dot] com. If you’d like to submit a picture book, please attach a PDF of your dummy. Links to online portfolios are always welcome. I would very much like to be able to respond to every query, but unfortunately time doesn’t allow for it. Please be sure to write QUERY in the subject line as this will ensure I do not miss your letter. N.B.: This email address is for queries and submissions only.” –from her Publisher’s Market Profile. Go there for more details!
Stefanie Von Borstel
WHERE: Stefanie Von Borstel is a co-founding literary agent at Full Circle Literary.
WHAT: Picture books, middle grade, YA fiction, and adult nonfiction that inspires. For details, go HERE.
HOW: Use the Submission Form provided on the agency website.
Alli Brydon (only illustrator-authors)
WHERE: Alli Brydon is a managing literary agent at Bright Literary Agency.
WHAT: Her focus is on the artwork. That’s what inspires her. All ages. For details, go HERE.
HOW: All submissions to be sent to: literarysubmissions@brightgroupinternational.com. For details, get the agency Submission Guidelines.
Linda Camacho
WHERE: Linda Camacho is an agent at Prospect Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Linda is currently seeking: Adult, middle grade, and young adult fiction across all genres (romance, horror, fantasy, realistic, light sci-fi, and graphic novels). Select literary fiction (preferably with commercial bent) and picture books (both writers and illustrators welcome). Select narrative nonfiction and memoir. Diversity of all types (ethnicity, disability, sexuality, etc.). Linda is NOT seeking: Early readers/chapter books, screenplays, poetry, and short stories. (Do not submit unsolicited manuscripts or inquire about the status of submissions via email.” –from the agency website.
HOW: Linda accepts queries through Prospect Agency’s Submissions page only.
Kirsten Carleton
WHERE: Linda Camacho is an agent at Prospect Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Kirsten is currently seeking upmarket YA and adult fiction with strong characters and storytelling, across speculative, thriller, and literary genres. She’s drawn to books that capture her attention early on with a dynamic plot, and innovative storytelling that blends or crosses genres. In particular, she’s interested in novels that bend and blur genres; literary takes on high concept worldbuilding; diverse characters in stories that are not just about diversity; antiheroes she find herself rooting for; characters with drive and passion; girls and women in STEM fields; settings outside the US/Europe; well-researched historical settings; YA noir/thriller/mystery; stories that introduces her to a new subculture and makes her feel like a native.” –from the agency website.
HOW: Kirsten accepts queries through Prospect Agency’s Submissions page only.
Steven Chudney (only author-illustrators need apply)
WHERE: Steven Chudney is the founding agent of The Chudney Agency, which focuses only on picture books.
WHAT: Novelty books, Illustrated Storybooks.
HOW: Send your query to Steven [at] TheChudneyAgency [dot] com. Please read the agency Guidelines. They’re very specific.
Julia Churchill
WHERE: Julia Churchill is an agent at A. M. Heath, based in London. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Churchill is “…looking for debut and established authors with storytelling magic, from picture book texts right up to YA fiction.” -from the A. M. Heath website.
Read what Churchill would like to see from writers. This is her MS Wishlist with a Pinch of Salt. (I love this.) Also read this interview, from Pip Jones.
HOW: Submit your query using the agency’s Online Submission Form.
Gemma Cooper
WHERE: Gemma Cooper is an agent at The Bent Agency, based in Chicago. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Gemma Cooper represents authors who write for children, from picture books to young adult, fiction and non-fiction.” –from the Bent website.
HOW: Send your query to CooperQueries [at] theBentAgency [dot] com. Please read the agency Guidelines.
Sara Crowe
WHERE: Sara Crowe is a senior agent at Pippin Properties. (And she Tweets.) She also has a website HERE.
WHAT: YA and MG fiction. For more details, go HERE.
HOW: Send your query to scrowe [at] PippinProperties [dot] com. Please read the agency Guidelines.
John Cusick
WHERE: John Cusick is a literary agent at Folio Jr. (And he Tweets.)
WHAT: Picture books, middle grade, YA fiction. “In teen and middle-grade I’m drawn to contemporary realistic stories with strong hooks, as well as fresh fantasy set in our world and others. I love stories told in alternate formats (letters, texts…sticky notes?). Give me villains with vulnerability, bad decisions made with the best intentions, flawed heroes, and impossible odds. I love stories about siblings, the arts, and I have a particular soft spot for anything set in the culinary world (restaurants, diners, food trucks).
“I’m also seeking innovative, funny, quirky, and vibrant illustrators and author-illustrators. In picture books I’m seeking unforgettable characters, as well as story-driven texts.” –from his Publisher’s Market Profile.
HOW: Please email your query along with the first 2500 words of your manuscript, with the word QUERY in the subject line, to john [at] foliolit [dot] com.
Adriana Domínguez
WHERE: Adriana Domínguez is a literary agent at Full Circle Literary. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Picture books, middle grade, YA fiction. For details, go HERE. She also has a blog, Voces.
HOW: Use the Submission Form provided on the agency website.
Heather Flaherty
WHERE: Heather Flaherty is an agent at The Bent Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Heather Flaherty represents children’s, middle-grade, and young adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as select adult fiction and non-fiction.” –from Flaherty’s agency profile.
HOW: Review The Bent Agency’s submissions guidelines online, and then e-mail FlahertyQueries [at] TheBentAgency [dot] com.
Katie Grimm
WHERE: Katie Grimm is an agent at Don Congdon Associates, Inc. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “In young adult, she is actively seeking compelling, heartbreaking contemporary and fantastical high-concepts rooted in history. In middle grade, she looks for novels with a heartfelt, timeless quality and a strange twist. For non-fiction, she is looking for previously under- or misrepresented voices, memoirs that reveal greater social issues, narratives about dark times in human history, weird science, and off-beat topics explored through an academic lens or with a practical approach. Most importantly, she’s looking for projects with emotional resonance and longevity.” –from Grimm’s agency profile.
HOW: Review the agency’s submissions guidelines online, and then e-mail DCA [at] DonCongdon [dot] com, with the word “Query” in the Subject Line.
Susan Hawk
WHERE: Susan Hawk is an agent at The Bent Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Susan Hawk represents authors who write for children of all ages, babies to teenage..” –from Hawk’s agency profile.
HOW: Review The Bent Agency’s submissions guidelines online, and then e-mail KidsQueries [at] TheBentAgency [dot] com.
Larissa Helena
WHERE: Larissa Helena is an agent at Pippin Properties. (And she Tweets.)@larilena on twitter
WHAT: from Ms. Helena herself: open to books for children of all ages, including your inner child, and is looking primarily for diverse narratives – voices rarely seen in literature, unconventional stories, quirky characters.
HOW: Send your query to lhelena [at] PippinProperties [dot] com. Please read the agency Guidelines.
Cynthia Kane
WHERE: Cynthia Kane is an agent at Capital Talent Agency, which has a new literary division. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: young adult, children’s, nonfiction, memoir, commercial fiction (but no science fiction or fantasy).
HOW: Submit to literary [dot] submissions [at] CapitalTalentAgency [dot] com. Send a query in the body of your e-mail. Attachments will not be opened.
Taylor Martindale Kean
WHERE: Taylor Martindale Kean is a literary agent at Full Circle Literary.
WHAT: Middle grade, YA fiction. “Taylor is looking for young adult fiction, literary middle grade fiction, and young adult and middle grade nonfiction, all genres. She is interested in finding unique and unforgettable voices in contemporary, fantasy, historical and multicultural novels.” –from her agency profile.
HOW: Use the Submission Form provided on the agency website.
Emily Sylvan Kim
WHERE: Emily Sylvan Kim is the founding president of the Prospect Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Picture Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult.
HOW: You must submit via the agency website submission form. Read about that HERE.
Natalie Lakosil
WHERE: Natalie Lakosil is an Agent with the Bradford Literary Agency. She also blogs about her work HERE. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Her specialties are children’s literature (from picture book through teen and New Adult), romance (contemporary and historical), cozy mystery/crime, upmarket women’s/general fiction and select children’s nonfiction. Her interests include historical, multi-cultural, magical realism, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, middle grade with heart, and short, quirky or character-driven picture books.”. -From her agency profile.
HOW: email submissions only. For details, go HERE.
Janine Le
WHERE: Janine Le is a Literary Agent with the Sheldon Fogelman Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Fiction and narrative nonfiction picture books through YA. For details, go HERE (and scroll down).
HOW: Send an email to Submissions [at] SheldonFogelmanAgency [dot] com. For details, read the agency Submissions Guidelines.
Thao Le
WHERE: Thao Le is an agent at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Thao is currently looking for: Adult Sci-fi/Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and is selectively open to Romance, and Picture Books by authors who are also illustrators. For Adult and YA SF/F, she enjoys stories rooted in mythology, fairytales, and legends with atmospheric settings and strong world building. For contemporary YA, she’s seeking witty, heartfelt writing with an authentic teen voice. Think Stephanie Perkins, Jenny Han, or Sarah Dessen. For Middle Grade, she’s looking for fantastic adventures and clever heroes/heroines the likes of Lemon Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, and Soman Chainani’s School of Good and Evil. She’s a fan of picture books by Jon Klassen, Kate Beaton, Cale Atkinson, and Liz Climo and would like to add picture books in the same vein to her list.” –from her agency profile.
HOW: Submit your query, including the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email (no attachments) to thao [at] DiJkStraAgency [dot] com. Read the agency’s Submission Guidelines HERE.
Jennifer Mattson
WHERE: Jennifer Mattson is an agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “In the picture-book arena, Jennifer is interested in authors and author-illustrators who bring a distinctive, well-developed point of view to their work; at this time, she is not seeking illustration-only clients. She is particularly drawn to fiction for middle graders and YAs, especially richly imagined fantasies that depart from old-hat heroic quests (portals entered by protagonists who fulfill prophecies don’t tend to be for her). The most dogeared books in her childhood library tended to be fantasy-adventures, survival stories, and sprawling, atmospheric tales with Dickensian twists and satisfying puzzles.” –from her agency profile.
HOW: Submit your query (no attachments) to JMatt [at] AndreaBrownLit [dot] com. Read the agency’s Submission Guidelines HERE.
Amanda Panitch
WHERE: Amanda Panitch is associate agent at Lippincott Massie McQuilkin. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Young adult and middle grade only. (No illustrated storybooks.)
Amanda Panitch personal wish list as an agent. (What she’s looking to represent.)
HOW: Submit your query, including the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email (no attachments) to amanda [at] lmqLit [dot] com. Place the word “Query” in the subject line.
Jennifer Rofé
WHERE: Jennifer Rofé is a Senior Agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. who represents authors but who also represents illustrators. She is also an author.
WHAT: select Picture Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult. For details, go HERE (and scroll down). Or HERE.
HOW: email submissions only. For details, go HERE.
Kathleen Rushall
WHERE: Kathleen Rushall is an agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: “Kathleen comes to the Andrea Brown Literary Agency after agenting for nearly five years with the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. She represents writers and illustrators for picture books (both fiction and non-fiction), middle grade, and young adult literature.” –from her agency profile. Go there for more details.
HOW: Send a query by email, to: Kathleen [at] AndreaBrownLit [dot] com. Follow the Submission Guidelines.
Lydia Shamah
WHERE: Lydia Shamah is an agent and also manages the Carol Mann Agency’s subsidiary rights. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: adult, young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as select nonfiction.
HOW: Send a query that includes a brief bio and the first 25 pages of your manuscript to queryLydia [at] CarolMannAgency [dot] com. No attachments.
Caroline Sheldon
WHERE: Caroline Sheldon is the founding agent at Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. (And she Tweets. She has a Guest BLOG on Nosy Crow HERE.)
WHAT: Children’s storybooks.
HOW: Submit to CarolineSheldon [at] CarolineSheldon [dot] co [dot] uk. Send a query in the body of your e-mail. Be sure to follow the agency’s Submission Guidelines.
Mandy Suhr
WHERE: Mandy Suhr is a literary agent at Miles Stott Literary Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: At this time, children’s storybooks only. All other fiction is closed.
HOW: Submit to Submissions [at] MilesStottAgency [dot] co [dot] uk. Send a query in the body of your e-mail. Be sure to follow the agency’s Submission Guidelines.
Maria Vicente
WHERE: Maria Vicente is an associate agent at P. S. Literary. (And she Tweets. She has a BLOG HERE.)
WHAT: young adult, children’s, nonfiction, memoir, commercial fiction (but no science fiction or fantasy).
HOW: Submit to query [at] PSLiterary [dot] com. Send a query in the body of your e-mail. No attachments. Be sure to include these three things (grabbed from the agency’s Submission Guidelines):
- Paragraph One – Introduction: Include the title and category of your work (i.e. fiction or nonfiction and topic), an estimated word count and a brief, general introduction.
- Paragraph Two – Brief overview: This should read similar to back-cover copy.
- Paragraph Three – Writer’s bio: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background (awards and affiliations, etc.).
Vicki Willden-Lebrecht
WHERE: Vicki Willden-Lebrecht is a co-founding agent at Bright Literary Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Children’s storybooks.
HOW: Submit to literarySubmissions [at] BrightGroupInternational [dot] com. Send a query in the body of your e-mail. Certain types of attachments are allowed. Go here for details.
Claire Wilson (accepts from UK authors only)
WHERE: Claire Wilson is an agent at Rogers, Coleridge, and White Literary Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: YA and children’s books.
HOW: Submit to ClaireWilson [at] RCWLitAgency [dot] com. Send a query in the body of your e-mail. Attachments will not be opened.
Caryn Wiseman
WHERE: Caryn Wiseman is a Senior Agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.
WHAT: select Picture Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult. For details, go HERE (and scroll down). Or HERE.
HOW: email submissions only. For details, go HERE.
Marietta B. Zacker
WHERE: Co-founding agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. (And she Tweets.)
WHAT: Children’s books.
HOW: You must use the agency online form.
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