United States

The United States is home to the largest concentration of literary agents in the English-speaking world, with agencies clustered heavily in New York and a smaller but active hub in California, particularly Los Angeles, where proximity to film and television gives agents an edge on adaptation deals. Nearly every major publishing house keeps its primary acquisitions team in New York, which keeps most agencies oriented toward that market even when they work remotely from elsewhere in the country.

The size of the US market means agents cover virtually every genre and category, from literary fiction and narrative nonfiction to commercial and genre fiction. Most reputable agencies belong to the Association of American Literary Agents (AAR), which is worth checking before submitting, since membership signals adherence to standard industry practices like commission-only compensation.