Literary Agents

Looking for a literary agent to represent your manuscript? This directory brings together English-language literary agents, sorted two ways: by genre represented (science fiction, fantasy, romance, children's, graphic novels) and by state or region. Browse the tags below to find the agent who fits your manuscript.

A literary agent represents the author to publishing houses: they pitch the manuscript to the right editors, negotiate the contract (advance, subsidiary rights, foreign sales) and track royalty statements. Agents work strictly on commission (typically 15% of negotiated revenue, and up to 20% on foreign deals) and never charge a reading fee. An agent isn't strictly required to get published, but one becomes invaluable when you're aiming for the major houses or negotiating a contract that's already on the table.

Before reaching out to an agency, check its client list: the authors it already represents are the best indicator of its editorial taste. Then prepare a polished package (a personalized query letter, a full synopsis, a clean manuscript) and expect anywhere from a few weeks to three months for a response. The heaviest concentration of agencies sits in New York, but agents are active across the country and in the UK as well.