Here are seven agents seeking clients. Most of these are established agents who have recently changed agencies. All have experience in the publishing industry. They are seeking an eclectic mix, from upmarket literary to children's books, memoir to fantasy, thrillers to health and wellness.
Be sure to read the agency's full guidelines before submitting.
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Be sure to read the agency's full guidelines before submitting.
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Reiko Davis of DeFiore and Company
About Reiko: Before joining DeFiore in early 2016, Reiko Davis was an associate agent at Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency for four years. She grew up in Kansas City, received her BA in Comparative Literature and Art History from Brown University, and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course.
What she is looking for: Reiko’s interests are varied, but she is particularly drawn to adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, and young adult and middle grade fiction. Above all, she wants to discover books that surprise and move her with their irresistible characters and language.
She loves a strong narrative voice; smart, funny heroines; narrowly located settings (especially towns in the South and Midwest); family sagas; darkly suspenseful novels; and stories of remarkable friendships or that explore the often perilous terrain of human relationships. For children’s books, she is actively looking for young adult and middle grade fiction—whether it be contemporary, historical, fantasy, or simply a story with a timeless quality and vibrant characters. For nonfiction, she is most interested in cultural, social, and literary history; fascinating tours through niche subjects; narrative science; psychology; guides on creativity; and memoir.
How to submit: Please query her at reiko@defliterary.com with “Query” in the subject line as well as the following: A brief description of your book, and a brief, relevant bio. For fiction, please include the first chapter of your book pasted in the body of your email. No attachments, please.
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About Reiko: Before joining DeFiore in early 2016, Reiko Davis was an associate agent at Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency for four years. She grew up in Kansas City, received her BA in Comparative Literature and Art History from Brown University, and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course.
What she is looking for: Reiko’s interests are varied, but she is particularly drawn to adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, and young adult and middle grade fiction. Above all, she wants to discover books that surprise and move her with their irresistible characters and language.
She loves a strong narrative voice; smart, funny heroines; narrowly located settings (especially towns in the South and Midwest); family sagas; darkly suspenseful novels; and stories of remarkable friendships or that explore the often perilous terrain of human relationships. For children’s books, she is actively looking for young adult and middle grade fiction—whether it be contemporary, historical, fantasy, or simply a story with a timeless quality and vibrant characters. For nonfiction, she is most interested in cultural, social, and literary history; fascinating tours through niche subjects; narrative science; psychology; guides on creativity; and memoir.
How to submit: Please query her at reiko@defliterary.com with “Query” in the subject line as well as the following: A brief description of your book, and a brief, relevant bio. For fiction, please include the first chapter of your book pasted in the body of your email. No attachments, please.
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Molly O'Neill of Waxman Leavell Literary Agency
About Molly: Prior to becoming an agent, Molly spent thirteen years working in various roles inside the children’s publishing industry: as an Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she acquired Veronica Roth's YA juggernaut Divergent series, among many other fantastic projects; as Head of Editorial at Storybird, a publishing/tech start-up; and in School & Library Marketing at both HarperCollins and Clarion Books.
What she is seeking: She is actively seeking middle grade and YA fiction and picture book author/illustrators, and—more selectively—narrative nonfiction (including children’s/YA/MG, pop science/pop culture, and lifestyle/food/travel/cookbook projects by authors with well-established platforms). In all categories, she is drawn to character-driven explorations of universal human stories, truths, and experiences; plots driven by a compelling "what-if"; a vivid sense of place and/or world-building; narratives about creativity, community, and the intersections of unexpectedly-connected topics; groundbreaking themes, formats, and voices; masterful, original writing; and stories that will surprise and delight readers. She does NOT represent: adult fiction (of any genre), poetry chapbooks, screenplays, or erotica.
How to submit: To submit a project, please send a query letter ONLY via email to one of the addresses below. Do not send attachments, though for fiction you may include 5-10 pages of your manuscript in the body of your email. Send your submission to: mollysubmit@waxmanleavell.com
About Molly: Prior to becoming an agent, Molly spent thirteen years working in various roles inside the children’s publishing industry: as an Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she acquired Veronica Roth's YA juggernaut Divergent series, among many other fantastic projects; as Head of Editorial at Storybird, a publishing/tech start-up; and in School & Library Marketing at both HarperCollins and Clarion Books.
What she is seeking: She is actively seeking middle grade and YA fiction and picture book author/illustrators, and—more selectively—narrative nonfiction (including children’s/YA/MG, pop science/pop culture, and lifestyle/food/travel/cookbook projects by authors with well-established platforms). In all categories, she is drawn to character-driven explorations of universal human stories, truths, and experiences; plots driven by a compelling "what-if"; a vivid sense of place and/or world-building; narratives about creativity, community, and the intersections of unexpectedly-connected topics; groundbreaking themes, formats, and voices; masterful, original writing; and stories that will surprise and delight readers. She does NOT represent: adult fiction (of any genre), poetry chapbooks, screenplays, or erotica.
How to submit: To submit a project, please send a query letter ONLY via email to one of the addresses below. Do not send attachments, though for fiction you may include 5-10 pages of your manuscript in the body of your email. Send your submission to: mollysubmit@waxmanleavell.com
Stacia Decker of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency
About Stacia: Stacia Decker has been agenting since 2009. Previously, she worked at the Donald Maass Literary Agency and, as an editor, at Harcourt and Otto Penzler Books. She began her career as an intern and then editorial assistant at Farrar, Straus & Giroux after earning an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University and an AB in Government and English from Georgetown University.
What she is looking for: She represents high-concept literary and speculative fiction, commercial thrillers, crime/mystery fiction, and sci-fi fantasy. She is partial to strong voices, fast-paced plotting, and near-future or cross-genre elements.
How to submit: Send a query letter to: mail@dclagency.com. Please do not send attachments.
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About Stacia: Stacia Decker has been agenting since 2009. Previously, she worked at the Donald Maass Literary Agency and, as an editor, at Harcourt and Otto Penzler Books. She began her career as an intern and then editorial assistant at Farrar, Straus & Giroux after earning an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University and an AB in Government and English from Georgetown University.
What she is looking for: She represents high-concept literary and speculative fiction, commercial thrillers, crime/mystery fiction, and sci-fi fantasy. She is partial to strong voices, fast-paced plotting, and near-future or cross-genre elements.
How to submit: Send a query letter to: mail@dclagency.com. Please do not send attachments.
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Jennifer Udden of Barry Goldblatt Literary
About Jennifer: Jennifer Udden was born in Houston, TX, and spent many of her formative years hiding books under tables while she was meant to be paying attention to something else. She has a BA from Mount Holyoke College, and graduated in 2008 with a major in Politics, a minor in Chinese, and honors thesis work on anxiety in British detective fiction of the early 20th century. She has worked in fundraising for an off-Broadway theater company and joined the publishing industry in 2010 at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. She is the co-host of the podcast Shipping & Handling (shippingandhandlingpodcast.com) with Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary, Inc.
What she is looking for: Speculative fiction of all stripes, especially innovative science fiction or fantasy that explores worlds we haven’t seen before; contemporary/erotic/LGBT/ paranormal/ historical romance; contemporary or speculative YA; select mysteries, thrillers, and urban fantasies. Please, do not send to Jen: any middle-grade, chapter, or picture books; nonfiction.
How to submit: E-mail queries should include the word “query” in the subject line. To query Jen Udden, e-mail queries can be sent to query.judden@gmail.com. Your email query should include the following within the body of the email: your query letter, a synopsis of the book, and the first five pages of your manuscript. We will not open or respond to any e-mails that have attachments. If we like the sound of your work, we will request more material from you. Our response time is four weeks on queries, six to eight weeks on full manuscripts. If you haven’t heard from us within that time, feel free to check in via email.
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About Jennifer: Jennifer Udden was born in Houston, TX, and spent many of her formative years hiding books under tables while she was meant to be paying attention to something else. She has a BA from Mount Holyoke College, and graduated in 2008 with a major in Politics, a minor in Chinese, and honors thesis work on anxiety in British detective fiction of the early 20th century. She has worked in fundraising for an off-Broadway theater company and joined the publishing industry in 2010 at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. She is the co-host of the podcast Shipping & Handling (shippingandhandlingpodcast.com) with Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary, Inc.
What she is looking for: Speculative fiction of all stripes, especially innovative science fiction or fantasy that explores worlds we haven’t seen before; contemporary/erotic/LGBT/ paranormal/ historical romance; contemporary or speculative YA; select mysteries, thrillers, and urban fantasies. Please, do not send to Jen: any middle-grade, chapter, or picture books; nonfiction.
How to submit: E-mail queries should include the word “query” in the subject line. To query Jen Udden, e-mail queries can be sent to query.judden@gmail.com. Your email query should include the following within the body of the email: your query letter, a synopsis of the book, and the first five pages of your manuscript. We will not open or respond to any e-mails that have attachments. If we like the sound of your work, we will request more material from you. Our response time is four weeks on queries, six to eight weeks on full manuscripts. If you haven’t heard from us within that time, feel free to check in via email.
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Miriam Altshuler of DeFiore and Company
About Miriam: Miriam Altshuler began her career at Russell & Volkening, where she worked for twelve years with such writers as Anne Tyler, Eudora Welty, Joseph Campbell, Nadine Gordimer, and Bernard Malamud. In 1994 she established her own agency, which she ran for twenty-one years until she joined DeFiore and Company in early 2016.
What she is seeking: In fiction, she is most interested in family sagas, historical novels, and stories that offer a new twist or retelling of some kind. She does not work with adult romance, sci fi, or fantasy. In nonfiction, she loves memoir, narrative nonfiction, and self-help (as long as it is not too prescriptive). She particularly responds to books that have an important cultural, social, or psychological focus.
How to submit: Please send an email to her at querymiriam@defliterary.com with “Query” in the subject line. Include the following: A brief description of your book, and a brief, relevant bio. For fiction, please include the first chapter of your book pasted in the body of your email. She also really wants to know what you feel the heart of your book is, in one or two sentences. No attachments, please.
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About Miriam: Miriam Altshuler began her career at Russell & Volkening, where she worked for twelve years with such writers as Anne Tyler, Eudora Welty, Joseph Campbell, Nadine Gordimer, and Bernard Malamud. In 1994 she established her own agency, which she ran for twenty-one years until she joined DeFiore and Company in early 2016.
What she is seeking: In fiction, she is most interested in family sagas, historical novels, and stories that offer a new twist or retelling of some kind. She does not work with adult romance, sci fi, or fantasy. In nonfiction, she loves memoir, narrative nonfiction, and self-help (as long as it is not too prescriptive). She particularly responds to books that have an important cultural, social, or psychological focus.
How to submit: Please send an email to her at querymiriam@defliterary.com with “Query” in the subject line. Include the following: A brief description of your book, and a brief, relevant bio. For fiction, please include the first chapter of your book pasted in the body of your email. She also really wants to know what you feel the heart of your book is, in one or two sentences. No attachments, please.
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Maggie Riggs of Riggs Agency
About Maggie: The Riggs Agency was founded in 2015 by Maggie Riggs, a veteran of the NYC publishing industry. Maggie has worked as an editor at Viking, an associate agent at The Friedrich Agency, and as an independent editor with NY Book Editors.
What she is seeking: The agency specializes in literary fiction. She takes on select non-fiction projects including narrative nonfiction, essays, memoir, and food writing. She is particularly interested in works from fiction writers of color, and diverse voices of all kinds.
How to submit: Please send your query letter, bio, and the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of your email to submissions@riggslit.com. Do not send your full manuscript, or any other materials, as an attachment to your email unless requested.
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About Maggie: The Riggs Agency was founded in 2015 by Maggie Riggs, a veteran of the NYC publishing industry. Maggie has worked as an editor at Viking, an associate agent at The Friedrich Agency, and as an independent editor with NY Book Editors.
What she is seeking: The agency specializes in literary fiction. She takes on select non-fiction projects including narrative nonfiction, essays, memoir, and food writing. She is particularly interested in works from fiction writers of color, and diverse voices of all kinds.
How to submit: Please send your query letter, bio, and the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of your email to submissions@riggslit.com. Do not send your full manuscript, or any other materials, as an attachment to your email unless requested.
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Eric Myers of Dystel & Goderich
About Eric: Eric Myers joined Dystel and Goderich Literary Management in 2015 after thirteen years at The Spieler Agency. A graduate of UCLA and the Sorbonne, Eric entered publishing as a journalist and author. His books include Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood, Forties Screen Style: A Celebration of High Pastiche in Hollywood, and Uncle Mame: The Life of Patrick Dennis, all published by St. Martin’s Press. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Arts and Leisure sections, as well as Time Out, Variety, Opera News, and Art and Auction.
What he is seeking: As an agent, Eric has a strong affinity for young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as adult nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, biography, psychology, health and wellness, mind/body/spirit, and pop culture. He also loves a good thriller, and is open to memoir from authors with strong platforms.
How to submit: E-query emyers [at] dystel.com. “We prefer email queries, as most do nowadays, so please make sure your cover letter is in the body of the email. Synopses, outlines or sample chapters (say, one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) should either be included below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email, by the way. Please do double space your samples for reading that’s easy on the eyes! We will respond to most query letters within a six to eight week period. If you don’t hear from us within that time frame, chances are we did not receive yours. Feel free to resend it.”
About Eric: Eric Myers joined Dystel and Goderich Literary Management in 2015 after thirteen years at The Spieler Agency. A graduate of UCLA and the Sorbonne, Eric entered publishing as a journalist and author. His books include Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood, Forties Screen Style: A Celebration of High Pastiche in Hollywood, and Uncle Mame: The Life of Patrick Dennis, all published by St. Martin’s Press. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Arts and Leisure sections, as well as Time Out, Variety, Opera News, and Art and Auction.
What he is seeking: As an agent, Eric has a strong affinity for young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as adult nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, biography, psychology, health and wellness, mind/body/spirit, and pop culture. He also loves a good thriller, and is open to memoir from authors with strong platforms.
How to submit: E-query emyers [at] dystel.com. “We prefer email queries, as most do nowadays, so please make sure your cover letter is in the body of the email. Synopses, outlines or sample chapters (say, one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) should either be included below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email, by the way. Please do double space your samples for reading that’s easy on the eyes! We will respond to most query letters within a six to eight week period. If you don’t hear from us within that time frame, chances are we did not receive yours. Feel free to resend it.”
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