Sara Kornienko
Here are ten new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.
All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.
NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
__________________________
Ms. Brandy Vallance of Barbara Bova Literary Agency
After more than two decades in the world of publishing, Brandy has joined Barbara Bova Literary Agency, and she is looking forward to being a champion of amazing writers and outstanding books. Throughout the years, Brandy has been a Writing Coach, a Story Consultant, and an international Publishing Specialist. For hundreds of writers, her mentorship has broken the chains of fear and self-doubt. From teaching Master Classes to sitting at quiet tables, Brandy loves helping people explore their deepest truths.
What she is seeking: I represent these genres, but I am also not limited to these genres: historical fiction, historical romance, historical mystery, romance, literary, women’s fiction, Southern fiction, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, adventure, speculative, inspirational, thriller.
How to submit: Read guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Sara Kornienko of Barbara Bova Literary Agency
Sara holds a M.A. in English and a B.A. in English with minors in Creative Writing and Journalism from Florida Gulf Coast University. During her Master’s program, she was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Florida Gulf Coast University’s literary journal, Mangrove Review. Currently, Sara teaches writing courses at her alma mater. As an educator and avid reader, she believes stories have the power to connect us, forge understanding, and foster healing. She is passionate about sharing her love of writing and helping others find their unique voice so they can tell their own stories.
What she is seeking: Ms. Kornienko is interested in contemporary and historical fiction, fantasy, and suspense.
How to submit: Read guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Salma Begum of Greyhound Literary (UK)
Having come from editorial at Picador (Pan Macmillan), Zaffre and Manilla Press (Bonnier Books UK), Salma is keenly aware of what it takes for a book to win a publishing contract. As an agent, Salma works closely on manuscript development while always considering marketability and timing to give her authors the best shot at finding their readership.
What she is seeking: Story is non-negotiable for Salma, regardless of whether the work is a high-concept horror or a literary doorstopper. Her submission wishlist includes a sweeping love story set against a gritty urban backdrop like An Olive Grove in Ends by Moses McKenzie; ingenious tales of time travel such as All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai and the TV series Devs; and a masterfully crafted multi-generational epic like A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.
In non-fiction, she is looking for subject experts, journalists and memoirists who appreciate long-form literature and can breathe life into an idea, an event, a memory. Her non-fiction wishlist includes interrogations of social media use and its sometimes-devastating consequences as explored in the Netflix docudrama The Social Dilemma; captivating music writing such as Grime Kids by DJ Target and On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson; and ground-shifting journalism like An Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe.
Salma has published the work of a number of prize-winning poets. As an agent, her preference is for the colloquial, rhythmic, or playful, written with the ambition of forming a cohesive collection. She is keen to work with spoken word poets who are looking to bring their work to the page.
How to submit: Follow the agency guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Jessica Lee of A.M. Heath (UK)
I’m an Associate Agent here at A.M. Heath, assisting Victoria Hobbs and Euan Thorneycroft as well as actively building my own list of authors. This includes HÄN Archive co-curator and journalist Anastasiia Fedorova, Ewan Gass, and Danielle Vrublevskis. Alongside Euan Thorneycroft, I also co-agent Zad El Bacha, winner of the 2022 Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award.
What she is seeking: In fiction, I’m drawn to a combination of formal precision and big feeling, and enjoy things that trouble or unsettle binaries and structured ways of being. I like works about desire: even better if they come with a good dry voice, a surreal touch, and clarity of expression. In non-fiction the same applies. I admire work about art-making and craft, political writing that interrogates established modes or ideologies, and sharp-voiced memoir.
How to submit: Send submissions to jessica.lee@amheath.com.
__________________________
Ms. Nadia Lynch of Talcott Notch Literary Services
Upon earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern New Hampshire University, I worked as a paralegal in the structured legal realm. Yet, the allure of a career merging structure with the limitless creativity found in literature was irresistible. As a newly appointed Junior Literary Agent, I am thrilled to continue my journey in the world of literature, combining my love for books with a dedication to supporting authors through the publishing process.
What she is seeking: I am interested in upmarket, literary, historical, young adult, and women’s fiction, especially narratives that showcase resilient female protagonists. While these genres anchor my reading repertoire, I’m invigorated by books that push boundaries and challenge my perspectives.
In non-fiction, I enjoy delving into subjects that expand my understanding. History, philosophy, alternative medicine, and self-improvement books are among my preferred genres, each offering a unique lens to explore and absorb new insights.
How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
__________________________
Philip Gwyn Jones of Greyhound Literary (UK)
Made in Wales, educated there and in Yorkshire, trained in London, now living under Cambridgeshire’s dreaming skies, Philip has had the privilege of having the world opened up to him by the book business, participating in many editorial fellowships and literary festivals worldwide. He has served it as a Trustee and President of the Royal Literary Fund and as Trustee of English PEN for about a decade apiece, was a Creative Writing Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, and currently does his national service on the Grants Panel of the Books Council of Wales.
What he is seeking: Philip believes there is nothing more thrilling than first reading a style, a character, an idea, a fusion, a vision never encountered before. He is proud to have been the first British publisher to have spotted the originality in and offered a contract to Patrick Ness, Jenny Erpenbeck, Julian Gough, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kathryn Schulz, Magnus Mills, Naomi Klein, Ben Marcus, Mark Lynas, Azadeh Moaveni, Gavin McCrea, Melissa Broder, Anthony Doerr, Eleanor Catton, Zadie Smith, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Katherine Boo and Anna Burns, amongst others. As an agent, he is looking for their equals in invention, intelligence and impact.
How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Ms. Sally M. Kim of Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Sally spent more than fifteen years in children’s book marketing and publicity at a variety of publishers including Macmillan, Penguin, and Chronicle Books. More recently, she has worked as an independent consultant for global children’s book publishers and literacy-related non-profits. Sally lives in San Francisco, California, and she spends most of her free time taking videos of her cat.
What she is seeking: Please send Sally fiction and non-fiction submissions in the following categories: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and graphic novels. Across all categories, Sally is especially eager to see authentic explorations of underrepresented cultures, relationships, and identities.
How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
__________________________
Jessica Leeke of Madeleine Milburn Agency (UK)
Jessica Leeke began her career in advertising in New York City before enjoying more than fifteen years as an editor at Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster and most recently Penguin Michael Joseph where she was a fiction publisher.
What she is seeking: Book club fiction that ignites conversation; unique voices; novels with a razor-sharp pitch; ideas based on a true story; cloistered settings; twists; strong characters and unforgettable settings; books with an emotional punch.
How to submit: Please follow submission guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Katie Erickson of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Katie Erickson joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in 2024, after previously interning at the agency, and after over a decade working as a freelance illustrator for clients such as Humpty Dumpty magazine. She is currently working on her Master's Degree in Creative Writing and Illustration. When she's not reading, writing, or illustrating, she can be found playing board games or taking long walks with her family.
What she is seeking: Katie represents picture books, as well as middle-grade and young-adult literature.
How to submit: Please submit your query via her querymanager HERE.
__________________________
Ms. Jenna Satterthwaite of Storm Literary AgencyJenna Satterthwaite reached agenting sideways, as many do. She didn’t know agenting existed until she wrote her first novel back in 2014 and learned she had to do this thing called “querying.” Fast forward many years during which she wrote many novels and became agented herself, and she had an aha moment. Agenting was the nexus where her two decades of business experience in sales, pitching, project management and contract negotiation met her decade of bookish experience. After completing internships with Liza Dawson Associates and Rees Literary, Jenna joined Storm as an agent in 2024.
What she is seeking: Omnivorous in her taste, Jenna is seeking to represent adult, Young Adult and Middle Grade commercial fiction in most genres, SFF, graphic novels from middle grade to young adult, adult non-fiction, memoir, and very select picture books. (See submission guidelines for more details.) Jenna is also fully bilingual English/Spanish, so dual language projects are most welcome!
How to submit: Follow her guidelines HERE.
All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.
NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
__________________________
Ms. Brandy Vallance of Barbara Bova Literary Agency
After more than two decades in the world of publishing, Brandy has joined Barbara Bova Literary Agency, and she is looking forward to being a champion of amazing writers and outstanding books. Throughout the years, Brandy has been a Writing Coach, a Story Consultant, and an international Publishing Specialist. For hundreds of writers, her mentorship has broken the chains of fear and self-doubt. From teaching Master Classes to sitting at quiet tables, Brandy loves helping people explore their deepest truths.
What she is seeking: I represent these genres, but I am also not limited to these genres: historical fiction, historical romance, historical mystery, romance, literary, women’s fiction, Southern fiction, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, adventure, speculative, inspirational, thriller.
How to submit: Read guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Sara Kornienko of Barbara Bova Literary Agency
Sara holds a M.A. in English and a B.A. in English with minors in Creative Writing and Journalism from Florida Gulf Coast University. During her Master’s program, she was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Florida Gulf Coast University’s literary journal, Mangrove Review. Currently, Sara teaches writing courses at her alma mater. As an educator and avid reader, she believes stories have the power to connect us, forge understanding, and foster healing. She is passionate about sharing her love of writing and helping others find their unique voice so they can tell their own stories.
What she is seeking: Ms. Kornienko is interested in contemporary and historical fiction, fantasy, and suspense.
How to submit: Read guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Salma Begum of Greyhound Literary (UK)
Having come from editorial at Picador (Pan Macmillan), Zaffre and Manilla Press (Bonnier Books UK), Salma is keenly aware of what it takes for a book to win a publishing contract. As an agent, Salma works closely on manuscript development while always considering marketability and timing to give her authors the best shot at finding their readership.
What she is seeking: Story is non-negotiable for Salma, regardless of whether the work is a high-concept horror or a literary doorstopper. Her submission wishlist includes a sweeping love story set against a gritty urban backdrop like An Olive Grove in Ends by Moses McKenzie; ingenious tales of time travel such as All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai and the TV series Devs; and a masterfully crafted multi-generational epic like A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.
In non-fiction, she is looking for subject experts, journalists and memoirists who appreciate long-form literature and can breathe life into an idea, an event, a memory. Her non-fiction wishlist includes interrogations of social media use and its sometimes-devastating consequences as explored in the Netflix docudrama The Social Dilemma; captivating music writing such as Grime Kids by DJ Target and On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson; and ground-shifting journalism like An Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe.
Salma has published the work of a number of prize-winning poets. As an agent, her preference is for the colloquial, rhythmic, or playful, written with the ambition of forming a cohesive collection. She is keen to work with spoken word poets who are looking to bring their work to the page.
How to submit: Follow the agency guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Jessica Lee of A.M. Heath (UK)
I’m an Associate Agent here at A.M. Heath, assisting Victoria Hobbs and Euan Thorneycroft as well as actively building my own list of authors. This includes HÄN Archive co-curator and journalist Anastasiia Fedorova, Ewan Gass, and Danielle Vrublevskis. Alongside Euan Thorneycroft, I also co-agent Zad El Bacha, winner of the 2022 Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award.
What she is seeking: In fiction, I’m drawn to a combination of formal precision and big feeling, and enjoy things that trouble or unsettle binaries and structured ways of being. I like works about desire: even better if they come with a good dry voice, a surreal touch, and clarity of expression. In non-fiction the same applies. I admire work about art-making and craft, political writing that interrogates established modes or ideologies, and sharp-voiced memoir.
How to submit: Send submissions to jessica.lee@amheath.com.
__________________________
Ms. Nadia Lynch of Talcott Notch Literary Services
Upon earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern New Hampshire University, I worked as a paralegal in the structured legal realm. Yet, the allure of a career merging structure with the limitless creativity found in literature was irresistible. As a newly appointed Junior Literary Agent, I am thrilled to continue my journey in the world of literature, combining my love for books with a dedication to supporting authors through the publishing process.
What she is seeking: I am interested in upmarket, literary, historical, young adult, and women’s fiction, especially narratives that showcase resilient female protagonists. While these genres anchor my reading repertoire, I’m invigorated by books that push boundaries and challenge my perspectives.
In non-fiction, I enjoy delving into subjects that expand my understanding. History, philosophy, alternative medicine, and self-improvement books are among my preferred genres, each offering a unique lens to explore and absorb new insights.
How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
__________________________
Philip Gwyn Jones of Greyhound Literary (UK)
Made in Wales, educated there and in Yorkshire, trained in London, now living under Cambridgeshire’s dreaming skies, Philip has had the privilege of having the world opened up to him by the book business, participating in many editorial fellowships and literary festivals worldwide. He has served it as a Trustee and President of the Royal Literary Fund and as Trustee of English PEN for about a decade apiece, was a Creative Writing Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, and currently does his national service on the Grants Panel of the Books Council of Wales.
What he is seeking: Philip believes there is nothing more thrilling than first reading a style, a character, an idea, a fusion, a vision never encountered before. He is proud to have been the first British publisher to have spotted the originality in and offered a contract to Patrick Ness, Jenny Erpenbeck, Julian Gough, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kathryn Schulz, Magnus Mills, Naomi Klein, Ben Marcus, Mark Lynas, Azadeh Moaveni, Gavin McCrea, Melissa Broder, Anthony Doerr, Eleanor Catton, Zadie Smith, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Katherine Boo and Anna Burns, amongst others. As an agent, he is looking for their equals in invention, intelligence and impact.
How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Ms. Sally M. Kim of Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Sally spent more than fifteen years in children’s book marketing and publicity at a variety of publishers including Macmillan, Penguin, and Chronicle Books. More recently, she has worked as an independent consultant for global children’s book publishers and literacy-related non-profits. Sally lives in San Francisco, California, and she spends most of her free time taking videos of her cat.
What she is seeking: Please send Sally fiction and non-fiction submissions in the following categories: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and graphic novels. Across all categories, Sally is especially eager to see authentic explorations of underrepresented cultures, relationships, and identities.
How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
__________________________
Jessica Leeke of Madeleine Milburn Agency (UK)
Jessica Leeke began her career in advertising in New York City before enjoying more than fifteen years as an editor at Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster and most recently Penguin Michael Joseph where she was a fiction publisher.
What she is seeking: Book club fiction that ignites conversation; unique voices; novels with a razor-sharp pitch; ideas based on a true story; cloistered settings; twists; strong characters and unforgettable settings; books with an emotional punch.
How to submit: Please follow submission guidelines HERE.
__________________________
Katie Erickson of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Katie Erickson joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in 2024, after previously interning at the agency, and after over a decade working as a freelance illustrator for clients such as Humpty Dumpty magazine. She is currently working on her Master's Degree in Creative Writing and Illustration. When she's not reading, writing, or illustrating, she can be found playing board games or taking long walks with her family.
What she is seeking: Katie represents picture books, as well as middle-grade and young-adult literature.
How to submit: Please submit your query via her querymanager HERE.
__________________________
Ms. Jenna Satterthwaite of Storm Literary AgencyJenna Satterthwaite reached agenting sideways, as many do. She didn’t know agenting existed until she wrote her first novel back in 2014 and learned she had to do this thing called “querying.” Fast forward many years during which she wrote many novels and became agented herself, and she had an aha moment. Agenting was the nexus where her two decades of business experience in sales, pitching, project management and contract negotiation met her decade of bookish experience. After completing internships with Liza Dawson Associates and Rees Literary, Jenna joined Storm as an agent in 2024.
What she is seeking: Omnivorous in her taste, Jenna is seeking to represent adult, Young Adult and Middle Grade commercial fiction in most genres, SFF, graphic novels from middle grade to young adult, adult non-fiction, memoir, and very select picture books. (See submission guidelines for more details.) Jenna is also fully bilingual English/Spanish, so dual language projects are most welcome!
How to submit: Follow her guidelines HERE.
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