How Do You Get Published? A List of Ten Literary Agents Who Are Looking For New Authors

I speak from experience. After I finished writing my novel “The 12/59 Shuttle From Yesterday To Today,” I spent quite a bit of time sending query letters to agents and publishers. I still have the letters and I still have the rejection slips to prove it.

All told I sent over 100 query letters during a one year span. I receive a grand total of twenty-two responses to those one-hundred letters. From those twenty-two responses I received two requests for more information and from those two requests I received zero offers.

Mine is not an unusual story by any means. This is a tough field to succeed in. If you are looking for instant gratification then I suggest you buy some chocolate ice cream. If you are looking for some lessons about life then keep writing and submitting.

There are literallyhundreds of literary agents out there. Most are quite hesitant about taking on new authors at this time, and that may be a statement that will be true for years because of the advent of ebooks. Agents have a tough job trying to pitch books to publishers who are not interested in gambling on newcomers.

But all is not bleak. I did some research and made some phone calls and I came up with ten agents who are still interested in new writers and who are still accepting proposals. Hopefully one of them will be your own personal pot of gold.

Remember that when you are submitting proposals, it is very important to follow guidelines to the letter. If an agent asks for five pages do not send them six. If they say do not send attachments then for God’s sake don’t attach. Above all, make your query letter a heart-stopper, because that may be the most crucial piece of correspondence that you ever write. If your query letter does not interest an agent you will get no further. Remember that you are a writer, so write as if your literary life depended on it.

STEPHEN BARR

Stephen Barr works for Writers House (writershouse.com) out of New York, NY. He is interested in adult literary, picture books, graphic novels, memoirs, narrative, pop culture, food and humor.

How To Submit: Send a query letter by email to sbarr@writershouse.com. Include five to ten pages of your book pasted in the body of the email. He will not accept any attachments.

JAMIE WEISS CHILTON

Ms. Chilton is an agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency (andreabrownlit.com) in Los Angeles, CA. She will take a look at books for young readers only, especially teen novels with great emotional content. She is also interested in smart thrillers and mysteries, sci-fi, surreal stories, magical realism and picture books.

How To Submit: Query letter by email to Jamie@andreabrownlit.com. Put “query” in the subject line and include any publishing credits you might have. Paste the material in the email as she accepts no attachments.

JOHN CUSICK

An agent for the Scott Treimel NY Agency (scotttreimelny.com), John Cusick is interested in middle grade and young adult material only. He does not want fantasy, sports or recent historical.

How To Submit: Use the form online at scotttreimelny.com/?=node/13.

EVAN GREGORY

Evan Gregory is an agent with the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency (ethanellenberg.com) in New York. He is interested in children’s historical, literary, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, women’s fiction and YA/juvenile. In nonfiction he is interested in art, architecture and photography, as well as biography, business science, science, home and garden and parenting.

How To Submit: Query letter by email to agent@ethanellenberg.com. All material must be pasted in the body of the email. For fiction include a synopsis and the first 50 pages of your work. For nonfiction include the full book proposal. For children’s books include the full text of the work.

DAWN MICHELLE HARDY

Ms. Hardy is an agent for the Serendipity Literary Agency (serendipitylit.com) in Brooklyn. She prefers romance, young adult, commercial women’s fiction, health, pop culture, faith-based, true crime, humor and narrative.

How To Submit: Send a query and PDF of full manuscript for fiction and a proposal for nonfiction by email to dawn@serendipitylit.com. In the subject line include your book’s title and “Writer’s Digest.”

MARY KOLE

Mary works for Movable Type Management in New York. She has interests in books for young readers only. Favorite among those are realistic, fantasy, adventure, thriller, paranormal, mystery, sci-fi, horror and romance. She prefers works with high emotional content and a theme that will resonate with all kids. She will also consider nonfiction works in food and cookbooks.

How To Submit: Query letter by email to mkole@movabletm.com. For fiction include the first ten pages. For nonfiction, send a proposal, table of contents and one sample chapter. Everything must be pasted in the body of the email; no attachments. Write the word “query” in the subject line.

PAUL LUCAS

Paul Lucas works for Janklow & Nesbit Associates (janklowandnesbit.com) in New York. His interests include literary, fiction, historical fiction, thriller, horror, sci-fi and fantasy. In nonfiction he will take a look at popular science, narrative, sports and business.

How To Submit: Send a query by email to plucas@janklow.com. Include the first 25 pages of your novel or a proposal for your nonfiction. Paste all material in the body of the email.

CAMERON MCCLURE

Cameron suggests that writers learn patience and the value of hard work. She works for the Donald Maass Literary Agency (maassagency.com) in New York. She is interested in mostly fiction, specifically fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, suspense, thriller, literary fiction, historical fiction, and young adults.

How To Submit: Send a one-page query by email to cmcclure@maassagency.com. Include the first five pages of your work. Paste all material into the email.

LAUREN RUTH

Ms. Ruth works for Bookends, LLC (bookends-inc.com;slushpiletales.wordpress.com) in Gilette, New Jersey. She leans towards romance, literary fiction, middle-grade, young adults, mystery and women’s fiction. In nonfiction she will consider memoirs, parenting and family, relationships, food, lifestyle, business, popular science, pop culture and popular psychology.

How To Submit: Send a query by email to submissions@bookendsinc.com. Include the first five pages of your manuscript, and write “query for Lauren” in the subject line. All materials must be pasted in the body of the email.

KATIE SHEA

Katie Shea also works for Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York. She likes literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, realistic YA, memoirs and narrative.

How To Submit: Query letter by email to kshea@maassagency.com. Include first five pages of your manuscript. Paste into the email.

I’m still looking for my pot of gold, and I suspect the search will continue for some time. That’s okay! Anything worth dreaming about is worth working for, and I’ve got all the patience in the world AND I believe in my writing ability.

Do not give up on your dream. Famous literary giants toiled in relative obscurity for years before they were published. You just have to pay your dues and keep writing. Who knows when that miracle is going to happen?

2013 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)