If you want to publish your book the traditional way, you?ve most likely thought about literary agents. If you?re looking for a literary agent to represent you and negotiate contracts on your behalf with publishing houses, we?ve compiled a list of 21 top literary agencies you should take a look at. Read on to learn who these are.
1. Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Andrea Brown Literary Agency is focused on representing both new authors and also those with established careers. With offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay region, authors benefit from the agency?s collaborative approach, where they are supported by a team of people. In addition to its team of highly experienced agents, Andrea Brown Literary Agency has a number of co-agents, enabling the organization to be highly active in the area of selling subsidiary rights. The agency was founded by Andrea Brown in 1981.
Submissions information: http://www.andreabrownlit.com/how-to-submit.html
2. Conville & Walsh
Co-founded by Clare Conville and Patrick Walsh in 2000, Conville & Walsh is a major global literary agency, whose headquarters are in the UK. The agency is highly experienced in both commercial and literary fiction, and has capabilities to represent all types of books including nonfiction. Conville & Walsh has worked on behalf of numerous bestselling and award-winning authors who come from different walks of life. Agents at Conville & Walsh can assist authors in producing the best possible book, along with representation across various types of media, and selling of rights into international markets and in different languages.
Submissions information: http://www.convilleandwalsh.com/index.php/literary/submissions
3. Curtis Brown
As one of the world?s largest literary and talent agencies, Curtis Brown has experience of representing individuals across the creative sector including authors, film and television writers and directors, playwrights, television presenters, actors, radio presenters and theatre directors. The books department at Curtis Brown in particular, was founded in 1899 and the agency has a renowned translations rights department.
Submissions information: http://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/submissions/submissions-guide
4. David Black Literary Agency
Founded by David Black in 1989, David Black Agency focuses on helping authors to both get books published and on assisting them to develop their careers as writers. The organization uses a team-based approach, so that authors can gain input from individuals with different expertise. The agents at the agency are David Black, Jenny Herrera, Linda Loewenthal, Gary Morris, Susan Raihofer, Sarah Smith, and Joy Tutela.
Submissions information: http://www.davidblackagency.com/submissions
5. Donald Maass Literary Agency
The President of Donald Mass Literary Agency is Donald Mass who founded the agency in 1980. Jennifer Jackson is Vice President. Other agents working at the organization include Stacia Decker, Cameron McClure, Jennifer Udden, Caitlin McDonald, Michael Curry, and Katie Shea Boutillier who also oversees rights management. Every year, Donald Mass Literary Agency sells in excess of 150 novels to major publishers in the United States and across the world. The agency?s team of agents look for submissions in various genres and sub-genres of fiction, and also nonfiction.
Submissions information: http://maassagency.com/submissions
6. Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
Dystel & Goderich Literary Management was formed by Jane Dystel in 1994 and provides authors will a full range of services including selling, negotiating contracts, collecting monies for clients, and also strong editorial support. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, the agency has a team of literary agents who are looking for books from various genres across both nonfiction and fiction spectrums.
Submissions information: http://www.dystel.com/submission-requirements
Nonfiction proposal submissions information: http://www.dystel.com/nonfiction-proposal-guidelines
7. Folio Literary Management
Folio Literary Management works with both first-time authors, as well as renowned ones. In addition to representation, the agency offers a full suite of services including marketing, development of websites, and media training. The agency?s support spans across all platforms, including film adaptation, digital books and apps. Folio Literary Management represents authors of both fiction and nonfiction. The organization also has a division called Folio Jr, which is devoted to working on behalf of first-class children?s book authors.
Submissions information: http://www.foliolit.com/submissions/how-to-submit-to-us
8. Foundry Literary + Media
In addition to negotiating contracts for authors with publishers, Foundry Literary + Media also offers a host of other services such as foreign rights, film, television, stage and digital publishing. The agency is also credited with having a book development team that helps take a book from concept to completed copies. Assistance can also be obtained in brand development, merchandising and licensing. Foundry Literary + Media works with various types of authors; these can range from first-time ones to those who are established and have celebrity status.
Submissions information: http://www.foundrymedia.com/submissions
9. Harvey Klinger
Agents at Harvey Klinger are David Dunton, Sara Crowe, Andrea Somberg and Harvey Klinger who is also President of the agency. The organization represents authors of high quality adult fiction, children?s fiction and nonfiction books. Harvey Klinger has extensive relationships with co-agents across the world, in order to reach publishers globally, and with other co-agents that assist in film and television rights.
Submissions information: http://www.harveyklinger.com/submissions.php
10. InkWell Management
Based in New York, InkWell Management is a globally leading literary agency whose clients include authors, chefs and personalities across the world. The authors which InkWell Management represents are literary prize winning and writers of bestselling works. The agency has a large staff base consisting of agents, assistants, and other experts who handle foreign rights, social media, marketing, publicity and contracts management.
Submissions information: http://inkwellmanagement.com/contact
11. Janklow & Nesbit Associates
With offices in New York and London, Janklow & Nesbit Associates is one of the biggest names in the world of literary agencies. The organization was formed in 1989 and has represented some of the most famous authors in the world, such as Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, Thomas Harris, Danielle Steel, and politicians such as Jimmy Carter and Senator John Kerry, among many more famous authors, scholars, scientists and celebrity status figures. The agency was founded by Morton Janklow and Lynn Nesbit.
Submissions information: http://www.janklowandnesbit.com/submissions
12. MacGregor Literary
MacGregor Literary has been in business for more than two decades, and has experience of representing authors of bestselling books that have been featured on major lists, which among others includes New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly and USA Today. The organization was founded by Chip MacGregor who has been a lover of books since childhood. Other agents at the agency include Holly Lorincz, Erin Buterbaugh, and Amanda Luedeke, all of whom have varied interests in the types of books they like to represent, covering a vast range of fiction and nonfiction.
Submissions information: http://www.macgregorliterary.com/submission
13. Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Marsal Lyon Literary Agency works with authors, right from concept stage, through to editorial and then finding a publisher and beyond, as the organization emphasizes on helping individuals develop their careers. Founded by Kevan Lyon and Jill Marshal, other members of the team at the agency include Kathleen Rushall, Deborah Ritchken, Shannon Hassan and Patricia Nelson. Marsal Lyon Literary Agency represents fiction and nonfiction, as well as offering subsidiary rights services.
Submissions information: http://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/submissions/submission-info
Nonfiction proposals submissions information: http://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/submissions/non-fiction-proposals
14. Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Open to both new authors and experienced ones, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency is headed up by Sandra Dijkstra and its agents include Elise Capron, Jill Marr, Roz Foster, Andrea Cavallaro, Karla Gomez, Thao Le and Jessica Watterson. The agency has represented countless bestseller books across the entire range of genres and also offers internships opportunities to students at college.
Submissions information: http://www.dijkstraagency.com/submission-guidelines.html
15. Sterling Lord Literistic
With offices in New York City, Sterling Lord Literistic is a literary agency born out of the merger in 1987 between Sterling Lord and Literistic. It is a prestigious organization, which is credited with representing authors who are Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award recipients, New York Times bestsellers, literary and commercial authors, politicians, scientists, journalists and renowned writers of children?s works. In addition to representation of authors, Sterling Lord Literistic has particular strengths in the adaptation of literary works into films and television programmes, and in foreign rights.
Submissions information: http://www.sll.com/submissions.aspx
16. The Knight Agency
Formed in 1996 by Deidre Knight, The Knight Agency through its agents has negotiated contracts for more than 2000 book titles with the largest publishers in the world and also with independent publishing houses. Many of these have reached bestseller lists in New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly, among others. The agency has offices spread across the United States and provides a full suite of services for its clients including subsidiary rights management for foreign, electronic, film, television and audio, along with branding and book marketing support. The Knight Agency represents both authors of fiction and nonfiction.
Submissions information: http://knightagency.net/manuscript_submissions
17. The Steve Laube Agency
With over 34 years of experience in the publishing industry the President and founder of this agency is Steve Laube. He is supported by a team of agents that includes Tamela Hancock Murray, Karen Ball, and Dan Balow. The Steve Laube Agency is a renowned expert in the Christian marketplace and offers a full range of services that can help an author produce a book, which has the strongest commercial appeal, provide assistance in developing a writer?s career and in contract negotiation.
Submissions information: http://www.stevelaube.com/guidelines
18. Transatlantic Agency
With David Bennett as President of Transatlantic Agency, the organization offers a complete literary service, including support for subsidiary rights. The agency has particular expertise in representing adult trade authors, children?s and young adult authors, and illustrators. The team is made up of highly experienced agents from the publishing industry, such as Sandra Bishop, Shaun Bradley, Marie Campbell, Jesse Finkelstein and Samantha Haywood, among others. Transatlantic Agency has experience of representing more than 250 authors, many whose works have become award-winners and bestsellers.
Submissions information: http://transatlanticagency.com/agents/submissions
19. Trident Media Group
Trident Media Group (TMG) is a leading literary agency based in New York City. TMG has an entire team of agents specializing in different types of genres of fiction, in all variations of nonfiction, and in assisting authors in building their careers. Founded by Robert Gottlieb and Dan Strone in 2000, TMG has represented over 1000 authors. Many of the works of these authors have been New York Times bestsellers and have won prestigious awards, which among others, include the Pulitzer Prize, The Booker Prize, and The National Book Award. TMG offers a full range of services; some of these include editorial support, book sales, foreign rights, film and TV sales, contract negotiation and audio and eBooks.
Submissions information: http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/contact-us
20. Waxman Leavell Literary Agency
Waxman Leavell Literary Agency (WLLA) with offices in New York and Los Angeles was co-founded by Scott Waxman and Byrd Leavell in 2012. This was after Scott Waxman had initially formed Waxman Literary Agency in 1997. The agency is an expert in representing both fiction and nonfiction authors; these range from first time authors, established authors and renowned journalists, to well-known personalities, sector specific experts and celebrities. Waxman Leavell Literary Agency has represented numerous New York Times bestsellers award-winning works.
Submissions information: http://www.waxmanleavell.com/submission.html
21. Writers House
Founded by Al Zuckerman in 1973, Writers House is one of the biggest literary agencies in the world. In addition to being highly client focused, Writers House provides services such as foreign rights, subsidiary rights, contracts, film, television and stage representation, estate representation, royalty and financial analysis, as well as digital publishing. With a full team of senior agents, and upcoming junior ones, the agency over the years has assisted hundreds of authors of fiction and nonfiction; these works have gone on to become New York Times bestsellers and have won prestigious books awards and medals in the literary world.
Submissions information:http://www.writershouse.com/submissions
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India. He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.
Originally published at eBooks India.
