How to find a literary agent in the US

If you’re based in the US and hoping to get published, you’ll need a literary agent – and I’m going to let you know the best places to find one. You don’t need any previous connections to start “querying” (the process of submitting to literary agents). You just need to know where to look to find a literary agent who represents your genre and is also based in the US.

Your literary agent doesn’t have to be in the same country as you – but it’s very helpful if that’s the case, because they will know all about the literary market where you live and hope to publish your work.

Finding a literary agent in the US – where to look

There are many resources tailored to helping writers find literary agents in the US, so you aren’t short of options! I’ll list the best ones I know of here.

You can also check out my other posts on literary agents if you’re looking for general help with the submission process, query letters, writing a synopsis, or want to learn more about literary agents and what to expect when submitting.

Publishers Marketplace

Publishers Marketplace is a well-known website in the industry – it’s mainly known for being the place where US book deals get announced. Authors can sign up to view deal trends and research agents who are selling books in their genre.

It’s a fantastic way to find out which agents might be a good fit for your book based on sales they’re already making.

Publishers Marketplace requires a membership subscription, which costs $30 per month.

If you can’t afford a membership, you can also search for deals on social media by typing in “Publishers Marketplace”. This is useful on places like Instagram especially, where authors often post screenshots of their book deal announcements.

QueryTracker

QueryTracker is a website and database for authors to find established literary agents from all around the world. You can filter by agents who are based in the US. The best part is that it’s free, and it also allows you to track submission dates and responses.

There is a subscription model if you’d like additional features. Most authors use the free version, though, and find this to be more than enough to research agents.

AgentQuery

AgentQuery is similar to QueryTracker in that it’s another searchable database of reputable and established literary agents. This site doesn’t allow you to track responses you may receive to your submissions, but you can search for agents by genre and keyword, which is useful.

The database is completely free to use.

Association of American Literary Agents

This association, also known as the AALA, is an organisation of various professionals who work at literary agencies, including agents themselves. The organisation helps their members keep up their professional skills and stay informed on the industry as a whole.

The site has a list of all the agents who are have joined the association, organised by name. This tool can be used by authors to find agents who represent their genre.

Manuscript Wish List

This free website is one big database of what literary agents and publishers want to see in their submission inboxes – hence the name, Manuscript Wish List!

Under the Find Agents + Editors menu, authors can search for agents who are interested in their genre, as well as looking up keywords.

Some literary agents use the hashtag #manuscriptwishlist on their social media platforms, too, so it’s worth looking that up if you’re active on social media, too.

Writer’s Market

Writer’s Market is a publication all about getting published and has sold over five million copies. The publications contain all sorts of opportunities for writers, including listings of professional literary agents.

The 100th edition, the most recent version and clocking in at almost 1,000 pages of guidance, can be found here.

Jane Friedman’s newsletter

Jane Friedman’s publishing industry newsletter, The Bottom Line, frequently lists agents that are either new to their roles (junior agents) or agents that have recently joined certain literary agencies. Not only is it a great place to find out about literary agents that are hungry for new US-based authors, it’s also a fantastic resource for keeping up to date with the industry itself.

Writing organisations and events

Organisations for writers are incredibly useful as many of them have industry connections in some way – for example, hosting literary agent-one-to-ones or events where writers can pitch agents.

• Romantic Writers of America: This nonprofit association for romance writers hosts an annual conference that includes pitching appointments with literary agents who are actively seeking new clients in the US.
• Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association: SFWA is the association to join if you write sci-fi or fantasy! They often host events about finding literary agents or learning more about the industry, and have a presence at various book events, which can be great for networking and building connections.

There are various other state-specific book and literary events that often include pitching sessions or opportunities to meet literary agents, so I recommend keeping up with the local literary scene in your area too!

Tip: check out similar books and read the acknowledgements!

You probably already read books in your genre – have a look in the author’s acknowledgements and see who their agent is! This can be an excellent way of doing research as you can be sure the literary agent will represent similar work to yours. Plus, you get to read enjoyable books at the same time.

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I hope this post has been helpful to you if you’re starting out with querying literary agents in the US!