Agents Accepting Query Letters for Adult and Children's Books!

 

Update: Elena Giovinazzo is not opening on September 8th; however, Sahar Kashi at Heirloom Literary is now open!

Heirloom’s newest agent, Sahar Kashi, is now open to adult and young adult fiction and memoir submissions! Sahar is drawn to daring work that finds laughter alongside grief, explores mental health and emotional healing, and pushes narrative boundaries. She loves romance woven through immersive world-building and stories that subvert genre expectations. She is especially seeking visionary storytellers who pair commercial insight with an authentic connection to their material.

She’s looking to represent books like Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, The Last Days of California, by Mary Miller, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, Yesteryear by Stephen G. Eoannou, The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff, and Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino, among many others.

 Visit Heirloom's SHARE YOUR WORK page.

WHO ELSE:  More about the team at Heirloom – buckle up for this powerhouse of KIDLIT superstars!

·       Elena Giovinazzo—Elena (one of the founders) has 20 years of industry experience spanning sales, subrights, marketing, and, of course, agenting.

o   Represents: PB, MG, YA, Graphic Novels, Illustrators, Adult Fiction (and maybe adult nonfiction) – MSWL was spare with details but it lists Nonfiction, Literary, Contemporary, and Magical Realism.

·       Jason Reynolds – THE Jason Reynolds!  His role as founder is leadership, mentorship, and creative.

·       Julia Ermi is the agency manager for Heirloom’s powerhouse clients, coordinating foreign rights and permissions, creating social media content, reading submissions, and generally facilitating the agency’s smooth operation.

·        Sahar Kashi—is a seasoned executive, developmental editor, and producer. She champions visionary storytellers who pair commercial insight with an authentic connection to their material.

HOW - Check out their WEBSITE: Here is their “share your work” link: https://www.heirloomliterary.com/share-your-work

 

Amy Collins at Talcott Notch 

WHEN: Starting on September 15, 2026

Amy Collins will open to query letters on SEPTEMBER 15^TH.

WHAT: She focuses on books for adults—non-fiction/ history, historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. You can follow her on Instagram at @bookcrone to keep up to date when she opens and closes her submission inbox.

HOW: Amy Collins submission guidelines: https://talcottnotch.net/submissions/

 

Katrina Lemaire, Corvisiero Literary Agency

KatrinaLemaire is an Associate Literary Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency

WHEN: Open NOW – Katrina opened on August 26^th (closing date not listed; for agents it is often when the inbox feels too full – Opening and closing for queries is a smart management tool. Agents want to manage their workload and also respect writers by not having the query sit in their inbox for a year).

WHAT: Katrina represents picture book author/illustrators, middle grade, YA, New Adult/Ya Crossover.  Deep-dive details and clarity can be found at MSWL. However here is an overview.

Adult/Crossover New Adult Fiction: Fantasy, Speculative, Eco-horror, Horror, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Folklore, Romansty, Dark Academia, Magical Realism, Historical melds of horror, fantasy, and speculative, Occult, Cozy Mysteries, Rom-Coms, Romance, Commercial/Literary Fiction, Upmarket Literary, Soft SciFi, Thrillers

            Young Adult Fiction:

·       Mystery/Thriller: an ensemble of unreliable characters, or the themes that relate to culinary, fashion, art, or academic rivalry with a dash of deep-seated yearning. Locked Room/Whodunnits are welcome. The more messy/complex the mystery/murder the better.

·       YA Fantasy: Developed worlds, lush settings, intricate magic systems (non-western based), characters who are absolutely feral & unhinged (especially when they have a specific motive in mind), villains who are more than just love interests (villains who are fully realized with lots of interesting lore), romance that burns brighter than an eternal flame, creatures & monsters that pose a real threat and have interesting/unique origins, environmental fantasy that blends horror and speculative, soft fantasy that focuses on friendships, romance, and family, dark fantasy that doesn’t shy away from important topics/themes that need more exploration, fantasy that has thought-provoking political systems, and fresh takes on fairy tales.

·       In YA horror, ensemble characters who investigate haunted buildings/manors and discover hidden meanings/messages that reflect their own growth and navigation of self, bubblegum horror, gothic horror, exploration of themes relating to a “haunting” that can take place in the woods or burial ground, lovecraftian horror, monster horror, man-made horrors that pertain to environmentalism and body horror, the occult, quiet horror, and paranormal elements that are fresh and take a unique turn on the familiar mythos.

·       Contemporary Romance

Middle Grade:

Horror/Spooky, Cozy Fantasy: Give me all the studio Ghibli vibes and stories that comp The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, and The Owl House; Fantasy, Mystery, Contemporary Fiction

Picture Books (Author/Illustrators only) 

Graphic Novels

Specific Genres that she’s looking for at the moment are: Fantasy, Horror, Speculative, blends of contemporary and cultural YA/Adult LGBTQ+ and #OwnVoices narratives.

HOW: Accepts submissions on Query Tracker. Follow her on Instagram

@katrinalemlit at @corvisierolit *Remember, Katrina will open on August 26^th

 

 

 

 

Olivia Merick at Metamorphosis Literary Agency

WHO: Olivia Merick, Assistant Literary Agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency – check her out on Instagram (but please don’t query there!) @oliviaemerickagent

WHEN: Open NOW

 

WHAT: Olivia likes Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Dark Academia, Horror, Thriller, Dystopian. She wants well-developed characters with inique hobbies, interests/careers, layered backgrounds, fantastic world building, a combo of plot/character-driven storylines, strong character arcs, subtle foreshadowing, and more!On a niche level, she would love polyglots, characters with insomnia, embedded folklore, Shakespearean retellings, female rage, v ido games or chess, loosely based reimagining of historical eras, sisterhood themes, epistolary elements.

WHAT SHE DOESN’T WANT: No to graphic novels, literary fiction, magical realism, non-fiction, science fiction, short story collections, or picture books.

HOW: Accepts submissions on Query Tracker

Https://querytracker.et/query/oliviamerick

 

 

Keir Alekseii  at Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency

 

WHO: Keir Alekseii is a Toronto-based literary agent with Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency

WHEN: Open September 1^st (only for one week)

 

WHAT: MG, YA, and Adult. Keir specializes in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror by marginalized voices. According to MSWL, Her favorite traits and tropes include:

• Found family
• Protags that are too smart for their own good
• Stories about embracing your identity and finding your path
• Stories that center BIPOC and queer happiness
• Enemies to friends/unlikely friendships
• Nonbinary MCs tasting power and choosing chaos
• Grump & sunshine/stabby & cinnamon roll pairings
• Femme villains corrupting cinnamon rolls/himbos
• Non-white power couples/non-white love interests
• Enemies to lovers & friends to lovers
• Slow burn & second chance romance 

HOW: Accepts submissions on Query Tracker

LINK: https://querytracker.net/agent/13782

KEY

PB= Picture Book

MG= Middle Grade

YA = Young Adult

GN = Graphic Novel

NA = New Adult

Adult = Adult (could be fiction or nonfiction - see details)

MSWL = Manuscript Wish List

5 Agents Who Are Open to Query Letters Right Now!

Literary agents open and close their query inboxes. That way they can catch up before they accept another round of submissions. Here is who is open now (and a couple who are closing in a few days)

SALLY KIM

WHEN: She’s open now!

WHAT: Here's her wish list

WHO: Sally Kim at Andrea Brown Literary Agency

WHAT: Authors or Author-Illustrators, children's fiction and nonfiction, middle grade novels, picture books, chapter books, graphic novels  (she's not the best fit for rhyming).

How: Query Tracker

KARLY DIZON, FUSE LITERARY

WHEN: *Dang! She just closed. Check back in September* I added Sally Kim above since Karly just closed. 

WHO: Karly Dizon of Fuse Literary (an agency founded in 2013)

WHAT: Karly represents picture books, middle grade, and young adult. She also wants non-fiction picture books that add the heart, soul, and story of fiction. I want the person, event, retelling to come to life. She’d also like Asian/African/Latin mythology retelling/twists to be told simply yet beautifully for the picture book market but also in more depth with adventure and turn-the-page tension for middle grade and young adult. Have a picture book that’ll make me laugh? Learn? Both? Yes, please. She wants more smart, ingenious kids who utilize STEM to tackle their problems/achieve their goals; a YA contemporary romcom, “Make me swoon, cry, and yell at the pages with all the depth and complexity that our young adults experience today.”; also do you have a MG or YA SFF—if so, it needs to have a strong voice from the first page with an immersive and captivating plot and world.

ABOUT FUSE LITERARY: Fuse Literary is a boutique, collaborative hybrid literary agency founded in 2013 (formerly known as Foreword Literary). It represents fiction and nonfiction authors and illustrators across all age groups, blending traditional publishing methods with digital media, self-publishing networks, and emerging technologies. What does hybrid mean? Beyond selling books to traditional publishers and handling subsidiary rights (film, foreign, audio), they connect clients with cover designers, publicists, and digital marketers.

WEBSITE: Although Karly represent PB-YA, other agents at Fuse Literary represent other genres. https://www.fuseliterary.com/about-fuse/

 

Jessica Berg Rosecliff Literary

When: Open Now

Who: Jessica Berg, founder of Rosecliff Literary represents adult fiction and nonfiction. No matter what you write and no matter who you plan to query, do yourself a favor and follow Jessica Berg on Instagram! Her advice on writing, submitting, creating a synopsis, etc. = spot on!

@jessica__berg

What: Jessica has wish lists for spooky season, for winter, etc. And she says to pay attention, because her cravings change. You can find her up-to-the-minute wish list on her Instagram. You can read the other not exactly up-to-the-minute details at MSWL.

How: Query Tracker https://querytracker.net/query/jessicaberg/

 

Haley Warrington: the Booker Albert Agency

WHEN: She posted that she is open now until August 31, 2026.

WHO: Hayley is a Junior Literary Agent at the Booker Albert Agency. What’s great about a junior agent is that you get to grow your careers together!

WHAT SHE REPRESENTS: YA-Adult. On Instagram, Haley noted, “I'd really like to get some YA fiction on my list.” Please query on Query Tracker if you are a YA author in the following genres, - YA Mystery/YA Thriller;  YA Fantasy; YA Romance; YA LGBTQ+; YA Horror!!  She also represents (but is more selective) Adult, NA, YA Romance, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Thriller, Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, LGBTQ+. Others at her agency represents children's through adult fiction—focusing heavily on young adult (YA), middle grade (MG), sci-fi, fantasy, horror, women's fiction, and romance (including contemporary, historical, and small-town).

ABOUT: Haley can be found @hals.war on Instagram. She posts a lot of details about her taste and what she’s reading, so check it out!

Her agency is also on Instagram @bookeralbertagency and Founded in December 2012, the Booker Albert Agency is a hands-on agency, providing marketing and editorial advice, and we strongly believe in taking on clients for their whole career. We adhere to the AALA's canon of ethics. 

WHERE TO QUERY: Query Tracker: https://querytracker.net/query/QueryHaley

WEBSITE: Booker Albert Agency website is: https://www.thebookeralbertagency.com/our-agency.html

 

 

Sharon Belcastro: Belcastro Literary Agency

WHEN:  Now until …. Sharon has a fairly quick response rate. On Query Tracker it shows that she is responding in an average of five days! Most agents average of 8-12 weeks.

WHO: Sharon is the founder of Belcastro Literary Agency. One of my favorite quotes comes from her back in 2021 when she said, “As a female engineer I am looking for middle grade, YA and PB about girls in STEM.” Query Tracker just updated her openings to include picture books though I   don’t see that listed on her primary wish list unless perhaps nonfiction pb. On her current wish list, she has NONFICTION and YA Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action Adventure, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Mystery/Thrill, and Horror.

HOW: Query Tracker https://querytracker.net/agent/4921

 

Miriam Cortinovis at Ki Agency

Miriam Cortinovis at Ki Agency (Miriam goes by @chamomeriam on Instagram) says they are currently OPEN to queries. The Ki Agency was founded in 2011. They are a boutique London-based literary and scriptwriting agency founded in 2011 by Managing Director Meg Davis (they are not currently open to scriptwriters). It represents authors across publishing, TV, film, theatre, and multi-media, focusing strongly on genre fiction and speculative works.

FAQ:   Does it matter if you live in a different country than your agent.

            No.

MIRIAM’S TASTE: In fiction: BIPOC Literature, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Young Adult. “Miriam defines themself an omnivore in regard to Science Fiction and Fantasy, never turning down an original unique piece with a strong voice—so never say never! That being said, a speculative element is required, even if abstract/literary. Miriam also enjoys representing most age targets, from Middle Grade and up to Young Adult (for which they also accept contemporary works without a speculative element) and Adult. To browse a visual MSWL you can visit this Instagram post, while for a more detailed one you can follow this link.”

Complete details at MSWL.

Where to Query: Query Tracker (she has a fast – 23-day average response rate!)

You’ll prepare and post on Query Tracker your first 10 pages, letter, and synopsis using https://QueryTracker.net/query/miriamc. According to their website, Ki Agency is a dynamic literary agency providing management for writers in all media and most genres. They also say, “The Ki Agency is a boutique literary and scriptwriting agency with a focus on genre fiction.”

ABOUT: “Born and raised in Italy, Miriam Cortinovis (they/she) moved to Chicago as a teenager and has since earned a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Writing & Publishing from DePaul University. After more than a year agenting at ArtHouse Literary (USA), they joined the amazing team at the Ki Agency in 2025, continuing to expand and support their list in everything and anything speculative.”

About the Ki Agency: www.ki-agency.co.uk

 

 KEY

PB= Picture Book

MG= Middle Grade

YA = Young Adult

GN = Graphic Novel

NA = New Adult

MSWL = Manuscript Wish List