Literary Agents – Find An Agent in the USA Book Agents Directory and Database 2025-2026
Literary Agents 2025-2026 Directory and Database – Get free access below to the most comprehensive Guide to Book Agents online or in print. It features insider information by a former literary about How to Find a Literary Agent and How to Get a Literary Agent (for authors of all book genres). This website also provides free access to the most accurate List of Publishing Agents. Our database of book agents has the most up-to-date information about Top Book Agents, New Book Agents, and Book Agents Looking for New Writers. We’ve helped authors of all genres, at all stages of development, around the world, get top book agents, publishers, and book deals. Learn more here about our founder, Mark Malatesta, click here to see Mark Malatesta Reviews, and click here to see our new free guide about Making An Author Website.
Free Resources to Get Literary Agents
Scroll below for free access to all our resources to discover how how literary agents think–and to find publishing agents interested in your book. Once you enter your name and email address, you’ll be a premium member of our online community at The Bestselling Author and Literary Agent Undercover (no credit card required). As a result, you’ll have access to all the following resources to help you become a more successful author:
- Our Audio Training Library with insider advice and interviews about book agents (text transcripts also available)
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- Live broadcasts (and audio replays) of our Radio Show with special guests, publishing industry executives, and bestselling authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, Nelson DeMille, and Diana Gabaldon
- The Directory of Book Agents with detailed information about all literary agents seeking authors
- The Book Genre Dictionary with a list of all book genres and book genre definitions
- The opportunity to register for 1-on-1 Author Coaching via phone or Skype from anywhere in the world during an introductory coaching session (there is a fee if you want to do that)
- Email newsletter with insider Articles and Updates about how to get a literary agent
Answers to Questions About Literary Agencies & Agents
Once you become a premium member of our community below, you’ll find answers to all your questions about literary agents. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already worked with top book agents in the past and you’re now seeking new representation–or if you’re just getting started. We can help.
Sample literary agent questions:
- Do I need a literary agent?
- What do book agents do and how do they work?
- How do publishing agents get paid?
- What is a query letter, synopsis, and book proposal?
- How can I make my pitch materials stand out?
- What is the best way to submit my book to literary agents?
- How can I determine which book agents are best?
- How can I find publishing agents who want my type of book?
- What do I need to know about simultaneous submissions?
- What can I do to increase my chance of getting multiple agents offering representation?
- What is the best way to interpret the feedback I get from a literary agent?
- What questions should I ask a book agent who wants to work with me?
- What do I need to know about literary agent contracts?
- What is the best way to leave my literary agent and find new representation?
Literary Agents – Become Our Next Success Story
Authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) have used our information about publishing agents to get top book agents such as: Mark Gottlieb, Jill Marr, Stephany Evans, Don Fehr, Felicia Eth, Bill Contardi, Jennifer Di Chiara, Jim Hart, Sarah Jane Freymann, Matthew Carnicelli, Harvey Klinger, and more. Who knows? You might be next. Enter your first name and email address below now for free instant access to all our best information and resources about literary agents.
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Literary Agents – Browse Literary Agent Listings
Literary Agent Heather Carr – The Friedrich Agency
Heather Carr Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Heather Carr and The Friedrich Agency is part of a series about literary agents and How to Find a Literary Agent. Publishing Agent Heather Carr is a literary agent with The Friedrich Agency. Novelty, a...
Literary Agent Shannon O’Neill – The Weis Agency
Shannon O'Neill Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Shannon O'Neill and The Weis Agency is part of a series about literary agents and how to Find a Publishing Agent. Publishing Agent Shannon O’Neill is a literary agent at The Weis Agency. DO NOT QUERY...
Literary Agent Lucy Carson – The Friedrich Agency
Lucy Carson Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Lucy Carson and The Friedrich Agency is part of a series about literary agents and Finding a Literary Agent. Publishing Agent Lucy Carson is an agent at The Friedrich Agency. She joined the agency in 2008....
Literary Agent Bethany Weaver – Weaver Literary & Management
Bethany Weaver Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Bethany Weaver and Weaver Literary & Management is part of a series about literary agents and How to Find a Literary Agent. Book Agent Bethany Weaver is a literary agent with Weaver Literary &...
Literary Agent Ethan Bassoff – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Ethan Bassoff Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Ethan Bassoff and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment is part of a series about literary agents and Finding a Book Agent. Publishing Agent Ethan Bassoff is an agent with William Morris Endeavor...
Literary Agent Martha Wydysh – Trident Media Group
Martha Wydysh Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Martha Wydysh and Trident Media Group is part of a series about literary agents and How to Find a Literary Agent. Book Agent Martha Wydysh is an agent with Trident Media Group. Publishing Agent Martha...
Literary Agent Dana Murphy – Trellis Literary Management
Dana Murphy Literary Agent - This article about Literary Agent Dana Murphy and Trellis Literary Management is part of a series about literary agents and How to Find a Literary Agent. Publishing Agent Dana Murphy is a literary agent at Trellis Literary Management. Book...
Coaching Success Stories
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace."
Nathaniel Lande
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that."
Amy Jo Goddard
Author of Woman on Fire (Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable."
Daniel Cohen
Author of Single Handed (Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!"
Miri Leshem-Pelley
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!"
Dave Hamme
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!"
Erika Armstrong
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit (Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record."
Michael Thompson
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring."
Professor Ruth Finnegan FBA
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn."
Lakshmi Subramani
Author of Lights Out (Random House) Bangalore, India
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan."
Mardell Hill
Author of Intestinal Health (Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!' Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it."
Scott LeRette
Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)
