Here is a list of best historical fiction literary agents in the US (and at times in UK) plus submission instructions that I have compiled for you. Cheers! (I might make a separate post for Australian ones… if you’d like!)
- Marina de Pass – To query The Soho Agency, please send general submissions to sohoagencysubmissions@gmail.com, for children’s and YA submissions please contact sohoagencychildrenssubmissions@gmail.com. Please address your submission to the agent you feel is best suited to your work and they will pass it on to them for consideration. If you are not sure where your submission should be placed, you can simply address your letter to ‘The Soho Agency Submissions.’ Your submission should consist of the first three chapters or first thirty pages of your manuscript (if the work is for young children and consists of no more than 1,000 words, please send the complete text), ideally in Word doc format, along with a synopsis, and a covering letter.
- Liza DeBlock – Please only submit to one agent at a time (check their individual profiles to decide who is the best fit for your work). Check out the agency submission page for more information (https://www.mushens-entertainment.com/submissions). For fiction submissions, submit your work via submissions@mushens-entertainment.com. Please include: a clear subject line, your cover letter in the body of the email addressed to a specific agent, an attachment of your synopsis, an attachment of your writing sample (either the first 3 chapters, the first 10-15,000 words, or the first 50 pages). For non-fiction submissions, submit your work via submissions@mushens-entertainment.com. Please include: a clear subject line, your cover letter in the body of the email addressed to a specific agent, an attachment of your proposal or the first 10-15,000 words of your completed manuscript.
- Sam Farkas – To query Sam, please email her at info@jillgrinbergliterary.com. The agency accepts submissions in all categories for: adult fiction and nonfiction, and children’s fiction and nonfiction (picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult), and are now accepting illustration-only submissions across all categories. Address your submission directly to Sam. Your email subject line should follow this general format: ‘QUERY: Title of Project by Your Name / Your Book’s Age Category and Genre / ATTN: Name of Agent.’ Please paste your query letter in the body of the email and attach your materials as a docx file. Do not attach zip folders, Pages files, links to Google Docs, or links to download materials from file sharing sites. You will receive an auto-response confirming your submission was received. For all fiction submissions, please send a query letter and the first fifty pages of your manuscript. If they are interested in reading more, they will reach out to request the full manuscript.
- Ciara Finan – If you’d like to submit your work to Ciara, please email her at ciara.finan@curtisbrown.co.uk with a synopsis and sample chapters.
- Katie Fulford – To query this agency please send submissions either via email to submission@bell-lomax.co.uk, or as a hard copy via the post to Bell Lomax Moreton Agency, Suite C, Victory House, 131 Queensway, Petts Wood, Kent, BR5 1DG. For authors of fiction, children’s and young adult fiction, and narrative non-fiction please send a covering letter which should also confirm your publishing/writing history, a short synopsis including the entire plot, and the first three chapters (up to 50 pages) of the manuscript (double-spaced).
- Hattie Grunewald – To query this agency please email the requested documents, as either a Word or pdf document, to hattiesubmissions@theblairpartnership.com or submissions@theblairpartnership.com. For fiction writers, please provide a covering letter, the first 30 pages of the manuscript, and a one-page synopsis. For nonfiction submissions, please send a covering letter, proposal, and your writing sample. Please see the agency’s submissions page for full details on their submissions requirements: https://www.theblairpartnership.com/submissions/.
- Cate Hart – You can query Cate via QueryManager (https://querymanager.com/query/CateHart); please include a query letter, 1-2 page synopsis, and the first 5 pages of the manuscript.
- Cassandra Rodgers – Standard (Letter + Synopsis + First ten pages) Please send your query letter and first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal in the body of the email to Cassandra. Cassandra@fiveotterliterary.com
- Rayhane Sanders – To query Rayhane, please send a query letter and the first 5 pages of the project via email to rayhane@mmqlit.com with the word ‘Query’ in the subject line. The query letter should briefly describe the project and include any relevant personal or professional information (e.g. any awards won, regular media appearances, professional or academic affiliations, etc.) and the entire submission should be placed in the BODY of the email; please do not use attachments. Rayhane is only able to respond to queries in which she is interested. If there is no response within 2 – 4 weeks, please assume that the project is not a good fit for her.
- Shannon Snow – To query Shannon, please email shannon@cmalit.com. For fiction, a query letter and the first five pages in the manuscript are required; for non-fiction, an extended author bio and the marketing section of your book proposal are required. Please put your submission in the BODY of the email and write “query” in the subject heading.
- Hannah Strouth – Submit via Hannah’s contact form (https://www.janerotrosen.com/contact-hannah-strouth). Your submission should include: a concise description of your work; relevant biographical information; previous publishing history; for fiction: a synopsis and the first three chapters of your work; for nonfiction: a proposal and sample chapters.
- Kari Sutherland – Kari has recently reopened her submissions. To query her, complete the online form through the website (https://querymanager.com/query/Kari_Sutherland_Query_Form). For fiction submissions, please provide a query letter, a synopsis, and the first chapter of the work.
- Olivia Maidment – Please fill in the fiction, non-fiction and children’s & YA forms found at the link below to submit your manuscript. https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk/submissions/ Read the submission requirements carefully as each form requires you to submit different things.
- Rachel Neely – Email your query to submissions@mushens-entertainment.com.Your submission email should include: A clear subject line eg. Fiction Submission: TITLE OF YOUR WORK, be addressed to the specific agent you would like to consider it, your cover letter in the body of the email, an attachment of your synopsis, a PDF or Word document of your novel containing either: The first three chapters, the first 10-15,000 words, or the first 50 pages
- Bernadette Baker-Baughman – Send a query letter and 3 sample chapters (approximately 25 pages) via e-mail to queriesvsa@gmail.com. The agency does not accept attachments so ensure all information is set out in the main body of your e-mail. Query letters must not exceed a single page and should describe your work as well as include information about your author credentials.
- Annie Bomke – You can email submissions to submissions@abliterary.com, or mail them to the following address: Annie Bomke Literary Agency P. O. Box 3759 San Diego, CA 92163 Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with all hard copy submissions. Annie Bomke Literary Agency will read your material and respond to you within 8-12 weeks of submission. Submission guidelines for fiction: For all fiction submissions, please include a query letter, synopsis, and the first two chapters of your manuscript pasted in the body of the email.
- Alicia Brooks – Submit to Alicia via this online form on the agency’s website: https://www.jvnla.com/submissions.php
- Lucy Carson – To query Lucy please send a standard query letter to lcarson@friedrichagency.com. Please include the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject line. They do not accept submissions over the phone or through postal mail. A standard query letter should be composed in the body of the email, not included as an attachment. As you would write any other professional email, please introduce yourself and your project, providing a pitch rather than a synopsis.
- Bill Contardi – To query Bill, please email bill@billcontardi.com. The email should include a query letter, a brief biography, and information on your writing credentials. The query letter should be approximately two pages long and provide an overview of the book. Please note that the agency is unable to respond to all emailed queries.
- Ian Drury – Ian’s submission requirements differ from that of his agency. He asks that prospective clients email him their proposals with: a) your whole manuscript attached as a Word doc (or .docx) b) a few lines about you and a one line summary of why someone would pay their own cash money to read your book. idrury@sheilland.co.uk
- Olga Filina – Standard (Letter + Synopsis + First ten pages) Please send your query letter and first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal in the body of the email to the agent of your choice. 5 Otter Literary will not open unsolicited attachments or accept mailed paper submissions. 5 Other Literary currently do not represent plays or screenplays. Please allow the agency six weeks to consider your material. Due to volume of submissions, they will only respond if they would like to see more material. If you would like to query more than one agent simultaneously, please let the agency know when you send your query. If you receive a pass from one agent, please accept it as a pass from all of them for the submitted project. The agency is only interested in reading full manuscripts for fiction, and complete proposals for non-fiction. Please wait to query them until you are ready! Please submit only one project at a time for consideration. Choose your best, most relevant project. Due to volume of submissions, the agency cannot offer detailed feedback on why your project wasn’t the right fit.
- Jack Fogg – For fiction, please email with a brief bio, synopsis and the first three chapters or 50 pages of your manuscript. For non-fiction, please email with a brief bio, the pitch of your book and one sample chapter. We will aim to get back to you within 6-8 weeks for fiction, and 4-6 weeks for non-fiction, but due to the number of submissions, if you don’t hear from us in that time please presume that you have been unsuccessful. Please email your submission, with the name of the relevant agent in the subject line, to info@dunnfogg.co.uk
- Molly Friedrich – To query Molly please send a standard query letter to mfriedrich@friedrichagency.com. Please include the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject line. They do not accept submissions over the phone or through postal mail. A standard query letter should be composed in the body of the email, not included as an attachment. As you would write any other professional email, please introduce yourself and your project, providing a pitch rather than a synopsis.
- Miriam Goderich – To query Miriam, please send a query letter and writing sample via email to miriam@dystel.com. The writing sample for fiction should comprise the first 25 pages of the manuscript (or the first chapters to approximately that length) and for non-fiction should consist of a proposal and a sample chapter. The sample should be double-spaced and proofread, and the entire submission should be pasted into the BODY of the email (no attachments).
- Margaret Halton – The agency accepts submissions by post and email. To query by email please send the required information to submissions@pewliterary.com ensuring the documents are saved in a Word or pdf format and have 1.5 spacing. To send the information by postal mail, please use the following address: Submissions, PEW Literary, 46 Lexington Street, London, W1F 0LP. Please do not send a return envelope, as all paper submissions will be recycled once reviewed. Responses will be made via email, to the address provided. For fiction submissions, please send the first three chapters (approx. 50 pages) of the completed manuscript, a synopsis, and a brief covering letter. Nonfiction writers should send a proposal covering what the book is about, your credentials to write on the subject, summary on the market including comparable titles, an outline of chapters, and a sample chapter. Please refer to the agencies submissions page for further information on the specific requirements: http://www.pewliterary.com/submitting/. The agency endeavours to respond to all queries within 6 weeks.
- Anne Hawkins – Submissions should include a brief letter detailing the genre, synopsis, and word count of the manuscript, as well as a brief biography. Attach as a single Word document the opening chapter or first three chapters. For non-fiction, attach as a document the full proposal. Include the word ‘query’ in the subject line. ahawkins@jhalit.com
- Christina Hogrebe – To query Christina, please fill in the contact form which can be found underneath her profile on the agency’s website: https://www.janerotrosen.com/agents. Your submission should include a concise description of your work, any relevant biographical information, and your previous publishing history. For fiction, please also include a synopsis and the first three chapters of your work. For nonfiction, please include a proposal and sample chapters.
- Wendy Levinson – Submissions should be made by email to wendy@harveyklinger.com. Include within the body of the message a short synopsis, an author bio, and the first five pages of the manuscript. If necessary, a full manuscript will be requested. Further submission guidelines available at: https://www.harveyklinger.com/submission-guidelines
- Giles Milburn – To query this agency please send submissions, addressed to a specific agent, to submissions@madeleinemilburn.com. Please note the agency does not accept submissions made through the postal mail. The subject line of the email should include your name and the title of your book. All attachments (including sample chapters) should be in Word documents and 1.5 space. For authors of fiction, please include your covering letter in the body of the email, and include a one-line elevator pitch, list up to three comparable titles and authors, make sure to include information about yourself that is relevant to your submission (i.e. writing history and aspirations). Please also attach a one-page synopsis and the first three chapters of the manuscript.
- Justin Nash – To submit material for consideration, please email a letter introducing yourself to submissions@katenashlit.co.uk. For fiction, also include the first chapter (approximately 10 pages) and a synopsis of the whole work, all pasted into the body of an email (not as an attachment). For non-fiction, add a full-length proposal, detailed chapter by chapter synopsis, and a sample chapter. Please do not forget to include your full name, address and telephone number. Please note that the agency endeavours to respond to submissions within 12 weeks.
- Emma Paterson – To query Emma, please email epatterson@bromasite.com. The email should include a query letter, a brief biography, and information on your writing credentials. The query letter should be approximately two pages long and provide an overview of the book. Please note that the agency is unable to respond to all emailed queries.
- Ariana Philips – Please complete the online form available on the agency’s website. You will be required to provide a description of the work and a brief biography. Submissions should be made directly to Ariana. Please note that due to the number of queries the agency is only able to respond to successful submissions. https://www.jvnla.com/submissions.php
- Victoria Sanders – Send a query letter and 3 sample chapters (approximately 25 pages) via e-mail to queriesvsa@gmail.com. N.B the agency does not accept attachments so ensure all information is set out in the main body of your e-mail. Query letters must not exceed a single page and should describe your work as well as include information about your author credentials.
- Victoria Skurnick – To query Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency please complete the online query form available on the agency’s website: https://lgrliterary.com/submissions. Please provide contact information, a summary of your work, comparable titles, and marketing or promotional opportunities. Please also include a proposal or sample chapters, of a maximum of 50 pages or less than 150KB. Querying-authors can also query this agency via email. Please provide the above information, include ‘query’ in the subject line, and identify the type of project you are submitting (adult fiction, nonfiction, or children’s literature), as well as a short author bio and any other relevant information on an email to submit@lgrliterary.com.
- Robin Straus – To query Robin Straus, please send a query letter — including your contact information — an autobiographical summary, a brief synopsis of the project, submission history, and comparable titles. Please also include the opening chapter of your manuscript. Please ensure all the requested information is in the body of an email to info@robinstrausagency.com addressed to Robin. Please also mention if you are querying other agencies simultaneously. Responses will be provided within 6 weeks to queries that the agency is interested in pursuing.
- Alice Tasman – Please complete the online form available on the agency’s website. You will be required to provide a description of the work and a brief biography. Submissions should be made directly to Alice. Please note that due to the number of queries the agency is only able to respond to successful submissions. https://www.jvnla.com/submissions.php
- Zoe Waldie – To query Zoe, please contact her assistant, Natasia Patel at natasia@rcwlitagency.com.. Submissions should include a covering letter introducing yourself and the book. In the case of fiction, please send the first three chapters or the first fifty pages of the work to a natural break, and a brief synopsis. Non-fiction submissions should take the form of a proposal up to twenty pages in length explaining what the work is about and why you are best placed to write it. The material should be in 12-point font, in double-spacing and on one side only of A4 paper.
- Mitchell Waters – To query Mitchell, please send a query letter via email only (mwaters@bromasite.com) that details a compelling overview of the work, information about the author and publishing history or writing credits. The query letter should be approximately two pages long.
If you want to have your manuscript thoroughly improved in terms of character arcs and theme and plot consistency (or just plain phrasing and grammar!) before showing it to a literary agent, holler for Cat here.