What Are Literary Agents Seeking Right Now in Upmarket Fiction? (Part I)
30+ Agents Seeking the next Lessons in Chemistry, The Other Black Girl, The School for Good Mothers, and More...
What does it mean when an agent says they’re seeking the next [fill-in-the-blank]? It doesn’t mean you should try to copy that author’s story or writing style. It does mean that the agent is looking for a book that resonates with the same audience and/or touches on similar themes or vibes as that book. If you could accurately comp your manuscript to the book or author, then it’s probably a good fit for pitching.
Of course, what is a comp to one agent might not be to another. For example, agent Claire Friedman calls out that she wants book club fiction “with splashy concepts that will get readers talking” like Lessons in Chemistry (among others). While agent Hillary Jacobson says she’d like “smart, moving stories with a touch of whimsy” also like Lessons in Chemistry (and also among others). Each of these agents is looking for slightly different aspects of this story. A helpful tip is to include how your manuscript compares to that particular story, but also how it differs. Literary agent Vicky Weber enlightens readers on what an agent’s wish list really means, so be sure to take a peek.
One more thing to note…generally the rule of thumb for novels is that comps should be recent (2-3 years max), which some of these books are, as well as not a huge hit, which all of these books are. So, although the agent is specifically calling this out in their wish list, you’ll want to also include at least one more comp that meets those requirements. Check out author Kelly Beck’s recent post on comps for more details.
To see each agent’s manuscript wish list, click their name below…
10 Agents Seeking the Next…Lessons in Chemistry
Jessica Errera, Jane Rotrosen Agency
Claire Friedman, Inkwell Management
Ali Lake, O'Connor Literary Agency
Esty Loveing-Downes, ArtHouse Literary Agency
Juliana McBride, Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency
Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency
(Psst…follow Kate’s Substack too!)
Erin Niumata, Folio Literary Management
Jennifer Chen Tran, Glass Literary Management
7 Agents Seeking the Next…The Other Black Girl
Amy Bishop-Wycisk, Trellis Literary Management
Annalise Errico, Ladderbird Literary Agency
Amy Giuffrida, Belcastro Literary Agency
Logan Harper, Jane Rotrosen Agency
Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit Associates
Dorian Maffei, Kimberley Cameron & Associates
Kristina Perez, Pérez Literary & Entertainment
7 Agents Seeking the next…Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Laura Crockett, TriadaUS Literary Agency
Margaret Danko, High Line Literary Collective
Allison Hellegers, Stimola Literary Studio
Tia Ikemoto, CAA (Note: Tia has moved on to CAA.)
Victoria Marini, High Line Literary Collective
Jenna Satterthwaite, Storm Literary Agency
(Psst…follow Jenna’s Substack here!)
Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore and Company
5 Agents Seeking the Next…The School for Good Mothers
Claire Friedman, Inkwell Management
Katie Grimm, Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Logan Harper, Jane Rotrosen Agency
Lauren Liebow, Aevitas Creative Management
Ashley Lopez, Waxman Literary Agency
5 Agents Seeking the Next…Remarkably Bright Creatures
Melanie Figueroa, Root Literary
Shannon Hassan, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Ginger Hutchinson, Movable Type Management
Jared Johnson, Olswanger Literary
3 Agents Seeking the Next…Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Chelsea Eberly, Greenhouse Literary Agency
Amy Stapp, Wolfson Literary Agency
2 Agents Seeking the Next…The Wedding People
Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Birch Path Literary
Annie Romano, Olswanger Literary
Remember before querying be sure to double-check the agent’s website, QueryTracker, and their most recent social media posts, if available, to ensure they are currently open and still seeking these types of manuscripts.
Come back next week for Part II for a list of agents seeking books like…Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Book Lovers, Such a Fun Age, Romantic Comedy, The Midnight Library, and Yellowface. And check out last week’s round-up of agents currently seeking weird girl fiction.
Heather Garbo is a book coach, editor and writer with a background in communications, book publishing, and nonprofit work. Heather specializes in working with women’s fiction writers who are discovering (or rediscovering) their writing voice in midlife. Find her at www.garbobookcoaching.com.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase a book by clicking on that link, I may earn a small commission. Image courtesy of Freepik.
So interesting.
Fabulous way to break this down. Thanks so much!