Looking for a nonfiction agent to help you get a contract with a traditional publishing house?
Literary agents will distribute your book proposal and query the likely traditional publishing houses about their interest in you and your topic. Some traditional publishers require an agent’s vetting of all authors they consider publishing, so agents are important gatekeepers in that part of the publishing world.
They specialize in book genres and have requirements about how to make contact about your book, just as publishers do. So you’ll need to do your research before you finalize your shortlist of agents to contact about your book proposal. If you’ve written a book proposal about a business book you want to create, you should plan contact at least 100 agents whose webpages specify they work with business books, asking if they’d like to see your proposal. Five to ten percent may respond favorably and ask to see your proposal. Some who read your proposal will offer to represent you and invite you to choose them. Your job is to find a good fit with only one. That person will represent you to the publishers in the very best light and help you negotiate a commitment from one of them to publish your eventual book in exchange for a percentage of all royalties that publisher pays you over time. These 500 are a great place to begin your research.
Laurie Abkemeier
Agency Link: www.defliterary.com/agent/laurie-abkemeier
Manuscript Wishlist: www.defliterary.com/submissions/how-to-submit/
Helen Adams
Agency Link: www.zimmermannliterary.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.zimmermannliterary.com/submissions
Rica Allannic
Agency Link: www.davidblackagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.davidblackagency.com/rica-allannic/
Amelia Atlas
Agency Link: https://cwagency.co.uk/agent/amelia-atlas
Personal Website: www.laurieabkemeier.tumblr.com
Manuscript Wishlist: https://cwagency.co.uk/page/submissions
Georges Borchardt
Agency Link: www.gbagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: http://www.gbagency.com/about
Paul Bresnick
Agency Link: www.bresnickagency.com/about/paul-bresnick
Manuscript Wishlist: www.bresnickagency.com/contact/
Sarah Burnes
Agency Link: www.thegernertco.com/our-team
Manuscript Wishlist: www.thegernertco.com/our-team/
Chris Calhoun
Agency Link: www.chriscalhounagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.chriscalhounagency.com/submissions
Michael Caligaris
Agency Link: www.hollowayliteraryagency.com/michael-caligaris
Manuscript Wishlist: www.hollowayliteraryagency.com/submissions/
Tess Callero
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/tess-callero/
Elise Capron
Agency Link: www.dijkstraagency.com/agent-page.php?agent_id=Capron
Manuscript Wishlist: www.dijkstraagency.com/submission-guidelines.php
Farley Chase
Agency Link: www.chaseliterary.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.chaseliterary.com/submissions
Elyse Cheney
Agency Link: www.cheneyassoc.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.cheneyassoc.com/
Elizabeth Copps
Agency Link: www.mariacarvainisagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/elizabeth-copps/
Rachel Crawford
Agency Link: www.wolflit.com/tag/rachel-crawford
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/rachel-crawford/
Sandra Dijkstra
Agency Link: www.dijkstraagency.com
Personal Website: www.dijkstraagency.com/sandra-dijkstra
Manuscript Wishlist: www.dijkstraagency.com/sandra-dijkstra
Priya Doraswamy
Agency Link: www.lotuslit.com/about
Manuscript Wishlist: www.lotuslit.com/submissions/
Henry Dunow
Agency Link: www.dclagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.dclagency.com
Caroline Eisenmann
Agency Link: www.goldinlit.com/agents
Manuscript Wishlist: www.mswishlist.com/agent/CarolineMEisen
Mary Evans
Agency Link: www.maryevansinc.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.maryevansinc.com/submissions.html
Mark Falkin
Agency Link: www.markfalkin.com/falkin-literary
Manuscript Wishlist: www.markfalkin.com/falkin-literary.html
Jenni Ferrari-Adler
Agency Link: www.unionliterary.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.unionliterary.com/submissions/
Christy Fletcher
Agency Link: www.fletcherandco.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.fletcherandco.com/team/christy-fletcher/
Ellen Geiger
Agency Link: www.goldinlit.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.francesgoldinliteraryagency.submittable.com/
Susan Ginsburg
Agency Link: www.writershouse.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.writershouse.com/submissions/
Susan Golomb
Agency Link: www.writershouse.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.writershouse.com/submissions/
Wendi Gu
Personal Website: www.jenchentran.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/wendi-lulu-gu/
Serene Hakim
Agency Link: www.pandeliterary.com/about
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/serene-hakim-ayesha-pande-literary/
Paul Lucas
Agency Link: www.janklowandnesbit.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.janklowandnesbit.com/people/paul-lucas
Ed Maxwell
Agency Link: www.greenburger.com/agent/ed-maxwell
Personal Website: http://edwardmaxwell.com/
Manuscript Wishlist: www.greenburger.com/agent/ed-maxwell
Melissa Nasson
Agency Link: www.rpcontent.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.rpcontent.com/submissions
Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts
Agency Link: www.hsgagency.com/soumeyas-bio
Manuscript Wishlist: www.mswishlist.com/agent/soumeya_bio
Quressa Robinson
Agency Link: www.nelsonagency.com/quressa-robinson
Personal Website: www.quressa.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/quressa-robinson/
Adrienne Rosado
Agency Link: www.stonesong.com/about-us
Manuscript Wishlist: www.stonesong.com/adrienne-rosado
Andrea Somberg
Agency Link: www.harveyklinger.com/submission-guidelines
Manuscript Wishlist: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/andrea-somberg-new
Jennifer Chen Tran
Agency Link: www.bradfordlit.com/about/jennifer-chen-tran-agent
Manuscript Wishlist: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jennifer-chen-tran/
Jennifer Wills
Agency Link: www.theseymouragency.com/About-Us
Personal Website: www.jenniferhopewills.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.mswishlist.com/agent/WillsWork4Books
Maximilian Ximenez
Agency Link: www.lperkinsagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.lperkinsagency.com/#submissions