This directory lists Black literary agents seeking YA literature.

If there is a Black literary agent seeking YA literature that is missing from the directory below, please email info@melanininya.com.

NOTE: ALWAYS visit the agent’s agency website for the most updated submission guidelines and wishlist.

  • Regina Brooks – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmaker Profile, Profile
    • Twitter: @reginalbrooks
    • Genres: Mystery, Romance, Historical, Thrillers/Suspense, Nonfiction: Biography/Memoir, Humor/Satire, Health, Travel, Lifestyle, Cookbooks, Sports, Science
    • How to Query: Complete Form (Query, Bio, 500 Word Synopsis, Chapter Sample)
    • Query Response Time: 4-6 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: Derrick Barnes, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Olivia Cole, Marjorie Greenfield, April Harrison, Nina Jablonski, Donna Matney, Bil Wright
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Multicultural characters and stories
      • LGBTQ+ characters and stories
    • Fun Fact: made history as the first African American woman to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from The Ohio State University

  • Patrice Caldwell – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: New Leaf Literary & Media
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmaker Profile
    • Twitter: @whimsicallyours
    • Genres: Open to anything, especially genres that people say are “dead”
    • How to Query: Email query@newleafliterary.com with the Subject Line: “Query, Patrice Caldwell.” Please also include the category (ie, MG, YA, adult fiction, etc.) with up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email below your query letter. Email attachments are NOT acceptable.
    • Query Response Time: No Response Means No
    • Partial/Full Response Time: Okay to follow up after 8 weeks
    • Clients: Sierra Elmore, Kwame Mbalia, Nina Varelas
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Own voices queer and/or black stories
      • Character driven stories across all genres
      • Gothic and/or horror elements
      • Vampires
      • Voicey, character-driven contemporary novels in the vein of Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram and History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
      • Retellings, especially queer retellings a la Ash by Malinda Lo
      • Romcoms like the works of Sandhya Menon and Nina Moreno
      • Sci-fi/Fantasy that delves into power in relationships
      •  Neo-noir or cyberpunk Sci-fi
      • High-concept (this includes titles that crossover to adult)
      • Shakespeare-inspired novels 
      • Heist/Con Artist novels
      • Novels set in/around the 1920s
      • Literary Novels
      • Novels in verse
      • Graphic Novels
      • Timeless friendship stories a la The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
      • Nonfiction from a POC/queer perspective
      • Dark novels or dark themes
      • Humor

  • Jemiscoe Chambers-Black – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency Inc.
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Profile
    • Twitter: @jemiscoe
    • Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Horror, Fantasy (except high fantasy)
    • How to Query: Short Query Letter introducing yourself and including a description of your work, as well as previous publishing credentials (if any), and publisher submission history + First 10 Pages of Manuscript + 1-2 Page Synopsis to Query Form
    • Query Response Time: If the agency is interested in your work, they will follow up by email or by phone. However, if you haven’t heard from the agency within 6 to 8 weeks, please assume that the agency is passing on your project. 
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: Heather Powell, Shondra Walker
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Love stories in whatever form they come, especially rom-coms and LGBT+
      • Contemporaries that deals with friendship – its joys and struggles
      • BIPOC and LGBTQ voices and stories
      • Who-done-it mystery
      • Fantasy must be grounded in reality, NO high concept fantasy
    • Not Interested In: Sci-fi, Nonfiction, Historical, High Fantasy, Short Story Collections, books where the oppressor learns their lesson off of the marginalized backs strong religious themes

  • Samantha Fabien – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries Until November
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmaker Profile
    • Twitter: @samanthashnh
    • Genres: Open to all Sub-Genres. Horror, Thrillers, Mysteries, Speculative and Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Fantasy
    • How to Query: Send a concise query letter (short pitch, a short plot summary, and a short bio) + First 5-10 Pages pasted below in the body of your email to: queries@LDLAinc.com with the subject line as “Query: Your Title for Samantha.” Please also include publisher submission history and previous publishing credits, if applicable.
    • Query Response Time: 4-6 Weeks, No Response Means No
    • Partial/Full Response Time: 12 Weeks
    • Clients: Conner Marie Allen, Camille Baker, Alysha Welliver
    • Looking For in YA:
      • All things diverse and #ownvoices
      • Little-known trailblazers
      • Body-positivity
      • High-concept, commercial fiction that features diverse, marginalized, and/or underrepresented voices with all-or-nothing stakes
      • Nuanced Horror similar to Rory Power’s Wilder Girls
      • Thrillers, Mysteries, Speculative and Suspense similar to Alexa Donne’s The Ivies, Courtney Summers’s Sadie, and Kim Liggett’s The Grace Year
      • Contemporary romance/rom-com that highlights people who are traditionally on the sidelines falling in love
      • Hard-hitting Contemporary similar to Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X, Natalia Sylvester’s Running, and Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great is Not Okay
      • Contemporary or Grounded Fantasy similar to Mara Fitzgerald’s Beyond The Ruby Veil, Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, and Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove
      • Re-imaginings of classic tales
      • Secret societies
      • Curses
      • Dark academia
      • Cults
      • Ensemble casts
      • Familial relationships
      • Witches
      • Prophecies
      • Buried secrets
      • Non-western mythology
      • Little-known trailblazers

  • Emily Forney – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: BookEnds Literary
    • MSWL: #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Twitter: @EmilyKaitlinnn
    • Genres: Contemporary Romance, Speculative Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels
    • How to Query: Complete Query Form – Query + Synopsis + First 10 Pages
    • Query Response Time: 6 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: 12 Weeks
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Stories that feature new and progressive takes
      • More fiction from BIPOC and stories that do not necessarily feature trauma at the forefront of these character’s arcs
      • Summer lovers
      • New takes of mythology
      • Dystopian trilogies
      • Fantastical worlds
      • Re-tellings
      • Supernatural (bring on your werewolves, witches, and vampires)
      • Cozy, sweet stories
      • Surprising and contemporary takes within nonfiction
      • The next Outlander
      • Fantasy: High fantasy and the world building cannot sacrifice the character development, fantasy with strong romances
      • Warm, cheesy meet cute
      • Warm romances that capture the magic of teenage summer nights, road trips, and summer camps
      • Boarding school novels about finding a sense of belonging without the traditional family structure guidance
      • Found families
      • Contemporary romances and contemporary stories that delve into how digital media affects social activism for young people
      • LGBTQIA+ stories that don’t use identity as a plot twist
      • Parks and Rec and New Girl-like humor in teens
      • Historical fiction with ballroom scenes with tense almost touch dances
    • Not Interested In: Thrillers, True Crime, Horror, or Memoir.
    • Interviews: PB Critique Fest

  • Chelsea Hensley – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Twitter: @ChelseaBigBang
    • Genres: Open to any
    • How to Query: Send Query + First 3 Pages in Body of Email to chelseaquery@ktliterary.com (Subject line of your email should include the word “Query” along with the title of your manuscript)
    • Agency Response Time: 2 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: N/A
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Fresh concepts, immersive worlds, and a strong voice
      • Especially interested in working with authors from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in publishing, particularly Black authors.
      • Mysteries and thrillers: dark and twisty and deeply character-driven (think: Courtney Summers)
      • Fantasy, sci-fi, or historical novels with strong mystery threads in them
      • Sci-fi grounded in the real world, inventive dystopia like Scythe by Neal Shusterman
      • Horror like Wilder Girls by Rory Power
      • Fantasy: Everything from contemporary to epic, something that puts a fantasy twist on history like Dread Nation by Justina Ireland or The Diviners by Libba Bray, something that blends and bends genres like Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
      • Contemporary and romance: character-driven stories that meet emotional heft with a silvery thread of humor like the work of Robin Benway and Jenny Han
      • Something irreverent and smart like the Netflix series, American Vandal
      • Intricate plots and complex emotional arcs
      • Whip smart protagonists who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
      • Female friendship, partnerships, rivalries, and everything in between are high up on my wishlist
      • Prefers narratives to be female driven, and would love to see more F/F romantic pairings
      • Heists, spies, assassins, thieves and other rogue-ish characters
      • Great antiheroes or characters embarking on redemption arcs like Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender
    • Not Interested In: Nonfiction, poetry, novels-in-verse, graphic novels

  • Ameerah Holliday – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Serendipity Literary Agency
    • MSWL: #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Twitter: @Ms_Holliday93
    • Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary, Nonfiction
    • How to Query: Complete Form (Query, Bio, 500 Word Synopsis, Chapter Sample)
    • Agency Response Time: 4-6 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: N/A
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Novels in verse
      • Writing that explores diverse experiences with elements of intersectionality
      • Stories that take you on a journey through growth
      • Friendship stories
      • Non-fiction: Writing derived from performing arts or passion projects and discussions of mental health in minority communities

Renae L. Moore – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: The Azantian Lit Agency
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Twitter: @renaegade
  • Genres: Speculative Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Romance
  • How to Query: Complete Form
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Own Voices
    • Make me swoon!
    • cyberpunk, solar punk, steampunk with a cultural twist
    • Mysteries: Paranormal, romantic, thriller, legal
    • Make me feel that spine-tingling feeling that we all crave in a good horror story.

  • Kiana Nguyen – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmaker Profile
    • Twitter: @kianangu
    • Genres: Particularly interested in Romance, Horror, Thrillers, Suspense, Fantasy, & Contemporary
    • How to Query: Send Query + First 10 Pages in Body of Email to query.knguyen@maassagency.com
    • Query Response Time: 6 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: 8 Weeks / 8+ Weeks
    • Clients: Alyssa Carlier, Alexandra Higgins, Rebecca Mix
    • Looking For in YA:
      • POC and queer/sapphic voices, especially if the narrative is as much driven by the main character(s) as by a high-concept plot
      • Queer gang ensemble casts in any YA genre/sub-genre that kick ass physically, mentally, at the arcade or in a high-stakes heist.
      • Bittersweet queer love story with thriller or genre spin like Far From You by Tess Sharpe and They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera
      • Dark, twisty narratives that explore human complexity. Gray morality and friendships they would kill to keep.
      • Girls with skinned knees and boys weak with jealousy and queer kids who couldn’t be good if they tried
      • Contemporary featuring lower socioeconomic backgrounds; poor kids who get in as much reckless mischief as their rich counterparts!
      • Happy/hopeful queer romances
      • Domestic Suspense Thrillers
      • Atmospheric horror story
      •  Low/high Fantasy (not-western/European based)
      • Sci-fi stories that are grounded in a real world setting, ie: Netflix’s Black Mirror
    • Not Interested In: Nonfiction, Crime or Military Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Religious fiction
    • Interviews: Writers Block Party (November 19, 2019), DV Pit Success Story (April 3, 2018)
    • Podcast Interviews: Middle Grade Ninja (August 29, 2020), The Manuscript Academy

Trodayne Northern – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: He/Him/His
  • Agency: Prentis Literary
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmaker Profile
  • Twitter: @TroNorth
  • Genres: All
  • How to Query: Complete Form
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Particularly interested in Science Fiction and Fantasy
    • Diverse POVs

Crystal Orazu – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Context Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Twitter: Private
  • Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Contemporary
  • How to Query: Send Query including Bio + First 5-10 pages in body of email to querycrystal@contextlit.com
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Coming of age novels
    • Writing that centers the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, and non-neurotypical persons that bring joy, humor, and emphasize questioning and subverting the status-quo
    •  Simple, open, and honest writing true to an author’s wild imagination or lived experience
    • Anything that brings equal measures of humor, introspection, or feelings of second-hand embarrassment
    • Sweet meandering stories 
    • Darker more fraught narratives
    • Perspectives that make me question the way that I or others move in the world as well as my assumptions or opinions of societies and systems (à la the television series, Black Mirror)

Nicole Payne – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Golden Wheat Literary
  • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmaker Profile
  • Twitter: @tnicolepayne
  • Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy, Mysteries, Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Psychological Thrillers
  • How to Query: Send Query + First 3 Chapters + Synopsis + Bio + Social Media Links in Body of Email
  • Query Response Time: 6 Months, No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • As long as your manuscript’s elements can all be true without any part of God’s Word needing to be put aside or be discounted, it is acceptable
    • Voice
    • Realistic Characters
    • Killer Plot
    • Romance featuring travel to Alternate Universes
    • Southern belle in antebellum era breaking all the rules of society/propriety for the one who has her heart. HEA ending
    • Contemporary with a setting in an exotic rainforest
    • Suspenseful YA with a questionable heroine not afraid to bend the rules and lots of action
    • Kaikan Phrase-esque YA romances
    • Multiple POV

  • Jas Perry – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: KT Literary
    • MSWL: #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Twitter: @TakahashiPerry
    • Genres: Open to all including graphic novels
    • How to Query: Send Query + First 3 Pages in Body of Email to jasquery@ktliterary.com (Eligible titles: Subject line of your email should include the phrase “#OwnVoicesQuery” or “Underrepresented writer query” along with the title of your manuscript)
    • Query Response Time: 2 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: Ridley Adams, Nora Elghazzawi, Brianna Peppins, Amar Shah, Sophia Southard, Kirsten Thompson
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Compelling Voice
      • Mystery with an unlikely friendship like Hap and Leonard
      • Afro-futurist adventure like my childhood love, The Ear, The Eye and The Arm — but #OwnVoices
      • A thriller that makes me sweat like I did while watching the 2016 movie, Whiplash
      • Novels in Verse
      • Unsettling but expressive and lyrical writing like Daniel Kraus’ Rotters
      • Close platonic friendships and familial relationships
      • Narratives with romantic elements and queer romance
      • OwnVoices mythology or eerie supernatural phenomena in contemporary settings
      • SFF in the vein of The Twilight Zone
      • Contemporary: Thoughtful (and accurate!) explorations of adolescent issues of all kinds

  • Leah Pierre – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Ladderbird Literary Agency
    • MSWL: #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Profile
    • Twitter: @leahbene
    • Genres: Romance, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy
    • How to Query: Complete Query Form (Bio, Query, Synopsis, First 3 Chapters)
    • Query Response Time: N/A
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: N/A
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Fantasy with elements of myth and legend: preferably lesser known myths/legends, historical fantasy
      • Romantic meet cute/coming-of-age journey of self-discovery and self-love a la To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han and Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
      • Realistic and raw family-centered novels
      • Mysteries and psychological thrillers: unreliable narrators, something similar to the TV series Orphan Black & Black Mirror, and Sadie by Courtney Summers
      • Fairy-tale retellings/reimaginings
      • Espionage/heist concept novels: think the TV series, Leverage, the movie, Now You See Me, and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
      • Social justice inspired stories
      • Romance: ideally interracial and something out of the ordinary
  • Ramona Pina – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: BookEnds Literary
    • MSWL: #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Twitter: @PinaRamona
    • Genres:
    • How to Query: Complete Query Form – Query + Synopsis + First 3 Pages
    • Query Response Time: 4-6 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: 10-12 Weeks
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Underrepresented voices
      • Fantasy, magical realism, sci-fi, paranormal romance, horror and non-disney princess retellings
      • Dark fantasy themes like Sweeney Todd with dark humor or with lyrical voices like in Pan’s Labyrinth
      • Fast-paced adventure that focuses on sisterhood
      • stories that address concepts of faith and spirituality (not religion specific)
      • Anything having to do with the sea besides pirates
      • Kraken, merpeople that swear to protect it (or destroy it), and other creatures of the watery depths
      • Select non-fiction with a social justice tone that explores race, sex and class in America as well as modern James Baldwin (not gender specific), or works like The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.
    • Not Interested In: RomComs
  • Quressa Robinson – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her/Queen
    • Agency: Folio Literary Management
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Profile
    • Twitter: @qnrisawesome
    • Genres: Contemporary, Sci-fi/Fantasy (including speculative/magical realism), Historical Fiction, Literary, Non-Fiction – Cultural/Social Issues, History, Humor/Gift Book, Graphic Novel, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Multicultural, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Pop Culture, Science/Technology
    • How to Query: Complete Query Form (Brief bio, including any writing credentials you may have + Query + First 10 Pages)
    • Query Response Time: 3 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: Roseanne A. Brown, Parisa Emam, Brittney Morris, Priyanka Taslim, Erika Turner, Valerie Valdes, Joelle Wellington
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Family Saga
      • Genre bending
      • Own voices – Indigenous, African/African American, Asian, Latino/a/x, Muslim and other religious minorities, People with Disabilities  (includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses), Neuroatypical/Neurodivergent, Multiracial/Multicultural, LGBTQ+
      • Modern-day blue stockings, POC fangirls/fanboys, #blackgirlmagic, #carefreeblackgirls, #blackboyjoy, and disabled POCs as leads
      • Non-whitewashed cowboy stories
      • Passion projects in narrative nonfiction with a strong literary voice and commercial appeal
      • Pop science by women, specifically women of color
      • Literary, voice-driven memoir with commercial appeal

  • Tricia Skinner – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries.
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Fuse Literary
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Profile
    • Twitter: @4TriciaSkinner
    • Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror
    • How to Query: Complete Contact Form (Query + Bio + First 20 Pages)
    • Query Response Time: 4-8 Weeks
    • Partial/Full Response Time: 8+ Weeks
    • Clients: S.T. Bende, Nita Brooks, Nina Crespo, Ryan Dalton, Naomi Davis, J. S. Dewes, Jannelle Drummond, T.W. Jacobs, Denice Jobe, John Keefer, Walker McKnight, Tracy St. John, Synithia Williams, Paris Wynters, Cathy Yardley
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Inclusive stories, particularly own voices stories
      • LGBTQ+ and BIPOC protagonists as lead characters
      • Non-contemporary romance, specifically, fresh takes in paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance
      • Enemies-to-lovers or forced proximity romance tropes, tension must be off the charts
      • More space operas, more non-Milky Way planet colonies, more alien species POV in stories.
      • Protagonists who struggle (and fail) on their way to being the hero (gender neutral as used here).
      • Any horror that makes me yell, “Holy sheets!” because I did NOT see the twists coming.
      • Winter Soldier or John Wick-type character on their journey of revenge and redemption. They do bad things to people who’ve hurt them or others.
    • Not Interested In: Faith-based/religious manuscripts, Short story Collections, Poetry, Novellas, Non-fiction, medieval Europe in space
    • Interviews: DV Pit Success Story (September 20, 2016), Holly’s Narrative Dream (August 2, 2016), Writers League of Texas (March 17, 2016), Michelle Hauk (February 26, 2016)

  • Léonicka Valcius – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries from Canadian Writers, Toronto Based
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Transatlantic Agency
    • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Twitter: @leonicka
    • Genres: Commercial Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
    • How to Query: Complete Query Form (Bio + Query + Synopsis + First 20 Pages)
    • Query Response Time: 8 Weeks, No Response Means No
    • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
    • Clients: Gia de Cadenet, Lang Johnson, Kai Cheng Thom
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Eager to work with people of color, including (but not limited to) trans people, disabled people, religious minorities, and queer folks.
      • Fun commercial fiction
      • Romance that ranges from sweet to steamy
      • Otherworldly fantasy
      • Sweeping historical fiction
    • Not Interested In: Mysteries, Thrillers
    • Interviews: DV Pit Success Story (October 4, 2018) Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal Romance Writers (June 7, 2018) Rin Chupero (May 22, 2018), Open Book (May 21, 2014), Kate Hart (March 4, 2013) Room Magazine