This directory lists Black Literary Agents currently seeking YA literature. This includes Black and biracial/multiracial Literary Agents who identify as part Black (i.e. Afro-Latinx, etc…).

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

Last Updated: September 14, 2026

Note: ALWAYS visit the agent and agency’s website(s) for the most updated submission guidelines.

Note: All agencies mentioned here have deals on Publishers Marketplace. Agencies that require writers to subscribe to a newsletter or pay a fee in order to query are not included in this list. We encourage querying writers to read Writer Beware. Agents are removed from this list if they have been found to be in bad practice, if they no longer represent YA, or if they have left the business.

Thais Afonso – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Azantian Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, 2 Page Synopsis, First 20 Pages)
  • Agency Response Time: Aims to Respond to All Queries Within 3 Months
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Marginalized authors, especially indigenous voices and voices from the Global South
    • The unsettling, the Gothic, folkloric horror, social horror, commercial horror, space horror, well balanced horror-romance, deep ocean first contact horror, gory body horror in the vein of The Substance
    • Lesbians, Queer authors of color writing romance, rivals-to-lovers sports romance
    • Commercial Mysteries & Thrillers that must be fast paced
    • Mysteries & Thrillers that are tense and completely unrelated to law enforcement, predictable but addictive
    • Cozy whimsical stories
    • Sci-fi: Epic adventures in space, dark academia in space, anything that feels like anime, anti-capitalist and anti-colonialist themes
  • Not Interested In: Incest storylines, pedophilia storylines, dystopian without heavy romance subplot, dystopian in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale, Historical Fiction, books with Zionist and imperialist propaganda, copaganda, or racist, queerphobic, Islamophobic, and anti-semitic tropes, enemies-to-lovers, don’t send her books about Indigenous people if you’re not a culturally connected member of those Indigenous communities, books over 120k words

Kerry-Ann Bentley – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: KAB Literary
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to any
  • How to Query: Send Query, 1 Page Synopsis, First Chapter with “KABL Submission” in Subject Line, Followed by Your Name and Book Title to submissions@kabliterary.com
  • Agency Response Time: No Response After 20 Weeks Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Antonia Jade King, Jackson King, Nicole Ocran, Dominique Palmer, Safiya Robinson, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Stories that combine adventure, magic, mystery, and big-hearted narratives about adolescence

Regina Brooks – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Serendipity Literary Agency LLC
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile, Profile
  • Genres: Mystery, Romance, Historical, Thrillers/Suspense, Nonfiction: Biography/Memoir, Humor/Satire, Health, Travel, Lifestyle, Cookbooks, Sports, Science
  • How to Query: Query 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, Marjorie Greenfield, April Harrison, Bil Wright, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Multicultural characters and stories
    • LGBTQ+ characters and stories
  • Interviews: SCBWI Podcast (September 2026), Book Brunch (February 2026), Your BIPOC Writing Coach Podcast (June 2025), PW Meet the Agent (August 21, 2020), Women on Writing (June 11, 2019), Poets & Writers (September/October 2018), Writers Digest (November 2007)
  • 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

Sobi-Dee Burbano – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Jackson Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile, Profile
  • Genres: Adventure, Contemporary, Dystopian, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsism First 10 Pages)
  • Agency Response Time: Up to 45 Days
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Nadia Chandinie, Lorna Lewis, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Hooks and page jumping scenes to capture my attention
    • Bold characters, passionate romances, and twists that keep me bound
    • Books that are uplifting, heart-wrenching, and mysterious appeal to my soul
    • Multigenerational
    • Psychological Thrillers

Patrice Caldwell – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries (Only accepting YA by referral or personal request)

  • Agency: The Caldwell Agency
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to anything, especially genres that people say are “dead”
  • How to Query: Query Form
  • Query Response Time: No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: Okay to follow up after 8 weeks
  • Clients: Tre’Vell Anderson, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Roseanne A. Brown, George M. Johnson, Leah Johnson, Sarah Nicole Lemon, Kwame Mbalia, etc…
  • 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
    • 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
  • Interviews: United by Pop (March 2020), Kirkus Reviews, SCBWI
  • Previous Contributor: Publishing Crawl (Archive)

Jenniea Carter – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Agency: New Leaf Literary & Media
  • MSWL: Wishlist
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Horror, Graphic Novels
  • How to Query: Query Form or Send Query + First 5 Pages Double Spaced in Body of Email with Subject Line: QUERY, Jenniea Carter – YA Genre” to query@newleafliterary.com
  • Query Response Time: No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time:
  • Clients: Jaylene Clark Owens, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Gothic romances where the setting is just as important as the MCs and has morally grey characters that steal your heart
    • Revenge in a fantasy world, high-concept, commercial ideas with high stakes
    • Teen romance that doesn’t have a happy ending. Break my heart like A Walk to Remember, The Fault In Our Stars, and If I Stay
    • Horror, especially if it is tied to cultural lore, girls and fems who haunt, stalk, and revel in payback
    • Retellings with twists and fresh characters, Northanger Abbey retelling

Jemiscoe Chambers-Black – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Agency: Starling Literary + Media
  • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Dealmakers Profile / Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Profile
  • Genres: Romance, Romcom, Contemporary, Fantasy (except high fantasy), Paranormal, Thriller, Horror, Graphic Novels (author-illustrators only)
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 10 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: 1 Day – 6 Months 
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Amaka Egbe, Michelle Jing Chan, Mia Kayla, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Writing that contains authentic emotional resonance—whether it brings on the giggles, tears, or both
    • Voicey characters that highlight the complexity and curiosity of the human nature
    • 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
    • Romance with a speculative or light fantastical twists that elevates the emotion and urgency
    • Fantasy must be grounded in reality, NO high concept fantasy
    • fast-paced, voicey, and cinematic YA thrillers or horror that explore power, fear, or social tension through a teen lens
  • Not Interested In: Historical, High Fantasy, Short Story Collections, stories where the oppressor learns their lesson off of the marginalized backs, strong religious themes

Lane Clark – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/They
  • Agency: Ultra Literary
  • MSWL: MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: All
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 3 Chapters)
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Jasmine Smith, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Stories by underrepresented and marginalized creators
    • Takes on an old genre with a new point of view
    • Contemporary stories that pack an emotional punch
    • Historical fiction similar to Stacey Lee and Ruta Sepetys (certain to make her cry)
    • Speculative contemporary fiction similar to Adam Silvera and Justin A. Reynolds
    • Worlds where there is something just a little bit off
    • Interesting narrative structures, similar to ILLUMINAE and SLEEPING GIANTS
    • Multiple POV
    • Smart YA that takes on cultural issues from the point of view of messy teenagers
    • College stories, freshmen coming-of-age stories, and books about teens who do something other than college as their next step
    • Found family books
    • Graphic Novels from writer/illustrators.
  • Interviews: Literary Rambles (October 2023)

Jon Cobb – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: He/Him
  • Agency: HG Literary
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to Any
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 5 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: 12 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Ambika Vora-Nagino, Brian Wasson, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Contemporary, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
    • Anything related to track and field, geek culture, weird science or cutting-edge technology
    • BIPOC stories of all kinds, especially Black or Filipino stories
    • Romances and rom-coms between two characters of color
    • Black joy! Stories that center the Black American experience without centering Black trauma
    • Stories that revolve around a character’s return to their ancestral home
    • Fantasy or speculative stories leveraging non-European folklore, mythology and cosmology
    • Contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy or magical realism–stories set firmly in our world but with a unique twist
    • Smart, taut spy thrillers channeling the late Robert Ludlum, with a modern voice
    • BIPOC amateur sleuths taking on entrenched power structures
    • Thoughtful, cerebral science fiction focused on big ideas
    • Anything involving time travel or parallel worlds, especially if used to comment on real-life sociopolitical issues
    • A literary or upmarket novel set during a big, multigenerational Black family reunion
    • A speculative novel that leverages video game or tabletop mechanics like Ready Player One (but with less nostalgia-baiting)
    • A horror or mystery novel set during a Civil War reenactment, on a historic plantation, etc.–where the present-day story links thematically with America’s dark past
    • A speculative take on an enclosed, high-pressure, professional environment–fantasy Law & Order, The Newsroom or Grey’s Anatomy
    • A dark academia novel with unique, creative magic systems like A Deadly Education
    • A speculative novel where characters use metaphysics to steer social change like The Future of Another Timeline
  • Interviews: Literary Rambles (January 2025), Pacific Islanders in Publishing (May 2024)

Loni Crittenden – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Handspun Literary Agency
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Genres: Speculative Fiction
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis)
  • Agency Response Time: 8 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Imaginative, accessible fantasies with literary crossover appeal, atmospheric stories
    • Stories from historically underrepresented voices, diverse cast of characters, disability & non-neurotypicality representation, LGBTQ+ elements and characters, feminist sensibilities
    • Flawed, active protagonists, complicated villains, high angst, sacrasm
    • Tropey, nerdy pop-culture references, dark sense of humor, gothic flavor, elements of magical realism
    • Retellings & Reimaginings
    • Happy or happy-ish endings
    • Country house murders

Saffron Dodd – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Agency: Ash Literary
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Magical Realism, Mystery, Science Fiction, Steampunk
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 3 Chapters)
  • Query Response Time: 12 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Hailie Kei, Iliana Jimenez, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Contemporary & Fantasy stories that aren’t first and foremost a romance
    • Stories that are about self-discovery, friendship and familial matters above anything
    • Mysteries for the teen reader that aren’t particularly dark or gory
    • Romantic subplots are a true slow burn (be swept away without it being the main focus of the story)
    • Graphic novels that are outside of the box, mysteries, accessible sci-fi, sports
    • Genre-bending stories
    • BIPOC Literature, particularly Caribbean, West African, & South East Asian
    • LGBTQ representation
  • Not Interested In: Contemporary Romance, Romcom, Animal POVs, novels in Verse, novels where police brutality is the main conflict/theme, novels including extensive and explicit drug usage, graphic novels pitches with only scripts
  • Interviews: Book Brunch (January 2023)

Hana El Niwairi – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries (Re-opens November 2026)

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: CookeMcDermid Literary Management
  • MSWL: MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy (especially historical & romantasy), Speculative, Thrillers
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Bio, Synopsis, First 10 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Lovers to Enemies
    • Sentient House/Place
    • Speculative set in our world: stories that are or play with horror and fabulist fiction.
    • Character-driven stories featuring complex, nuanced protagonists, unlikely heroes, anti-heroes, and anti-villains, morally grey protagonists and/or ‘difficult’ women
    • Commercial fiction written by and about marginalized communities

Samantha Fabien – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries (Only OPEN to accepting YA by referral or personal request)

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Root Literary
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to all genres, especially Horror, Thrillers, Mysteries, Romance (especially Contemporary, Romcoms Romantasy, & Dystopian)
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 20 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: 4-6 Weeks, No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: 12 Weeks
  • Clients: Camille Baker, Lauren Blackwood, Kiki Nguyen, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • All things diverse and #ownvoices
    • Little-known trailblazers
    • Body-positivity, sex positivity
    • High-concept, commercial fiction that features diverse, marginalized, and/or underrepresented voices with all-or-nothing stakes
    • Gothic Horror, 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, cults, dark academia
    • Curses, Witches, Prophecies
    • Unique magic systems (especially with consequences)
    • Immigrant experiences
    • Family sagas, ensemble casts, familila relationships
    • Fantasies involving political & religious elements
    • Generational ties (trauma, curses, magic, secrets, etc…)
    • Brave and bold characters (for good or bad)
    • Healthy & toxic relationships (familial, platonic, romantic)
    • Themes of obsession, power, resistance, rebellion, feminisim, gray morality
    • Chaotic openings and/or characters, ruthless & messy characters
    • Fast/intentional pacing, tight plotting
    • Convincing red herrings
    • Heists, twisted games, con artists or grifters on the job
    • Unexpected twists or POVs or villains
    • Reincarnation + fated lovers
    • Buried secrets, unraveling secrets at reunion or celebration
    • Yearning and/or pining
    • Non-western mythology
    • Haunting, small and/or isolated settings
    • All or nothing stakes
    • Inheritance stories
    • Little-known trailblazers
  • Not Interested In: Novellas, Graphic Novels, Memoirs, Short Story Collections, Poetry

Emily Forney – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Agency: BookEnds Literary
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Contemporary Romance, Speculative Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First Chapter)
  • Query Response Time: 6 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: 12 Weeks
  • Clients: Kamilah Cole, Nia Davenport, Hayley Dennings, A.K. Kim, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • When high concept plot meets high concept thought, with life or death consequences
    • Thoughtful, multi-layered stories about love and loss and first experiences in the contemporary space
    • Darker speculative work, murder, magic, monsters, gothic, creepy, or spooky
    • Stories that feature new and progressive takes
    • Adventure stories with a lot of movement, exploration, but also have solid grounding in the heart and emotions of the kids within the story
    • More fiction from BIPOC and stories that do not necessarily feature trauma at the forefront of these character’s arcs
    • Stories with a play pattern. We usually see the term used in young children’s media (think children’s cartoons with a particular format for each episode an audience can remember well). For instance, the Gallagher Girls series, The Princess Diaries, Camp Confidential, all of these books have specific calling cards for young teens to hold onto through each book
    • Summer lovers
    • New takes of mythology
    • Dystopian trilogies
    • Stories with houses, factions, districts, mystery patterns, etc
    • 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

Rosa Frazier – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Agency: The Seymour Agency
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to any, especially Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Thrillers, Graphic Novels
  • How to Query: Query Form
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Underrepresented BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and disabled creatives, Caribbean and South American stories
    • Folklore, mythologies with representation of second languages and dialects

Chelsea Hensley – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Mad Woman Literary Agency
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Mysteries, Thrillers, Horror, sci-fi, Contemporary Romance
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 5 Pages)
  • Agency Response Time: 2 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Roselyn Clarke, Andy C. Naranjo, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Lyrical prose, voice that comes off the page, intricate plots, complex emotional arcs, and immersive worlds. Ambitious works that play with form and narration as well as works that blend genre, aren’t afraid to get a little weird, and surprise her. The bolder the better.
    • Smart mysteries and thrillers, suspenseful/atmospheric and arresting horror
    • 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)
    • Fresh Fantasy or historical novels with strong mystery threads in them
    • Fresh sci-fi
    • Things that are pacey and confident and really tap into the intense emotions of teen life
    • Horror like Wilder Girls by Rory Power
    • Fresh 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
    • Heartfelt romance
    • 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: Poetry, novellas, novels-in-verse, memoir, contemporary without romance or sci-fi, issue books

Ameerah Holliday – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Serendipity Literary Agency
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary, Nonfiction
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, 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
    • Queer Romcom
    • Spooky horror with cultural significance
    • Non-fiction: Writing derived from performing arts or passion projects and discussions of mental health in minority communities
  • Not Interested In: Trauma centered fiction

Justina Ireland – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/They
  • Agency: Handspun Literary Agency
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Genres: Speculative Fiction
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query)
  • Agency Response Time: 8 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Meticulous worldbuilding, complicated characters
    • Stories that ask complicated questions without talking down to a reader
    • Writers from historically marginalized backgrounds
  • Not Interested In: Nonfiction, Romantasy, Contemporary, Previously Self Published Works

Michelle Z. Jackson – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Jackson Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile, Profile
  • Genres: Contemporary, Historical, Christian, Romance, Speculative, Light Fantasy, Magical Realism, Paranormal
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 10 Pages)
  • Agency Response Time: Up to 60 Days
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Strong voice and masterful descriptive writing, stories with memorable characters, a great premise, a twist on an old tale and original concepts
    • Books that make my heart squeeze, make me ugly cry, have my heart pound or make me laugh until I cry
    • Feel-good stories that make my heart sigh with contentment at the end, an underlying message of hope and joy
    • Twisty reads that keep me guessing and that makes my eyes burn at night
    • Great friendships and those that explore family dynamics in new ways
    • BIPOC #ownvoices stories

Renée Jarvis – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Triangle House Literary
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to any
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 30 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Works that center POC and LGBTQIA+ voices, the work of Black writers across the African diaspora
    • Robust plots, bold characters with a sense of humor, unique formats, stories that explore friendship and family, and lyrical prose

Natalie Jerome – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Originate Literary Agency
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to any
  • How to Query: Send Query, Synopsis, First 3 Chapters to originatesubmissions@originateliterary.co.uk
  • Query Response Time: No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Sir Lenny Henry, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Narratives that are powerful, move me spiritually and emotionally, tell me something about the human condition, packs a massive emotional punch
    • Funny writers
    • All things music
    • Stories that lend themselves to cross-media opportunities
    • Game-changing voices
    • Under-represented writers, writers from lower socio-economic backgrounds

Kima Jones – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Triangle House Literary
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Essay Collections, Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Poetry, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror, Hybrid Texts
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 10 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: David Haynes, Renata Cherlise, Brooklyn White-Grier, Rochelle Spencer, etc…

Tianna Kelly – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/They
  • Agency: Neighborhood Literary
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Speculative Fiction
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 20 Pages)
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • High-stakes hooks and commercial appeal, bold speculative fiction
    • Underrepresented voices, particularly Queer and own voices
    • Dark romance, sharp romantic comedies, genre-bending romantasy
    • Stories with complex emotions, unforgettable relationships, and high-stakes worldbuilding
    • Stories that blur the line between love and disaster (in the best way)
  • Not Interested In: Quiet, internal character studies or hard sci-fi

Sheyla Knigge – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries (Open the 1st week of each quarter)

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Highline Literary Collective
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Fantasy (all subgenres), Romance, Romcom, Thriller, Horror, Historical
  • How to Query: Query Form
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Andrea Towers, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Romance with a twist
    • Stories that reflect an author’s lived experience (#ownvoices)
    • Dark & twisted from academia to romantasy
    • Small town secrets and murderous teens
    • Commercial character driven story
    • Queer stories, BIPOC stories
    • Just one bed trope
    • Witches
    • Family secrets
    • Stories with magic or a speculative twist on our world
  • Interviews: Path 2 Pub (March 2024)

La Sheera Lee – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: SBR Media
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Genres: Contemporary Romance, Urban Literature, Suspense/Thriller
  • How to Query: Query Form
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Marginalized voices
  • Interviews: Podium Entertainment (February 2025)

Allegra Martschenko – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries (Opens after September 15, 2026, moving away from strictly YA clients and prefers clients who primarily write Adult)

  • Pronouns: They/Them
  • Agency: BookEnds Literary Agency
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Speculative Fiction
  • How to Query: Query Form
  • Agency Response Time: 1-4 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Ana Davis, S. Hati, O.O. Sangoyomi, Eli Snow, Yejin Suh, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Marginalized voices in the SFF space
    • Gorgeous prose, sweeping stories, characters with big hearts, and prose that inspires
    • Ambitious, thematically complex projects whose magic/mystery helps us understand real world issues
    • Is partial to high/epic stories but certainly open to everything—low, contemporary, near or distant future, fabulism, urban
    • Genre blending
    • Upper YA, YA with adult crossover appeal
    • Worlds that can be described as “lush”
    • Found family
    • Historical fantasy
    • Magic in some form
    • Mortals wrestling with gods/godlike powers

Taj McCoy – OPEN to Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Starling Literary + Media
  • MSWL: MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: All
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 3 Chapters)
  • Agency Response Time: 1-12 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Catherine Adel West, Mia Heintzelman, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Stories featuring different racial/ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions, the LGBTQ+ community, disabled characters, neurodivergent characters, fat characters, characters facing mental health challenges, and characters at the intersection of any combination of these characteristics
    • BIPOC and queer writers who embrace their identity/culture
    • Body positivity
    • Intersectionality
    • Black joy
    • Girls in STEM
    • Angsty, emotional love stories
    • Romance, Rom-coms
    • Humorous Contemporary Fiction
    • Paranormal, Horror
    • Voicey coming-of-age stories
    • Exciting mysteries and thrillers
    • Witty teens who embrace their cultures and differences
    • Non-fiction that highlights historical figures and innovators who aren’t included in today’s curriculum
  • Kiana Nguyen – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries
    • Pronouns: She/Her
    • Agency: Donald Maass Literary Agency
    • MSWL: Profile
    • Query Tracker: Profile
    • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
    • Genres: Particularly interested in Contemporary Romance, Horror, Thrillers, Suspense, Fantasy
    • 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, Anna Gracia, Alexandra Higgins, etc…
    • Looking For in YA:
      • Slackers, miscreants, and misguided — the kids with ambitions outside of the Ivy League tract. Think Skins not Gilmore Girls. Or Heartbreak High not Never Have I Ever for the Netflix generation
      • A twisty, soapy time travel mystery a la Netflix’s Dark (German show (2017-2020)
      • The unlikable bad girl than the rule abiding overachiever
      • 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.
      • Toxic friendships, relationships, situationships. Secrets that break friends and make friends. Hidden desires that threaten sisterhood
      • 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, Psychological Thrillers, Speculative Thrillers
      • Book like the video game Oxenfree
      • A version of I Saw A TV Glow where the characters are actually stuck in a spell/supernatural prison they have to escape to get back to their real lives
      • Atmospheric Horror, Horror with sneaky, snarky, devious misfits terrorizing or being terrorized
      •  Low/high Fantasy (not-western/European based)
      • Sci-fi stories that are grounded in a real world setting, ie: Netflix’s Black Mirror
      • Fresh fantasy: unlikely protagonists, locations, premises, romantasy or dark academia with a twist or different look into the genres
    • Not Interested In: Private schools, Religious themes, Holiday themed, dragons, magic schools, interracial relationship cures racism, conventional hero journeys, stories set during COVID, Dystopian, Political Thrillers, Nonfiction, Crime or Military Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories,
    • Interviews: Writers Block Party (November 2019), DV Pit Success Story (April 2018)
    • Podcast Interviews: Middle Grade Ninja (August 2020), The Manuscript Academy

Trodayne Northern – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: He/Him/His
  • Agency: Prentis Literary
  • MSWL: #MSWL
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: All
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 20 Pages)
  • 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

Gyamfia Osei – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Andrew Nurnberg Associates Ltd
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Genre Fiction, Graphic Novels
  • How to Query: Send Query, 1 Page Synopsis (Attachment), First 3 Chapters or First 50 Pages (Attachment) to submissions@nurnberg.co.uk
  • Agency Response Time: No Response Means No At 90 Day Mark
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Cairo Aibangbee, C.M. Basma, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Boy led stories
    • YA to Adult Crossover
    • Well-plotted, fast-paced narratives with unforgettable characters
    • Quirky fantasy, dark or off-beat romantic comedy, and tightly plotted domestic noir
    • Nonfiction: cultural history and narrative non-fiction projects with strong voices and fresh perspectives, unique cookbooks for young chefs, books on mental health and wellness, and projects that centre the experiences of children from the global majority
  • Not Interested In: Gruesome Horror
  • Interviews: Writing Magazine (August 2025)

Nicole Payne – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Confluence Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile / #MSWL
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Romance and all romance subgenres are first priority, Mystery, Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 3 Chapters)
  • Query Response Time: 6 Months, No Response Means No
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Stories with unforgettable voice, compelling plot, exquisite prose, and that ineffable quality that makes them impossible to put down
    • Multiple POV
    • Diverse voices and stories that reflect our rich, varied world.
    • Realistic Characters
    • 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 with a questionable heroine not afraid to bend the rules and lots of action
    • Kaikan Phrase-esque YA romances
  • Not Interested In: Political novels, ghosts, genies, girls who unknowingly have powers and must save the world, stories that start with a character waking up from a dream/nightmare or character is beung followed by someone in a hooded cloak, stories that start with the setting/weather being described

Jas Perry – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/They
  • Agency: Looking Glass Literary & Media
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to all including graphic novels
  • How to Query: TK
  • Query Response Time: 2 Weeks
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Ridley Adams, Nora Elghazzawi, Brianna Peppins, Amar Shah, Sophia Southard, Kirsten Thompson, etc…
  • 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 – CLOSED to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Ladderbird Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile / Profile
  • Genres: Romance, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, SFF, Paranormal, Horror
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, Synopsis, First 3 Chapters)
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Commercial YA that will hook you or make you cry
    • Stories from BIPOC writers
    • 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
    • An elevated dark academia, some moody, dark atmospheric (southern) gothic
    • Otherwordly and magical, political intrigure
    • Social justice inspired stories
    • Sci-fi that is accessible (space opera, near future, etc..)
    • Whodunit
    • Romance: Ideally interracial and something out of the ordinary

Rebecca Rodd – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Levine Greenberg Rostan
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Especially interested in Speculative Fiction, Romance, Nonfiction
  • How to Query: Query Form (Query, First 50 Pages) or Send Email with Query & First 50 Pages to rrodd@lgrliterary.com
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Arushi Avachat, Paige Classey, etc…
  • Looking For in YA:
    • stories set on an HBCU campus
    • A devourable romcom or straightforward romance with elevated writing
    • Grounded speculative fiction
    • Fiction meets Food Network
    • Books about Hawai’i written by native Hawaiians
    • Page-turning Contemporary Romance
    • Non-linear storytelling
    • Fresh, gripping premise, built out with thoughtful, multi-dimensional characters and strong voices
    • Stories that have potential for movie or TV adaptation
    • Nonfiction: Millennial experiences and perspectives, especially ones that challenge societal norms, or that feel fresh and from underrepresented voices, food, pop culture, psychology, and social commentary with hints of humor.

Susan Yearwood – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Susan Yearwood Agency
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Commercial Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Nonfiction
  • How to Query: Send Query, Synopsis/Outline, First 30 Pages with Your Name, Manuscript Title & Genre in Subject Line to submissions@susanyearwoodagency.com.
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: Selina Flavius, etc…
  • Not Interested In: Sci-fi, Poetry, Short Story Collections

Jazmia Young – OPEN to Unsolicited Queries

  • Pronouns: She/Her
  • Agency: Curtis Brown LTD Literary Agency
  • MSWL: Profile
  • Query Tracker: Profile
  • Publishers Marketplace: Dealmakers Profile
  • Genres: Open to any
  • How to Query: Send Query + First 10 Pages in Body of Email with QUERY in Subject Line to jky@cbltd.com
  • Query Response Time: N/A
  • Partial/Full Response Time: N/A
  • Clients: N/A
  • Looking For in YA:
    • Underrepresented voices and experiences including LGBTQ voices
    • Stories with friendship ties, complicated family dynamics, grief/loss
    • Stories set in New York
    • Exploring what it means to fall in love for the first time
    • Immigration stories that open your eyes
  • Interviews: Literary Rambles (September 2022)