19 agents you can query today 💌

Agents who have newly opened to queries (August 26-September 1)

Happy Monday, writers! It’s Labor Day, the unofficial start of the publishing fall season, which means many literary agents have opened their inboxes to hopeful authors.

Here are the agents who opened to queries in the past week (August 26-September 1), along with information about what they’re looking for, some of their published titles, and their query link.

Best of luck, and happy querying!

Note that this newsletter is purely informational and is not an endorsement of any particular agent or agency.

Maggie Cooper of Aevitas Creative Management

Maggie is seeking imaginative, genre-bending literary fiction; beautifully told queer stories; and smart, feminist vacation reads. She loves retellings of classic stories, epistolary novels, and well-earned happy endings. She doesn't typically work on "hard" science fiction and fantasy, although she is drawn to stories that blend the realist and speculative in the traditions of magical realism, fabulism, or otherwise—and right now, she’s very open to seeing cozy or quirky fantasy, especially if it overlaps with her other interests. She is particularly attracted to structural innovation, language that makes the reader pause over its peculiar specificity, and books that make our world a weirder, kinder, and/or more joyful place.

In nonfiction, she is looking for graphic projects with a literary sensibility, self-aware creative nonfiction, and projects with a quirky, joyful, or humorous bent. Across genres, she’s always interested in food, literary culture, gender, sustainability and climate crisis, social justice, schools and education, and projects that engage our current cultural moment, whether directly or slantwise.

Some published titles: Raft of Stars by Andrew Graff, The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern by Rita Zoey Chin, None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa

Link to query 💌

Erica Bauman of Aevitas Creative Management

Erica is actively seeking a wide range of fiction and nonfiction for MG and YA, and select adult upmarket and commercial fiction.

For middle grade, her interests span all genres, from contemporary to mystery to fantasy. For young adult, she is a lover of all genre fiction, especially fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. She is also on the lookout for MG and YA graphic novels (both fiction and nonfiction).

In adult, she gravitates towards stories that have a commercial premise and beautiful writing. She loves voice-driven, witty romcoms; near-future character-driven science fiction, and soft contemporary fantasy/magical realism/fabulism. She’s on the lookout for books starring nerds, and stories that make her laugh.

Across all age ranges and genres, she is eager to support and work with authors from marginalized communities and stories that represent the wide range of humanity.

Some published titles: Practical Rules for Cursed Witches by Kayla Cottingham, What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans, We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu

Link to query 💌

Beth Phelan of Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency

Beth is only actively seeking to consider projects of MG and YA fiction (and/or just the right nonfiction project for those age categories) at this time. She is interested in contemporary, fantasy, magical realism, speculative, romance, light horror, and thriller/mystery. She is particularly looking to work with authors from marginalized communities (BIPOC, queer/trans/enby, religious minorities, disabled folks including neurodivergent, etc).

Some published titles: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, Opposite of Always by J.A. Reynolds, Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

Link to query 💌