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The Directory of Literary Agents
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Literary Agent Directory
Important: Visit each agent’s website (links in their listings below) to see if they’re open to submissions before querying.
- The results are being filtered by the character: D
Biography
Tina Dubois is a literary agent with CAA/ICM. Her tastes are eclectic—most types of fiction, nonfiction, and even YA. Recent sales include the first two books in Susan Runholt’s mystery series, THE MYSTERY OF THE THIRD LUCRETIA and RESCUING SENECA CRANE (Viking), and commercial fiction sales including Donna Gephart’s AS IF BEING 12 ¾ ISN’T BAD ENOUGH (Delacorte), Robin Friedman’s THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT (Walker), and Sanjay Patel’s THE LITTLE BOOK OF HINDU DEITIES (Plume). Prior to ICM she worked at the Ellen Levine Literary Agency, Trident Media, and Karpfinger Agency. Tina holds an MFA.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * Graphic Novel * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Picture Book * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Juvenile * Middle Grade * Young Adult *
65 East 55th Street 14th Floor New York NY 10022 USA
Del Duduit
Hartline Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Email *Biography
Del Duduit is a literary agent with the Hartline Literary Agency. He writes motivational and inspirational devotionals about sports and athletes. He also has a passion to write non-fiction books on leadership and enjoy a healthy debate on social issues. He has won several writing awards at various Christian writing conferences, including Writer of the Year and a second place Selah Award. He is a bestselling author and blogs weekly at delduduit.com and teaches classes on how to write a devotional and the right way to land big name on your book. He is an adjunct faculty member at Shawnee State University. He is accepting submissions for non-fiction Christian Living, motivational, inspirational and leadership. Del also likes the unique and nifty books about sports and recreation, healthy lifestyle, and travel and cooking. He is also a member of the Serious Writer team and will be attending the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION:
NONFICTION: Christian * Cooking/Cookbook * Cultural/Social Issues * Fitness * Health/Wellness * Inspiration * Lifestyle * Sports * Travel *
Biography
Susan Duff is a literary agent with the Bresnick Weil Literary Agency. She joined the Bresnick Weil Literary Agency in January 2013 after a long career as an author, journalist, and medical editor and writer. In addition to authoring her own published books, she has ghostwritten, collaborated on, and co-authored a number of books, providing editorial guidance from proposal composition to complete deliverable manuscripts. Susan has written syndicated newspaper columns and magazine and newspaper features for many publications, including The New York Times. At the agency, she works with clients to shape book proposals and manuscripts, coordinates client meetings, and reads and recommends submissions. Her interests include women’s health, food and wine, fitness, humor, and memoir.
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This literary agent represents:
FICTION:
NONFICTION: Fitness * Food/Drinks * Health/Wellness * Humor * Memoir * Women’s Issues *
30 Deep Six Drive East Hampton NY 11937 USA
Biography
Andrew Dugan is a literary agent with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, LLC. He joined DG&B in 2020 as an assistant in business accounting and subsidiary rights. Originally from the Philadelphia suburbs, he completed his B.A. in English at Drew University with coursework in Arabic and International Relations. After interning in magazines and attending the Columbia Publishing Course’s inaugural virtual session, he was fascinated by the symbiotic relationship between agent and author.
Andrew is open to queries with particular interest in LGBTQ+ stories, gothic fiction, stories with a rich sense of humor, and literary fiction with a compelling hook. On the nonfiction end, he has a love for language-driven memoir and essay collections. He’s also seeking narrative nonfiction that has strong elements of social justice and is interested in popular science. Andrew is also looking for practical and narrative projects in the spirituality space, with a focus on tarot, witchcraft, and New Age practices.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Gay/Lesbian Fiction * Horror * Humor Fiction * Literary *
NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues * Law * Memoir * Mind/Body/Spirit * Narrative * New Age * Practical * Science * Spirituality *
Biography
David Dunham is a literary agent with and the founder of The Dunham Group (2007). He is a 40-year veteran in the publishing and entertainment industry, and has worked with many bestselling authors through publishing, coaching, and consulting. In 2007, he formed The Dunham Group as a publishing and talent management agency, and in 2010 founded Dunham Books, a boutique publishing company. David has published over 800 books in his career, including 27 New York Times bestsellers. In 2015, he co-founded Grabbr Inc., and serves as its Chief Executive Officer.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Christian Fiction * Religious *
NONFICTION: Biography * Business * Christian * Cooking/Cookbook * Health/Wellness * History * Humor * Lifestyle * Politics * Pop Culture * Religion * Spirituality * Sports *
2000 Mallory Lane Suite 130–228 Nashville TN 37067 USA
Biography
Jennie Dunham is a literary agent with Dunham Literary. Jennie has been a literary agent in New York, New York since May 1992. In August 2000 she founded Dunham Literary, Inc. She has been a member of AAR (Association of Authors Representatives) since 1993. She served on the Program Committee and was Program Committee Director for several years. She was also a member of the Electronic Committee. In 1996 she attended the US/China Joint Women in Business conference in Beijing where she gave a presentation about literary agents in the US. She also attended the NGO Forum at the International Women’s Conference.
She attended international meetings as the AAR representative to create the ISTC (International Standard Text Code) which is being created to ISO (International Standardization Organization) specifications. This business and tracking system will be based on titles not book formats (as is the case with ISBN) and will work in tandem with ISBN. She started her career at John Brockman Associates and then Mildred Marmur Associates. She was employed by Russell & Volkening for 6 years before she left to found Dunham Literary, Inc. She frequently speaks at writers’ conferences and events.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction * Crime/Detective/Police * General Fiction * Graphic Novel * Juvenile Fiction * Literary * Middle Grade Fiction * Mystery * Picture Book * Upmarket Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Current Events/Affairs * General Nonfiction * History * Juvenile * Memoir * Middle Grade * Narrative * Parenting/Child Guidance * Politics * Religion * Spirituality * Upmarket * Young Adult *
110 William Street Suite 2202 New York NY 10038 USA
Henry Dunow
Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary AgencyAAR/AALA MemberQuery method(s): Email * Postal Mail *Biography
Henry Dunow is a literary agent with the Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. Henry began his career as a literary agent in the early 1980s, with stints at Curtis Brown Ltd. and Harold Ober Associates before founding his own agency in 1997, which has since evolved into Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. He works primarily with quality fiction – literary, historical, strongly written commercial – and with voice-driven nonfiction across a range of areas – narrative history, biography, memoir, current affairs, cultural trends and criticism, science, sports, etc. Over the years he’s discovered and introduced a number of new, younger writers who’ve gone on to become established literary voices – and is particularly proud of that. He is the author The Way Home, a memoir about fatherhood.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction *Commercial * Crime/Detective/Police * Ethnic Fiction * General Fiction * Historical * Juvenile Fiction * Literary * Multicultural Fiction * Mystery * Sports Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Business * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Ethnic * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * History * Juvenile * Lifestyle * Memoir * Mind/Body/Spirit * Money/Finance * Multicultural * Narrative * Pop Culture * Reference * Science * Sports * Travel *
27 West 20th Street Suite 1107 New York NY 10011 USA
Biography
David Dunton is a literary agent with the Harvey Klinger Literary Agency. David joined the Harvey Klinger Literary Agency in 1996, after working in the editorial department at Simon & Schuster for seven years. He specializes in music-related nonfiction, biography, narrative nonfiction, and young adult & middle-grade fiction. His clients include New York Times—bestselling authors, musicians, journalists, collaborators, essayists, NPR contributors, and exceptional storytellers, and his clients’ books have been translated into many different languages. He is a graduate of Wesleyan, a working musician, and lives in Volcano, HI with his wife and daughter.
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This literary agent represents:
FICTION: History * Journalism * Middle Grade Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Film/Entertainment * Memoir * Music * Narrative * Pop Culture * Technology * Upmarket *
PO Box 125 Volcano HI 96785 USA
Kelly Dyksterhouse
Raven Quill Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Online Form *Biography
Kelly Dyksterhouse is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency. Kelly holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults for Vermont College of Fine Arts and got her start in agenting by working as an editorial reader and assistant at leading literary agencies. She joined The Tobias Literary Agency with the merger of Raven Quill Literary Agency in 2022 and is excited to help to grow TLA’s Children Department.
Kelly considers the opportunity to help bring books into existence to be a great honor, and it is a particular joy for her to work alongside authors as they develop their project from idea to polished manuscript. The best feeling of all is when those manuscripts end up as books in the hands of children. Her agenting style is collaborative and editorial, and she always seeks to refine a manuscript so that the author is telling the story they most want to tell in the best way possible.
Kelly represents picture books, middle grade and young adult, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as graphic novels. She also represents illustrators. She is drawn to high concept stories with high level writing, books that can be described in one sentence that bring something new to shelves—children’s books should be both fun to read and say something important. She passionately believes that all kids should be able to see themselves in books, and so is always on the lookout for diverse perspectives.
She is actively building her middle grade and young adult list. For middle grade, she loves books with ensemble casts, books about good kids making bad decisions and then having to get themselves out of it, quests and hijinks, spooky stories and mysteries, and historical novels that feel relevant.
For YA, Kelly is looking for much of the same, and is drawn to books with atmospheric settings, lush writing, and books with romance threaded through but not the primary plot. She is particularly interested in middle grade and young adult fantasy told from a unique perspective, ghost stories, accessible sci-fi, magical realism, contemporary stories that challenge assumptions and ask hard questions, and she will forever be on the lookout for a good heist.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Action/Adventure * Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * Christian Fiction * Fantasy * Graphic Novel * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Picture Book * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Juvenile * Narrative *
Biography
Jane Dystel is a literary agent with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, LLC. Jane Dystel, President, has been an agent since 1986. Her publishing career began at Bantam Books. She then moved to Grosset & Dunlap, where she was a managing editor and later an acquisitions editor. From there, she went on to become Publisher of World Almanac Publications, where she created her own imprint. When she joined the agency that would soon become Acton and Dystel Inc., she quickly developed a reputation for honesty, forthrightness, hard work, and real commitment to her authors and their writing careers. In 1994, with a growing roster of clients, she founded Jane Dystel Literary Management, which became Dystel & Goderich Literary Management in 2003, and Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2016. Born in Chicago, Jane grew up in Rye, New York. She is the daughter of publishing legend Oscar Dystel, who headed Bantam Books for more than a quarter of a century. In her teens, she was an accomplished figure skater. Jane received her BA from New York University and attended Georgetown Law School for one year before leaving for her first job in publishing. She has an abiding interest in legal subjects. She is married to Steven Schwinder and has a daughter, Jessica, and a son, Zachary. She lives in New York City with her husband and two dachshunds, and is a tenacious golfer.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Commercial * Crime/Detective/Police * General Fiction * Literary * Mystery * Romance * Thriller * Women’s Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Business * Cooking/Cookbook * Current Events/Affairs * Food/Drinks * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * History * Law * Medical/Medicine * Memoir * Money/Finance * Narrative * Politics * Science * True Crime * Upmarket *
One Union Square West Suite 904 New York NY 10003 USA
Biography
Kerry D’Agostino is a literary agent at the Curtis Brown Literary Agency. She represents literary and upmarket fiction, and her authors include novelists Andrea Bobotis, Leesa Cross-Smith, Nancy Wayson Dinan, Micah Dean Hicks, Leslie Pietrzyk and Liza Wieland, as well as suspense writers Caroline B. Cooney and John Straley. Kerry also represents select nonfiction and YA. She is particularly drawn to character-driven work, unconventional plot structures, unreliable narrators, complicated family relationships, and speculative elements that challenge our ways of thinking about the world. Kerry is a graduate of Bowdoin College, Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Columbia Publishing Course. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of American Literary Agents, where she is also a member of the organization’s Programming and Communications Committees and a mentor for the Literary Agents of Change Mentorship Program. Kerry is also a member of Curtis Brown’s Inclusion & Accountability Committee. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two cats.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Family Saga * General Fiction * Literary * Suspense * Thriller * Upmarket Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Narrative * Young Adult *
228 E 45th Street 3rd Floor New York NY 10017 USA
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Directory Instructions
Use the drop-down menu on the left to search for agents by genre, gender, location, longevity, or AAR Status. To find a specific agent or agency, enter the agent’s name or the name of the agency into the search box.
Important: If you use the search box, you must remove the search term by pressing the “Clear Search” link before you look for more agents using the drop-down menu (or you won’t see the proper results). Click on the “Show Notes” and “Show Bio” links underneath each agent for more information about that agent.
Have a question or need support? Post a comment or question by clicking on the red button at the bottom of the page.
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About Mark Malatesta
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark’s authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson. Click here to learn more about Mark Malatesta and click here for Reviews of Mark Malatesta.
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Author Coaching Testimonials
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace.”
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that.”
Author of Woman on Fire
(Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable.”
Author of Single Handed
(Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!”
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night
and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!”
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!”
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit
(Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record.”
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring.”
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn.”
Author of Lights Out
(Random House)
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan.”
Author of Intestinal Health
(Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!’ Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it.”
Author of The Unbreakable Boy
(Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)