Agents ,
Australian Literary Agents: A Complete List
By Rachael Cooper
Congratulations! If you’re reading this article then that means you’ve finished writing your manuscript and you’re ready to take over the literary world. Step 1? Get an agent.
“Get an agent” sounds easy, right?
We all know that finding and securing a literary agent is a tricky and time consuming process. There will be plenty of rejections, some requests for full manuscripts, constant refreshing of your inbox, and counting down the hours until you can send a follow-up email that won’t make you seem needy. But before you get to this stage, you need to work out who you should query – and that’s where we can help.
We’ve done the research for you and collated a list of every single Australian literary agent. So all you need to do is make a cuppa and get reading to find your perfect match.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN AND GET YOUR COMPLETE LIST OF AUSTRALIAN AGENTS HERE.
How Do You Get A Literary Agent In Australia?
The Australian Literary agencies and agents market is small (but growing!). We’ve included a complete list of them below and on AgentMatch. They operate very similarly to the UK and US markets: requesting a full submission pack from each querying author. Since the number of Australian agents is quite low, it means that they tend to receive a high volume of submissions.
You only get one chance to impress an agent, so keep your submission as competitive as possible and follow these four steps:
- Keep your query letter concise and clear by introducing yourself and your book, providing some comparable titles, and then hooking them with your elevator pitch.
- Make sure your synopsis is clean and easy to follow.
- Dazzle them with a writing sample that demands they request more (our advice? Send your manuscript to a trusted beta reader and ask for their honest opinion. Feedback on something as small as “this dialogue felt clunky” or “I didn’t understand how they got from A to B” will be invaluable before your manuscript goes on submission.)
- Be sure to check specific submission requirements on the agent’s website before submitting.
Agents often open and close their submission list multiple times throughout the year, or they may remain closed to unsolicited submissions, and require invitation to submit your work to them.
From our research, there seems to be a consensus among the Australian agencies that they will only accept submissions from authors who are a resident of either Australia or New Zealand, which is good news for our Australian and New Zealand based authors!
You can read up on Literary Agents – who they are and what they do – here.
Are you getting rejections? Then read up on this, it’ll help see you through the next steps.
How Do I Know Which Australian Literary Agent To Approach?
Finding the right agent can feel overwhelming, and as writers ourselves we know just how difficult this process can be, so we advise you to break it down into steps.
Step 1: Find A List Of All Australian Literary Agents
You can find a complete list of Australian Literary Agents looking for new and debut authors by scrolling down on this article (or click here to get there even faster!). Or, better yet, use AgentMatch our database of every literary agent to whittle down your list by searching on genre, location, and whether they’re open to submissions.
Generally, Australian agents will only take on Australian or New Zealand based authors. Don’t get too worried about finding ones near to where you live though, with email and zoom, you will still maintain a great relationship with them from wherever you are in the country.
Step 2: Identify The Agents That Want You
Don’t waste your time contacting agents that aren’t interested in your genre or style of writing. Focus your energy on submitting to agents who:
- Are open to submissions in your genre
- Welcome submissions from new writers via their slushpile (aka accepting unsolicited applications/submissions)
After doing this you’ll have the beginnings of your longlist. Next, you need to whittle it down even further…
Step 3: Identify The Agents That You Want
Authors sometimes make the mistake of thinking they have to settle for any agent that likes their work, but that’s just not the case. The author-agent relationship is a key foundation to your writing career, so make sure you choose someone you feel comfortable working with.
So, take your longlist and pick out 12 agents you think could be a good match for you and your writing:
- Maybe they represent some of your favourite authors in your genres.
- Or they represent a favourite author in a different genre.
- Or they don’t represent a particular favourite writer of yours, but they have commented admiringly on that author.
- You have particular reason to like or admire the agent’s literary agency.
- They share a passion of yours.
- They made a comment in a blog / on YouTube / at our Festival of Writing / or anywhere else . . . and for whatever reason that comment struck a chord in you.
Step 4: Get Submitting
Now you have your shortlist, send out your submission package. Keep track of the responses and gauge their interest. If you’re receiving lots of rejections then that suggests you work isn’t quite there yet. If you’re getting requests to see the full manuscript then you know you’re on the right track. So follow the steps we set out above and see how you get on!
And don’t forget, you can always get your submission pack reviewed by a professional editor if you think you need some detailed advice and feedback on your opening chapters.
A Complete List Of All Australian Literary Agents
As promised, here’s a complete list of all Australian literary agents. You can also access the list plus detailed profile summaries and exclusive interviews with agents on AgentMatch. Sign up to the Free Trial to get started on your submission journey.
As ever, please get in touch if you have any questions – we’d love to hear from you! Otherwise, good luck and happy querying.
Looking for agents who will love your work?
Take the stress out of querying by searching our database of literary agents from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. View bios at a glance, access exclusive interviews, and build your shortlist of agents in your genre.
By Rachael Cooper
About the author
Rachael is the Head of Publishing and AgentMatch here at Jericho Writers. She has a Masters in Eighteenth-Century Literature and Romanticism; specialising in female sociability. She's currently working on a series of articles based on her research. Rachael lives in Oxfordshire; and spends most of her time writing, reading, walking her very overweight Labrador in the countryside, and staking out second-hand bookstores for overlooked treasures.
