{"id":3225,"date":"2020-12-16T10:07:48","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T10:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=3225"},"modified":"2025-08-07T14:55:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T13:55:52","slug":"uk-literary-agents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/uk-literary-agents\/","title":{"rendered":"400+ Literary Agents in the UK- and How To Approach Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Congratulations! You’ve finally finished your manuscript and now you’re looking for a literary agent who represents writers like you. The good news is that literary agents positively want submissions. Most really big authors, from Hilary Mantel to JK Rowling, arrived via the slushpile, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But where do you start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are hundreds of literary agents in the UK, and this article lists pretty much all of them: well over 400 UK-based agents. That list is available at the bottom of the piece and you can jump straight there – or read on for an in-depth guide to how to get and work with literary agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WANT TO JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE COMPLETE AGENT LIST?<\/strong>
CLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find your perfect UK agent<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Literary Agents: All You Need To Know<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this article we’re going to guide you through everything you need to know about finding a UK literary agent – from agent submission guidelines to fiction submissions, how to write a covering letter to understanding genre when it comes to choosing your agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the 7 simple steps you need to take when searching for a UK literary agent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Understand what an agent does<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Know your genre<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Decide who to approach<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Create a shortlist<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Write a synopsis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Write a query letter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Check out our links to the UK’s top agents and start making notes!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    And if you actually want a list of US literary agents<\/strong>, then you need to be here instead<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is it worth getting a literary agent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Literary agents are the gatekeepers of the book world. This can be a bitter sweet reality because, although they weed out books that aren’t a good fit for traditional publishing, they are also the people standing between you, a top publishing house, and your dream of becoming a bestseller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to traditional publishing – especially the Big Four (Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, and the Hachette Book Group) – no editor will look at an author’s book proposal unless it comes from one of many reputable literary agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So if you have fantasies of your novel making it to Waterstones shop window, or for sale in supermarkets and airports, or if you want to be a Sunday Times Bestseller with your story turned into a movie via a film agency, then you will need to be with a big publisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And if that’s the case, you need an agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Literary agents are salespeople – they take you on (not just for this<\/em> book but YOU as an author) and they cheerlead you all the way to the editors who they feel will suit you and your work best. The idea is that they will help shape your career, you will work together for many books to come, so this relationship needs to work. Yes, you pay agents something for their work (more about that shortly), but the value agents add should multiply your total income many-fold. In short: if traditional publishing is what you want, getting an agent is a no-brainer. Just do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How do you get a literary agent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Check your Genre<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Most agents are fairly eclectic in their tastes. My own agent handles high-end literary fiction, some very serious non-fiction … and some very successful commercial women’s fiction writers … and crime fiction … and some fun, light non-fiction too. He’s actually typical, rather than unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That said, agents – like any readers – do have their passions and it’s no use at all sending your speculative fiction to agents who just don’t handle the genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But be creative. If you’re writing a thriller set in northern Norway, then somebody with a passion for all things Scandinavian may well be a good option, even if he hasn’t sold many thrillers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    An agent near you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The fact that there are over 400 literary agents in the UK can be overwhelming. Where do you begin? (Remember, you can jump straight to our list of agents<\/a> <\/strong>or keep reading.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In term of location, don’t worry about finding an agent near to where you live. For one thing, most UK agencies have a London office – because that’s where most publishers are. There are good agents also in Dublin and Edinburgh, but not a lot outside those places. That just doesn’t matter. Zoom exists. Phones exist. Trains exist. If you have a great agent, living a long way from you, but close to all the publishers that matter – that’s a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finding agents open to submissions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    You need to approach literary agents who are keen to hear from people like you. It\u2019s pointless wasting your energy on the rest. That means you want UK literary agents who:<\/p>\n\n\n\n