Write Wild: AGENTS

50+ Agents Who Represent Picture Books

For those of you who may be seeking agent representation as a picture book author, I have compiled a list of nearly 60 agents for you to research. I pulled my information from Casey McCormick's highly researched blog, Literary Rambles, but I have severely condensed the information here to make it easier and quicker to peruse. You can click back to her original posts to do further reading. Then I wrote an article about the 3 best ways to find your own literary agent.

Pat White of Rogers, Coleridge, and White Literary Agency. Fiction and non-fiction for 5-8 year olds.
Elena Mechlin of Pippin Properties, Inc. Loves funny picture books, but hates rhyming.
Holly McGhee of Pippin Properties, Inc. This agency devotes a good deal of time and resources to picture books.
Taylor Martindale of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Loves character-driven young adult, but will represent some picture books if the text is rich and stands out by itself. No science or nature books.
Mary Kole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. "Only interested in truly exceptional, funny, quirky and character-driven picture books. She especially loves working with author-illustrators." No moralistic stories.
Steven Chudney of The Chudney Agency. Only reps author-illustrators. "Storylines should be engaging, fun, with a hint of a life lesson—and cannot be longer than 800 words."
Katie Grimm of Don Congdon Associates. Specializes in young adult and middle grade, but will consider picture books, as they are a different kind of challenge.
Ken Wright of Writers House. Only the occasional picture book.
Stefanie von Borstel of Full Circle Literary. Welcomes multicultural and nature books. No rhyming.
Adriana Dominguez of Full Circle Literary. Actively building her list. Loves to travel. Bilingual. Looking for compelling stories with a strong voice and exciting characters.
Tracey Adams of Adams Literary. Timeless character-driven picture books. Not trendy. Also represents illustrators. No craft or how-to books.
Jodi Reamer of Writers House. No non-fiction.
Josh Adams of Adams Literary. Timeless character-driven picture books. Not trendy. No craft or how-to books.
Marcia Wernick of Sheldon Fogelman Agency. Looking for engaging stories that entertain and amuse. "I'm particularly interested in people who are prolific, so I prefer to see a couple of picture book manuscripts. I'm also interested in people who can work in more than one genre, so I’d be interested in seeing the broader scope of a potential client’s work."
Kirsten Wolf of Wolf Literary Services, LLC. Both fiction and nonfiction. "We like a good story, regardless of genre."
Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary Services, LLC. Interested in both fiction and limited non-fiction, with an emphasis on children’s, middle grade, and young adult books. She is most interested in realistic, true-to-life stories with conflicts based in the real world.
Caryn Wiseman of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. She represents two New York Times bestselling authors, first-time authors, and authors at every stage in between. Caryn's particular interests include: humorous chapter books and middle-grade fiction; "boy" books; YA that falls at the intersection of commercial and literary; YA that is edgy without being gratuitous; non-institutional biography and other unique nonfiction for children and teens; and African-American and Latino-themed literature.
Emily van Beek of Folio Literary Management. "I am very actively looking to work with debut authors, so aspiring writers should certainly feel free to query me. I love launching careers and having the chance to work with someone from the very beginning." "I am exclusively interested in acquiring projects for young and teen readers, from picture books by author / artists, to authentic and fresh middle-grade fiction, to lyrical and daring YA." No exclusive "only-illustrators."
Paul Rodeen of Rodeen Literary Management. Children's fiction from picture books to young adult, middle grade and young adult non-fiction, illustrators and graphic novelists. No adult projects.
Quinlan Lee of Adams Literary. Every age and genre in children's books from picture books to YA. We gravitate toward the timeless.

Anna Webman of Curtis Brown LTD. Picture books, middle grade, young adult, multi-cultural, children’s non-fiction. In terms of picture books, she wants new concepts, stories, voices and funny/quirky characters; she's looking for books with a sense of fun that children will want read to them night after night. She always is on the lookout for first-time authors and illustrators.
Paula Allen of Screenland Literary Associates. Interests include picture books, middle grade, series, and YA. "A great character with a big problem and some unexpected twists and turns in solving it. I love it when a story surprises me. Also, if I think about it for a day or two afterward, I know it’s gotten to me in some way." No nonfiction.
Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary Inc. Author-illustrators of picture books.
Barry Goldblatt of Barry Goldblatt Literary. Represents picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult, but not illustrators who don't also write.
Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc. “What I like: a strong voice, wit, verve; room for illustrations (if it’s a picture book). I’ve always loved middle-grade fiction.”
Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio, Inc. Interested in: Author/ illustrators, Humorous middle grade, especially for boys, Spare of language/illustrated picturebooks for the very young.
Adriana Dominguez of Full Circle Literary. Picture books, middle grade novels, and literary YA novels, as well as representing literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, women's interest, multicultural, pop culture, and how-to books.
Rebecca Sherman of Writers House. Only picture books by author/illustrators.
Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. As for picture books, Jamie gravitates towards quirky, unique, character-driven texts and illustrations.
Steven Malk of Writers House. Children's books, picture book through young adult. "I have no interest in what's ‘hot’ at the moment."
Marietta Zacker of the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency . She represents authors whose words make her pause, shiver or laugh out loud.
Kelly Sonnack of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. In picture books and middle grade fiction, Kelly looks for a good sense of humor, stories that stretch a young reader's imagination, and an authentic voice.
Jennifer Rofe of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. Especially likes the tender or hilarious. She is always looking for fresh and distinct voices; stories that simultaneously tug at her heartstrings and make her laugh out loud. No poetry.
Stephen Fraser of Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. "I adore picture books, even though they are having a hard time now, so I’ll never say no to a great picture book text. I have to say that I especially love middle grade. What I would like to see more of is chapter books (series)."
Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown, Ltd. All genres.
Nancy Gallt of the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. Picture books through young adult, representing both authors and illustrators. No rhyming picture book texts.
Jennie Dunham of Dunham Literary, Inc. Literary fiction, nonfiction, and children's books for all ages (mostly middle grade and young adult) as well as some illustrators. "We have three areas of specialty - Literary Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Children's Books. We tend towards literary, character-driven writing rather than to mass-market, commercial style of writing. "I’m not so keen on easy readers and short story or poetry collections."
Stephen Barbara of Foundry Literary + Media. Foundry is a full-service literary and media development agency. Children’s books and select adult projects (commercial, literary; non-fiction). No Screenplays, Romance, Westerns.
Mark McVeigh of The McVeigh Agency. "I'm looking for select picture books (think character-driven, funny, or with a totally kid-centric hook) to work in today's PB market.
Michael Bourret of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, Inc . She is always looking for strong, original new voices: there are many debuts among her recent sales, and she'd like to keep it that way. She represents the author and not just the project, working to establish long-term relationships and develop authors' careers.
Kerry Sparks of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. As of November 2010, she is accepting submissions and actively building her list. Children’s books (picture books through young adult), fiction and nonfiction, and select adult non-fiction projects (heath and lifestyle). “Kerry loves to be transported and surprised when reading both fiction and nonfiction. She is looking for great YA and middle-grade fiction, both commercial and literary, with a fresh voice and compelling story (although she tends to shy away from the paranormal) and enjoys the occasional picture book. In non-fiction, Kerry is most drawn to health and lifestyle books with a prescriptive focus.”
Ann Behar of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Inc. Looking for anything (PB to YA) that is beautifully written and original, with a strong, distinct voice and characters that come alive on the page.
Jennifer Carlson of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. Her clients are primarily young adult and middle grade fiction writers with a very select number of picture book projects. No poetry.
Susan Cohen of Writers House. Accepting submissions (PB through YA), not actively seeking new clients.
Joan Slattery of Pippin Properties, Inc. Picture books, middle-grade, and young adult novels. “She's particularly interested in middle grade and young adult fiction, which harkens back to one of her most voracious and memorable years of reading: sixth grade.”
Anna Olswanger of Liza Dawson Associates. She focuses on children's books from picture books to YAs, but especially enjoys working with author-illustrators. She's intrigued by ghost stories and stories with animals as the protagonists.
Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary, LLC. All genres of Romance, Graphic Novel, Western, Young Adult, Children's (All Levels), Women's, Multi-Cultural, Empowerment (Things of Faith), and Inspirational. Also Non-Fiction: Cookbooks, Humor, Memoir, Religion, Music and Nature.
Stephen Barr of Writers House, LLC. Literary fiction, Memoir, Narrative non-fiction, Middle grade, Picture books, Young adult, Graphic novels, Humor, Pop-culture, Food stuff, Weird stuff. Unexpected memoirs with itchy voices, narrative non-fiction that tackles hard-to-tackle issues, wry and rarely paranormal YA, laugh-until-you-squirt-milk-out-of-your-nose middle grade, and sweet and wacky (but still logical!) picture books from author/illustrators.
Jennifer DeChiara of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. “Our doors are always open to new writers and illustrators. Currently we are looking for children’s books for every age – picture books, middle-grade, and young adult – and adult fiction and non-fiction in a wide range of genres. If in doubt, just query us.”
Amanda Lewis of The Doe Coover Agency. Picture books, middle grade, young adult, and children’s reference. She has a passion for travel and loves stories that explore an intriguing setting. She also loves a good adventure or mystery.
Julie Just of J anklow & Nesbit Associates. Fiction: Children’s, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels. Non-Fiction: Adventure / true story, pop culture, narrative.
Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC. For all manuscripts (PB to YA), character development and voice are essential. Please make sure your work is as polished as possible and has been revised.
Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary. "Karen’s philosophy is simple: ‘When you choose to write children’s books, it’s just that—it’s a choice. You do it because you love it. You do it because it fills you with passion. You do it because it brings you joy. You are among the lucky ones who live life with purpose. But you also must do everything you can possibly think of to achieve your goals. And you must be nice...I want to see beautifully written books that will make me grow as a human being and increase my understanding of the world in which I live."
Liza Pulitzer-Voges of Eden Street LLC. Representing authors and author-illustrators of books for young readers from pre-school through young adult. "Picture books are still of interest but I'm also interested in young adult, particularly for boys. A middle grade fantasy would also be fun to see."
John Rudolph of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. On the children’s side, he is keenly interested in middle-grade and young adult fiction, and would love to find the next great picture book author/illustrator.
Kendra Marcus of Book Stop Literary Agency. She welcomes books with Latino/Hispanic characters.
Sean McCarthy of the Sean McCarthy Literary Agency.
Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency represents picture books. She has a great track record.