SUBMISSIONS

As an agency we are always searching for talented new writers. Whether you write beautifully crafted literary fiction, immersive middle-grade novels, or fascinating and informative non-fiction, we would love the opportunity to consider your work. Over the years, our submissions portal has been a rich source of new authors, including Thomas Halliday, whose first book Otherlands was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2022, and Anna Hope, whose debut novel, Wake, has been translated into eighteen languages.

We look for ambitious, confident writing that feels fresh and distinctive, and we welcome voices from all backgrounds. There is no expectation for writers to have existing connections to the publishing industry or a formal creative writing qualification. We take the time to carefully read and review every submission we receive. To give your work every chance of success, we recommend that you read our submissions guidelines below carefully and refine your work as much as possible before submitting.

HOW TO SUBMIT

All submissions must be sent through our online portal below, as we do not accept postal submissions. Please include your covering letter in the box provided and add your other materials as attachments. You must ensure that your work is typeset in a legible font with double or 1.5 line spacing.

We advise you to browse our agents page when considering who may be the best fit for your work. We always appreciate thoughtful approaches that demonstrate an awareness of an agent’s individual tastes and interests, so please do address your submission to a specific agent. This being said, we are a tight-knit, collaborative team and an agent will share your work with a colleague if they believe it has potential but isn’t quite right for their own list.

We try not to be overly prescriptive as to which genres we are looking for, but high-concept science fiction, educational textbooks, erotica, graphic novels, picture books and translations of already published works are not right for us. Please note that we do not represent scripts for theatre, film or television. We accept submissions from authors who are based outside of the UK and Ireland, with the caveat that often a writer is best served by an agent in their home country.

Please read below for further guidance on what to submit for fiction and non-fiction. Even if you have unanswered questions, we recommend submitting anyway and we will contact you if we would like to request more material or clarify any points.

FICTION (ADULT AND CHILDREN’S/YA)

• A standout covering letter will include an intriguing, concise pitch for your book, your inspiration for writing it, and any relevant information about yourself (this could include your job and interests or your writing background). Do also mention a couple of comparable books or authors to give us a better sense of the book you are writing and where you would envisage it on a bookshop floor.
• Please only submit your novel once you have a full first draft ready for us to read. However, initially send in just the first three chapters (maximum 10,000 words). We will ask for more if necessary.
• We ask that you also submit a one-page synopsis. This factual summary of the story should detail the narrative arc and give us an idea of where it goes beyond the sample. You do not need to write a chapter-by-chapter breakdown.
• Do not submit more than one project at once. We will only review the first.

NON-FICTION

• For non-fiction, we request a convincing covering letter. We want to know about your passion for your chosen subject, why you are the ideal person to write it (this could be based on your academic qualifications or professional expertise) and your intended readership.
• The vast majority of non-fiction projects are sold to publishers on proposal; therefore, unlike for fiction, we do not require a fully completed manuscript. Instead, for subject-led non-fiction, you should submit a proposal. Points you may wish to address in your proposal include an exposition of the book’s essential idea, a proposed structure for the book, market analysis, why you think it should be written now and your credentials. This should not exceed 20 pages in length, and may well be much shorter.
• Alongside your proposal, please include approximately 5,000 words of sample text.
• For narrative non-fiction/memoir, please submit the first 10,000 words of your manuscript to give us a sense of your prose style. You may also include a proposal or, as with fiction, a synopsis of the rest of the book.
• Do not submit more than one project at once. We will only review the first.

WHAT NEXT?

Submissions will be acknowledged via an automatic form response. We will then try to respond to you within 8 weeks of receiving your material, though please be aware that this may take longer during busy periods. After 12 weeks have passed, you are welcome to send an email to check on the status of your submission, although we politely request that you do not call the office.

If during this time you receive full manuscript requests or offers of representation from other literary agencies, or if there is exciting news on your work (such as a prize shortlisting), please do let us know on this email address. We do not expect exclusivity.

Due to time constraints and our commitment to helping our current clients achieve their literary aspirations, we are unable to give detailed editorial feedback on individual submissions. There are so many potential manuscripts and so little time that agents can only take on projects they feel genuinely passionate about and that fall within their own areas of expertise. We therefore encourage you to be persistent and, if you are unsuccessful with us, keep trying other agencies.