Submission Guidelines
Submissions must be written by a human
All submissions must be the original work of the author and written by a human. We do not consider manuscripts that are generated wholly or substantially by artificial intelligence tools. While authors may use technology for basic tasks such as spelling or grammar assistance, the creative writing, storytelling, and voice must be the author’s own. Our agency values authentic, human storytelling, and we reserve the right to use available tools and editorial review methods to assess submissions for AI-generated content. Submitting your work confirms that the material represents your own original writing.
Send your queries to the right agent
Scroll down to the "Agent Wish Lists" section on this page to see what our agents are looking for. Click the "Query Now" button for the agent you would like to query. Only use Query Manager to submit. For fiction, please only query if your manuscript is complete and edited. Please ensure the draft is most final and do not send updated drafts unless the agent requests further updates. For non-fiction, please send a query letter and book proposal.
Do not query multiple TKA agents simultaneously
If the agent you queried feels your project would be better suited for one of her or his colleagues, she or he will share it. However, if the agent you queried passes, you are free to then query another agent.
Our agents have a wide range of tastes and preferences.
The agents of The Knight Agency are currently looking for material in a wide spectrum of genres. However, we are NOT currently accepting screenplays.
Response Times
We pride ourselves on fast responses, however sometimes our current client needs and other professional responsibilities prevent us from answering queries in the timelines we aim for. In general, we strive to respond to all queries within 2-4 weeks of receipt, but we ask that you check an agents Query Manager page for timeline updates before following up on a project. If your response still seems overdue, please do not hesitate to follow up via the link provided when you submitted your project.
Choose the correct genre
Make sure to specify the correct genre for your book, and don't query agents for categories they aren't seeking. If an agent is not presently accepting queries in your genre, pick a different agent who is currently open to that genre.
Agent Wish Lists
Deidre Knight,
Senior Agent and President
currently closed to submissions
I love high-concept book club fiction and queer fiction in all genres. I also enjoy destination novels. For instance, romance and book club fiction set in New England (Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, but also other New England settings, too.) I also love a great Southern-set novel, but just know that as someone from the south, I’m a bit of a tough sell for southern fiction. But it’s always worth pitching me!
I’m looking for emotionally satisfying reads with great characters, and this can cross genres and boundaries. I’m well known for my work with authors like TJ Klune, Rachel Reid, Cat Sebastian and other queer authors, so I’m great for anything queer with a strong concept and terrific writing. Strong voice, humor, and emotionally satisfying plotlines are all hallmarks of the books I fall in love with.
I would love a cozy fall or winter romance set in the 90’s/2000’s for the nostalgic Gilmore Girls vibes. I love relatable main characters, which, for me, are often nerdy, queer, or neurodivergent.
I would love to find a great horror with an immersive world and strong color palette. I especially love horror with commentary on modern issues, especially technology and AI. Genre-bending is a plus.
I’m also looking for a Hunger Games-inspired dystopian book for adults who grew up reading it. I love unique dystopian stories with strong world-building.
I obviously love cozy fantasy, especially when it’s genre-bending and has a unique, well-drawn world. I particularly enjoy witches, mermaids, fairies, and mysterious gardens. No high fantasy for me, please.
And I'm always open to sports topics and fictional narratives of all kinds.
Pamela Harty,
Vice President of Sales/Agent
currently closed to submissions
I’m looking for rom-com, cozy mysteries, and historical fiction. For non-fiction, I'd like health and wellness, advice and relationship, and true crime.
Elaine Spencer,
Vice President of Operations/Agent
I’m looking for fiction that wholly transports me- be it to another place, another decade, or to another life. I have an equal love for both the type of upmarket fiction that book clubs love discussing, and alternatively, the purely escapist commercial narratives that make a great beach read. I gravitate towards strong female voices, sweeping love stories, historical fiction, new adult stories (with big unique plots), romantic comedies (with a voice that is truly funny), quirky mysteries, family dramadies (who doesn’t love a last will and testament gone wrong) and high concept psychological thrillers. I have a soft spot for books with a southern flair and a desire for bringing previously underrepresented narratives to market. I always want stories that make me feel all the things: joy, anger, hope, frustration, shock, laughter, desperation, and longing. I believe a strong and memorable voice will almost always trump everything else.
In Nonfiction I’m interested in narrative, prescriptive and gift nonfiction in a vast arena spanning from true-crime (especially as it relates to its lasting impact on history, a place or a group of people such as Missoula by Jon Krakauer or Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann), pop-culture, motivational/self-help, how-to guides, female empowerment, humor, business, finance, wellness, spiritual, diet, platform-driven social media brands, modern parenting, and lifestyle.
Elements, Tropes and things that will always make me take notice in a pitch:
- Heist, Grifter, Con stories like First Lie Wins, The Social Climber, Counterfeit, Stone Cold Fox, Listen for the Lie
- Strong Male voices like Steven Rowley, Matthew Norman, Will Leitch, Tom Perotta, Peter Heller
- Family-focused narratives such as The Sweeney Sisters, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, All Adults Here, The Unsinkable Greta James, Laurie Frankel.
- Twentieth Century Historical Fiction focused on places, people, or story-angles that we haven’t heard of but that feel familiar some great examples I love Fiona Davis, Beatriz Williams, Susan Meissner, Marie Benedict
- Women vs The World such as Women Are The Fiercest Creatures, The Wife App, Smile and Look Pretty
- Romance for the modern reader, give me all the Emily Henry, Meet Me At the Lake, Thank You For Listening, Romantic Comedy, Funny You Should Ask, Nora Goes Off Script
- Stories with unforgettable animals like Lily and the Octopus, Remarkably Bright Creatures, West With Giraffes
- Art-centered plots (contemp or historical)- I devoured Woman On Fire, Fake, The Art Forger, The Night Portrait
- Cozy Crime / Mystery The Maid, Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan is Killing it, Everyone In My Family has Killed Someone, Dial A for Aunties
- Books with Speculative Elements such as The Lost Apothecary, The Keeper of Lost Things or any magical realism
- Stories with a strong setting great examples are Elin Hildebrandt, Karen White, or Where the Crawdads Sing
- Isolated Locations ie boarding school, deserted island, airplanes, remote cabin
- Characters Behaving Badly which crosses close to the con/grifter/heist bullet but not quite- The Club, A Novel Obsession,
- Books about Books, The Midnight Library and The Reading List are opposites on this spectrum
2024 Spring Current Wish List:
Sports Romances - especially Hockey, F1, Tennis, Golf, Lacrosse, Pickelball - but others too!
Genre Mashups Like Action Adventure Romantic Comedies, Historical Rom Com, Paranormal Mysteries
Paranormal Romance - ITS BACK. I have always loved retellings, folklore and myth-based projects
Cozy Fantasy
Made up True Crime based stories
Light-hearted Mafia romance
Romantic Comedies with Women in underrepresented rolls, not just stem, but, executives, bosses, etc
Romance set against politics (but not with any ties to real life politics)
Stories centered around a friendship Dramas, Unravellings, Rebuilding - spanning from Generation Z to Boomers and beyond.
Stories featuring Boomers finding friendship with Gen Z/Millenials
Historicals from Jazz Age, WW2 - give me those untold stories of American legends and dynasties
Commercial Fiction based on women’s emotional journeys - secrets found in attics, women returning home.
Lucienne Diver,
Agent
open to submissions for a limited time
I’m particularly looking for works with a unique premise and unforgettable characters. Whether it’s a story from an underrepresented viewpoint or a twisty tale with layers to peel back or incredible worldbuilding (or all in the same submission!), I’m looking for wonderful, voicy novels that surprise and inspire.
I particularly love books that add to/expand the current conversation, and I adore learning about something through fiction and wanting to read more about it in NF.
Recent and upcoming titles include ONE OF US KNOWS by Alyssa Cole, DAMNED by Genevieve Cogman, DEATH AT A HIGHLAND WEDDING by Kelley Armstrong, THE UNDERACHIEVER’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND SAVING THE WORLD by Sloane Brooks, and THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART by Christina Henry.
Nephele Tempest,
Agent
currently closed to submissions
I’m currently seeking submissions in the following genres: women’s contemporary or historical fiction; contemporary or historical single-title romance; adult real-world or secondary-world fantasy; adult science fiction.
In all categories/genres, I am looking for stories featuring:
- Underrepresented characters/diverse POVs, whether by gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.
- #ownvoices stories
- Found families
- Strong sibling relationships, especially sisters or large families
- Excellent world building
- Fish-out-of-water stories
- “New” settings, places that have not been overdone
- Strong writing/prose, distinctive voices, new twists on familiar tropes, and/or high concepts
- Strong hooks
- Smart characters who demonstrate blind spots/flaws/their humanity
Specifically, I’d love to find any of the following:
- High-concept/breakout romance with a strong secondary narrative in addition to the HEA, especially rom-coms or something with a lighthearted thread. (Featuring diverse couples of all types.)
- Women’s fiction that features a long-time female friendship or close-knit sisters; would love a travel/road-trip novel, but no Thelma-and-Louise endings.
- A heroine looking at a slow/late career start/finding themselves in mid-30s to late-40s/reinventing themselves.
- Unconventional/self-made/entrepreneurial heroines.
- Fresh, creative re-imaginings of classics.
- Dual/multiple timelines.
- Magic or magical realism, especially non-Western.
- Historical fiction set between the early-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, especially that does not focus on WW2 directly.
- Historical fiction with a literary tie-in.
- Literary-leaning witch novel: women’s fiction/historical/fantasy, especially something set in modern-day Salem.
Favorite recent(-ish) reads include RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston, THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB series by Lyssa Kay Adams, LOVE LETTERING by Kate Clayborn, BOYFRIEND MATERIAL by Alexis Hall, PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND OTHER FLAVORS by Sonali Dev, HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell, THE IMMORTALISTS by Chloe Benjamin, NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo, THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY by Alix E. Harrow, REPUTATION by Lex Croucher, Themis Files series (SLEEPING GIANTS, WAKING GODS, and ONLY HUMAN) by Sylvain Neuvel, WRITERS AND LOVERS by Lily King, and THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle.
Melissa Jeglinski,
Agent
• I would really love to find a project that captures my attention immediately. For me, this means a strong opening chapter, wonderfully engaging characters, unexpected twists and turns, and a very satisfying ending. No projects over 100k words, please.
• Contemporary Romance which is lighter in tone, has a sense of humor and a premise that is out of the box. Diverse characters welcome.
• Historical Fiction set in periods other than WWII. Also looking for contemporary and historical intertwined timelines. Prefer strong female protagonists.
• Cozy Mysteries with a unique premise but no paranormal edge. Planned series a plus.
• Middle Grade fiction with a heartwarming message or just pure entertainment. Fun and flawed realistic characters. Contemporary and historical settings but no paranormal or fantasy.
Recent and upcoming titles include Aimie K. Runyan’s ACROSS THE WINDING RIVER, Sarah Warburton’s ONCE TWO SISTERS, Ginger Garrett’s NAME TAGS AND OTHER SIXTH GRADE DISASTERS, and Rosemarie Ross’s FINISHED OFF IN FONDANT.
Kristy Hunter,
Agent
At this time, Kristy is only taking on YA and adult clients. She loves strong writing, compelling hooks, distinct voices, and is always passionate about representing underrepresented voices.
For YA, Kristy open to almost all genres but always loves fantasy (cozy, grounded, romantasy), contemporaries, thrillers, historical projects with a modern sensibility, sweeping atmospheric tales, mysteries/ heists, and genre bending projects.
For adult, Kristy is looking for Romantasy, grounded fantasy, and general book club fiction (which could be thrillers, contemporaries, speculative fiction, or historical). She also is a huge fan of genre-bending projects. She is looking for the type of projects that have a unique hook, propulsive writing, and will appeal to a wide commercial audience (the type of manuscript that once you’ve finished, you can’t wait to discuss with someone else). She also loves unique narrative styles and unexpected narrators such as in Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.
Travis Pennington,
Media and Marketing Director, Agent
Fiction
- Young adult and Middle Grade, particularly high concept with a great voice. No High Fantasy.
- Mysteries, psychological thrillers, and horror. Again, high concept with a great voice is always a plus.
- Sci-fi grounded in reality, such as The Martian by Andy Weir or Dark Matter by Blake Crouch or Contact by Carl Sagan
- Christian fiction in any genre, from thrillers in the vein of Joel C. Rosenberg or Tim LaHaye, to contemporary titles such as The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton, to Historical Romance such as An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz
Nonfiction
- Inspirational Memoirs such as Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton, Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic, Grace, Gold, and Glory by Gabrielle Douglas, Shaken by Tim Tebow, and More Than My Scars by Kechi Okwuchi
- General Christian non-fiction