Not only can a good literary agent help you score a great publishing deal, but they can also negotiate contracts and sell the rights to your books for translations or on-screen adaptations.
In this post, we’ve rounded up 9 experienced Indian literary agencies that are looking to build their client lists and work with Indian and international authors across a variety of genres.
Indian Literary Agencies
Here are 9 Indian literary agencies currently open to submissions.
1. Sherna Khambatta Literary Agency
Sherna Khambatta founded the Sherna Khambatta Literary Agency to fill the void she saw in the Indian publishing process.
As a published author herself with a master’s in publishing, Khambatta set up her agency with the author’s experience in mind.
The agency serves India-based English-language writers, as well as Indian writers overseas. They currently seek manuscripts of fiction and nonfiction, but please note they do not represent children’s books, poetry, anthologies, short stories, plays, screenplays, or film scripts.
Contact: sherna_khambatta@tinabell
2. Red Ink Literary Agency
The Red Ink Literary Agency started as a subsidiary of the iconic Bahrisons Bookstore in New Delhi, founded in 1953.
The agency is consistently ranked among the top literary agencies in India. They currently represent manuscripts from and about South Asia in both local and foreign publishing markets.
Red Ink accepts most genres, but they mainly specialize in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction on current affairs.
Contact: [email protected]
3. Siyahi
Mita Kapur founded Siyahi in 2007 to help new literary voices be heard in India. Siyahi’s wide network of publishers includes leading Indian and international names.
They also work with published writers to jumpstart vernacular and international translations of their books, working with sub-agents in the US, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Korea, Brazil, and Germany, as well as with publishers worldwide.
Contact: [email protected]
4. Jacaranda Literary Agency
Jacaranda is a boutique literary agency that operates out of India, Singapore, and the UK.
They represent both fiction and nonfiction from across South East Asia, and they also have clients from the US, UK, Kenya, and Australia.
For fiction, Jacaranda specializes in literary fiction, high-quality commercial fiction, women’s fiction, crime, fantasy and science fiction. For nonfiction, they’re particularly interested in narrative nonfiction, memoir, travel writing, health and well-being, lifestyle, and business writing.
Contact: jacarandalit.com/contact-v6/
5. Lotus Lane Literary
Lotus Lane Literary is based in New Jersey but represents authors from across the world, selling rights to India, the UK, and Europe.
Originally from Bangalore, Priya Doraswamy founded Lotus Lane in 2013. She seeks all genres of fiction and nonfiction.
Contact: [email protected]
6. WordFamous
Based in Mumbai, WordFamous serves authors across India and seeks to fill the country’s literary’s landscape with meaningful, entertaining, and accomplished literature.
The agents at WordFamous work with authors to refine their work, find suitable publishers, and guide them through the entire process.
Contact: [email protected]
7. A Suitable Agency
Based in New Delhi, A Suitable Agency helps authors build their stories and grow their audiences. They work to find the right publisher for each author they work with.
Additionally, they can help authors bring their creative work to digital, audio, and film platforms.
Contact: [email protected]
8. First Forays
Lalitha Ravindran founded First Forays to support new writers, help them polish their work, and expand their readership.
The agency is currently closed to fiction submissions, but they still handle nonfiction in English and translations to other languages.
Contact: firstforays.com/contact/
9. Labyrinth Literary Agency
Anish Chandy founded the Labyrinth Literary Agency in 2014. Chandy formerly served as Senior Commissioning Editor at Penguin Random House.
At Labyrinth, he and his team provide a range of author representation and editorial services across print, screen, and audio.
Contact: [email protected]
Submitting Your Work to Indian Literary Agents
Before you submit your manuscript or proposal to any of the agencies on this list, please be sure to review their websites and carefully note any submission guidelines.
You can also review our tips on how to write a great book proposal, if the agency requests one.
If you’re searching for a publisher for your book, we also have a list of Indian publishers currently open to submissions.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
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- 21 Foreign Rights Agencies That Can Help You Sell More Books Abroad
- Selling Foreign Language Rights for Your Book with Elliott Katz
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
