Becoming a published poet can be quite a challenge.
If you’re serious about getting your poetry published and reaching a wider audience for your work, you might want to consider working with a literary agent who specializes in poetry.
You may also find it helpful to browse our list of poetry publishers. Some of them accept unagented submissions, while others only accept submissions from literary agents.
List of Poetry Agents
Below you’ll find our list of poetry agents. Make sure you know how to write a good query letter before you contact them. You should also make sure to read their submission guidelines and follow their instructions for submitting your work to improve your chances of getting an agent to sign a contract with you.
1. Joy Harris
Joy Harris works with literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, commercial fiction, memoir, and biography.
Agency Link: www.joyharrisliterary.com
Personal Website: www.joyharrisliterary.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.joyharrisliterary.com/submissions
2. Sorche Fairbank
Sorche Fairbank has a strong interest in literary fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and children’s book.
Agency Link: www.fairbankliterary.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.fairbankliterary.com/submissions
3. Jenni Ferrari-Adler
Jenni Ferrari-Adler is an agent of Union Literary that interested in fiction, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.unionliterary.com
Personal Website:
Manuscript Wishlist: www.unionliterary.com/submissions
4. Deborah Ritchken
Deborah Ritchken is currently looking for lifestyle books, women’s issues, biography, food, and fiction.
Agency Link: www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/submissions
5. Sally van Haitsma
Sally van Haitsma specializes in commercial and literary fiction, memoir, pop culture, narrative nonfiction, business, education, and current affairs.
Agency Link: www.vanhaitsmaliterary.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.vanhaitsmaliterary.com/submissions
6. Ellen Pepus
Ellen Pepus is an agent of Signature Literary that is interested in fiction and nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.signaturelit.com
Manuscript Wishlist:
7. Rachelle Gardner
Rachelle Gardner is an agent of Books & Such Literary Management that is interested in adult fiction, nonfiction, and devotional.
Agency Link: www.booksandsuch.com/
Personal Website: www.rachellegardner.com/
Manuscript Wishlist: www.rachellegardner.com/manuscript-submission
8. Mary Sue Seymour
Mary Sue Seymour founded The Seymour Agency that is interested in fiction and nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.theseymouragency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.theseymouragency.com/submissions
9. Cricket Pechstein
Cricket Pechstein is a literary agent of August Agency that is interested in narrative memoirs, historical crime thrillers, and contemporary creative nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.augustagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.augustagency.com/submissions
10. Jon Sternfeld
Jon Sternfeld is a literary agent of Irene Goodman Literary Agency that represents literary fiction and narrative nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.irenegoodman.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.irenegoodman.com/submissions
11. Josh Getzler
Josh Getzler is looking for foreign and historical fiction, both women’s fiction, thrillers, and mysteries.
Agency Link: www.hsgagency.com/joshs-bio
Manuscript Wishlist: www.hsgagency.com/submissions
12. Greg Daniel
Greg Daniel founded Daniel Literary Group that is interested in narrative nonfiction, social issues, business, pop culture, religion, spirituality, practical advice, biography, and memoir.
Agency Link: www.danielliterarygroup.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.danielliterarygroup.com/submissions-guidelines
13. Allison DeFrees
Allison DeFrees is a literary agent of CW Agency that is interested in fiction, science fiction, fantasy, children’s books, and nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.cwagency.co.uk/allison-defrees
Manuscript Wishlist: www.cwagency.co.uk/submissions
14. Kerry Glencorse
Kerry Glencorse is a literary agent of Susanna Lea. She is looking for commercial fiction, nonfiction, crime, thrillers, women’s fiction, historical, memoir, popular science, social and cultural history, and cookery.
Agency Link: www.susannalea.com/kerry-glencorse
Manuscript Wishlist: www.novelicious.com/manuscript-wishlist
15. Mandy Suhr
Mandy Suhr is a literary agent of Miles Stott Children’s Literary Agency. They represent all kinds of children’s book, young adults, and fiction.
Agency Link: www.milesstottagency.co.uk
Manuscript Wishlist: www.milesstottagency.co.uk/submissions
16. Chloe Seager
Chloe Seager works with Young Adult, Children’s literature, novel, and poetry.
Agency Link: www.northbanktalent.com
Personal Website: www.chloeseager.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.northbanktalent.com/submissions
17. Ogochukwu Promise
Ogochukwu Promise is a passionate psychologist, poet, motivational speaker, career advisor, essayist, novelist, playwright, and visual artist.
Agency Link: www.theluminafoundation.org/the-lumina-literary-agency
Manuscript Wishlist: www.luminajournal.com/submissions
18. Bill Clegg
Bill Clegg is a literary agent interested in representing authors of autobiography/memoir, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
Agency Link: www.thecleggagency.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.pw.org/literary_agents/bill_clegg
19. Marya Spence
Marya Spence is a literary agent who studied literature at Harvard. She represents a diverse range of fiction and nonfiction.
Agency Link: www.janklowandnesbit.com
Manuscript Wishlist: www.janklowandnesbit.com/people/marya-spence
You can also check out our list of literary agents for each genre:
- 30 Literary Agents Now Accepting Science Fiction and Fantasy Submissions
- 60 Literary Agents Now Accepting Romance Submissions
- 30 Mystery and Thriller Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
- Nonfiction Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
- List of Young Adult and New Adult Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
- Historical Fiction Literary Agents Now Accepting Submissions
Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of TCK Publishing, and the bestselling author of 27 books including Secrets of the Six-Figure author. He is also the host of the Publishing Profits Podcast show where we interview successful authors and publishing industry experts to share their tips for creating a successful writing career.
I only see a handful of agents looking for poetry manuscripts. Do you have a more compartmentalized, and specific list?
Contextually, I’m looking for a home for my manuscript and I’d like to have as clear a list of agents as possible who are looking for poetry submissions.
Thank you.
I am a 31 year old African American and Vietnamese Poet. And I want to get a 40 page chapbook published that depicts events in my life. The book will also have illustrations for the poems which I have designed as well. I want this book to be a prequel to a full length novel about my life and how I came to be.
When I was 8 my father murdered my step mother and is in prison for life My mother was only 16 and he is was 25 at my time of birth my mother is the child of a Vietnamese woman that fled Vietnam with a solider during the war to America.
After being in juvenile detention as a child and homeless at times I got my act together and got two college degrees and opened my own gallery and event space.
These details are just scratching the surface on so many more crazy life events I have been through to get here.
Any suggestions on who to contact to get this story out to the world?
Hey Trenton, I’m sorry about the experiences you had. Glad you’re still here with us. I can’t recommend you a specific agent, but I do suggest checking each agent’s preferred submissions and see which one feels the closest to yours.
avoid poetry contests, they cost money and are not worth it — too much hangs on the taste of (usually) one person. think in terms of both your subject matter and your style. journals have preferences. many say they are open to all styles but are not. many have a preference for one or another sort of content.
You seem to be saying that your family story is the content — that is fair game, but avoid making any one subject your whole deal. Read “The Origin of the Work of Art” and then the kicker, “What Are Poets For?” by Heidegger in “Poetry, Language, Thought” from any library — interlibrary loan of course. You may end up buying it.
And Rilke’s “Letters to A Young Poet.” The idea here is that people who teach you “how to write” make everyone sound the name, naturally. Thinking about what art is and about content makes you sound different, and the writing takes care of itself. Much more important to have something of your own to say than to “write well.” If you say something original you can even write badly. Tolstoy said Shakespeare wrote badly. “Artistic failure.” But really, who cares, it was such good content, even if that were true. Trying to write well is a bad idea. Try to be aware of everything that has been said and say what has never been said, regardless of what happened to your own family or to you. Truth needs us to happen. Without us, it does not exist. Art is perhaps its main way to happen. Ontic, superficial scientific level truth is not particularly meaningful for humans emotionally or spiritually. Polonius versus Hamlet shows that psychology is much deeper than the ontic level. The ontological level is much deeper than psychology — Holderlin, Rilke, even Neruda show this. We now work for a 4th level below ontology. “writing well” is not an issue. Art sets forth a world where truth happens, in a way it is unable to happen anywhere else. Find places open to your truth. Let truth happen in your art, and it will not be just yours.
I wrote an emotional poem one morning. My intent was not to wrote a poem, but to write my thoughts. They flowed out in the form of a rhyming poem. My friends consider it an anthem. I would love to submit it for publishing, but do not know where to begin. Hopefully, this is that place.
Hi SR, you can find a list of poetry publishers here, or you might consider entering it into a poetry contest :)
I’m currently working on my passion project, which is a long, rhyming narrative poem (will be 30k+ words, taking cues from works like the Aeneid and Metamorphoses).
I think the main draw to this, however, is that I also plan to illustrate it quite lavishly – but not in a comic book/graphic novel style, so I’m not sure whether to approach graphic novel agents. The closest comparisons I can think of are Shaun Tan’s ‘The Arrival’, and Brian Selznick’s ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’, with full-page illustrations using traditional media. I’m aiming for an art style similar to Golden Age illustrators like Arthur Rackham, with some medieval influence.
I’m thinking it will end up as a keepsake-style book designed to be given as a gift, with some appeal for the older end of YA and maybe the alternative comics crowd (it’s got a lesbian storyline, medieval setting, mix of satirical and fantasy elements). Rupi Kaur is very popular and there’s also some interest in classics-influenced fiction after Madeline Miller, so I think there might be a market for poetry around here. It could also have coffee-table potential if a publisher would be willing to invest the extra cost to produce big hardback volumes.
Any ideas how or where to pitch something like this? I’m not sure where to find poetry agents who also accept complex illustrations and don’t exclusively publish for children, or vice versa – do these people exist? Should I just pitch everywhere and take the chance?
Thanks for sharing about your project, Ella! I would aim for larger publishers or any you can find that have put out such illustrated works before, as many smaller publishers might not want or be able to afford printing costs for such designs (mostly if they’re in color). I’m really not sure where to direct you, but I would suggest searching on Amazon and other book retailers for books similar in concept to yours, and identify their publishers.
I am 81 years old and here and there through the years I have written a poem. But COVID, Trump and BLM inspired me to write about 50 poems since 2020 I incorporated about 35 into a book which will be on the permanent BLM exhibit at the museum of History and Culture here in Richmond Va. as soon as their new wing is completed. I did not however try to publish until now. I have done many poetry readings and have been lauded for my work. Now I have changed my tune and after some research I have discovered there is little recent poetry books for children. Now in the past few months I have written approx. twenty poems. Again I have tested and gotten very favorable reactions. Two talented friends want to do the illustrations. In fact several people have suggested two of the poems would alone make an ideal children;s book. Obviously I am suddenly trying to get everyting out there but I would appreciate some feedback as to my best approach..
Hi Mary, congratulations on getting your poems featured in the exhibit, that’s fantastic! If you’re wondering about the best route for your poems (whether to do a children’s book, a larger compilation, etc.), I would recommend working with a literary agent. However, you could also submit your work directly to publishers that accept unsolicited submissions. You can find poetry publishers here and children’s book publishers here.
Dear Publisher,
I’m probably going to die before you know it
So I urge you just to take a look
And if you think I might have been a poet
Maybe you could put these in a book;
No door stop needed, just a paper weight
Collection would work fine, just a spill
Of odds and ends I’ve worked upon of late,
Nothing profound, at best a minor thrill.
I’m sure my mom will like it, and some friends
Might pick up copies, just to say they did,
Though there’s no honest question how it ends
Or danger of it shooting off the grid.
Probably no one currently craves a sonnet;
Together, maybe we can work on it.
I have many good sonnets, not at all like this, but you won’t find them on my website. I’m thinking of a book titled SAGA – Sonnets Are Great Again. Maybe about 40 sonnets, some in sequences, each accompanied by a page of short prose about something related from the realm of sonnets, and perhaps a picture. I know, it’s very retro, but that seems to have some appeal right now.
I know I should edit carefully before sending, but line 12 of the sonnet was weaker than the rest. “Or danger that it might be overbid” works only somewhat better, but is my best fix for now. It shouldn’t be a big deal anyway, since this one was only intended as a toss-away teaser and isn’t like my other sonnets, in quality, tone, or style. You’re probably going to say, “let’s see one.”
OK, here’s one I finished this morning. Anyway, you were maybe going to ask, given my projected title for the collection, how political these are. Many of them aren’t at all, but this particular one might go with a short Trump related sequence. I’m not pro-Trump at all, and that probably matters, but this is about as partisan as I get, in the sonnets at least:
On Trump’s Word
(for all it’s worth)
Somethings may happen as Trump said they would
And maybe history’s hanging in the balance;
If nothing turns out as some think it should
We’ll owe some omni-presidential talents.
Among them, Rushmore-like, will loom a shadow
With many faces blended into one
Bustling out at some as from a hedgerow,
Lazerly, but not to those who shun
His modicum of fame as in-the-know
About his place among the founding fathers;
From that dark space America’s fireworks glow,
Trump growls, shut-nudging parted waters.
Americans seem fearfully alarmed
Equally by one who has them charmed.
_______
I know having a two line title is unusual, particularly for sonnets, but it’s kind of a signature trademark on most of mine. There’s interesting ways to play with it.
Love the poem, David! A book is definitely worth pursuing :) In addition to these agents, you can find a list of poetry publishers here. Best of luck!
Thanks. On looking over the materials you provided links to, it appears it may be premature for me to be approaching publishers about books, and that I should first focus on getting some poems in journals. I’m previously unpublished. It sounds do-able though, and the list of appropriate journals looks reasonably promising.
I think that sounds like a good plan! :) Best of luck!
Hello, I have been writing poetry for some time, always optimistically entering various high profile comps with fairly big prizes and judges to gawp in awe of.
Needless to say I have never won and never got any feedback… but still, I always read the winning contributions, even, occasionally going back over several years?
Now this is not to ‘dis’ any of the successful entrants or the previously published ‘successful’ judges of these winning entries, but has no one else ever done this?
You only need to spend a couple of hours reading much of the poetry ‘out there’ to realise why poetry books are rarely, if ever read for there enjoyment?
I think the term ‘navel gazing’ could easily cover the greater quantity?
So much poetry is about style, not content and rarely written for the pleasure of the reader!
Shakespearean, not Experian, the use of the metric foot, incapable of anchoring the heaviest butt, and some of the content so banal, it is straight flushed from from the Manchester Ship Canal!
Such a low brow rhyming ditty would never be considered for an award!
As for the proper clever stuff, (totally unlike Billy W’s stuff before it was snooze attacked by academia) Poetry written by poets for poets without a pentameter of commercial sense between them is it any wonder, that if commercial agents don’t want them and business minded publishers sniff at them, why the public don’t get them, literally!
Good poetry is amazing, it can heal as readily as it can wound, it can create joy and laughter as easily as it can incite profanity and it can be read and read again or loved until limp, even reviled with venom but it can never be ignored.
Well, isn’t this a charming little witch’s brew of a comment.
So, Kate, you mean to tell me that you’ve entered all of these high profile poetry contests and not won a single one of them? Then proceed to defecate all over the winners, and undermine the legitimacy of the judges? My stars, I’ve never heard of sourer grapes than yours.
As if that were not enough, dear Kate, you determine that all poetry which does not parallel your own tastes – which is, in all likelihood, as outdated as a Ring Around the Tuna Jell-o meal – is, well, shit. It sounds as if you have a terminal case of elitist constipation, my friend. Might I suggest that you phone your nearest surgeon so that they might, in all haste, remove the oak branch from your arse?
Oh, and one more thing; if I were a judge or an editor and saw the ghastly grammar, syntax and sentence structure that you displayed above, I’d reject your submission as well. It’s their, dear, not there when speaking of something that someone’s produced or belonged to them.
Hi Kate, thanks for your comment. Not sure if you’re referring to our list of poetry contests in another post (this is a list of poetry lit agents) or our list of winners from our own poetry contest, but in any case, poetry is subjective, and there will likely be many times that you don’t agree with a particular selection. I agree with your statement on good poetry; the thing is, the definition of ‘good’ poetry can be different for each of us, but I think that’s part of poetry’s beauty.
I am seeking for a literary agent who can consider my book containing Poems + Plays. The works have literary effect with a promising publishing.
Any recommendation!
Hi T.S., I don’t know enough to recommend one specifically, but #17 looks promising – they’re also a playwright!
Looking to get a book of poetry published. I have finished a two hundred poem manuscript, called the space between. A couple of vanity or hybrid publishing companies have accepted it, but I believe in the emotions caught in m y words, don’t want to sell myself short.
Hi Warren, you might want to check out this list of poetry publishers.
m looking for an agent for my poetry book. paid to have it on Ebooks on Amazon but need an agent, most companies want cash to publish and promote it. get your money and say goodbye in a way …any help please
Darkness and moonlight
God’s deepest flowers
Tender moment alone in time
A pain so deeply cut
Emotions bleeding from within
Rivers rising
Memories
The awakening of one’s Soul
Love and darkness beneath her eyes
Philautia
Dean Cortese
Hi Dean, we have a list of reputable poetry publishers you can check out. In general you should avoid vanity presses, or publishers who charge you to publish your book. Lovely poem, by the way! https://www.tckpublishing.com/list-of-poetry-publishers/
Thank you very very much Kaelyn
Writing poetry since 70s
Self published over 8 books
But like doing short
Poetry Novelettes
But do have short poems
Books also
Hi Cas, that’s great! Are you looking for an agent or publisher?
Too bad more agents do not accept poetry, it is a beautiful thing…
Hi Nicole, I agree! Unfortunately, many publishers don’t take on poetry books either, since they can be harder to market and typically don’t sell as well. However, we do still have a pretty good list of poetry publishers here: https://www.tckpublishing.com/list-of-poetry-publishers/
Ms, Barron,
I was just surfing and came across your post. Are you an agent that represent Christian book writers?
Hi Bobbie, I’m actually not a literary agent, but an editor for TCK Publishing. You can find a list of Christian literary agents here.
none of them seem to be asking for poetry?? List of agents NOT asking for poetry?
Hi Judy, I recently added a few to the bottom who are looking for poetry, but didn’t realize the rest needs to be updated. Sorry for the inconvenience! I’ll make sure the rest are updated asap
Good to know – I’ll start from the bottom up …
I am looking for an agent who will accept the type of style I write in, and it has been especially difficult to describe my writing.
Beauty from Ashes
As I kneel on the ground as they stack the pyre, tears running down my face as I know why I am willing to walk with certainty. With shaky legs, I pushed myself to stand. Wearing a black silk gown reaching the ground
covering my feet as I walk barefooted to what will be my sacrifice to end the suffering in my soul that weighs till I am bent overvbackward leaving me broken. I climbed the pyre with careful footing all my hiding suffering and pain rushing forward to be brought to the light to finally face the reality of how it has eventually left me. Finally, making it to the top to my spot, I once again kneel above, looking down at the faces that have haunted my dreams. With a nod, they bring forth the torches to set the pyre on fire with me on top. The winds pick up, blowing my hair wild as if trying to lift me from the flames. I watch as the flames start to rise higher. I see my past come alive in the flames watching all my hidden traumas filled with pain like a kaleidoscope forming the pictures
of my suffering at the hands which broke me. All I can do is shed tears with all the pain. My eyes have released my soul as it is finally bared for all to see nothing shielding who I am and the darkness within. The flames are finally reaching me. It starts to burn my gown, turning silk to nothing. It doesn’t take long for my body to be engulfed in flames, burning away the pain. I raise my face to heaven; my eyes are the last to see my end is near. I spoke my last words to the ones above watching, take me I’m ready for my ending to lay to rest my demons so they can no longer have ahold of my heart and fractured soul. Once where I kneeled is nothing but ashes. The broken pieces that were once I no longer exist, as they burned into ash, leaving them to stir to smoke blown to the furthest part of the world. It starts to rain like an act of purifying the ground that was once tainted. As the rain starts to pour down and the ashes are washed away, the truth is revealed. I was reborn, anew left finally made whole. I flutter my eyes, adjusting to the light. My hazel eyes can finally see, allowing my soul to return. Beauty from Ashes Is all that it’s seen. Like the Phoenix, I was reborn in the fire. Being brought from the fire to ash, being reborn to bring beauty from Ashes.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing that sample. You’ll need to think about the themes most of your poetry touches on, and describe that in your pitch to literary agents or publishers.
As a registered Visually impaired Poet who has self published 9 Books so far, including the latest raising the bar with over 1,000 poems from 10 poets covering all 5 Continues, I am looking to move up to the next level and get an Agent.
Poetry still seems a field that few Agents are interested in. Can I ask both why and can you possibly provide a few more links to those who do?
Hi Ian, thanks for your comment! I think it’s because poetry books in general are among the more challenging to get published and sell, but of course it’s not impossible. I will also work on updating this post to see if we can expand the list :)
How old is this list?
I’m not yet halfway through looking up the websites and have already found 5 that either do not accept poetry or do not accept any unsolicited queries.
thank you
11/21/2020
Hi Delia, thank you for your comment! This post is from December 2018. I will work on updating the list. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Yes! Please update it! If you go to number 5’s website, Sally van Haitsma stopped accepting queries in 2016.
This is a great resource; I was just wondering how many books an Indie Author needs to sell before a publishing house takes them seriously? What are the benefits of working with a publishing house and what marketing if any, do they do for increased sales? Thanks!
Hi D.J., thanks for your comment! It’s not always about how many books you need to sell before you can get picked up by a publishing house. A lot of it comes down to how marketable your book can be, and what the potential for profit is. (This is discussed more in this post.) Marketing efforts by the publisher can vary widely; if you’re lucky enough to sign with one of the “Big Five,” you’ll obviously have more resources and connections at your disposal, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do everything for you. It’s still ultimately up to the author to help grow their platform, regardless of how their book gets published. For a more in-depth comparison, I would check out our post on the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing. I hope that helps answer your question! :) Let me know if you have more
I am a published poet (songs from the heart, by Mitchell B. Cooper) published by balboa press in 2017…. several of my poetic writings have been recorded by country, folk, and soft rock music groups. I would love too find a permanent publisher to work with who will help me reach bigger audiences with my writings.
Hi Mitchell, thanks for your comment! Unfortunately, we aren’t publishing poetry right now. However, you might try some of these poetry publishers. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions
Hope the list KB provided helped. I am envious of the exposure you have managed.
Good reading, righting & royalty hunting.
Anatomical poetry! Could be the next gig thing, no really could be.