Are you a Canadian author who is looking for a literary agent?
Below, we’ve featured 13 of the best Canadian literary agencies.
1. The Bukowski Agency
The Bukowski Agency is a Toronto-based literary agency that was founded by Denise Bukowski in 1986. Prior to launching the agency, Denise spent 16 years working as an editor at renowned publishing companies such as McClelland and Stewart, McGraw Hill, and Douglas & McIntyre. Today, The Bukowski Agency specializes in upmarket non-fiction and literary fiction for adults. They represent many prize-winning and bestselling authors, including Eden Robinson, Liam Durcan, Susan Musgrave, Wayson Choy, George Elliott Clarke, and Darrell Dennis, among others.
The Bukowski Agency is currently open for submissions. Do note that they do not represent children’s literature, genre fiction, poetry, picture books, or film and television scripts. If you have a manuscript you’d like to submit for the agency’s consideration, you can check out their submission guidelines here. Submissions must be sent by mail and must include a self-addressed stamped envelope. For general inquiries, you can reach The Bukowski Agency via email.
2. CookeMcDermid Literary Management
CookeMcDermid Literary Management is a full-service literary agency based in Toronto. The agency was founded in 2017 through a merger between The Cooke Agency and the McDermid Agency, combining nearly five decades of experience. They represent authors of commercial, literary, and speculative fiction; health and wellness resources; and books for middle grade and young adult readers. Many of their clients have won and been nominated for various literary awards, including the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, the Man Booker Prize, the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Writers’ Trust Awards, and more.
If you are interested in submitting you work to CookeMcDermid, you can do so by filling out their online submissions form. It is recommended that you read the agent profiles on their website before filling out the form to make sure you find the right agent for your project. For more information, you can check out their submission guidelines here. You may also contact them through their inquiry form should you have any additional questions.
3. The Helen Heller Agency
Also based in Toronto, The Helen Heller Agency is a boutique literary agency that was established in 1988. Prior to founding the agency, Helen Heller held senior positions at various publishing companies, both as publisher and editor. Over the decades, the agency has built a reputation for discovering new talent and nurturing the careers of the clients they represent. Some of their most recent titles include Bruce Holsinger’s A Gifted School, Kelley Armstrong’s A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, Gilly MacMillan’s The Nanny, and Linwood Barclay’s Elevator Pitch.
Should you be interested in being represented by The Helen Heller Agency, you may submit a query to the agent you wish to work with. Make sure you check out the agent profiles on their website to determine which agent best suits your work. For more information on what to include in your query, you can review the agency’s submission guidelines here.
4. P.S. Literary Agency
P.S. Literary Agency is a Canadian literary agency headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. Founded in 2005, PSLA represents authors of both fiction and non-fiction across various genres and subjects. Their commitment to their clients also extends to the management of foreign, digital, audio, television, film, and serial rights. Authors they currently represent include Gail Vaz-Oxlade, Matthew Farrell, Lindsay Wong, Christina McDonald, Jan Scott, Leslie Nagel, Sam Maggs, and Jay Onrait, among others.
To submit your work to PSLA, start by getting to know each of their agents here. Once you’ve determined which agent is the best fit for your work, you can submit a query via email. Make sure you address your email to the attention of the agent you wish to work with, and don’t forget to check out PSLA’s submission guidelines before querying. For general inquiries, you can contact PSLA here.
5. Rick Broadhead & Associates
Rick Broadhead & Associates is a Toronto-based literary agency that specializes in non-fiction. They represent a diverse range of clients, including journalists, scholars, business executives, politicians, historians, nutritionists, culinary experts, media personalities, pop culture icons, and more. Some of the bestselling titles they represent include Chris Hadfield’s An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, Alex Hutchinson’s Endure, Sam Kean’s The Disappearing Spoon, Arlene Dickinson’s Persuasion, and Tim Cook’s The Secret History of Soldiers, among others.
They are currently accepting submissions of non-fiction proposals. At the moment, they are looking for books on the following subjects: true crime, history, pop culture, politics, current affairs, self-help, health and medicine, science, and more. For a full list of topics they are interested in, you may check out their submission guidelines here. Once you are ready, you may send them your proposal via email.
6. Transatlantic Agency
Transatlantic Agency is a full-service literary management firm that represents both fiction and non-fiction authors. The agency was founded by David and Lynn Bennett more than 25 years ago and is now headed by president and agent Samantha Haywood. Although Transatlantic is headquartered in Canada, their 14 agents are spread across North America—specifically in Toronto, Boston, Portland, and New York. They currently represent hundreds of Canadian and American authors and illustrators across different genres, including commercial and literary fiction, graphic novels, and children’s books.
Every Transatlantic agent has their own areas of interest and submission guidelines, so make sure you get to know each agent before submitting a query. You can find more information about each agent here.
7. Beverley Slopen Literary Agency
Beverley Slopen Literary Agency is another Toronto-based boutique agency that represents authors of commercial and literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and serious non-fiction. They also represent authors of true crime, biography, and self-help. Authors they represent include Henry Aubin, Marina Nemat, Terry Fallis, Roberta Rich, and Donna Morrissey, among others. You can check out Beverley Slopen Literary Agency’s full client list here.
The agency doesn’t take on many new clients, but interested authors may still submit their work for consideration. Should you be interested in submitting, you can send them a short query letter via email. For more information, you can visit the submissions page on their website. You can also check out their current catalog to see what sort of books they usually represent.
8. Donaghy Literary Group
Donaghy Literary Group is a Canadian literary agency that was established in 2013. They are a full-service boutique agency representing authors of commercial fiction for adult, young adult, and middle grade readers. Their client list includes New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author K.A. Tucker, and many other talented authors.
Their agents each have different areas of interest, but they generally represent romance, thriller, women’s fiction, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and other similar genres. If you have a manuscript you’d like to submit to Donaghy Literary Group, you can take a look at their submission guidelines here. For general inquiries, you can find the agency’s contact information here.
9. Westwood Creative Artists
Based in Toronto, Westwood Creative Artists is one of the most respected literary agencies in Canada. Their team consists of six talented agents with different interests and specializations, but generally, they represent literary and commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, cookbooks, practical non-fiction, young adult fiction, and children’s books. They do not represent poets, playwrights, or screenwriters, and the majority of their clients reside in Canada.
Authors who are interested in working with WCA may submit a query via email. If there is a particular agent you wish to query, you may indicate that in your email. You can learn more about all of WCA’s agents here. You can also check out WCA’s submission guidelines for more information. Should you have any additional questions, you can get in touch with WCA via email.
10. Robert Lecker Agency
Founded in 2003, the Robert Lecker Agency is small literary agency located in Quebec. They represent authors of fiction and non-fiction books, and their areas of specialty include popular culture, music, entertainment, science, finance, food culture, and travel. That said, they are also open to fresh and original ideas outside the aforementioned subjects. Titles on their list include Claudia Cornwall’s Battling Melanoma, Ron Corbett’s Ragged Lake, Catherine Beddall’s The Magic of Gingerbread, and Elizabeth Rains’ Demon in My Blood, among others.
If you are interested in working with the Robert Lecker Agency, you can send them a proposal via email. For more information on what to include in your proposal, you can check out their submission guidelines here.
11. K2 Literary
Founded by Kelvin Kong in 2018, K2 Literary is another Toronto-based literary agency. Although K2 Literary is a newer agency, Kelvin brings more than 10 years of publishing experience to the table, including working in the rights division of Kids Can Press and working as an agent and rights manager at The Rights Factory. Some of K2 Literary’s most recent sales include Julia Zarankin’s Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder, audio rights for A.G. Pasquella’s Carve the Heart and Yard Dog, and Karen Cleveland and Michelle Bilodeau’s Holy Matrimony: A Modern Guide to Conscious Coupling.
K2 Literary is currently closed for submissions, but you may check out the submissions page on their website for updates. For general inquiries and other concerns, you can reach K2 Literary here.
12. The Rights Factory
The Rights Factory is a Toronto-based agency that was founded in 2004. They represent fiction and non-fiction authors across a range of genres and subjects, including upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, historical fiction, children’s literature, creative non-fiction, science fiction, young adult fiction, women’s fiction, memoir, and more. Some of their most recent sales include Emily Lipinski’s Healing Your Thyroid Naturally, Marisa Noelle’s Secrets of the Deep, Ali Bryan’s The Hill, and Audrey Francis-Plante’s Dennova, among others.
Interested in working with The Rights Factory? Get to know each of their agents to find the one that best suits your work. Once you’ve found the right agent for your project, you may query them directly. To learn more about The Rights Factory’s agents, you can check out their submission guidelines and areas of interest here. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, you can get in touch with The Rights Factory through their online contact form.
13. Beadle Literary Agency
Also located in Toronto, Beadle Literary Agency is a boutique agency that was founded by Megan Beadle. They represent fiction and non-fiction books in following areas: literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, commercial fiction, upmarket adult fiction, cookbooks, and more. They do not accept translations, novellas, screenplays, or academic books.
Should you wish to submit your work to Beadle Literary Agency, you can send them a one-page query via email. All submissions must include an introduction, a brief synopsis, and an author’s bio. Check out their submission guidelines here for more information. You can also contact them via email if you have any additional questions.
What did you think of our compilation of the best Canadian literary agencies? Are there any others that should be on this list? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.