If you’re looking for a list of literary agents for true crime, below we’ve featured 15 for your perusal.
1. Annie Bomke
Annie Bomke is a literary agent based in San Diego, California. She represents adult and young adult fiction and non-fiction. In fiction, she is interested in commercial and literary fiction, mysteries, magical realism, historical fiction, women’s fiction, psychological thrillers, and more. In non-fiction, she is drawn to self-help, memoirs, true crime, current events, psychology, cookbooks, narrative non-fiction, and prescriptive non-fiction. Titles on her list include Dodging and Burning by John Copenhaver, Murder at Hotel 1911, First Cosmic Velocity by Zach Powers, and Pale by Edward Farmer, among others.
Should you be interested in submitting your work for Annie’s consideration, you can send her a query letter and proposal via email. For more information, check out her submission guidelines and manuscript wish list. For general questions and other concerns, you can get in touch with her here.
2. Stephanie Delman
Stephanie Delman is a literary agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, a successful literary agency located in New York. She primarily represents authors of adult fiction, but there is also a handful of non-fiction authors on her list. In fiction, she is interested in literary fiction, upmarket fiction, psychological suspense, near-historical fiction, and novels that feature elements of magic or surrealism. In non-fiction, she is looking for literary reportage and true crime. In both categories, Stephanie is most drawn to feminist narratives and diverse perspectives. Authors on her list include Julia Fine, Madeline Stevens, Jennie Melamed, Theodore Wheeler, Jessica Gross, and Amanda Litman, among others.
You can query Stephanie by sending her an email containing a brief letter and the first few chapters of your manuscript. If she is interested in seeing more material, she will be in touch with you within four to six weeks.
3. Amy Tannenbaum
Amy Tannenbaum from the Jane Rotrosen Agency has more than 15 years of experience in the book industry. An author advocate, she represents fiction and non-fiction authors across various genres, including contemporary romance, women’s fiction, thriller, and psychological suspense. Aside from these categories, she is also interested in memoirs, psychology, pop culture, true crime, prescriptive non-fiction, and narrative non-fiction. Her client list includes many bestselling authors, but she is always on the lookout for talented debut authors and takes pride in helping them launch their careers.
Amy is currently open for submissions. If you are interested in submitting your work, you can do so via email. All submissions must include a detailed description of your work, relevant information about yourself, your previous publishing history, and a few sample chapters. All material must be pasted in the body of the email.
4. Dan Conaway
Dan Conaway is a literary agent at Writers House. He currently represents a number of award-winning and bestselling authors, including novelists, biographers, memoirists, crime writers, historians, and journalists. Some of his most notable projects include Dare Me by Megan Abbot, Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder, and the Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles. At the moment, Dan is most interested in stories about underrepresented identities and cultures, as well as narratives that feature diverse voices and experiences. In fiction, he would love to see upmarket horror, thriller, and suspense. In non-fiction, he is looking for true crime, popular history, investigative journalism, pop psychology, pop culture, and narrative non-fiction.
Interested in working with Dan? You can send him your query letter, proposal, and author bio via email. Make sure you include your name and the title of your book in the subject line, and don’t include any attachments.
5. Iris Blasi
Iris Blasi is a literary agent at the Carol Mann Agency. Prior to joining the agency, she spent 15 years working in the publishing industry, having held marketing, editorial, publicity, and consulting roles at Pegasus Books, Random House, Union Square Press, Open Road Media, and more. Her own writing has appeared in New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and BUST Magazine. Iris is currently accepting submissions, and she is interested in non-fiction in the following categories: memoir, biography, true crime, politics, history, current events, cultural criticism, science and nature, pop culture, and narrative non-fiction. She is particularly drawn to writing that explores intersectional feminism, social and racial justice, and climate change and conservation.
For detailed information on submitting your work to Iris, you can check out the Carol Mann Agency’s submission guidelines here. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, you can contact Iris via email.
6. Erin Clyburn
Erin Clyburn is an associate agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. She holds a BA in English Literature from Mississippi State University and an MA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University. Erin is interested in adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as middle grade, young adult, and children’s fiction. In adult fiction, she is looking for domestic thrillers, psychological horror, gothic horror, speculative fiction, contemporary fantasy, and literary fiction. In non-fiction, she is interested in true crime, cookbooks, pop science, memoirs that focus on science or culture, and high-interest non-fiction.
If you are interested in working with Erin, you can send her your work through her online submission form. Don’t forget to include the first 10 pages of your manuscript.
7. Maximilian Ximenez
Maximilian Ximenez is a literary agent at the L. Perkins Agency, a New York-based agency established in 1987. His clients include bestselling graphic novel author Mickey Neilson, and Lucien Soulban, lead writer of the award-winning video game Far Cry 3. Maximilian is currently open to fiction and non-fiction submissions. In fiction, he is interested in horror, science fiction, fantasy, and thriller, particularly neo-noir and cyberpunk. In non-fiction, he is looking for true crime and popular science.
Maximilian accepts submissions via email. In your email, include a brief synopsis, your author bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript. For more information, check out the L. Perkins Agency’s submission guidelines here.
8. Claire Harris
Claire Harris is a literary agent at Foundry Literary + Media. She is interested in both fiction and non-fiction projects. In fiction, she is looking for commercial and psychological thrillers, novels inspired by real crimes, cozies, serial detective stories, contemporary family dramas, and fiction involving serial killers. In non-fiction, Claire’s interests are broad and varied. Her number one passion is true crime, but she is also open to celebrity memoirs, humor, pop culture, lifestyle guides, and illustrated books for adults.
Claire accepts submissions via email. Fiction submissions must include a query letter, synopsis, author bio, and the first three chapters. Non-fiction submissions must include a query letter, sample chapters, table of contents, and author bio. For more information, check out Foundry’s submission guidelines here.
9. Jessica Alvarez
Jessica Alvarez is a senior literary agent at Bookends Literary Agency. Prior to joining the agency in 2011, she spent a decade working in the publishing industry—first as an editorial assistant at Harlequin Books, then as a freelance editor working on projects for Harlequin, Thomas Nelson, Scholastic Books, and independent authors. In non-fiction, Jessica is currently interested in true crime, self-help, pop science, and cookbooks. She is also drawn to projects that explore women’s issues, LGBTQ+ topics, and body image. In fiction, she is interested in romance, upmarket fiction, women’s fiction, thriller, mystery, and suspense. Please note that she is not the right agent for fantasy, science fiction, young adult fiction, or children’s books.
To query Jessica, fill out her online query form. For general questions and other concerns, you may get in touch with Jessica through Bookends Literary’s online contact form.
10. Lindsey Smith
Based in Pittsburgh, Lindsey Smith is a literary agent at Speilburg Literary Agency. She is also a published author. She specializes in non-fiction and is most drawn to voice-driven prescriptive non-fiction on unique and original topics. At the moment, she is interested in submissions in the following categories: true crime, cookbooks, health, self-help, gender issues, pop culture, and current events. She welcomes submissions from both established authors and those seeking publication for the first time.
If you are interested in being represented by Lindsey, you can send her your query letter and proposal through her online submission form. Proposals should include an overview, author bio, market analysis, competitive analysis, table of contents, chapter abstracts, and sample chapters.
11. Madeleine Milburn
Madeleine Milburn, founder of the UK-based Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, is an established literary agent representing authors from the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. Her client list includes authors across all genres, and she has helped launch the careers of many bestselling authors, such as Fiona Barton, C.L. Taylor, and Gail Honeyman. At the moment, Madeleine is most interested in literary fiction, family drama, strong female characters, uplifting fiction, emotional journeys, epic love stories, inspiring stories, and quirky storytelling. She is also looking for true crime, domestic suspense, thrillers, and mysteries.
Should you wish to submit your work to Madeleine, you may send her a proposal via email. For more information on what to include in your proposal, check out these submission guidelines. If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can contact Madeleine and her team via email.
12. Stephanie Sinclair
Stephanie Sinclair is a literary agent at Transatlantic Agency, a North American literary agency headquartered in Toronto. She represents authors of adult fiction and non-fiction, and she is actively curating her list and looking for authors in both categories. Her current client list includes award-winning and bestselling authors, including Sharon Bala, Joshua Whitehead, Harriet Alida Lye, Lee Maracle, and Billy Ray Belcourt, among others. In fiction, Stephanie is seeking literary and upmarket fiction and will also consider literary suspense and thrillers. In non-fiction, she is most interested in true crime, investigative journalism, memoirs, and narrative non-ficiton.
If you would like to submit your work for Stephanie’s consideration, you may send her a query via email. Submissions must include a short author bio, publishing history, and a 20-page writing sample in either PDF or Word format. For more information, you can check out Transatlantic Agency’s submission guidelines here.
13. Rick Broadhead
Rick Broadhead, founder of the Canadian literary agency Rick Broadhead & Associates, is a literary agent and bestselling author. Since launching the agency in 2002, he has represented non-fiction writers across a range of disciplines. His clients include journalists, historians, crime writers, nutritionists, culinary experts, athletes, pop culture icons, and more. At the moment, he is most interested in receiving submissions in the following areas: true crime, politics, investigative journalism, history, business, biography, current affairs, pop culture, self-help, science, health, natural history, medicine, and humor.
Interested authors may query Rick via email. For more detailed information on crafting your proposal, take a look at the submission guidelines listed here. For general questions and other concerns, feel free to contact Rick and his team via phone or email.
14. Martha Webb
Martha Webb, literary agent and co-owner of CookeMcDermid, represents authors of fiction and non-fiction. Her list primarily focuses on literary fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, idea-driven non-fiction, and narrative non-fiction, including true crime, memoir, and investigative journalism. Her clients include Shannon Lee Simmons, Michael Crummey, Cathal Kelly, Pasha Malla, Jen Agg, Zoey Leigh Peterson, and Tima Kurdi, among others.
If you would like to query Martha, you can do so by filling out CookeMcDermid’s online submission form. Make sure you indicate that Martha is the agent you wish to query. Learn more about CookeMcDermid’s submission process by checking out their submission guidelines here.
15. Lyn Tranter
Lyn Tranter, proprietor of Australian Literary Management, is a literary agent representing fiction and non-fiction. Her list has a strong focus on literary fiction, crime fiction, history, biography, and true crime. Her clients include Melissa Ashley, Sarah Bailey, David Marr, Duncan McNab, Amanda Lohrey, and Barry Maitland, among many others. Lyn is currently open for submissions, but please note that she is not interested in self-help, poetry, or screenplays. Also, Lyn only welcomes submissions from authors who reside in Australia.
To submit your work to Lyn, follow the submission guidelines listed here. For any additional questions or concerns, you can get in touch with her via email.
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.