Resources Listing Literary Agents and Artist's Representatives

Are you looking for lists of agents? Start with a book! A book contains in one easy-to-use and inexpensive package a compilation of information that would take you days of work to find online--if you even could find all of it. Then use online resources to supplement and update what's in your book. Here are recommended print and online resources, for the US market, except as noted (the links take you to a specific Amazon or Bookshop page, for more information or to buy, or a more detailed review on my site.):

General and Adult Publishing:

2022/30th Edition Guide to Literary Agents: This is the most widely used general guide to agents. In it you'll find more than 1,000 agents listed as well as advice on finding and working with an agent. (More info. or buy at: Amazon.com | Bookshop | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK )
2022/100th Edition Writer's Market: Among the approximately 900 pages in this general market guide you will find agents, book and magazine publishers, and much more. (More info. or buy at: Amazon.com | Bookshop | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK )
Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents (29th edition): An alternative guide to both publishers and agents, produced by a literary agent and updated for 2023. (More info. or buy at: Amazon.com | Bookshop | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK )
2018 Artist's Market: This is a substantial general resource for illustrators of all types, fine artists, and designers. It includes listings of artist's representatives. The 2018 edition seems to be the final one--I have seen no mention of a 2019 or 2020 one. (More info. or buy at: Amazon.com | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK )
Canada: The Canadian Writer's Market, 2013 edition (most recent): This is (or was) the Canadian equivalent of Writer's Market. (More info. or buy at: Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon US )
UK: Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2024: This is the general market guide for illustrators and authors to get for the UK. (More info. or buy at: Amazon UK | Bookshop | Amazon Canada | Amazon US )

Children's Books:

Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market: includes a comprehensive list of agents, as well as lists of publishers and loads of basic information. After a hiatus in 2020, CWIM is back with their 33rd edition--the link here takes you to my review of it.
SCBWI members should be sure to use their "Agents Directory": It's on their website in "The Essential Guide," which is available as a free download. Note that the SCBWI updates the listings in "The Essential Guide" twice a year, so it shoudl be more up-to-date than CWIM.
UK: Children's Writers' and Artist's Yearbook 2024: This is the children's book option for the UK. You can also find it at ( Bookshop | Amazon Canada | Amazon US )
Canada: There is no Canadian equivalent--you'll need to use The Canadian Writer's Market (see above).
More useful books: Not just agents--notes on different kinds of books for writers and illustrators. This is revised and expanded from the resource section in my C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books.
I Need an Agent!: The complete text of the chapter about agents in my C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books.

Going Without an Agent:

How to Be Your Own Literary Agent: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published: by Richard Curtis, well-known literary agent. This does not list agents, but it may help you find a way to live without one--and the insights into how publishing works are worth it even if you do have an agent.

Online Resources:

Agent Hunter: A new website that aims to be a UK equivalent of AgentQuery.
Agent Query: A searchable online database of agents--a useful tool. QueryTracker is a similar site. See which one you like best.
Publishers Marketplace: You have to pay a monthly fee to get access to their searchable database of deals, reported by agents.
The Safest Way to Search for an Agent: An excellent, detailed guide by Victoria Strauss.

Home page | More useful articles | Search for more information | Purple Crayon Bookstores A Guide to Agents