Submission status
Open
Submission route
Email
Response time
Aims to reply within 12 weeks
Last checked
10 days ago

About

Andrew joined David Higham Associates in 2007 and is a director of the company and head of the Books department.

Before becoming an agent he worked on the publishing side for fifteen years, in publicity at Hodder & Stoughton and as an editor and publisher at Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster. His list is primarily non-fiction and includes leading historians, journalists and commentators. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Cundill History Prize.

Looking for

  • history, whether narrative, popular or serious
  • current affairs, politics and economics
  • biography and memoir
  • narrative and literary non-fiction, including books that blur genre boundaries
  • sport and tales of adventure
  • popular culture, film and music
  • popular science and psychology
  • smart thinking and ideas books
  • books that say something new about the way the world works
  • approaches from experts in their field who want to communicate their ideas and knowledge to a wider audience

Not looking for

  • new fiction, which he is not accepting at the moment
  • projects likely to sit in the mind, body and spirit section

Clients include

  • Alexander McCall Smith
  • Bernard Cornwell
  • Owen Jones
  • Yanis Varoufakis
  • Nicola Sturgeon
  • Ed Miliband
  • David Lammy
  • Amol Rajan
  • Isabel Hardman
  • Kathryn Mannix
  • Cordelia Fine
  • Anna Keay
  • Damien Lewis
  • Peter Oborne
  • Steve Richards

Agency submission guidelines

David Higham accepts unsolicited submissions and is always on the lookout for new voices in adult fiction and non-fiction, children's and YA, and scripts. Approach one agent only, chosen from the agents' pages; if unsure, email the general submissions address with the subject 'Adult Submissions Department' and an agent will read it. Adult fiction: the first three chapters, a one to two page synopsis and a covering letter, by email to the agent's own address. Post is also accepted at the London office, double spaced and page numbered with a stamped addressed envelope; manuscripts are not returned. Non-fiction: a proposal covering the book's themes, story and sources, any sample chapters, your credentials for writing it, and a covering letter. Otherwise as for adult fiction. Children's and YA: put your name and the book title in the subject line and the covering letter in the body, with a pitch, a short summary and a little about you. For young fiction and novels attach the first three chapters and a synopsis as Word or PDF; for picture books, one to three full texts. Download links are not opened. Illustrators and paper engineers email a sample first; hard copies only on request. Scripts: a considered approach to one specific agent, in electronic form only, with a cover email explaining why you are seeking representation, your writing CV and details of anyone who referred you. Samples are requested only if the agent wants to see more; synopses and incomplete scripts are not considered. Replies: adult submissions aim for a response within twelve weeks, with a form rejection where the agency cannot help; children's and YA submissions get no individual reply, and silence after twelve weeks means no; for scripts, silence after six weeks means no. Do let the agency know if another agent requests the full manuscript or offers representation.

Agency AI policy

Does not wish to consider submissions written with generative AI tools; any use must be disclosed. Non-fiction proposals must not rely on AI-driven research, and cover letters should be written without AI.

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