David H Headley

DHH Literary Agency

Submission status
Open
Submission route
Email
Response time
Assume no reply = no after 16 weeks
Last checked
7 days ago

About

David Headley is Managing Director of DHH Literary Agency, which he founded in 2008, and represents an eclectic range of best-selling and award-winning authors.

He studied theology in London and Durham before co-founding Goldsboro Books, a leading independent bookseller in central London. He spent 26 years building Goldsboro Books and becoming a well-regarded literary agent, forging strong relationships with publishing houses throughout the UK.

Looking for

  • not just a clever idea, but something that begins with character and carries real emotional weight
  • a storyteller with something to say and the voice to carry it
  • novels that feel expansive, even when they’re intimate
  • big themes, clear concepts, and stories that give you something to hold onto
  • stories that make you think a little, feel a lot, and stay with you longer than expected
  • stories take you somewhere

Not looking for

  • science fiction or fantasy
  • children's or young adult fiction
  • poetry
  • plays
  • screenplays, or shorter forms such as novellas and story collections
  • non-fiction

Clients include

  • Alison Barrow
  • Graham Bartlett
  • A. D. Bell
  • Eva Björg Ægisdottir
  • R.C. Bridgestock
  • Tom Brown
  • Paul Burston
  • Andrea Carter
  • Will Carver
  • Ajay Chowdhury
  • Paul Collard
  • James Fraser Conway
  • M.W. Craven
  • A. A. Dhand
  • Becky Docton

Agency submission guidelines

Submissions should be sent to one chosen agent only, electronically; postal submissions are not considered and will be discarded. What to send: a covering letter describing the novel (including total word count), where it sits in the market, and information about the writer and their writing ambitions. Synopsis: a single page synopsis is preferred, outlining the whole story without cliffhangers. Writing sample: the first three chapters or about 10,000 words, typed (size 12 is ideal) and double spaced. AI use: submissions, including the covering letter and synopsis, must be the original work of the author. Submissions generated, written, co-written or edited using artificial intelligence technology cannot be accepted. No reading fee is charged.

Agency AI policy

They do not accept submissions generated, written, co-written or edited using artificial intelligence technology. Submissions must be the original work of the author.

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