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

About

Elena studied English at the University of Bristol and completed an MA in Publishing at UCL.

She joined DHH Literary Agency in 2024 as David Headley's assistant, working across the agency, Goldsboro Books and Capital Crime, and is now building her own list while supporting the rights department.

Looking for

  • character-driven speculative fiction
  • female-led literary and crossover fiction
  • book club fiction
  • contemporary rom-coms
  • sweeping love stories (historical or contemporary)
  • crime and psychological thrillers
  • female-led fantasy
  • romantasy
  • retellings

Not looking for

  • children's books
  • young adult
  • police procedurals
  • cosy crime
  • epic science fiction
  • poetry
  • plays
  • screenplays
  • non-fiction of any kind

Clients include

Nydia Hetherington, Helen Packer, Christina McFairholme

Agency submission guidelines

The agency accepts submissions electronically only. Choose one agent to submit to, reading the agent profiles to find the best fit for the work. More detail on what each agent is looking for is on their individual agent page. What to send: a covering letter, a brief synopsis and a sample of writing. Covering letter: describe the novel (including total word count), where it sits in the market, and yourself and your writing ambitions. Synopsis: a single page synopsis is preferred. Outline the whole story, with no cliffhangers. Writing sample: the first three chapters or about 10,000 words, typed (size 12 is ideal) and double spaced. Postal submissions: submissions posted to the office will not be considered and the material will be discarded. Submissions are not accepted over the phone or at the general enquiries email address. Follow-ups: do not call the office. To check on the status of a submission, send a polite email to the address you submitted to. Fees: the agency does not charge a reading fee.

Agency AI policy

They do not accept submissions originated, written or edited by generative AI.

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