Submissions are accepted via an online form, with a submission window from the 1st to the 7th of each month. Writers should check the agency's about pages to decide which agent to submit to, and should send to one agent initially; if that results in a pass, resubmission to the other agent is welcome. What to send: a cover letter, the first three chapters (or first 10,000 words, whichever is shorter) and a synopsis. For non-fiction, send a cover letter, a proposal, sample chapters and an overview of the book. Cover letter: should include the book's title, genre or age range, word count, a pitch line and blurb, information on the target audience and comparable titles, and information about the author. Synopsis: one page of A4 covering the emotional journey of the protagonist, including spoilers. For non-fiction, an overview of the book is given instead. Submission limits: only one book may be submitted at a time. Only the first submission to arrive will be considered. Format: text should be copied and pasted directly into the form rather than attaching files. Illustrations should not be included; for verse novels, the cover letter should instead be sent via the contact form for an alternative submission method. Not represented: short story collections, novellas, poetry, screenplays. Postal submissions are not accepted and will not be read. AI-generated work is not accepted, including AI-generated cover letters or synopses. Any AI use for accessibility reasons should be discussed with the agency in advance. If the submission form is unsuitable, the contact form can be used instead to send a cover letter with an explanation.
They do not accept any work that has been written using AI.
Hannah runs Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency, representing adult and children's fiction as well as a small amount of non-fiction. She spent a decade working in-house in editorial at Pan Macmillan and Headline Publishing Group. She joined DHH Literary Agency in 2013 before launching her own agency in 2023.
Genres:Children's Books · Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Fantasy · Graphic Novels +7 more
Louise is an Associate Literary Agent at Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency. She has worked in publishing for over fifteen years, including time at Pan Macmillan and Zeno Agency Ltd. She also works as an Editorial Consultant and writes a Substack about editing and getting published.
Genres:Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Fantasy · Health & Wellness · Horror +7 more
