Top Literary Agents for Middle Grade Fiction

According to the Publishers Marketplace, these are the top twenty agents for selling middle grade fiction. First a couple of cautions.

Self Reported Statistics. The statistics are compiled from sales in the last twelve months reported on Publisher’s Marketplace. This is a big caution because sales on PM self-reported. I know from talking to friends that their agents (some of those listed in the report) have had sales, but they weren’t reported on PM. In other words, agents select the sales to report and tend to report only the “hot” sales or the “big” sales. Sales to smaller houses or those without large advances tend to be under-reported. Some of these agents may have many more sales than reported her; or some may ONLY have these sales. We don’t know. Still, this gives you an idea of who is actually selling manuscripts to publishers today.

Also notice that each agent and agency has other sales; I am only concerned here with sales of Middle Grade Fiction. These top twenty agents reported combined sales of 83 middle grade fiction manuscripts in the last twelve months.

Notice also that the sales numbers for an individual agent are not high. The highest is seven sales and by the #20 spot, there are only three deals. Notice that spots #1-2 are tied at seven each; spots #3-7 are all tied at five sales each; spots #8-15 are all tied at four sales each; and #16-20 are all tied at three sales each. Lots of great agents, and the number of sales each has made does little to distinguish one from another.

Note: To submit, please research each individual agent and agency and follow their guidelines.

Top 20 Middle Grade Fiction Agents

1. Daniel Lazar, Writer’s House – 7 deals
2. Tina Eexler, ICM – 7 deals
3. Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency – 5 deals
4. Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary – 5 deals
5. Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger – 5 deals
6. Josh Adams, Adams Literary – 5 deals
7. Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency – 5 deals
8. Tracey Adams, Adams Literary – 4 deals
9. Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio – 4 deals
10. Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency – 4 deals
11. Steven Chudney, The Chudney Agency – 4 deals
12. Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency – 4 deals
13. Stephen Fraser, Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency
14. Holly MdGhee, Pippin Porperties
15. Michael Bourrett, Dystel & Dogerich Literary Management – 4 deals
16. Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown – 3 deals
17. Steven Malk, Writer’s House – 3 deals
18. Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates – 3 deals
19. Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown – 3 deals
20. Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency – 3 deals