Submissions Guidelines

We welcome submissions in fiction, non-fiction, and children’s. We are passionate about debut authors, but we’d also love to see submissions from previously published or self-published authors.

Please review the following submissions guidelines below to give your material the best chance to be noticed.

Choose the agent who you think will be the best fit for your work – you can find more information on the agents, their client lists, and what they’re looking for on this website.
LBA only accepts electronic submissions, which can be sent directly to the agent you wish to submit to. The emails to submit to can be found on each agent’s profile page.
Put the title of your manuscript and the genre in your subject line e.g. “TITLE / genre”.
FOR FICTION: please include a covering letter (in the main body of the email), a brief synopsis, and the first three chapters (or first 5,000 words if your book doesn’t have chapters) of your work as a Word document.
FOR NON-FICTION: please include covering letter (in the main body of the email), a proposal, and a writing sample of at least 5,000 words as a Word document.
Make sure your manuscript and synopsis are easy to read. We recommend a legible font, size 12pt, and 1.5 or double-spaced.
Include the title of your book and your name in the name of your attachments.
If you receive an offer of representation while we are considering your work, please do write to us again and let us know.

PLEASE NOTE:

Any submissions sent to our info inbox will not be considered.

We do not accept submissions for poetry, short stories, or film scripts.

Frequently asked questions

What should I write in a covering letter?: There is no specific format for a covering letter for your submission, but it should include the following information: a one-line pitch, a compelling blurb*, some comparison titles or authors, and a little about yourself.

*a blurb should be only a couple of paragraphs long – like you would see on the back of a book!
What should I write in a synopsis?: The synopsis should be 1-2 pages that tells the reader the entire plot of your book – with spoilers!
When am I likely to hear back?: We endeavour to get back to authors within three months. If you haven’t received a response in that timeframe, please consider this a pass.
Can you give me editorial feedback, or more tips to find an agent?: Unfortunately we cannot get into correspondence over why your material is not right for us and we cannot give editorial tips, advice or guidelines. Nor can we point you to other agents who might be more suitable. There are lots of resources online which can help you with this.
Can I send my manuscript in the post?: No, we do not accept any hard-copy submissions. These will be recycled and not considered.
Can I submit my work to more than one agent at LBA?: No, please choose one agent who you think would be the best fit.
If I revise my manuscript, can I submit it again?: Unless the agent has specifically asked to see a revised version, please do not send us repeat submissions.
I'm working on more than one manuscript - can I submit them all to you?: No, please only submit one project at a time.
My manuscript isn't yet finished - can I query you anyway?: No, please only query us if you have a completed, polished manuscript or proposal.