Literary agents who want propulsive writing
Phrasemill lists literary agents who want propulsive, based on what they say on their public websites. “propulsive” is a tone tag; its identifier is propulsive. 97 agents currently want it. Agents whose websites say they are closed to submissions are omitted. The quoted evidence for each tag is on the agent's profile. How it works.
Or paste your synopsis into ChatGPT or Claude with this prompt; it can read your whole manuscript.
Agents (1–25 of 97)
Says: “a story I can't put down”
Says: “keep me on the edge of my seat”
Lori specializes in upmarket fiction with propulsive storylines—book club, mystery, suspense, and psychologically layered narratives—and selectively represents cookbooks and literary memoir.
Says: “propulsive (not hectic) plot”
Now a Primary Agent in the UK department, Rory is actively building his list and represents authors of literary fiction and non-fiction. In fiction, he is looking for voice-driven and story-led literary writing powered…
Says: “powerful, page-turning stories”
Says: “a compelling plot-driver story”
Says: “lots of exciting, thrilling, surprising stories”
Says: “addictive page-turners with characters I can't get enough of”
Says: “propulsive one-read sittings which have me turning pages into the night”
I love reading new work and discovering emerging writers. There is nothing more enlivening than encountering a new voice, thinking seriously and playfully on the page, and a writer who has a sense of how their work might…
Says: “well-paced plots with a great hook”
Says: “breathless pull of what happens next with the emotional investment that makes me care about what follows”
My primary focus is books for children and young adults. I also represent select fiction for adults, generally but not exclusively speculative. I have a thriving list, but I always have room for an irresistible new pro…
I am happy to consider submissions in the following areas: Fiction: historical fiction, upmarket crime and thriller, speculative fiction. Non-fiction: memoir, narrative non-fiction, investigative journalism, business, fo…
Says: “a driving plot”
At ICA, Sharmaine is actively building a list of fiction and non-fiction with international ambition, seeking distinctive voices, emotional resonance, and stories that broaden how we see the world. She is looking for li…
Says: “Anything that keeps me turning the page and is utterly irresistible and truly page-turning”
Says: “dealt with in a satisfyingly propulsive way”
In fiction, Anna is looking for literary fiction and book club novels, as well as romance, historical, crime/thriller, romantasy, horror, mystery and fantasy that skews towards the nostalgic. She is drawn to fiction wit…
Across all the below genres, I particularly welcome submissions from writers from communities that have been underrepresented in mainstream publishing, including LGBTQ+ authors, disabled and neurodivergent authors, and a…
In fiction, I am looking for anything extraordinary and precise, in the vein of Anita Brookner, Jenny Offill and Gwendoline Riley. Work that pulls apart the strands of the everyday and weaves them into powerful, elegant…
I read crime fiction obsessively and unputdownable is my favourite blurb adjective but I have eclectic taste and also love a wide range of literary fiction and non-fiction which makes you think and question the world we…
Says: “swept away and unable to put a book down”
Madeleine reads across all areas of fiction but is immediately drawn to powerful, voice-led book club fiction with irresistible protagonists and themes that spark up conversations. She loves a literary voice that lingers…
More literary agent lists
- Literary Fiction (456)
- Narrative Nonfiction (431)
- Memoir (364)
- Young Adult (357)
- Romance (276)
- Thriller (265)
- Fantasy (241)
- Historical Fiction (232)
- Middle-grade Books (206)
- Horror (193)
- Mystery (186)
- Children's Books (169)
- Science Fiction (163)
- Women's Fiction (147)
- Crime Fiction (115)
- Humor (105)
- Romantasy (91)
- Magical Realism (90)
- Debut Authors (72)
- True Crime (72)
- Contemporary Romance (66)
- Cozy Fantasy (32)
- Cozy Mystery (28)
- Dark Academia (27)
- Poetry (26)
- Dark Romance (19)
- Paranormal Romance (17)
- African American Fiction (6)