12 Agents Looking for Memoir

Where to Query This Week (4.16.25) | Plus an agent weighs in on the dos and don’ts of querying memoir

Apr 16, 2025

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Welcome to Sub Club’s Where to Query This Week!

Today, I’m excited to welcome Trellis literary agent, Natalie Edwards! I’m calling this the MEMOIR ISSUE because not only do we have a list of agents looking for your memoirs, but Natalie is also giving us the dos and don’ts of how to write the best query letter for a narrative nonfiction project. Who better than an agent to spill the secrets on how to pitch your book?

Querying Memoir: Dos and Don’ts

“Memoir is hard” is a phrase most nonfiction writers are likely used to hearing, whether it’s from agents, editors, professors, or other writers. I’ve said it myself, because the sad truth is, memoir is hard, and there’s no magic formula for what makes a compelling, successful one. Even so, the challenge of crafting and publishing a great memoir shouldn’t discourage you from trying to get yours out there, since—like any great book—a well-written memoir has the power to reach others and make them feel seen.

To be clear, I’m not talking about celebrity memoirs here, which are their own kettle of fish. My hope is that the general dos and don’ts below will help you determine if your memoir project has the right ingredients to catch an agent or editor’s eye, and help you pitch your story in the strongest and most persuasive way possible. There are so many different ways to do nonfiction, so other agents may feel differently—this is just my two cents!

Do: Ask Yourself, “Is There a Whole Book Here?”

When developing a memoir, it’s important to emphasize what makes your story timely, urgent, and unique. But you also need to justify why it merits a book-length project. One of the main things I ask myself when considering narrative nonfiction is, “Is this a book, or is this an article?” If you’re writing a hybrid memoir, is there enough research and reportage on your issue/topic to interweave with your own personal throughline? If you’re writing a more straightforward memoir, is there a strong, sustainable narrative arc? A good memoir isn’t just a list of events and emotions; it’s a fresh, distinct angle on particular experiences that evoke universal themes, and it needs to earn its word count to keep a reader engaged.

Don’t: Use Celebrity Comps

Comparable titles, often referred to as “comp titles” or simply “comps,” are a necessary evil in the book business for writers and agents alike. Comps can be annoying to come up with, but they really do help agents and editors visualize the kind of audience you’re writing for.

You can show off your knowledge of the market by using comps published (ideally) within the last five years. But unless you yourself are famous, it is not at all helpful to use celebrities’ memoirs as your comp titles, given that those authors have massive built-in platforms that give their book an automatic edge. For example, I’ve noticed many folks writing grief memoirs comping to Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart. Unless you’re a former Disney Channel star or the frontwoman of an extremely popular indie band, find different comps!

Do: Have the Right Materials

Memoirs can be queried as proposals—very detailed outlines with sample writing or chapters—or as complete manuscripts. If you’re trying to decide what format suits your project best, I tend to use this rule of thumb: the more personal and/or formally inventive a memoir is, the more material the writer should have.

For example, for a hybrid, issue-driven project with research elements (i.e., Helen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk), a proposal could work to explain how your own narrative gets woven into the subject you’re reporting on. With something more voice-driven and personal, whether it’s experimentally structured (i.e., Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House) or a chronological life story (i.e., Safiya Sinclair’s How to Say Babylon), it generally helps to have the full draft written. What agents and editors are looking for is proof of concept—that your project’s form matches its function and can keep a reader hooked.

Don’t: Submit to an Agent Who Doesn’t Represent Memoir

This one should be self-evident, but you’d be surprised! Before querying, doing research on which agents to send your work to is essential, and you’ll want to follow their submissions guidelines to the letter. You can only submit to one agent per agency at any given time, so check all agents’ bios, wishlists, and client and titles lists to confirm they’re looking for memoir. If an agent at an agency chooses to pass on your work, you’re free to try one of their colleagues.

Do: Emphasize Your Platform

One of the most important aspects of pitching narrative nonfiction is proving you’re the ideal person to tell that story. With memoir, it’s your life, so some of that proof is built-in, but other parts of it are earned. Are you a staff writer at a well-known publication? Do you have degrees that qualify you as an expert in the subject you’re writing about? Has your short-form work been published in newspapers, magazines, literary journals, or other periodicals? Do you run a popular Substack or Bookstagram account? You don’t need to have an MFA or a million followers on TikTok to sell your project, but you do need to convince me that you have the expertise and/or a sizeable readership that will give your book the best chance to reach a wide audience.

In the end, there are so many different ways that memoir can look, but the best ones ultimately boil down to the combination of a timely topic, a powerful story, and a resonant voice to carry the reader through.

Natalie Edwards joined Trellis Literary Management at its founding in the fall of 2021, after previous stints at Janklow & Nesbit and Curtis Brown, Ltd. At Trellis, she represents a wide range of upmarket and literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. Originally from Pasadena, CA, Natalie holds a BA in English from Bowdoin College, where she played four years of varsity softball. She lives with her fiancée in Brooklyn, where she still plays softball.

P.S. If you are looking for expert help with your query letter, check out Query Letter Bootcamp with Haley Swanson, a workshop with Write or Die! Learn the nitty-gritty of how to query an agent best and leave with confidence in your ability to pull together a query quickly.

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