About Hannah
Hannah Sheppard runs Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency, a boutique agency she launched in 2023. She spent a decade working in-house in editorial at Pan Macmillan and Headline Publishing Group, which gives her insight into how publishing houses work. In 2013 she joined the DHH Literary Agency. The agency is a member of the AAA and is a registered company in England and Wales.
What Hannah is looking for
Hannah's taste is more commercial and upmarket than literary, across adult and children's fiction. She is keen on high-concept, pacy, twisty thrillers, cold case crime, horror, epic love stories with a speculative twist, and funny fiction with a unique hook. She would also welcome fiction for boys and men that tackles toxic masculinity. She is not looking for Romantasy or adult graphic novels, and is not the right agent for military thrillers or Tolkien-style fantasy.
Submissions
At the time of checking (November 2026), submissions are closed until February 2027. From 2027 the agency plans to open to submissions every other month, from the 1st to the 7th. Fiction submissions need a cover letter, the first three chapters or first 10,000 words (whichever is shorter), and a synopsis; non-fiction needs a cover letter, proposal, sample chapters and an overview. Submit through the form on the agency's website, not by post, and do not send AI-generated work. A gentle nudge after eight weeks is welcome.
Compiled from Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency Ltd.'s own website. Check there for the latest before you submit.
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