✍️ MSWL – First House Literary
📚 About
First House Literary is a boutique literary agency seeking distinctive voices with both artistic strength and commercial potential.
While we consider a wide range of submissions, we are particularly drawn to projects that combine strong commercial potential with a distinctive, memorable voice.
We are currently open to submissions and actively reviewing new work.
🔍 What we’re looking for
We welcome submissions in all genres, including literary and commercial fiction, genre fiction, and select non-fiction.
That said, we are particularly interested in:
⭐ Preferred areas
Upmarket & book club fiction with emotional depth
Fantasy & sci-fi with original worldbuilding and a clear hook
Romance (especially contemporary, voice-driven, or with a fresh twist)
Thrillers / suspense with strong pacing and a compelling premise
Young Adult / New Adult with authentic voice and strong character arcs
🌟 What makes a project stand out
A strong hook we can pitch in one sentence
A distinctive voice from the very first page
Clear sense of audience and market positioning
Emotional resonance combined with a compelling plot
Fresh perspectives or unexpected takes on familiar tropes
❌ What we’re less likely to take on
Unfinished fiction manuscripts
Projects without a clear narrative drive
Work that feels heavily derivative without a unique angle
Poetry, screenplays, or picture books (at this time)
📬 Submission guidelines
Please submit:
A query letter
A 1–2 page synopsis
The first 10–20 pages of your manuscript
We aim to respond within 6 weeks. Due to volume, if you do not hear from us within this timeframe, please consider it a pass.
💬 Final note
We actively scout both within and beyond traditional channels and are always looking for emerging voices with a clear perspective and a strong sense of story.
If your work is engaging, original, and market-aware, we would love to hear from you.