we receive thousands of submissions a year so it is impossible for us to answer letters of enquiry individually, but we are one of the few literary agencies which takes a lot of time over its unsolicited manuscripts and champions first time authors. If you would like to send us your book, please follow the guidelines below.

How to submit

We don’t accept email submissions unless you are already in correspondence with a specific agent. We will, of course, be happy to answer any questions that you have by phone or email.

Unless you know a particular book agent personally, it would be best to send submissions to:

Submissions
Conville & Walsh Ltd
2 Ganton Street
London
W1F 7QL

That way, your material will arrive safely with our reader and won’t get lost on a pile of separate correspondence.

Click here for advice from our reader, David Llewelyn

What not to submit

We don’t represent poetry, short stories or dramatic works (this means film, television, radio or theatre). However, if we want to work on a book with you, we will represent all rights, including dramatic, for that book.

Fiction

When submitting fiction, please post a hard copy of the first three chapters (or about 50 pages) and a synopsis. The synopsis shouldn’t be a blurb or a cover-style ‘teaser’, but a simplified explanation of the plot in one or two sides, listing the theme, setting and characters of your book, from the first to final chapter.

Children’s books

At the moment, we aren’t looking for new picture book projects, but we are still looking out for all other kinds of children’s and Young Adult books. Please submit to us in the normal way, with three sample chapters or fifty pages, and a synopsis of the work.

Non-fiction

Most non-fiction books are sold on proposal, so you don’t need to have written the book already. A thirty page proposal should include:

  • What the book is about and why it needs to be written and published now.
  • Who you are and your credentials for writing the book (in the third person, which allows for trumpet blowing).
  • Where the book would sit on the shelves, including similar or competing books that have already been published.
  • A chapter of sample text (usually taken from an early part of the book, but not the introduction).
  • An outline of chapters (a page per chapter, written in full prose).

    • Covering letter

    For both fiction and non-fiction please also include a covering letter giving an account of the background of the book and an account of your career to date. If you have been referred to an agent by a trade or personal contact let us know in your letter. Do also say if you have been in correspondence with one of our agents before, and mention if your project has been seen or is being seen by any other agents or publishers.

    Presentation

    Please make sure that your material is typeset so as to be clearly legible. We prefer unbound A4 pages typed no smaller than 12-point Times New Roman font, double- or 1.5-line-spaced and printed on one side of the paper. Pages should be numbered, unless you are writing an homage to The Unfortunates by B S Johnson. Please remember to print your name and a contact number or email address on the cover of your manuscript.

    Receipt and return

    Your submission will be returned if it is accompanied by return postage (preferably on a stamped, self-addressed envelope) - otherwise, we’ll recycle your material. Please don’t post us cash, international postage coupons or blank cheques. Actually, don’t post anyone blank cheques.

    We get a lot of submissions each week, so we can’t acknowledge receipt. We do read them as fast as we can and respond as soon as we have read them.

    Turnaround

    We do read every submission made to us, but have to give priority to the many authors we already represent. It may take us as long as two months to get back to you, so please don’t chase us for a reply until nine weeks from the date of your submission. Given the time it takes us to get to new submissions, we do encourage you to contact other agencies at the same time.

    Loss or damage

    Please keep a copy of anything you submit to us, and don’t send us original artwork. We can’t be held responsible for the loss of or damage to any typescripts, artwork or electronic media submitted to us, either in the post or during the reading process.

    We look forward to reading your submission