A small agency, by design.
We keep our list small so every author gets an agent who has read every draft, knows every editor on the deal, and picks up the phone.
Our story
Chapter House Literary was founded in 2011 by Eleanor Hale, after twelve years as a fiction editor at a London publishing house. The idea was simple: an agency that treats a writer’s career as a long collaboration rather than a single sale.
Today we represent 46 authors writing literary fiction, crime, historical fiction, narrative non-fiction and memoir, and work with publishers across the UK, US and Commonwealth. Through our co-agents we place translation rights in more than 30 territories.
We’re based in Bloomsbury, London, but our authors write from all over the world.
How we work with an author
From the first read to the paperback and beyond, the same agent stays with you at every stage.
Read and talk
We read the full manuscript, then talk through what the book is and where it could go.
Develop the manuscript
Detailed editorial notes, as many rounds as it takes, until it’s ready to send.
Submit and negotiate
We choose the right editors, run the submission, and negotiate the best terms.
Publish and beyond
We check contracts and royalty statements, sell further rights, and plan the next book with you.
What we stand for
Editorial care
We are hands-on readers. A book goes out when it’s ready, not when it’s convenient.
Straight talking
Clear advice, honest feedback and plain-English contracts. You always know where things stand.
Careers, not deals
We think about your whole writing life, not just this book, and plan with you for the long term.