Curtis Brown

What Curtis Brown does

Curtis Brown, Ltd. is one of the world's longest-operating literary agencies, established in July 1914 when Albert Curtis Brown opened the New York branch of his London-founded agency as World War I began. The firm represents adult and children's authors across all genres — including literary and commercial fiction, non-fiction, memoir, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, middle-grade, YA, and picture books with illustrators — through 14 agents located in New York (headquarters, 228 E 45th Street), New Orleans, and San Francisco (opened 1992 by Peter Ginsberg). Curtis Brown is a founder of the Society of Authors' Representatives (1928), the predecessor to today's Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), to which all its agents belong.

The agency's business model is commission-based literary representation with no reading or editorial fees. Revenue is generated through percentage commissions on book deals negotiated with publishers, plus subsidiary rights licensing across four channels: dramatic rights (sold directly to Hollywood through an in-house Film & Television Department headed by VP Holly Frederick, with nearly 100 client titles currently in development), translation rights (licensed through 23 territory-specific sub-agents overseen since 2023 by Director of Foreign Rights Karin Schulze), audio rights, and digital media rights. A separate Permissions division handles five distinct service lines — Print, Stage Adaptation, Musical Setting, Radio/Podcast, and Quote in Film/TV/Documentary/Stage — on a non-exclusive basis with processing times up to 8 weeks.

Curtis Brown operates as a traditional services firm with no proprietary technology platforms, APIs, algorithms, or AI/ML capabilities. The agency is privately held with no parent company, external investors, or funding rounds disclosed; separate Curtis Brown entities exist independently in London, Toronto, and Sydney. New manuscript submissions are received directly by individual agents via email or mail, with response turnaround typically 3-4 weeks and the agency does not accept screenplay submissions or represent stage plays/musicals.

Name

Curtis Brown

Legal name

Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Website

https://curtisbrown.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Curtis Brown, Ltd. is a privately held literary agency founded in 1914, with 14 agents across New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco offices, representing authors across all genres and earning commissions on book deals, film/TV rights, translation rights, and permissions licensing worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Agency Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Rights, ISBN & Publishing Administration Services (Identifiers, Metadata, Royalties) (MPAJAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lyrics & Text Rights Licensing (Lyric Display, Print/Digital Reproduction) (MPAIABAI), Audiobook Rights & Licensing (Territorial/Format Rights, Agencies) (MPAJAIAG), Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Literary agency services
• Author representation
• Film television rights
• Foreign translation rights
• Permissions licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Literary representation commissions: Traditional literary agency commissions on book deals, subsidiary rights sales, and subsidiary rights licensing. Agency represents authors and illustrators and earns a percentage of deals negotiated on their behalf.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Curtis Brown, Ltd. is a literary agency that represents established and emerging authors across all genres, including picture book illustrators, children's, middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction and non-fiction. The agency negotiates book deals with publishers, sells dramatic rights to film/TV producers through an in-house Film & Television Department, licenses translation rights internationally through a network of foreign sub-agents in approximately 23 territories, and manages permissions for print, stage adaptation, musical setting, radio/podcast, and film/TV quote usage. Revenue is earned via commissions on deals and licensing royalties on behalf of clients.

Product overview

Curtis Brown, Ltd. is one of the world's leading literary agencies operating since 1914, offering a comprehensive suite of services under a single agency brand. The core offering is literary representation for authors of all genres, supported by specialized departments for film & television rights sales, foreign/translation rights licensing, and permissions handling. The permissions division encompasses five distinct services: Print Permissions, Stage Adaptation Permissions, Musical Setting Permissions, Radio/Podcast Permissions, and Quote in Film/TV/Documentary/Stage Permissions. The agency also manages manuscript submissions through its fourteen agents across three U.S. offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100 clients' titles currently in development in Film & TV
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dar CherlincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerArabic language territories representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights department, overseen by Karin Schulze, Director of Foreign Rights.
• Eastern European and Asian Rights Agency, RigacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBaltics/Ukraine and Central Asia representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights licensing.
• Andrew Nurnberg Associates, SofiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBulgaria, Croatia and Serbia representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Andrew Nurnberg Associates, BeijingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChina representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights department.
• Kristin Olson Literarni Agentura, PraguecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCzech Republic and Slovakia representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• La Nouvelle Agence, PariscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrance representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights department.
• Paul & Peter Fritz Agency, ZurichcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman language territories representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• O.A. Literary Agency, AthenscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGreece representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights licensing.
• The Israeli Association of Book Publishers (TBPAI), Tel-AvivcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIsrael representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Katai & Bolza Literary Agents, BudapestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHungary representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights licensing.
• Santachiara Literary Agency, PaviacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerItaly representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Japan Uni Agency, TokyocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJapan representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights department.
• KCC, SeoulcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKorea representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Marianne Schönbach Agency, AmsterdamcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNetherlands and Scandinavia representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights licensing.
• Macadamia Literary Agency, WarsawcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPoland representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Tassy Barham Associates, LondoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrazil representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights department.
• Ilidio Matos Agencia Literaria, LisboncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPortugal (adult titles only) representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• International Editors Co., BarcelonacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPortugal (children's titles) and Spain representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights licensing.
• Simona Kessler International Copyright Agency, BucharestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRomania representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Synopsis Literary Agency, MoscowcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRussia representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights department.
• The Grayhawk Agency, TaipeicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSoutheast Asia representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.
• Bardon Chinese Media Agency, TaipeicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTaiwan representative for Curtis Brown's foreign rights licensing.
• Akcali Copyright Agency, IstanbulcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTurkey representative for Curtis Brown's translation rights licensing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• William Morris Endeavor (WME): WME is one of the largest talent and literary agencies globally, with a substantial book publishing division. It competes with Curtis Brown for premium authors and film/TV rights but operates as a diversified entertainment conglomerate far beyond literary representation.
• United Talent Agency (UTA): UTA is a major talent and literary agency with a significant book publishing division representing bestselling authors. As a much larger full-service entertainment agency, it competes with Curtis Brown for premium authors but operates at vastly greater scale across film, TV, and music.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): CAA is a leading global entertainment and talent agency with a literary division representing major authors. It overlaps with Curtis Brown in literary representation and film/TV rights sales but competes as a much larger, diversified incumbent.
• ICM Partners: ICM Partners (now part of CAA following acquisition) was a major literary and talent agency representing bestselling authors. It competed with Curtis Brown in author representation and dramatic rights sales as a broader entertainment industry incumbent.

Direct peers

• Writers House: Writers House is one of the largest US literary agencies, representing bestselling fiction, non-fiction, and children's authors across all genres. It is a direct peer to Curtis Brown in literary representation scope and client caliber, with a comparable full-service subsidiary rights operation.
• Trident Media Group: Trident Media Group is a major literary agency representing commercial and literary fiction, non-fiction, and children's authors, with an integrated film/TV rights division. It directly competes with Curtis Brown for both author clients and film/TV adaptation deals.
• Janklow & Nesbit Associates: Janklow & Nesbit is one of the most prestigious literary agencies in New York, representing award-winning literary fiction and non-fiction authors. It directly competes with Curtis Brown for top-tier literary talent and offers comparable foreign rights and film/TV services.
• Sterling Lord Literistic: Sterling Lord Literistic is a long-established New York literary agency founded in 1952, representing literary fiction, non-fiction, and memoir authors. It is comparable to Curtis Brown in agency heritage, client pedigree, and full-service author representation model.
• Foundry Literary + Media: Foundry Literary + Media is a New York-based literary agency representing literary and commercial fiction, non-fiction, and children's authors, with a robust film/TV rights department. It directly competes with Curtis Brown across author representation and subsidiary rights sales.
• InkWell Management: InkWell Management is a major New York-based literary agency representing literary fiction, non-fiction, and memoir authors. It directly competes with Curtis Brown for premium literary authors and offers similar subsidiary rights services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CurtisBrownLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/CurtisBrownLtd
• Instagraminstagram.com/curtisbrown.ltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/curtis-brown-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Curtis Brown