The Knight Agency

What The Knight Agency does

The Knight Agency is a US-based literary representation firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Madison, operating with an 11-50 employee team. The company provides full-service author representation: agents receive query letters and manuscripts, evaluate them, and shepherd selected authors through manuscript development, submission to publishers, and deal negotiation. Beyond initial placement, the agency manages subsidiary rights across foreign translation, film and television, audio, merchandising, and electronic channels. It also supplies in-house marketing and publicity support for active titles.

The agency's stated roster spans both fiction (romance, women's fiction, young adult, literary, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction) and nonfiction (narrative nonfiction, self-help, health, memoirs, and business). Its economics are pure commission: 15% on domestic sales and 20-25% on foreign and film/TV rights, with no disclosed subscription, retainer, or technology-licensing component. Distribution is anchored by a curated sub-agent network covering more than 50 countries, which extends the agency's effective reach into translation and ancillary rights markets that a single boutique firm could not otherwise serve.

Cumulatively the firm reports placement of more than 8,000 titles with major US publishers including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan. The model is relationship-driven and labor-intensive: agents maintain exclusive author contracts (terminable on 30 days' notice), curate the active client roster, and rely on personal negotiation and sub-agent coordination as the primary value-add. No technology platform, proprietary tooling, or data asset is described as part of the offering.

Name

The Knight Agency

Legal name

The Knight Agency

Website

https://knightagency.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Knight Agency is a US-based literary representation firm founded in 1996 that provides full-service author representation including manuscript submission, deal negotiation, subsidiary rights management, and marketing support across fiction and nonfiction genres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Agency Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410), Book Publishers (51313), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAAAI), Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Literary representation services
• Author representation
• Subsidiary rights management
• Foreign rights licensing
• Book deal negotiation

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Literary Representation Commission - Domestic: The Knight Agency receives 15% commission on domestic sales. Agents represent works to appropriate publishers seeking the best deal possible for authors, including advances and royalty scales.
2. Literary Representation Commission - Foreign: The agency charges 20-25% commission on foreign sales, with the higher rate applied when sub-agents are employed for international rights sales. Rights are licensed through a network of foreign sub-agents in over 50 countries.
3. Film Rights Sales Commission: Agency may employ a sub-agent for sale of film rights, with commission rates of 20-25% applied for these subsidiary rights transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Knight Agency represents fiction and nonfiction authors, negotiating and placing book deals with major domestic publishers and managing the resulting subsidiary rights (foreign, film/TV, audio). The agency also provides dedicated marketing and publicity support to authors and acts as the conduit between writers and an international network of foreign rights sub-agents.

Product overview

The Knight Agency is a literary representation firm founded in 1996, offering comprehensive author representation services from query letter through publication. The agency operates as a single unified service with three interconnected core offerings: literary representation (manuscript submission, deal negotiation, and career management), subsidiary rights management (foreign, film/TV, audio, merchandising, and electronic rights), and marketing/publicity support. Additional services include foreign rights licensing through a global sub-agent network spanning over 50 countries, and editorial consultation for represented manuscripts. The agency specializes in romance, women's fiction, young adult, literary fiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, multicultural fiction, and inspirational/religious fiction for fiction, as well as narrative nonfiction, self-help, health, memoirs, and business titles for nonfiction. Commission structure is 15% on domestic sales and 20-25% on foreign sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Representation Services
• Subsidiary Rights Management
• Marketing and Publicity Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 8000+ titles successfully placed with publishers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bassem El KheshencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArabic language sub-agent handling foreign rights licensing for Knight Agency authors in Arabic-speaking markets.
• Mira Droumeva - ANA Sophia LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-agent for Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania handling foreign rights sales for TKA client works in Eastern European markets.
• Maura Solinas - PNLA & Associati SrlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian sub-agent representing TKA authors' foreign rights for Italian publication.
• Kristin Olson - Kristin Olson Literary AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCzech Republic sub-agent handling foreign rights licensing for Knight Agency client works.
• Sandra Biel - International Editors' Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish and Portuguese sub-agent covering Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Central and South America territories.
• Bastian Schlueck - Thomas Schlück Literary AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman sub-agent handling foreign rights for TKA authors in Germany.
• Anna Jarota / Megan Husain - AJA Anna Jarota AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench sub-agent representing TKA authors' foreign rights for French publication.
• Nike Davarinou - Read N Right AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreek sub-agent handling foreign rights licensing for Knight Agency client works in Greece.
• Fusun Kayi - Kayi Literary Agency LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurkish sub-agent representing TKA authors for Turkish publication rights.
• Orsi Mészáros - Katai & Bolza Literary AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-agent for Hungary and Croatia handling foreign rights sales for TKA client works.
• Beverley Levit - Israeli Association of Book PublisherscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsraeli sub-agent handling foreign rights for Knight Agency authors in Israel.
• Filip Wojciechowski - GRAAL LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-agent for Poland, Albania, Slovenia, and Estonia covering foreign rights licensing in these territories.
• Konstantin Palchikov - Nova Littera LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRussian sub-agent representing TKA authors' foreign rights for Russian publication.
• Misa Morikawa - Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese sub-agent handling foreign rights for Knight Agency authors in Japan.
• Duran Kim - Duran Kim AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorean sub-agent representing TKA authors for Korean publication rights.
• Gray Tan - Grayhawk AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsian sub-agent covering China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam territories for TKA foreign rights.
• The Knight Agency - Scandinavia & The NetherlandscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect foreign rights handling for Scandinavian countries and The Netherlands, with inquiries directed to [email protected]

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sterling Lord Literistic: A long-running U.S. literary agency with deep ties to major publishers across fiction and nonfiction. Comparable to TKA in longevity, broad authorship categories, and full-service representation including rights work.
• InkWell Management: A boutique-to-mid-sized literary agency representing bestselling fiction and nonfiction authors across major imprints. Comparable to TKA in offering full-service representation including significant foreign-rights activity for a similar client roster profile.
• Writers House: One of the largest independently owned U.S. literary agencies, representing a broad mix of fiction and nonfiction across major publishers. Comparable to TKA in serving a wide spectrum of authors and operating a hands-on representation model with subsidiary rights capabilities.
• The Wylie Agency: A boutique literary agency known for representing high-profile fiction and nonfiction authors to major publishers, with strong international rights work. Comparable to TKA in boutique scale, prestige author roster, and emphasis on subsidiary-rights monetization.
• Foundry Literary + Media: A New York-based literary agency with a strong subsidiary-rights program and a roster spanning commercial fiction, thriller, memoir, and narrative nonfiction. Directly comparable to TKA in combining primary-rights representation with active film/TV/foreign licensing.
• Trident Media Group: A long-established, full-service U.S. literary agency offering manuscript submission, deal negotiation, and a robust subsidiary-rights / foreign-rights operation. Directly comparable to TKA in scope, multi-genre focus, and boutique-but-comprehensive operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA) — Books division: A major global talent agency with an active books division representing high-profile authors across trade publishing. Comparable to TKA in providing author representation and subsidiary-rights work, but operating as part of a much larger, diversified entertainment business.
• WME (William Morris Endeavor) — Books division: A global, full-service talent and literary agency whose books division represents bestselling authors to major publishers with significant film/TV capabilities. Comparable to TKA as a publisher-facing literary representative but with substantially broader infrastructure and marketing power.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KnightAgency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Knight Agency