Lutyens & Rubinstein

What Lutyens & Rubinstein does

Lutyens & Rubinstein is a London-based literary agency operating as Lutyens & Rubinstein LLP (LLP, registered in England & Wales, registration OC446118). Founded in 1993 by Sarah Lutyens and Felicity Rubinstein, the firm represents more than 200 authors across literary and commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, popular science, cookery, children's, YA, and illustrated books. Its core activity is agent-led author representation: identifying talent, securing publishing deals, negotiating contracts, and managing author careers. The firm also runs a subsidiary rights department, headed by Prema Raj since June 2023, which sells foreign and translation rights through a network of 15+ international co-agents and handles territories including the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Scandinavia directly. A film, TV, and theatre rights service leverages agent relationships to secure screen and stage adaptations.

The business operates a standard literary agency commission model — typically 15% on domestic sales and 20% on foreign sales — generating revenue through deal-by-deal licensing of publishing rights rather than any product or subscription offering. The agency is privately held by three partners (Sarah Lutyens, Felicity Rubinstein, and Jane Finigan, the latter promoted to partner in 2023) and is supported by associate agents Daisy Parente and Jenny Hewson, who run their own client lists in association with the firm. The original Lutyens & Rubinstein bookshop, opened in 2009, was sold to Daunt Books in 2023 and continues to trade as The L&R Bookshop, allowing the partnership to refocus exclusively on agency services. There is no proprietary technology stack; the offering is a human-capital services business dependent on agent expertise, publisher relationships, and the firm's long-standing international co-agent network. Marketing is conducted through a professional website, an Instagram account (@landragency), and an open submissions process routed through a dedicated submissions reader.

Name

Lutyens & Rubinstein

Legal name

Lutyens & Rubinstein LLP

Website

https://lutyensrubinstein.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lutyens & Rubinstein is a London-based literary agency (LLP) representing 200+ authors across fiction, non-fiction, cookery, children's, YA, and illustrated books. It earns commissions on domestic and foreign rights sales and operates an international co-agent network spanning 15+ territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Agency Services

NAICS

Other Publishers (51319), All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Literary agency services
• Author representation
• Book rights sales
• Foreign rights management
• Publishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Author Representation and Rights Sales: Standard literary agency commission-based model. The agency represents authors and earns commissions on deals negotiated with publishers for book rights. Typically charges 15% commission on domestic sales and 20% on foreign sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lutyens & Rubinstein is a London-based literary agency that represents over 200 authors across fiction, non-fiction, cookery, children's, YA and illustrated genres. Its core services include full author representation (manuscript development, submissions and contract negotiation), subsidiary rights and foreign rights sales through an international co-agent network, and film, TV and theatre adaptation representation.

Product overview

Lutyens & Rubinstein is a literary agency offering author representation services. The agency's core offerings include literary agency services (representing authors across fiction, non-fiction, cookery, children's, YA and illustrated genres), subsidiary rights sales (international translation rights and foreign rights management), film/TV/theatre rights handling, and submissions processing. The agency was founded in 1993 by Sarah Lutyens and Felicity Rubinstein and operates from Notting Hill, London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Agency Services Full author representation across fiction, non-fiction, cookery, children's, YA and illustrated genres, including manuscript development, editorial guidance, submissions to publishers and contract negotiation.
• Subsidiary Rights and Foreign Rights Sales International translation rights and rights sales via co-agents across Europe, Asia and the US, with direct dealing in The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia; attendance at major book fairs and targeted sales trips.
• Film, TV and Theatre Rights Securing screen and stage adaptation opportunities for represented authors through relationships with film, TV and theatre agents and scouts.
• Submissions Processing Open unsolicited manuscript submissions process, with a dedicated agency reader (Susannah Godman) reviewing submissions and routing them to suitable agents.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Tassy Barham AssociatesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Brazil.
• Anthea Literary AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Bulgaria.
• Kristin Olson s.r.ominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Czech Republic.
• La Nouvelle AgenceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in France.
• Agentur Petra EggersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Germany.
• JLM Literary AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Greece.
• Andrew NurnbergminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Hungary.
• The Deborah Harris AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Israel.
• Japan UniminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Japan.
• Eric Yang AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Korea.
• Book/lab Literary AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Poland.
• Simona Kessler AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Romania.
• Anna Jarota AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Russia/Ukraine.
• Corto Literary AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Serbia/Slovenia/Bosnia/Macedonia/Montenegro.
• Grayhawk AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in China/Taiwan/Thailand/Vietnam/Indonesia.
• Kalem AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors' rights in Turkey.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global talent and literary agency (now including ICM). Comparable as a competitor for film/TV rights representation of L&R's authors, though operating at vastly larger scale across entertainment.
• William Morris Endeavor (WME): Global talent agency with a major books division representing bestselling authors. Comparable as a competitor in author representation, particularly for film/TV adaptation deals, though operating as a much larger incumbent.

Direct peers

• United Agents: Major London literary agency representing authors across fiction, non-fiction, children's, TV, film and theatre. Directly comparable in service scope (full-rights representation) and target author base, though larger in scale.
• David Higham Associates: Long-standing London literary agency with broad fiction, non-fiction, children's, and rights sales. Closely comparable in scope, structure (multi-partner LLP), and prize-winning author roster.
• Rogers, Coleridge & White: Boutique London agency with comparable fiction and non-fiction author representation and international rights sales. Directly comparable in structure; Jenny Hewson joined L&R from RCW.
• Janklow & Nesbit: New York literary agency representing literary fiction, non-fiction and memoir authors. Comparable as a boutique, prestige-focused agency with a deep prize-winning roster and selective submission standards.
• Curtis Brown: One of the UK's longest-established literary agencies, representing fiction, non-fiction, children's and other authors. Directly comparable as a London-based, multi-agent boutique with a similar commission-based model and international co-agent network.
• The Wylie Agency: Prestigious New York and London literary agency representing major literary and non-fiction authors. Comparable as a high-prestige boutique focused on prize-quality writers with strong international rights sales.
• Andrew Nurnberg Associates: International literary agency with offices across Europe and Asia specializing in rights representation. Comparable as a co-agent partner of L&R and as a peer model for international rights-led agency economics.
• AM Heath: London literary agency with similar fiction, non-fiction and rights representation. Directly comparable in agency model and prestige author base; notably the prior employer of L&R's current Head of Rights.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/landragency
• Xx.com/landrbookshop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Lutyens & Rubinstein