David Godwin Associates
David Godwin Associates is a London-based literary agency founded in 1995 that represents international novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists. The 5-person firm earns commissions on publishing deals and manages translation, film, and TV rights worldwide via its Andrew Nurnberg Associates partnership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What David Godwin Associates does
David Godwin Associates (DGA) is a London-based literary agency founded in 1995 by David and Heather Godwin. The agency represents an international roster of writers including novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists. DGA claims to have represented the most Booker Prize nominees and winners of any literary agency, positioning it as a prestige player in the UK literary establishment.
DGA's core service is literary representation — agents negotiate publishing deals, manage subsidiary rights (translation, film and TV), and act as intermediaries between authors and publishers. The agency accepts manuscript submissions via email and works with co-agents internationally to place books with publishers worldwide. For translation rights, DGA maintains a close partnership with Andrew Nurnberg Associates, managed by Sabine Pfannenstiel. Additional services include a permissions licensing operation with a minimum fee of £100 plus VAT per request, processing requests to reproduce copyrighted material from represented authors' works.
The business model is commission-based: DGA earns a percentage of deals and rights sales on behalf of its represented authors. The agency is a private limited company (David Godwin Associates Ltd), independently owned by its founders, with approximately 5 employees including founder David Godwin (30+ years as agent, previously at Heinemann, Secker & Warburg, and Cape), director Heather Godwin, agents Aparna Kumar (formerly Penguin Random House India) and Sebastian Godwin, and assistant Sophia Meadows. DGA distributes through direct author representation and co-agent channels, serving markets in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
David Godwin Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- David Godwin Associates
- Legal name
- David Godwin Associates Ltd
- Website
- https://davidgodwinassociates.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- David Godwin Associates is a London-based literary agency founded in 1995 that represents international novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists. The 5-person firm earns commissions on publishing deals and manages translation, film, and TV rights worldwide via its Andrew Nurnberg Associates partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
David Godwin Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Agency Services
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights) (MPACAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG)
Keywords
Where David Godwin Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
David Godwin Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Author Representation & Commission: DGA earns commission on books and rights sold by their represented authors. The agency handles all subsidiary rights including translation, film and TV rights worldwide.
- Permissions Fees: DGA charges permissions fees for requests to reproduce copyrighted material. The minimum fee is £100.00 plus VAT if applicable, with fees varying based on commercial particulars of each request.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Permissions licensing fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
David Godwin Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
David Godwin Associates (DGA) is a London-based literary agency that represents novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists. The agency provides full-service author representation, handling all rights worldwide including translation, film, and TV, and manages foreign rights through co-agents such as Andrew Nurnberg Associates. DGA also processes permissions requests to reproduce copyrighted material from represented works.
Product overview
David Godwin Associates (DGA) is a literary agency founded in 1995 by David and Heather Godwin. The agency operates as a small, full-service literary agency offering author representation services, manuscript submissions handling, foreign and translation rights management in partnership with Andrew Nurnberg Associates, and permissions processing for copyrighted material. The agency does not have a technology product portfolio but provides traditional literary services to a diverse roster of international writers including novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Literary Rights Representation Full-service literary representation for international writers including novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists. Handles all rights worldwide including translation, film, and TV rights.
- Manuscript Submissions Service Accepts fiction and non-fiction submissions via email with first thirty pages, synopsis, and covering letter. Does not represent picture books, YA, Mid-Grade (other than for existing clients), screenplays, scripts, or poetry at the moment.
- Foreign Rights Management Provides comprehensive international publishing representation, working with publishers and co-agents worldwide to place books with international publishers. Partners with Andrew Nurnberg Associates (managed by Sabine Pfannenstiel) for translation rights.
- Permissions Service Handles permission requests to reproduce copyrighted material from represented works. Minimum fee of £100.00 plus VAT if applicable, with actual fees determined by commercial particulars. Processing time up to 8 weeks.
Companies that use David Godwin Associates
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
David Godwin Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
David Godwin Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Andrew Nurnberg AssociatescoreDGA works closely with Andrew Nurnberg Associates for translation rights. Sabine Pfannenstiel manages DGA's list and can be contacted at [email protected] for translation rights enquiries.
- Association of Authors' AgentsminorDGA is a member of the Association of Authors' Agents (AAA), the professional body representing literary agents in the UK.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
David Godwin Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Wylie Agency: Prestigious London-based literary agency known for representing major literary and non-fiction authors globally. Directly comparable in the prestige literary segment and rights focus.
- United Agents: Major UK literary and talent agency with a large book author client list. Direct competitor in author representation with a broader headcount and wider rights capabilities.
- Conville & Walsh: London literary agency representing literary fiction and non-fiction authors with international rights. Comparable boutique model with similar publisher relationships and prestige positioning.
- Aitken Alexander Associates: London-based literary agency representing literary fiction and non-fiction authors with rights worldwide. Closely comparable boutique operation with similar prestige positioning.
- Janklow & Nesbit: Elite US literary agency representing award-winning authors across fiction and non-fiction with film/TV rights. Comparable on prestige, author caliber, and full-service rights model.
- Felicity Bryan Associates: Boutique UK literary agency representing novelists, historians, and biographers. Operates a similar small-team, high-touch model with rights management comparable to DGA.
- Curtis Brown: One of the UK's leading literary agencies, representing novelists, non-fiction authors, and screenwriters with full rights management. Highly comparable to DGA in service model, market, and prestigious author roster.
Broad incumbents
- ICM Partners: Large US talent and literary agency (now part of CAA) representing authors and screenwriters. Comparable in book representation and film/TV rights, but at materially larger scale.
- William Morris Endeavor (WME): Global talent and literary agency with extensive book representation and film/TV rights capabilities. Broad incumbent in the same space as DGA but at vastly greater scale.
Others
- Andrew Nurnberg Associates: International literary agency specializing in translation rights across multiple territories. Direct strategic partner of DGA and a comparable in the cross-border rights licensing segment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
David Godwin Associates social profiles
Digital presenceDavid Godwin Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
David Godwin Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
David Godwin Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
David Godwin Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about David Godwin Associates
What does David Godwin Associates do?
David Godwin Associates (DGA) is a London-based literary agency that represents novelists, poets, biographers, historians, and journalists. The agency provides full-service author representation, handling all rights worldwide including translation, film, and TV, and manages foreign rights through co-agents such as Andrew Nurnberg Associates. DGA also processes permissions requests to reproduce copyrighted material from represented works.
Is David Godwin Associates a public or private company?
David Godwin Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was David Godwin Associates founded?
David Godwin Associates was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is David Godwin Associates based?
David Godwin Associates is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does David Godwin Associates make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Author Representation & Commission is the primary driver. The others are permissions Fees.
Who are David Godwin Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Wylie Agency, United Agents, Conville & Walsh, Aitken Alexander Associates, Janklow & Nesbit, Felicity Bryan Associates and Curtis Brown. Broad incumbents are ICM Partners and William Morris Endeavor (WME). Andrew Nurnberg Associates is listed as an others.
Does David Godwin Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for David Godwin Associates.
What industry is David Godwin Associates in?
David Godwin Associates's product category is Literary Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAK, Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights), with a secondary code of MPAJAJAG, Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting). Its NAICS code is 7115 and its SIC code is 2741.