Howard Morhaim Literary Agency

What Howard Morhaim Literary Agency does

Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc. is a privately held literary agency founded in 1979 by Howard Morhaim and headquartered at 30 Pierrepont St, Brooklyn, NY. The agency represents authors across adult fiction, young adult, middle grade, literary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction/fantasy, thriller/mystery, graphic novels, memoir, narrative nonfiction, history, biography, art, architecture, science, religion, and pop-culture, serving individual authors — including New York Times Bestsellers, award-winning academics, and debut writers — as its customers. Services include matching manuscripts with publishing professionals, editorial guidance (drawing on the founder's prior editing background), contract negotiation, and long-term advocacy for authors' rights over multi-book careers.

The agency's core offering is human-curated literary representation rather than a technology product; there are no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI/ML components disclosed. Business is conducted by six agents (Howard Morhaim as President; Kate McKean as Vice President; DongWon Song, Eric Showers, and Nina Richner as Literary Agents; and August Collin as Assistant), each covering distinct genre lanes. The revenue model is commission-based, aligned with industry standard of approximately 15% on domestic sales and 20% on foreign/translation sales. Distribution is achieved through direct representation to US publishers, supplemented by an established co-agent network covering UK rights (Abner Stein), Spain/Portugal (RDC Agencia Literaria), all other foreign territories (Baror International), and film/TV rights (Circle of Confusion). The agency's go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven: agents accept unsolicited query submissions via email or QueryManager, with response times of 8–12 weeks, while the founder restricts intake to exclusive recommendations.

Name

Howard Morhaim Literary Agency

Legal name

Howard Morhaim Literary Agency Inc

Website

https://morhaimliterary.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Howard Morhaim Literary Agency is a privately held, Brooklyn-based literary agency founded in 1979 that represents individual authors across fiction and non-fiction genres, earning commissions on domestic and foreign book rights sales through a six-agent roster.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Agency Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA), Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI)

Keywords

• Literary agency services
• Author representation
• Book publishing deals
• Foreign rights sales
• Film television rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Author Representation Services: The agency represents authors and earns revenue through commission fees on book sales. Standard literary agency commission rates apply: typically 15% on domestic sales and 20% on foreign sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Howard Morhaim Literary Agency is a New York-based literary agency that represents authors across literary and commercial fiction, non-fiction, genre fiction, children's and young adult literature, and select poetry. The agency sells domestic and foreign publishing rights, film and television rights, and provides editorial guidance to its client authors in exchange for commission-based service fees. Founded in 1979 by Howard Morhaim, the firm operates as a boutique representation agency with a small team of agents and assistants.

Product overview

Howard Morhaim Literary Agency provides literary representation services as a single, unified offering. Founded in 1979, the agency offers author representation across multiple genres including literary fiction, thrillers, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, history, biography, art, architecture, science, and religion. The agency is staffed by individual literary agents (Howard Morhaim, Kate McKean, DongWon Song, Eric Showers, Nina Richner, and August Collin) who each represent authors in specific genre areas. The agency manages author careers, handles submissions to publishers, and advocates for authors' rights throughout their publishing careers. The agency does not appear to offer distinct modular products or separate service tiers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Author Representation Full-service literary representation for authors of literary fiction, commercial fiction, genre fiction, non-fiction, children's, and young adult literature, including manuscript submission, contract negotiation, and career guidance.
• Foreign Rights Sales International publishing rights representation handled through a network of foreign co-agents in major markets, enabling authors to sell translation and territorial rights worldwide.
• Film and Television Rights Representation Film, television, and option representation for book clients, handled in partnership with talent/literary management firm Circle of Confusion.
• Editorial Guidance and Book Doctoring Pre-submission editorial support and book doctoring to help authors polish manuscripts and develop proposals before they are sent to publishers.

Named customers4 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Abner Stein, Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors in the United Kingdom. Located at Suite 137, China Works, 100 Black Prince Road, London SE1 7SJ, England.
• RDC Agencia LiterariacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors in Spain and Portugal. Located at Fernando VI, 13-15, 3° Dcha., 28004 Madrid, Spain.
• Baror InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-agent representing the agency's authors for all other countries not covered by other co-agents. Located at P.O. Box 868, Armonk, NY 10504.
• Circle of ConfusioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFilm and television rights agent representing the agency's authors. Located at 8931 Ellis Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Wylie Agency: Independent literary agency of comparable size in New York representing literary fiction and non-fiction authors, including NYT bestsellers and award-winning writers. Closest peer in structure, scale, and genre mix.
• Sterling Lord Literistic: Long-established New York literary agency with deep genre coverage and film rights capability. Comparable in founding-era tenure, commission-based model, and representation of established authors.
• Writers House: Independent literary agency comparable in size and scope representing authors across children's, YA, and adult trade categories. Direct competitor for both authors and editorial talent.
• Inkwell Management: Independent literary agency representing authors in fiction and non-fiction with rights negotiation across publishers domestically and internationally. Similar in commission structure and agent count.
• Folio Literary Management: Mid-sized New York literary agency with similar commission-based model representing authors across fiction and non-fiction genres, including NYT bestsellers. Directly comparable in size, scope, and author representation approach.
• Trident Media Group: Independent literary agency with international co-agent partnerships offering author representation across trade, film/TV, and foreign rights. Comparable in business model and breadth of rights management.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency: Major talent agency with a publishing department representing authors alongside entertainment clients. Competes for high-value author deals where bundled rights representation matters.
• United Talent Agency: Major talent agency with a literary/book division offering publishing representation, but operating as part of a much larger multi-format agency. Represents competitive pressure for cross-format deals (publishing + film/TV).
• William Morris Endeavor: Largest talent agency with substantial publishing and book representation division. Represents competitive alternative for high-profile authors seeking integrated literary and entertainment rights deals.

Emerging players

• The Knight Agency: Independent literary agency specializing in genre fiction (romance, fantasy, thriller) with commission-based model. Compares as a smaller-scope peer with genre-focused positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morhaim-literary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Howard Morhaim Literary Agency