Ben Grange is a children's-book-focused agent at L. Perkins Agency who gravitates toward middle grade fiction and is especially hungry for author-illustrators working in MG and YA, alongside epic fantasy, science fiction, and pop culture non-fiction from platform-equipped writers.
In brief
Middle grade is his true north: his stated priorities, his personal touchstones, and his submission language all center on MG — writers working in that space should feel the strongest pull toward him.
He has an explicit, narrow gate for picture books and children's illustration work: he is NOT looking for picture book writers, but he IS actively seeking author-illustrators for MG and YA — a meaningful distinction that eliminates a common misread.
His wishlist is unusually transparent about craft standards: he openly expects authors to have written multiple manuscripts before querying him, and he will pass on what reads like a first book.
His personal taste leans toward the 'quirky, dark, emotionally powerful' trifecta — think Adventure Time's weirdness fused with Over the Garden Wall's atmosphere — which gives writers a concrete tonal target beyond genre labels.
His agency page carries the definitive word: he is currently closed to all queries, and this overrides any older signals suggesting otherwise. Verify live status before preparing a submission.
Lately
His current agency biography explicitly states he is closed to all queries — the most authoritative and recent signal available on his status.
What Ben is looking for
This is his primary focus and the category he returns to most in his own descriptions of his taste. He wants immersive, visually driven stories — books that envelope a young reader the way the classics of the genre did for him. He has a particular appetite for work that is quirky and slightly dark without losing emotional resonance. Stories that blend imaginative worldbuilding with heart are a strong fit.
He is specifically and repeatedly on the lookout for author-illustrators — writers who also supply the art — for middle grade and young adult projects. This is a targeted, high-priority niche. Writers-only without illustration work should not read this as a general illustration opening.
He gets the urge for a strong YA sci-fi or fantasy, particularly projects that carry some weirdness or darkness in their DNA. His named tonal reference is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater — atmospheric, character-driven, with an unsettling edge. This is an occasional appetite rather than a constant priority.
Thanks to his background at a genre-heavy agency, he has genuine affection for epic fantasy and science fiction at the adult level, but his focus remains firmly on MG and YA. He will not reject a truly exceptional project in this space, but it is not where he is actively building his list. Query here only if the work is exceptional and genre-defining.
He is open to pop culture non-fiction, but with an important gate: the author must come with an established platform. This is not a category where he is developing unknown voices — the platform is a prerequisite, not a bonus.
Graphic novels appear in his listed fiction categories and align with his interest in author-illustrators and visual storytelling. The strongest fit would be MG or YA graphic novels with a distinct, illustrated voice.
Not the right fit
On Ben's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Ben
He is currently closed to all queries — do not submit until you have verified his status is open on the agency's live site.
When he is open, email queries go directly to his agency address with the word 'Query' in the subject line — this is a specific, stated requirement.
Include a brief synopsis, your author bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email. Do not attach files; attachments are ignored unless he has specifically requested them.
Do not query more than one L. Perkins agent at a time — the agency enforces a strict no-internal-multiple-submissions policy, and a query sent to more than one agent may be deleted without response.
He responds to tonal pitches, not just genre labels. If your MG or YA project is quirky, slightly dark, or has an unusual visual quality, say so explicitly and up front.
He is candid about wanting authors who have worked extensively on their craft. If this is your first completed manuscript, reconsider timing. If you have a track record of completed, polished work, mention it in your bio.
Author-illustrators should make their dual role immediately clear — this is one of his highest priorities and should not be buried in the query.
For pop culture non-fiction, lead with your platform credentials. He will not consider this category without an established author platform, so establish it in the first paragraph.
Disable aggressive spam filters before submitting — the agency has noted that queries triggering auto-response forms are discarded automatically.