Josh Adams is a children's-focused literary agent at Adams Literary whose primary confirmed open category is picture books, with a strong family connection to one of the industry's most respected boutique agencies for young readers.
In brief
Adams Literary is a boutique agency with deep roots in children's and young adult publishing — Josh Adams operates within that specialization.
The only confirmed open submission category as of April 2026 is picture books; writers in other children's categories should verify current status before querying.
As a member of the Adams Literary team, Josh Adams benefits from — and contributes to — the agency's established relationships with major children's imprints.
The agency's focused, boutique model means Josh Adams likely takes on a selective client list, so a polished, submission-ready manuscript matters more here than a broad pitch.
Always confirm current submission status directly via the agency's live form before querying — cached data can go stale quickly.
Lately
The most recent query-status check confirmed Josh Adams is open to picture book submissions, reflecting the agency's consistent focus on the children's book market.
What Josh is looking for
Picture books are the one category confirmed open for Josh Adams in the most recent status snapshot. Given Adams Literary's long-standing reputation in the children's space, submissions here should demonstrate a clear, distinctive voice, a story that earns its brevity, and an understanding of what makes a picture book work as a read-aloud experience. Author-illustrator packages and author-only manuscripts should both verify eligibility on the live submission form.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Josh
Address your query specifically to Josh Adams — Adams Literary agents have individual submission preferences, so a targeted query signals professionalism.
Since picture books are the confirmed open category, lead with the age range, word count, and whether you are submitting as an author-only or as an author-illustrator — this distinction matters for picture books.
Picture book queries benefit from showing awareness of the market: demonstrate that your story concept is fresh, not a retread of widely published themes.
Keep your query letter tight — for picture books especially, the writing sample does more work than a lengthy synopsis; make sure the first lines of your manuscript are irresistible.
Verify the current submission guidelines on the agency's website immediately before querying; the live form is the authority on what categories are open and any specific formatting requirements.
Adams Literary is a boutique agency with a curated list — frame your query around what makes your project distinctive rather than listing comparable titles generically.