Madeleine Milburn is the founder and director of their eponymous London agency, building a voice-driven, commercially ambitious list that spans bestselling literary fiction, crime and thriller, psychological suspense, upmarket women's fiction, and children's/YA — with a particular hunger for high-concept stories and crossover appeal.
In brief
Madeleine Milburn founded their own agency in 2012 and has built it into one of the UK's more prominent independent literary agencies, representing authors worldwide across a wide spectrum of commercial and literary fiction.
The agency's stated priority is voice-driven writing — this is not a genre-first shop; a distinctive narrative voice appears to be the entry ticket regardless of category.
Madeleine Milburn actively courts both debut writers and successfully self-published authors, which is relatively unusual for an agency of this profile and worth noting for writers who have already built a readership.
Film and TV script representation is available only for existing clients — querying writers with scripts should not lead with that.
The agency processes forty to fifty submissions per day and reads everything that follows the guidelines; adherence to submission protocol is therefore a genuine differentiator, not boilerplate.
Lately
The agency describes itself as actively growing and in the market for new writers, emphasising that every submission following the guidelines is personally read — a notable commitment given the volume received.
What Madeleine is looking for
This is a core strength of the list. Madeleine Milburn wants tightly plotted crime and psychological suspense with a strong, distinct voice. Commercial appeal is essential, but literary craft is welcome — the agency is not looking for paint-by-numbers genre work.
The agency actively seeks literary fiction and upmarket women's fiction with crossover potential. The emphasis on voice suggests character-driven stories with emotional depth that can also perform commercially.
High-concept premises with broad commercial appeal are a clear priority. The agency frames itself as equally receptive to literary and commercial work, so a strong hook that can be pitched in one or two sentences will land well here.
Madeleine Milburn represents children's titles and YA, including crossover fiction that straddles the YA/adult boundary. Voice is especially critical in these categories — the agency appears drawn to work that resonates across age groups.
The agency lists comedy and romance as active interests. Given the overall emphasis on voice and commercial appeal, witty, character-rich writing in these categories would be a natural fit.
Non-fiction is accepted and can be submitted on proposal — the full manuscript does not need to be complete. A strong proposal including market context, author credentials, chapter outline, and a thirty-page writing sample is required. Platform and expertise matter here.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Madeleine
Send directly to submissions@madeleinemilburn.com — no prior permission email is needed or wanted; send your full submission package on the first contact.
Put your name and the manuscript title in the subject line (e.g. 'Jane Smith THE NIGHT ROAD') — this is a stated requirement, not a suggestion.
Fiction submissions: attach a one-to-two-page synopsis and the first three chapters only, in Word format, double- or 1.5-spaced. Two attachments maximum; no multiple emails.
Non-fiction submissions: attach a full proposal (what the book is about, why it's needed, market context with comps, your credentials, chapter-by-chapter outline) plus a thirty-page writing sample. Again, two attachments only.
In the body of your email, lead with a compelling pitch — a back-cover-style blurb that sells the story. Your synopsis should tell the story (what happens, how it ends); your covering email should sell it.
Include relevant biographical information, but only after the pitch — credentials and platform matter more for non-fiction; for fiction, lead with the book.
Alert the agency immediately if another agent requests your full manuscript or makes an offer — the agency explicitly asks for this and treats it seriously.
Given forty to fifty daily submissions, precision and protocol adherence are your differentiators. A sloppy subject line or an extra attachment signals inattention to detail.
Voice is the primary lens — whatever your genre, open with pages that demonstrate a distinct, confident narrative voice rather than scene-setting or backstory.
Self-published authors with an established readership should not undersell that platform — the agency has stated it actively considers such submissions.