Send a Query to AnnabelBarker at Annabel Barker Agency

BELLA SUCKLING AND ANNABEL BARKER ARE BOTH OPEN TO QUERIES

We are open to queries from 15th March until 30th March 2026.

  • This year, our agents will be open to queries at specific times throughout the year. We are currently open to fiction, non-fiction, middle grade and young adult only, according to the preferences below (and on our website Submissions page).
  • We are NOT currently open to picture books or junior fiction - please come back in May.
  • If you have issues submitting via this platform, please email us directly at hello@annabelbarker.com
  • If you are using AI for any aspect of your submission, please be transparent in your query. We do NOT accept submissions that have used AI in the written or illustrative components of creative work.
  • We welcome submissions from both new and established creators but we only accept submissions from people living in Australia or New Zealand.

Whilst we can only take on a fraction of the projects we receive, we have great respect for writers and illustrators and we are so grateful for the time taken to submit to us. Please note that we consider each submission with the utmost care, but we cannot reply to all submissions. If you do not hear from us within 8 weeks, please consider this a pass.

Thank you for submitting to our agency.

Bella is looking for the following:

I will be open to fiction and non-fiction for adults. I will also be open to middle grade and young adult projects.

Some of my favourite recent books of fiction include: Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser, Sunbathing by Isobel Beech, Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au and An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life by Paul Dalla Rosa. I have a soft spot for smart chick-lit in the vein of Nora Ephron, Katherine Heiny and Candace Bushnell – think: love stories and chatty memoirs. In the world of non-fiction, I adore the work of Helen Garner, Anna Funder, Lech Blaine and Jia Tolentino but am open to projects of different kinds across culture, history, memoir, psychology and lifestyle. I’m always on the lookout for a great real-life middle grade story, in the vein of Nova Weetman and Rebecca Lim. I’m increasingly interested in fast-paced adventure stories across middle-grade and YA – big fan of Tristan Bancks and Mark Smith. I’m also drawn to LGBTQ stories for young adults, like Holden Sheppard’s Invisible Boys and Erin Gough’s Amelia Westlake. Above all, I am compelled by diverse, distinct and memorable voices.

I am not taking on illustration clients. I am not a good fit for science fiction, fantasy or horror.

Annabel is looking for the following:

I will be open to fiction and non-fiction for adults. I will also be open to middle grade and young adult projects.

YA and MG - I am interested to read fantasy, romance, romantasy and thriller and would love to find an immersive, ambitious YA or upper middle grade series, or a standalone book with a compelling protagonist.

Adults - I enjoy reading historical fiction and retellings, literary thriller and mystery with a strong sense of place, romance / rom-coms / romantasy as well as contemporary fiction with bookclub appeal. I’m also interested in illustrated and narrative non-fiction across lifestyle, travel, food and drink and contemporary life and culture.

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Step 1: Tell us about the author

Fill in these author-related fields.




Have you ever been represented by a literary agent before?    
Have you previously published other books?    

Step 2: Tell us about the book

Fill in these book-related fields.

Genre: (required)
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Query Letter:
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Synopsis: (required)
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Is this book currently published or has it ever been published before?    
Paste the first 1 Chapters of your book (or, if the book is nonfiction, include the full book proposal.):
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Optional: Sign in to QueryTracker

A QueryTracker account is NOT required to send a query. If you are not a member of QueryTracker, you can skip this step.

Signing into QueryTracker will link this query to your QueryTracker account, allowing it to be automatically tracked and displayed in QueryTracker for your convenience.
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Final Step: Submit Your Query

Submit your query, or save a draft so you can come back and complete it later.

Important: After submitting your query, you will receive a personalized link to a special page that you can visit any time to check your query's status. If the agent would like to read more, they will contact you through that page as well as through email.
Query Draft Saved.

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