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Barney Karpfinger

An agent with Karpfinger Agency

About

Barney Karpfinger studied English at Columbia University while supporting himself by working as a paralegal. Before establishing the agency in 1985, he ran the contracts department of a major New York publishing company.

Over the years, Barney has represented more fiction than non-fiction. Recently, though, he’s worked on a bit more non-fiction—work as varied as a philosopher’s take on procrastination, a dance critic’s look at grace in all of its manifestations and an investigative reporter’s examination of the big-money business of college football. The writers Barney works with share an ease with language and the ability to tell a compelling story.

Country & Year Established

United States
Agent since 1985

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Collapse section Fiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Novel

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Book

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Agent Impersonation Scams are becoming commonplace.
A legitimate agent will not contact you and request money to represent you. Never pay an agent an up-front fee. That is not how literary agent representation works. Agents earn a commission only after they've landed a publishing deal for you. Also, agents scarcely ever contact writers. If an agent that you haven't queried contacts you about representation, be suspicious. Look up the agent and check if the email address is correct for that agent/agency.

Barney Karpfinger Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the agency or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

We have not received any submission reports for this listing in the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the agent or agency being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the agent/agency meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the agency/agent.
  • Unless the agency's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • For agency submissions, it is standard to submit a query letter and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 09 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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