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David H Headley

An agent with DHH Literary Agency (see other agents at this agency).

About

Originally from a working class background in York, David Headley studied theology in London and Durham before co-founding and becoming the Managing Director of Goldsboro Books, a much admired, leading independent bookseller, based in central London.

David has spent the last 25 years establishing Goldsboro Books and becoming a well-regarded agent, forging strong relationships with publishing houses throughout the UK. He created the UK’s largest collectors’ book club and is influential in selling large quantities of hardback fiction in the UK. David has won awards for bookselling, and in the last ten years, has been included in the Top 100 most influential people in publishing by The Bookseller, a number of times.

David is the Managing Director of the D H H Literary Agency which he founded in 2008 and represents an eclectic range of best-selling and award-winning authors.

This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting 112 days, assume your submission will not be accepted.

Country

United Kingdom

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Collapse section Fiction Open

  • Character-driven debuts
  • Sweeping stories with big universal themes
  • High concepts
  • Thought-provoking stories
  • Uplifting fiction
  • Original narrative voices
  • Emotional journeys
Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults.

Genres:

General Open to all/most Subgenres
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Romantic Suspense

Lengths:

Novel

Styles:

Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Expand section Nonfiction Closed

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.

David H Headley 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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 1 report within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Pending
1 response is pending (82 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The agent will try to make a decision within 112 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 112 days.)
This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted.
Date compiled: 06 Sep 2026 14:52 UTC (7 hours, 58 minutes ago).

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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: 14 Jun 2026

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

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