Hannah Sheppard

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

About

Hannah Sheppard loves stories. She wants to make sure more fantastic stories from as diverse a group of authors as possible make it onto bookshop shelves.
She worked in-house in editorial for a decade (at Pan Macmillan and Headline Publishing Group) which gives her valuable insight into the workings of a publishing house and an ability to explain the industry and the publishing process from both sides of the business.
She joined the DHH Literary Agency in 2013 when she realised the more senior she got in-house, the less she got to do the bits of her job she really loves – working directly with authors to develop their ideas for commercial success.
In 2023 Hannah launched HS-LA with the aim of being part of the change that publishing so desperately needs.
I represent both adult and children’s fiction (as well as a small amount of non-fiction) and, more than anything, I want to be entertained by a great story while caring deeply about your characters.

Want more insight into the agent's preferences? Read our interview.

Country

United Kingdom

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

16 members set this agent as a Favorite.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

In general, I love bold, distinctive voices, intriguing stories with a strong hook and flawed characters with something to learn. I want characters who are truly diverse – let’s be inclusive, body positive and joyful in our representation. I also like big, mind-bending ideas and combinations of genres that feel fresh and create something new.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2026* (approx. 15 days from now) through 07 October 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: All ages, Adults, Children, Middle grades, Young adults.

Genres:

General Open to all/most Subgenres
Romance Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Contemporary
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Novel

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

I only represent a small amount of non-fiction but where I do it tends to be narrative non-fiction or books that align with my feminism, seek to make the world a better place, and will ultimately help us take down the white, capitalist patriarchy.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2026* (approx. 15 days from now) through 07 October 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: All ages.

Lengths:

Book

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Sexuality/Gender: Women/Female issues, See guidelines.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Cover image of a book recently represented by Hannah Sheppard.

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Social:
Bluesky @hannahlitagent.bsky.social
Instagram @hannah_litagent
Bluesky @hslanews.bsky.social
Instagram @hs_la_news

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Hannah Sheppard 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.

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Accuracy

We have received 1 report within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Other Information

The agent will try to make a decision within 56 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 56 days.)
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:44 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Your Submissions

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Louise Buckley

Before Submitting

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Dates

Last Updated: 07 Sep 2026

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