Matt McGowan An agent with Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc. (see other agents at this agency). About Matt is looking for emotionally, intellectually, and formally adventurous work of all kinds and is particularly interested in writers who believe nonfiction can be as artful as fiction. Queries for essays, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, pop culture, journalism, politics, history, memoir, biography, black humor/satire, cultural studies, science, and sports are all welcome.Among Matt’s clients are Eula Biss, Stephanie Burt, John D’Agata, Brian Evenson, Brandon Harris, Paul Lisicky, Emily Maloney, Meghan O’Gieblyn, Lia Purpura, Sarah Viren, and Rob Walker. Matt was featured in Poets & Writers‘ “Twenty-One Agents You Should Know” and his clients have won or been shortlisted for multiple PEN America Awards, the New York Public Library Young Lions Award, the O. Henry Award, the Graywolf Literary Nonfiction Award, the Pushcart Prize, the Rona Jaffe Award, the Edgar Award, the Orion Book award, the Triangle Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and have received NEA, Whiting, Guggenheim, and Lannan Foundation grants. They publish in major magazines from The New Yorker and Harpers to the New York Times Magazine, and have appeared on The Colbert Report, Conan O’Brien, Bookworm, NPR, as well as covers of the New York Times Book Review and on New York Times bestseller lists. Country of Publication United States Professional Associations Member of AALA AI Policy Human-created work only; no AI use allowed Statistics Synopsis Regular Speed Matt McGowan's overall average response time is within a normal range for agents. Collapse section Fiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: Open to all/most Genres, including: GeneralLengths: NovelStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Submissions:Method: Email. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: BookStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... History: General, Biographies. Lifestyle: Food and Drink. Memoir. Music. Politics/Political Science. Science. Society/Culture: General, Crime, Pop culture. Sports/Recreation: General, See guidelines. Travel.Submissions:Method: Email. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary. Go to agent's webpage Report: Submission/Query Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:X (Twitter) @matthewbmcgowanBluesky @goldinagency.bsky.socialX (Twitter) @GoldinAgency For the Agent: Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope 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. Matt McGowan 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: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Group by submission Include outliers Include other agents at the same agency Accuracy We have received 3 reports from 3 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 122 min | 122.7 mean avg | 123.0 median | 123 max days (87.2 std dev) Pending 3 responses are pending (47 min | 168.5 mean avg | 168.5 median | 282 max days waiting | 603.0 std dev) from 3 different members 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 42 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 42 days.) Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 05:47 UTC (less than a minute ago). Work submitted to this agent was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted by this agent also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Other Agents at this AgencyLucy ClelandCaroline EisenmannRoz FosterSulamita Garbuz DNQEllen Geiger OPTED OUTRia Julien DNQAlison LewisSam StoloffTess WeitznerJade Wong-BaxterAyla Zuraw-Friedland Before SubmittingWe 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. DatesLast Updated: 24 May 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only