David H Headley
Managing Director & Literary Agent
Status: OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
First and foremost, I am drawn to story.
Not just a clever idea, but something that begins with character and carries real emotional weight. Confident writers often have that spark, a sense of a storyteller arriving on the page with something to say and the voice to carry it. Those are the ones that stop me.
I like novels that feel expansive, even when they’re intimate. Big themes, clear concepts, and stories that give you something to hold onto. They should make you think a little, feel a lot, and stay with you longer than expected. Uplifting, yes, but earned. Original, but not self-conscious. Above all, they should take you somewhere.
What I’m not looking for is just as important. I don’t typically work with science fiction or fantasy, and I’m not the right fit for children’s or young adult fiction. Nor do I take on poetry, plays, screenplays, or shorter forms such as novellas and story collections. Non-fiction also falls outside my focus.
It’s less about exclusion and more about clarity. Knowing where my instincts are strongest, and where I can do the most for a book that deserves to find its readers.
Books I have loved reading recently include The Barbecue at Number 9 by Jennie Godfrey, Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, The Names by Florence Knapp, Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, King Sorrow by Joe Hill, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, to name a handful.
David is currently OPEN for submissions.
Please send your cover letter, one-page synopsis and first three chapters as attachments; not in the body of the email.
Due to an overwhelming amount of submissions, David is unable to respond to every submission individually. He will only respond to submissions he is interested in exploring further.
For more information on how to submit, head to our submissions page
DAVID’S CLIENTS
About David
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 26 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 DHH Literary Agency which he founded in 2008 and represents an eclectic range of best-selling and award-winning authors.