Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, essays, expert-driven nonfiction, translation

Wants: Query form

Christopher Combemale is looking for a broad range of literary fiction and voice-driven upmarket fiction with an unexpected hook, including a literary campus novel. In nonfiction he is interested in narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism and essays, and expert-driven projects. He is drawn to international voices and writers in translation.

Submit to Sterling Lord Literistic through the official submissions page form. SLL says it can only respond to queries if interested in seeing more material and does not represent screenplays.

Literary fiction, literary horror, grounded fantasy, romance, queer romance, body horror, essay collections, new adult, young adult, lgbtq and, pop culture, fashion

Wants: Query letter, sample chapters

Dani is building her list and is looking for literary fiction that keeps her up at night, literary horror, grounded fantasy and romance with real emotion, atmospheric work, girlhood, nostalgia, queer romance, body horror, Los Angeles stories, and essay collections about home, the body, and family.

Sterling Lord Literistic asks writers to submit through the agency submissions route and choose only one SLL agent. Dani's Manuscript Wish List says submissions should be emailed to submissions@sll.com with a query letter and first three chapters.

Fiction, narrative nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Doug has been an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic since 2003. His list consists of fiction and narrative nonfiction for all ages, ranging from literary to commercial work.

Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's submissions page and choose only one SLL agent to query. The agency says it can only respond if interested in seeing more material.

Nonfiction, practical lifestyle, how-to, wellness, mindfulness, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction, history, cultural criticism, ecology, food, social justice, illustrated books, literary estates

Wants: Query letter

Jenny represents award-winning nonfiction, including practical lifestyle and how-to projects, wellness and mindfulness, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction about history, cultural criticism, ecology and the natural world, food, and social justice. For adults and kids, she loves highly designed books that inform and inspire through text and image.

Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's submissions page and choose only one SLL agent to query. The agency says it can only respond if interested in seeing more material.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, literature in translation, graphic novels, criticism, genre-bending writing

Wants: Query letter

Jessica Friedman represents literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction, as well as literature in translation and select graphic novels. She is interested in distinctive voices and writing that challenges the expected stylistically, formally, or otherwise. She is particularly drawn to voice-driven prose, thoughtful criticism, genre-bending writing, and underrepresented narratives.

Submit to Sterling Lord Literistic through the official submissions page online form. SLL says it can only respond to queries if interested in seeing more material and does not represent screenplays.

Literary fiction, nonfiction, history, journalism, music, film, sports, biography, narrative nonfiction, criticism, essays, hybrid nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Jim Rutman represents adult literary fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, he is interested in audacious novels that test the form and prioritize language. His nonfiction interests are wide ranging, including history, journalism, music, film, sports, biography, traditional narrative approaches, criticism, and essays. He is often drawn to interdisciplinary and hybrid treatments and authorities seeking to complicate long-held assumptions.

Submit to Sterling Lord Literistic through the official submissions page online form. SLL says it can only respond to queries if interested in seeing more material and does not represent screenplays.

Fiction, nonfiction, journalism, academic nonfiction, medical nonfiction, sports nonfiction, social impact

Laurie Liss is Executive Vice President and Managing Partner at Sterling Lord Literistic. She nurtures young and unpublished authors as well as self-published and under-published writers, and represents fiction and nonfiction with well-developed, unique perspectives. Her broad tastes generally favor books with heart that will positively impact society, and her clients include journalists, academics, doctors, lawyers, and athletes.

Submit through the official Sterling Lord Literistic submissions page. SLL asks writers to complete the submission form and notes that it can only respond to queries if interested in seeing more material.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, food, lifestyle, pop culture, history, business, big ideas, self-help, wellness, parenting, children's books, picture books, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, proposal

Neeti Madan is a partner at Sterling Lord Literistic. Her list includes literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and select lifestyle, food, pop culture, history, business, big idea, self-help, wellness, and parenting projects. She is interested in voice-driven fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, books with a strong platform or expertise, and work for young readers from picture books through YA.

Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's official submissions page and select Neeti Madan if the form offers an agent choice. SLL uses its online submissions portal rather than email queries. Include the requested query materials and follow the instructions in the portal.

Nonfiction, memoir, journalism, biography, humor, lgbtq and voices, social issues

Wants: Query letter, proposal

Robert Guinsler is Vice President at Sterling Lord Literistic and represents a wide variety of prize-winning and New York Times bestselling nonfiction authors and projects. His list includes geopolitical journalism, impassioned memoirs, comedic collections, LGBTQ+ voices, and work across the nonfiction spectrum.

Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's official submissions page. SLL uses its online submissions portal rather than email queries, can only respond if interested in seeing more material, and does not represent screenplays.

Middle grade, young adult, adult fiction, speculative fiction, thriller, fantasy, commercial fiction, upmarket fiction

Wants: Query letter, author bio, synopsis, brief proposal, first three chapters

Sarah Landis is Senior Agent at Sterling Lord Literistic. She represents a wide range of fiction from middle grade to adult and is particularly drawn to high-concept plots, big hooks, speculative fiction, twisty thrillers, novels with a strong emotional core, and sweeping fantasy. She is always on the lookout for new talent and narrative risk-takers.

Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's official submissions page. Choose one SLL agent, include a query letter with brief author bio, a synopsis, and either a brief proposal or the first 3 chapters. SLL may share submissions internally if a project is a better fit for a colleague.

Fiction, nonfiction, young adult, commercial fiction, literary fiction, book club fiction, thriller, speculative fiction, food, true crime, pop culture, history

Wants: Query letter

Lily represents fiction and nonfiction, including YA, from commercial to literary. She is actively looking for novels with strong hooks, propulsive plots, book club appeal, nuanced female perspectives, high-concept thrillers, speculative fiction, atmospheric settings, strange women in strange circumstances, and nonfiction on food, true crime, pop culture, and untold history with a feminist angle.

Submit through the Sterling Lord Literistic submissions form. The agency asks writers to complete the form by email and says it only responds if interested.

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, nonfiction, literary criticism, essay collections, idea-driven nonfiction, technology, data, tennis

Wants: Query letter

Tyler is actively building a list of distinctive, voice-driven writers. He is drawn to literary and upmarket fiction with emotional depth and narrative momentum, and nonfiction centering marginalized voices, literary criticism, essay collections, ambitious idea-driven projects, data and its cultural implications, and tennis.

Submit through the Sterling Lord Literistic submissions form. The agency asks writers to complete the form by email and says it only responds if interested.

Fiction, nonfiction

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, upmarket women's fiction

Books that explore romantic relationships, stories that have a very specific point of view, and characters that make a lasting impression. loves realistic fiction and is currently on the hunt for historical fiction

Fiction, nonfiction

Narratives from writers traditionally excluded from the publishing industry. For fiction, she likes books that balance plot with voice, have a strong sense of place, a unique hook, and are stylistically bold; for nonfiction, she's looking for work that's rigorously researched and will expand the reader's view of the world

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, prescriptive nonfiction, illustrated projects

Work that is fierce, sharp, nuanced, and uncompromising. In fiction, she is looking for work with that is inventive and strange, brave and honest, with humor and heart. She especially loves fiction that employs genre elements—whether evocatively surreal, slightly askew, or supernatural. In nonfiction, work that investigates culture, identity, sexuality, disability, and mental health is especially welcome