Submissions
Submissions Guidelines
LDLA is always excited to find new talent. If you love our books and think your project is a good match, please consider submitting your work. But please carefully review what category* each agent represents before querying. Diversity is highly prioritized.
Policies and Courtesies
LDLA accepts queries via QueryManager only. We do our best to answer every query letter within 2 months, though circumstances may vary. If you receive a manuscript request, response time is closer to 12 weeks. Please wait to follow up until after the full length of time has passed. However, if you receive an offer of representation from another agent, please let us know immediately so we can respond within the timeframe you require.
Please only submit to one agent at a time* with one project at a time, making sure that your manuscript or proposal is complete and ready to be sent if requested. You may submit to another agent if one passes. Use the appropriate link below.
*If you are querying after a Twitter pitch contest such as #pitmad or #DVpit, and more than one LDLA agent has liked your tweet, you may query simultaneously. We just ask that you let us know if more than one of us is considering your project.
Katie Gisondi
Query KatieAdult romance: spicy and with a distinct voice, romantasy, fun escapist reads
Mystery: Cozies with unique settings and quirky narrators. Locked room mysteries with charming casts.
Adult fantasy: any and all types welcome.
Select picture books.
In general: strong, unique hook and diverse voices, high stakes, high concept.
Currently closed to: MG, YA, WF, upmarket, and book club
Elana Roth Parker
Query ElanaPicture Books: Author/Illustrators ONLY.
MG fiction: funny, mad-cap adventures; epic fantasy; magical realism; high-concept twists; strong plots and voices.
YA fiction: commercial and high-concept fiction (all genres). Plot-driven and escapist books. Humor, imagination, adventure, romance. NO vampires, horror, or contemporary issue novels.
Adult commercial fiction (accessible fantasy, mystery/thriller, upmarket women's fiction). Fun, escapist reads. Great hooks. Great writing. Closed to romance/rom-com.
Carrie Pestritto
Query CarrieAdult: Narrative non-fiction; biography/memoir; commercial fiction with a literary twist; fresh chick-lit; romance; upmarket women's fiction; near-historical fiction (from about the Gilded Age on); mystery/thrillers for a female audience, as well as cozies.
Children's: high-concept and commercial MG and YA (in contemporary, historical, mystery/thriller, horror, or fantasy genres), especially those featuring POC or marginalized characters, as well as high stakes and exciting plot lines.
Closed to picture books submissions.
Jennifer Udden
Query JenniferFantasy: standout world building, compelling characters & voices, dark fantasy, cozy fantasy with an edge
Romance: mystery romance & romantic suspense, why-choose, unusual settings or communities, historical-with-a-twist, dark romance
Mysteries/Thrillers: unusual structures/unreliable narrators, cross-genre elements
Open to select horror, literary/upmarket, and commercial science fiction with standout hooks and strong writing
Interested in working with fan writers who are looking to explore trad pub!
Closed to: picture books, MG, YA, nonfiction/memoir
Taj McCoy
Taj is currently closed to submissions.
Laura Dail
Laura is currently closed to submissions.