12 Agents Seeking Fantasy, From Cozy to Dark and Everything In Between
Where to Query This Week (2.26.25) | Plus an agent answers your questions about following up on queries, small press publishing, genre fatigue, and more
Welcome to Sub Club’s Where to Query This Week!
I thought it would be fun to have an agent answer some of your questions directly today. This process can be confusing or trying at times (to say the least). So why not get some thoughts directly from the source?
Below, literary agent Julie Flanagan of Creative Artists Agency gives her take on genre fatigue, querying more than one project at once, tips for poets trying to sell poetry collections and more!
Julie Flanagan of Creative Artists Agency Answers Your Questions
Is there a genre fatigue for any particular genre right now?
Julie Flanagan: There’s definitely genre fatigue for romantasy, though it continues to sell. If romantasy is truly your genre, you should continue to work in the space, but we see a lot of writers trying to take part in a lucrative trend without deep knowledge of the space. And in a genre like romantasy, knowledge of what’s working, popular tropes, conventions, etc. is crucial!
Would self-publishing a poetry collection hurt your chances of having a fiction novel traditionally published? How would an agent see that?
JF: Definitely not! Even previous self-published novels wouldn’t really hurt your chances if your query is strong. If an author had previously self-published poetry, it would have literally no bearing on my assessment of their work. That cuts both ways, though; I’m not more interested in your query because you’ve self-published.
Are any agents interested in poetry collections or are small presses the way to go?
JF: This is really tough. A vanishingly small number of poets make real money from their poetry, but even acclaimed poets usually make low five figures for their poetry collections. The financial return is so marginal that agents aren’t usually interested, and our commissions cut into an already tiny fee. I wouldn’t look for an agent for poetry exclusively.
Big 5 poetry editors scout a lot of poets themselves, and if you are contacted by one, they’ll either connect you with an agent or you can ask them for a recommendation.
When is it appropriate to follow up after silence to an initial query? Ever?
JF: You should definitely follow up if you have an offer of representation, though I’m sure you all already know this! Otherwise, you can follow up after three months, but if you have no updates to share, know that the agent often won’t feel incentivized to move you up in their queue. You can also follow up if you have an exciting publication to share—a story in the Paris Review, an essay in The Baffler, etc.
How should a writer approach querying if they work in multiple genres, such as memoir/nonfiction and contemporary romance? Is it better to find one agent who represents both, or should they seek different agents for different projects?
JF: Personally, if you’re querying me with both memoir and contemporary romance, I’m going to be a little suspicious unless your query is an absolute knockout. Perhaps unfairly, it can seem a little scattered to me. You should focus on putting your strongest foot forward with one genre. Once you have both an agent and another project in a different genre, you can talk to them about how to proceed with the new project. Agents will want to represent these projects more often than you think! If you have a good relationship with your agent, it’s a great way for you both to grow together—I know agents who have robust romance lists who got their start in the space because their nonfiction client surprised them with a romance.
What is the most lucrative book you’ve green-lit?
JF: As a rule, I don’t talk about advance size! A big advance is a great thing, but when people know the size of the advance, it can color their read of the book (did it deserve this much?). You even see this in reviews—Emma Cline’s $2 million advance for The Girls made its way into countless reviews. Plus, if I represent a book, I’m proud of it regardless of the size of the advance.
Julie Flanagan is a literary agent at CAA. She is currently looking for literary and upmarket fiction and is interested in explorations of gender, queer fiction, coming-of-age stories, family sagas, domestic fiction in the vein of Tessa Hadley and Alice Munro, emotionally and intellectually adventurous work, examinations of privilege, voice-driven (especially funny) fiction, and stories that take readers into rarified or esoteric worlds.
Hey friends, quick announcement before we get into this week’s list. On Saturday, March 15th, I’ll be teaching an hour-long workshop, Why Comps Matter: How to Show Agents Where Your Book Belongs!
I’ll break down how agents use comps to evaluate your book, strategies for finding the right comps (and what to avoid), and how to seamlessly integrate comps into your query letter.
This workshop is open to paid Sub Club subscribers. And if you just want to pay for this workshop without upgrading your membership, it’s $20 a head.
»» Register here ««
12 Agents Seeking Fantasy, From Cozy to Dark and Everything In Between
Today, we have agents looking for your epic or history fantasy, your dark and gothic fantasy, your experimental or cozy fantasy, your romance-infused or speculative fantasy, and your folklore retellings. Yeah, like the title says, everything in between.
But if you are currently querying and want your own curated list specially made for your manuscript, be sure to check out my Personal Agent List service! I’m currently open for the month of March, though spots are limited!
»» Get your own agent list here ««
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