Lee O’Brien is a literary agent with the Looking Glass Literary & Media. They say: “IÕm a junior agent at IGLA. Across all age categories, IÕm looking stories with a distinctive voice, immersive world, and clear stakes, whether those stakes are physical or emotional. I love pacy, stories with a strong commercial hook, as well as quieter character driven stories that can still keep the pages turning. IÕm interested in a range of genres, from fantasy, to horror, to psychological thrillers/domestic suspense, to romance, to contemporary.

Here are some specific things that IÕm looking for right now:

Fantasy of all kindsÑEpic secondary world fantasy, dark fantasy full of dangerous secrets and strange magic; grounded fantasy with compelling characters and a strong sense of place; nonwestern fantasy and fantasy from underrepresented voices

Fun, pacy queer middle grade and YAÑbooks full of wonder and mischief and mystery, about queer&trans kids going on adventures and getting into trouble.

Non-binary and trans books, across all genres

Books with a strong central mystery, whether itÕs a murder, a long-buried secret, or slowly unspooling intrigue. Books full of twists and turns, that take us in deeper the more that we know.

Slow building atmospheric horror, and horror stories with a literary edge. I would also love to see MG horrorÑAtmospheric ghost stories, monster books, and scary stories to read with a flashlight

Queer romanceÑfirst crushes, love triangles, friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, rom-coms, slow burns, and shippable characters with dangerous amounts of chemistry.

I would absolutely go to war for a sweepingly epic ace-spec love story of any kind. Aro best friends who would burn cities for each other. Demisexuals who team up to save the world then accidentally fall in love. All of it.

Atmospheric middle grade, and MG page turners with a more literary voice.

YA thrillers with fast pacing and a compelling voice, that can drive up the stakes and still cut to the heart.

Thoughtful retellings that speak back to their source, but can still stand on their own. Retellings of stories that we donÕt often hear, as well as fresh takes on old favorites.

Some other things that are pretty evergreen for me are secrets, love triangles, magic, monsters, girls with swords, trans folx with medieval weaponry in general, puzzles, intrigue, heists, disaster queers, and hauntings of all kinds.

I am actively seeking underrepresented voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA, disability, neurodiversity, and mental illness #OwnVoices, and books where multiple identities intersect. IÕd also love to see more positive fat rep, and books with a diversity of body types.”