Ameerah Holliday is an associate agent at Serendipity Literary Agency who champions emotionally resonant, intersectional fiction and nonfiction for young readers and adults alike — with a particular passion for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices, friendship-centered narratives, and stories rooted in the performing arts.
In brief
Her confirmed deal record is small but specific: she has represented a beauty-industry business guide and a mental health/wellness title, both nonfiction — suggesting she can sell across adult nonfiction even while her stated focus skews younger fiction.
Her agency page lists three books she 'wishes she had represented' — all commercially successful, award-adjacent titles (Legendborn, Before I Let Go, Platonic) — which signal she is drawn to high-concept, emotionally rich stories with broad commercial appeal, not just literary niches.
Her wishlist prominently spotlights ace-spec, Muslim, and Black queer characters; a 2025 social post specifically requesting a Black queer ballroom novel confirms this is an active, current priority — not a checkbox.
She is an active conference panelist (SCBWI San Diego, Atlanta Writers Conference, Writing Day Workshops), which means writers who encounter her on the circuit can make a genuine impression before querying.
Her submission form was confirmed CLOSED as of May 27, 2026 — verify the live form before submitting; do not rely on older signals showing her as open.
Lately
She publicly put out a call for a Black queer ballroom novel — signaling that this is a vivid, specific gap she wants someone to fill right now.
What Ameerah is looking for
She has a clear appetite for MG that centers Latinx characters and BIPOC leads more broadly. Friendship-driven plots, found-family dynamics, and emotionally resonant coming-of-age arcs are all welcome. Novels in verse are a genuine sweet spot given her poetry background.
Her primary arena. She wants YA contemporary, RomComs, and literary fiction featuring BIPOC, LGBTQ+, ace-spec, and Muslim leads. She is drawn to stories about friendship and growth rather than heavy trauma narratives. Novels in verse and magical realism grounded in real cultural experience are especially welcome. She has specifically called out a desire for a Black queer ballroom story — the Pose-in-book-form vision is an active, named priority.
She acquires across new adult and adult categories, with particular interest in RomComs for any age, Black women's fiction, and romance with emotional depth. Literary fiction with lush prose and magical realism are also on her list. Stories centering neurodiverse characters are explicitly welcomed.
A newer addition to her stated priorities on her agency page: psychological or mental-health-inflected thrillers and horror. This is consistent with her broader interest in mental health narratives but represents a distinct genre appetite beyond her better-known contemporary/literary lane.
Her confirmed sales are both nonfiction, and her agency bio makes clear this is a real priority. She wants nonfiction rooted in performing arts, niche passions, and 90s/2000s pop culture nostalgia. Mental health in marginalized communities and LGBTQ+ experiences and perspectives are top priorities. She also lists minority entrepreneurship and fresh takes on connection and loneliness. Astrology is a named interest on her agency page.
Not the right fit
On Ameerah's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Ameerah
Submit through Serendipity Literary Agency's online submissions form — her agency page specifies this is the required method. To route your submission directly to her, mention her name in your query letter.
Include your query letter, author bio, and the first 50 pages of your manuscript (fiction) or a full book proposal (nonfiction) as an attachment.
Her form was confirmed closed as of late May 2026 — check the live form before attempting to submit; do not assume it has reopened.
Lead your query with a clear statement of your protagonist's identity markers (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, ace-spec, Muslim, neurodiverse, etc.) — these are not just demographic checkboxes for her; they are the heart of what she's building her list around.
If your story has a friendship arc or coming-of-age growth journey as a central thread, say so early. These are consistent emotional priorities across her entire wishlist.
For nonfiction, frame your platform and the cultural moment your book addresses — her confirmed sales both have clear author authority and targeted community readership. Show her yours.
If your YA or MG manuscript is a novel in verse, flag it prominently — her editorial background in poetry means she will read those submissions with genuine enthusiasm rather than skepticism.
Avoid framing LGBTQ+ narratives around suffering or heavy trauma as a central dramatic engine — she has explicitly stated that is not what she's looking for in this space.
Writers who encounter her at SCBWI San Diego, the Atlanta Writers Conference, Writing Day Workshops, or the Writing Barn's Pitch & Play events can make a personal connection — she is an active, engaged panelist at all of these.
If you are writing the Black queer ballroom novel she requested in October 2025, that is as close to a direct invitation as the query process offers — lead with that context.