Cate Hart is a Nashville-based literary agent at Harvey Klinger who hunts for high-concept commercial fiction—especially historical, fantasy-romance, and upmarket women's fiction—with a strong personal bias toward swoony, stylized storytelling and diverse voices.
In brief
Hart's wishlist skews heavily toward the intersection of history and magic: time-slip women's fiction, Gilded Age romance, and historical fantasy appear repeatedly in both stated preferences and taste signals, suggesting this is where they are sharpest and most motivated.
The 'favorites' roster (Outlander, Discovery of Witches, Six of Crows, The Alice Network, Anastasia, Scarlet Heart Ryeo) reveals a consistent appetite for lush, romantic worlds with historical grounding — even the contemporary titles tend to be warm and aspirational rather than dark.
Hart moved to Harvey Klinger in 2019, a mid-size agency with strong commercial-fiction infrastructure; writers querying Hart are, by extension, pitching into that broader commercial ecosystem.
Query windows appear to be brief and sporadic — the November 2025 opening lasted only a matter of days before closing for the rest of that month. The form was confirmed closed as of May 2026. Writers should monitor Hart's own website for opening announcements rather than assuming ongoing access.
Despite a broad stated interest in nonfiction (biography, history, LGBTQ, pop culture, travel), no nonfiction deals appear in any available signals — treat nonfiction as a speculative interest rather than a proven track.
Lately
Hart announced a brief query window opening that week, noting the form would close by Friday so the rest of the month could be devoted to reviewing and reading submissions already received.
What Cate is looking for
Hart explicitly flags high-concept fantasy romance as a top priority. The want here is ambitious world-building paired with genuine romantic tension — think the sweep and lushness of beloved adult fantasy crossed with the emotional pull of romance. This is where Hart's personal reading history (Discovery of Witches, Outlander, the Witchlands series) and stated wishlist converge most clearly.
Hart wants a strong RomCom sensibility — witty, stylized, fun. A heist or caper structure threaded through a love story is especially appealing: something with the sleek chemistry of a classic con-artist film translated into romantic fiction. The tone should be playful and sexy rather than gritty.
Gilded Age New York is the specific sweet spot — Fifth Avenue tycoons, Knickerbocker society, the gaslit glamour of old money. Regency is explicitly off the table, so writers should lean into later periods. Swoon is non-negotiable.
Time-slip narratives and dual-timeline structures are a stated passion — stories where two points in history converge through a shared object, event, or secret. Gothic historicals with the moody atmosphere of classic literary suspense are equally welcome. Hart wants emotional richness, strong female perspectives, and that sense of history feeling alive and urgent.
Twisty, character-driven domestic suspense with a sharp psychological edge. Hart is drawn to the compulsive, unsettling quality of this subgenre. Hard-boiled detective fiction is not wanted, so the emphasis should be on atmosphere and psychological complexity over procedural mechanics.
Hart is looking for fresh angles on familiar tropes — the subverted archetype, the concept that shouldn't work but does. Contemporary fantasy and magical realism are particularly welcome. High-concept SF with a cinematic, world-building-forward energy is also on the radar. Notably, Hart wants adult fantasy that carries the same commercial, propulsive energy as the best YA fantasy currently on shelves.
Hart prefers high-concept commercial YA over quiet literary coming-of-age. Fantasy, fairy-tale and classics retellings, historical fantasy, mystery, and thriller are the preferred lanes. The emphasis is on propulsive concept and emotional resonance, not edginess for its own sake.
Hart is open across MG genres but gravitates toward stories anchored in deep friendship, mischief, and adventure — the kind of book that earns a permanent place on a childhood shelf. Historical MG is noted as a special interest given Hart's overall historical focus.
Hart lists several nonfiction categories on the agency page, but no nonfiction deals are visible in available records. This should be treated as an aspirational or early-stage interest. Writers with strong platforms and commercially minded nonfiction in these areas may query, but should do so knowing this is uncharted territory for Hart's list.
Not the right fit
On Cate's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Cate
Hart's query windows are short and unpredictable — they have been known to last only a few days. The most reliable way to catch an opening is to monitor Hart's own website directly, where opening announcements are posted.
The required submission package is a query letter, a one-to-two page synopsis, and the first five pages of the manuscript. Have all three polished and ready before a window opens, because time is limited.
Lead with concept and stakes in the query letter — Hart's taste gravitates strongly toward 'high-concept' across virtually every category. If your logline can be told in one punchy sentence that makes the premise feel both fresh and inevitable, you are speaking Hart's language.
Lean into the historical angle wherever honest to do so. History, whether as a setting, a structural device (time slip, dual timeline), or a tonal register (Gothic, Gilded Age), runs through virtually everything Hart names as a want. If your book has a historical dimension, foreground it.
Diversity in story and authorship is explicitly welcomed and consistently flagged. Writers from underrepresented backgrounds and books centering diverse characters should feel encouraged to query.
Avoid positioning your book as Regency Romance, hard-boiled detective fiction, or a memoir — these are explicitly off the list and querying them wastes a narrow window.
If your fantasy romance or historical women's fiction has comps drawn from Hart's own stated favorites (such as Outlander, A Discovery of Witches, or The Alice Network), using those as reference points is appropriate and signals genuine taste alignment — but only if the comparison is honest and specific.