Cecilia "CeCe" Lyra is a Wendy Sherman Associates agent and podcast co-host who hunts for adult fiction and nonfiction with strong hooks, smooth prose, and underrepresented voices — with a particular magnet for messy families, feminist angles, and paradigm-shifting ideas.
In brief
CeCe is actively building a career-focused list of adult fiction and nonfiction — she explicitly frames herself as a long-term partner, not a one-book agent, so query her only if you're thinking in terms of a multi-book relationship.
Her fiction taste clusters tightly around upmarket and literary novels driven by female relationships, dysfunctional (especially wealthy or immigrant) families, and psychological tension — writers in that lane should lead with comp titles she has already named.
Nonfiction is genuinely wide-ranging, but two lanes stand out: feminist-intersectional social science (particularly psychology and neuroscience), and narrative journalism that exposes hidden systems or untold stories; demonstrable author expertise is non-negotiable.
She co-hosts a writing podcast with over four million downloads, which signals she is unusually embedded in the writer community — referencing the podcast authentically (not as flattery) can be a credible point of connection.
She does not represent children's books, YA, or nonfiction in sports, music, or true crime — queries in those categories will be declined regardless of quality.
Lately
Her current agency page confirms she is open to queries and characterizes her focus as adult fiction and nonfiction with strong hooks, smooth writing, originality, nuance, and authenticity — emphasizing that she is looking to build lasting, career-long client relationships rather than fill short-term slots.
What Cecilia is looking for
This is the center of gravity for her fiction list. She gravitates toward novels with sophisticated, fluid prose that still move at a commercial pace — think literary sensibility married to page-turning momentum. Protagonists should be flawed and complicated rather than aspirational. She is especially drawn to stories centered on female relationships (friendships, mother-daughter dynamics, sisters, chosen family) and to dysfunctional family sagas, with extra enthusiasm when the family is wealthy and/or has an immigrant dimension. Feminist themes are a consistent through-line she actively seeks rather than merely tolerates.
She wants commercial fiction that doesn't sacrifice sentence-level craft — smooth writing is a baseline requirement, not a bonus. Psychological dramas with genuine tension and high-concept thrillers that sustain suspense throughout are explicitly on her wish list. The hook must be clear and immediate.
Psychology is her self-described favorite nonfiction field. She is especially excited by work that sits at the intersection of neuroscience and adjacent disciplines — neuropsychology, neurosociology, neuropharmacology, neuronutrition, and similar crossover territories. Projects should deliver paradigm-shifting conclusions, not merely survey existing knowledge. A social-justice or intersectional feminist angle dramatically increases her interest. Topics she is actively watching include privacy, Big Tech versus government, and infrastructure and climate. The strongest proposals will arrive with clear author credentials and an argument the reader couldn't have encountered elsewhere.
She treats memoir as a hybrid form sitting between fiction and nonfiction, and she holds it to novel-like standards: a propulsive narrative, conflict with genuine stakes, and tension that builds rather than meanders. She is drawn to memoirs that illuminate cultural or identity experiences — particularly immigrant, mixed-race, and Latinx perspectives — while still functioning as universal stories.
She is attracted to projects that reveal what has been hiding in plain sight: untold histories, the unseen mechanics of familiar institutions, or unexpected patterns that connect disparate phenomena. The writing must entertain as well as inform. A counterintuitive angle on a well-known subject earns extra attention. Topics spanning politics, environment, science, and business are all welcome as long as the author brings verifiable expertise and a compelling through-line.
Her nonfiction appetite is genuinely eclectic and she does not dismiss accessible or commercial-facing topics. Books in wellness, spirituality, parenting, and pop culture are welcome, but they still need the same qualities she demands across the board: original perspective, evidence of expertise, and writing that doesn't talk down to the reader.
Not the right fit
On Cecilia's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Cecilia
Lead with your hook — she states explicitly that a strong hook is a baseline requirement. Open your query letter with the most compelling, specific articulation of what makes your book impossible to put down.
For nonfiction, establish your credentials immediately and unambiguously. She treats author expertise as a prerequisite, not a plus; if your authority isn't clear in the first paragraph, the proposal is already at a disadvantage.
If your fiction features a dysfunctional or wealthy family, an immigrant thread, or female relationships as its core engine, name that directly and early. These are her stated priority areas and framing your book in those terms (if accurate) signals immediate fit.
Comp titles should be recent and specific. She names her own touchstones openly — if your book genuinely resembles one of them, say so and explain why, rather than just listing the title.
She is a career-focused agent who wants long-term author relationships. A brief, genuine mention of future projects or a vision for your writing career is appropriate and aligned with how she describes her own approach.
If your nonfiction proposal has an intersectional feminist angle or engages with psychology, neuroscience, privacy, Big Tech, or climate infrastructure, flag it explicitly — these are active watchlist topics.
Avoid querying her with sports nonfiction, music nonfiction, true crime, YA, or anything for younger readers. These are firm exclusions, not soft preferences.
Her podcast co-hosting role means she is deeply engaged with the craft and business of writing. If you are a listener and can reference a specific, relevant episode or insight authentically, that can be a credible personal connection — but only if it's genuine and specific, not generic flattery.