Dan Milaschewski is a New York–based UTA literary agent who hunts for voice-driven, commercially viable fiction and nonfiction that is funny, strange, emotionally resonant, or some electrifying combination of all three.
In brief
Milaschewski has been at UTA since early 2018, representing both fiction and nonfiction, but his public touchstone authors skew heavily toward literary-commercial fiction with strong, distinctive voices — think darkly comic, culturally sharp, and emotionally layered.
His stated comp authors span indie-lit darlings (Tony Tulathimutte, Halle Butler, Ottessa Moshfegh) and broadly commercial crowd-pleasers (Casey McQuiston, Grady Hendrix), signaling an unusually wide appetite that can accommodate both quirky literary debuts and big-tent genre books — provided the voice pops.
Despite listing a sweeping range of fiction categories, the throughline is consistent: he is not chasing a genre, he is chasing a sensibility. Pitches that foreground wit, heart, or weirdness before genre are more likely to resonate than straight category pitches.
His nonfiction interests — humor, pop culture, pop science, history — suggest an appetite for books that are as readable as they are informative, rather than dense academic or policy-driven work.
He accepts unsolicited queries by email and does not use a gated online submission system, which is relatively uncommon at a major talent agency — a practical advantage for unagented writers.
Lately
His public wishlist emphasizes a specific cluster of comp authors — ranging from edgy literary fiction writers to commercially successful genre authors — which signals he is actively looking for work that bridges the literary/commercial divide rather than sitting squarely in either camp.
What Dan is looking for
This is Milaschewski's clearest priority. He wants novels with unmistakable narrative voices — books that are funny, weird, dark, and deeply felt, often at the same time. Think character-driven stories with commercial appeal that don't sacrifice strangeness for accessibility. He cites authors like Tony Tulathimutte, Halle Butler, Ottessa Moshfegh, Patricia Lockwood, and Madeline Cash as the kind of writers he admires, pointing to a taste for fiction that is stylistically alive and culturally tuned-in.
He lists a broad sweep of genre categories including domestic thriller, psychological thriller, crime, horror, and mystery — but context makes clear he is not seeking conventional category fiction. The Grady Hendrix comp signals he wants horror and genre work that is self-aware, funny, and emotionally surprising. A thriller needs to be twisty and page-turning, yes, but it also needs personality. Straight, style-neutral genre fare is unlikely to appeal.
Casey McQuiston appears on his wishlist, suggesting an openness to romantic and feel-good commercial fiction — provided it has genuine wit and heart. Romance, new adult, and broadly commercial contemporary fiction are all listed, but the McQuiston comp is the useful anchor: big-hearted, fun, and sharp rather than formulaic.
He explicitly includes both speculative and upmarket speculative fiction in his list, which suggests he is open to novels where the fantastical, surreal, or sci-fi element serves emotional and thematic depth rather than existing as pure world-building exercise. The Moshfegh/Butler adjacency of his literary taste suggests speculative premises with a literary or satirical edge will land better than high-concept genre SF.
On the nonfiction side, Milaschewski gravitates toward accessible, engaging work — the kind of book that makes a reader laugh, reconsider something familiar, or become obsessed with a subject they didn't know interested them. He is not seeking dense academic or policy-heavy books. Humor writing, sharp cultural criticism, surprising science narratives, and well-told history all fit. Voice matters as much here as in his fiction list.
Not the right fit
On Dan's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Dan
Send to his agency email with the word 'Query' in the subject line — his guidelines are specific about this, so do not vary the subject format.
Include a brief synopsis, your author bio, and the first 50 pages of your manuscript as part of the initial email — do not send a one-page query alone and wait for a request.
He does not confirm receipt or send form rejections; if you have not heard back after a reasonable window (typically 8–12 weeks for major agency agents), consider it a pass and move on.
Lead with voice, not genre. His comp list spans wildly different genres united by one quality: all the authors write with a distinctive, impossible-to-ignore perspective. Your query letter should convey that quality in miniature — if the first paragraph of your letter is flat, a great plot summary won't save it.
Avoid pitching by formula or trend. He is not chasing a specific market moment; he is chasing a sensibility. Framing your book as 'the next big [genre] novel' is far less effective than showing what makes its voice and emotional core singular.
For nonfiction, demonstrate that the book is as readable as it is informative. Hook him with the angle or the humor first, credentials second.
His background in theatrical comedy (he was involved with a drag comedy musical troupe in college) and his Boston/pop-culture sensibility suggest he responds well to wit — a query letter that is slightly playful will feel more on-brand than a purely formal one, as long as it remains professional.