Danai Christopoulou is a Pushcart-nominated SFF author-editor turned associate literary agent at The Tobias Literary Agency who specializes in upmarket speculative fiction — horror, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, and romance — with a strong priority for voices from marginalized communities.
In brief
Danai is an author and editor first — their background in SFF short fiction, genre magazines, and new-talent mentorship means they read queries with a practitioner's eye, not just a commercial one.
Their stated focus is adult fiction, but they'll consider YA with genuine crossover appeal — a meaningful gate that writers should take seriously before pitching YA-only projects.
BIPOC, queer, and neurodivergent writers are explicitly centered in Danai's practice; this is not a checkbox — it's the organizing principle of their list.
The agency page does not list confirmed deals publicly, so there is no sales record to mine for imprint relationships or repeat clients at this time — the wishlist and bio are the primary signals available.
Danai closes to general queries around early June each year and reopens in September, but stays open to BIPOC author queries through the end of June — a meaningful window that marginalized writers should plan around.
Lately
A reminder: I am now closed to general queries and will remain open to queries from BIPOC authors only until the end of June. I got over 1k queries in just one month of being open to queries! 🤯 You are all incredible!
Danai publicly announced a scheduled query closure: general submissions close June 5, 2026, after which they remain open exclusively to queries from BIPOC authors through the end of June. General queries reopen in September 2026.
What Danai is looking for
This is Danai's primary focus and the heart of their list. They want speculative work that spans and blends genre — horror, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, and speculative romance are all welcome. The key qualifier is 'upmarket': strong literary sensibility, nuanced plotting, and layered character work are expected. Projects from BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent, and other historically underrepresented writers are prioritized.
Horror is named explicitly as one of Danai's preferred speculative flavors. Given their editorial background in genre short fiction, they likely respond to horror with craft ambition — atmospheric, psychologically rich, or socially resonant work rather than straightforward genre exercises.
Sci-fi sits squarely within Danai's stated wheelhouse. Speculative worldbuilding with emotional and thematic weight, particularly from marginalized perspectives, aligns well with their editorial sensibility.
Fantasy and romance with a speculative foundation are both welcomed. Danai's framing suggests they are open to genre blends — romantasy or dark fantasy with romantic threads would fit — as long as the work reads as upmarket in execution.
Danai is primarily an adult fiction agent, but will consider YA that has genuine crossover appeal to adult readers. This is a meaningful conditional: a project that reads as exclusively YA in scope and market positioning is unlikely to be the right fit. Writers should honestly assess whether their YA project has that dual-readership quality before querying.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Danai
Check the live submission form before querying — Danai follows a specific annual schedule (closed to general queries June 5 through August; BIPOC authors only through end of June; all queries reopen September). Submitting outside the right window will likely be ignored.
If you are a BIPOC author, the late-June window is a strategic opportunity — general query volume drops sharply while Danai remains open, meaning your submission faces less competition.
Lead your query letter with the upmarket quality of your work. Danai is an author and editor themselves; vague genre labels won't land. Name the tonal register, the thematic ambition, and why the book is more than its genre.
Clearly identify your positionality if you are a BIPOC, queer, or neurodivergent writer — Danai's practice explicitly centers these voices, and this context is relevant, not performative.
If submitting YA, make the crossover case in your query letter. Explicitly name the adult readership your book is likely to attract — don't assume the agent will infer it from the manuscript alone.
Danai edits for a Hugo-nominated SFF magazine and reviews short fiction; they know the short fiction landscape deeply. If you have short story publications in genre venues, mention them — this signals you are embedded in the community they care about.
Avoid pitching pure genre without a literary angle. 'Upmarket' is the consistent qualifier throughout Danai's profile — nuanced plotting and character complexity are minimum expectations, not bonuses.