Dani Leshgold is a list-building agent at Sterling Lord Literistic hunting for atmosphere-drenched literary fiction, feminist and queer horror, and genre-bending work where dark emotion and genuine truth collide.
In brief
Dani Leshgold trained at Columbia (MFA) and is actively growing a list at Sterling Lord Literistic — a strong signal that they are motivated to take on new clients and close deals.
The clearest through-line in their wishlist is the intersection of queerness, girlhood, and dread: think literary horror with feminist edges, sapphic romance with real emotional stakes, and gothic or speculative fiction soaked in atmosphere.
Los Angeles is a genuine personal passion — Leshgold is from the city and flags LA-set stories (fiction and nonfiction) as a specific draw, which is an unusually concrete geographic hook writers can use.
Their touchstone titles range from commercial page-turners to experimental literary horror (Carmen Maria Machado, Monica Ojeda), signaling appetite for both accessibility and literary ambition — the ideal pitch lives at that crossroads.
Because this is an emerging list without an extensive confirmed sales record, writers should treat the wishlist and stated taste as the primary guide and verify the current submission status directly before querying.
Lately
Leshgold has publicly flagged a 'sapphic mermaid book' as a dream acquisition — one of the most specific and memorable wish-list items they have shared, pointing to appetite for queer fantasy with a romantic core.
What Dani is looking for
Leshgold wants literary fiction that generates genuine unease — books that linger and disturb long after the last page. Atmosphere is non-negotiable; so is emotional authenticity. Cross-genre or upmarket commercial work is welcome as long as the prose and interiority are doing real literary work.
This is perhaps the hottest corner of their wishlist. Leshgold is drawn to horror rooted in girlhood, the female body, and psychological dread — body horror, occult and paranormal horror, gothic horror, and psychological suspense all appear prominently. Work that sits at the intersection of literary ambition and genuine terror is exactly what they are after.
Leshgold gravitates toward fantasy with its feet on the ground — speculative premises anchored in emotional and social reality rather than sprawling secondary-world world-building. Magical realism, gothic fantasy, cozy fantasy, and witchcraft narratives all fit, particularly when queerness or girlhood themes are woven in. A sapphic mermaid story is explicitly named as a dream project.
Queer romance — particularly sapphic — is a clear priority. Leshgold wants romance that excavates real emotion and truth rather than hitting genre beats mechanically. Slow-burn pacing, atmospheric settings, and LGBTQ+ contemporary or paranormal romance all resonate. YA queer romance is also welcome.
Leshgold is open to a broad range of YA, with particular enthusiasm for YA horror, YA gothic, YA thriller/mystery, and LGBTQ+ YA contemporary and romance. Magical realism YA and dark academia YA also fit the taste profile. Queer and coming-of-age themes are a consistent draw across the YA categories.
Nonfiction is a narrower lane for Leshgold: they flag pop culture and fashion specifically, with a noted affinity for Los Angeles-set or California-rooted nonfiction. Writers in this space should have a strong platform or a truly distinctive cultural lens.
Not the right fit
On Dani's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Dani
Send a query letter plus your first three chapters to the submissions address listed on the Sterling Lord Literistic website — Leshgold has specified this format explicitly, so deviating (e.g. full manuscript, synopsis only) is a red flag.
Lead with atmosphere and emotional core in your query letter: Leshgold responds to how a book feels, not just what happens. Open with the mood and stakes, then the plot.
If your story is set in Los Angeles or California, say so early and specifically — this is one of the most concrete personal hooks in Leshgold's wishlist and a genuine differentiator.
Queer identity, girlhood, and female friendship should be surfaced up front if they are central to your book — these are not just welcome themes but active priorities.
Name the genre crossover honestly: Leshgold is comfortable with hybrid work (literary horror, upmarket speculative, gothic romance), so labeling your book 'literary horror with a sapphic romance subplot' is more useful than forcing it into a single box.
Pitch toward the literary-commercial crossover: the touchstones Leshgold cites (Machado, Ojeda, The Silent Patient) span experimental literary and commercial thriller. Showing where your book lives on that spectrum helps them place it.
Verify the current submission status on the agency's live page before sending — the status was not confirmed at the time this profile was compiled.
Do not query for middle grade, picture books, or hard science fiction — these are not areas Leshgold covers.
For nonfiction, only query if your project falls clearly within pop culture, fashion, or has a strong Los Angeles/California angle — other nonfiction categories are not part of their list.