Elizabeth "Lizzie" Poteet is a romance-forward agent at The Seymour Agency who brings an editorial eye from her years at St. Martin's Press/Macmillan to a list anchored in commercial women's fiction, contemporary and historical romance, and domestic suspense.
In brief
Her stated passions and her wishlist align unusually well: she is a lifelong romance reader (Nora Roberts, Lisa Kleypas, Julie Garwood were formative influences) turned editorial professional — her taste is deep, not trend-chasing.
She came up as an editor at St. Martin's Press/Macmillan before moving to agenting, which means she evaluates manuscripts with a developmental eye and likely has strong relationships at Macmillan imprints.
Her wishlist is heavily genre-specific: the clearest green lights are historical romance (especially highlander/Scottish settings), contemporary romance, commercial women's fiction, and domestic suspense/romantic thriller — writers in these lanes should query with confidence.
She is drawn to Jane Austen-inflected sensibilities, classic retellings, and trope-aware genre fiction, suggesting she values both craft and a strong hook over pure novelty.
No confirmed sales record is available in the source data, so her deal volume and publisher relationships cannot be independently verified — confirm her current roster and recent deals before querying.
Lately
Her wishlist makes clear she is hunting for the next holiday classic and the next great beach read — two distinct commercial archetypes that suggest she is thinking in terms of evergreen, seasonal marketability, not just debut buzz.
What Elizabeth is looking for
This is her deepest personal passion and clearest priority. She wants emotionally rich, swoony historical romance — with a specific and enthusiastic appetite for Scottish/highlander settings. She grew up on Kleypas's Wallflower series and the Avon True Romance historical YA romances, so she values both classic genre craft and series potential. Retellings of Shakespeare (e.g., Taming of the Shrew) or Jane Austen are natural fits.
She wants fresh, trope-aware contemporary romance with strong commercial hooks — the kind of book that earns 'unputdownable beach read' status. She is drawn to work that plays cleverly with familiar genre conventions rather than ignoring them. Holiday romance and rom-com energy are both welcome.
She wants women's fiction with a strong female protagonist at the center — commercial enough to be a beach read, substantial enough to anchor a book club conversation. Female friendship as a core theme is a specific draw. Work that sits at the upmarket/commercial crossover is ideal.
She actively seeks domestic suspense and stories that blend romance with thriller tension. The romantic thriller lane — where emotional stakes and plot stakes are both high — is a sweet spot. Think: propulsive pacing, a female protagonist, and a love story that doesn't slow the danger down.
Cozy mystery is listed as a favorite sub-genre, suggesting genuine enthusiasm, though it is not emphasized as urgently as her romance and suspense categories. Strong voice and a charming, well-drawn world are presumably the entry points.
She has a soft spot for coming-of-age stories and teen rom-coms — rooted, it seems, in her early love of the Avon True Romance YA historicals. This is not her primary lane, but writers with a warm, witty YA or crossover voice should not rule her out.
She welcomes narrative nonfiction and memoir, with celebrity memoir listed as a personal favorite. Her nonfiction appetite also extends to true crime, pop culture, humor, and journalism. The through-line appears to be strong voice and story-driven prose rather than prescriptive or reference content.
Inspirational romance and religious fiction appear on her genre list, consistent with The Seymour Agency's broader strength in inspirational content. This is not a category she foregrounds personally, so writers in this lane should ensure their work has genuine crossover commercial appeal and a strong romantic or suspense hook.
Listed as a fiction category she represents. Most compelling in her hands if the saga centers female relationships and has the propulsive quality of her preferred commercial reads.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Elizabeth
Do not email your query — she explicitly does not accept emailed submissions. Use the online form on The Seymour Agency's website.
Lead with a punchy 3–5 line pitch that nails the hook AND conveys the emotional core; she is an ex-editor who will evaluate this immediately.
Include genre, target audience, word count, contact information, and a brief bio in the required form fields — skipping any of these is an automatic friction point.
If you have a conference connection, recommendation, or referral, note it — she specifically flags references as a form field, meaning they carry weight.
One agent per query at The Seymour Agency at a time; if she passes, you may query another agent there, but not simultaneously.
If you do not receive a request for materials within three weeks, treat it as a pass — the agency aims to respond but a no-response-after-three-weeks is their stated signal.
Lead your pitch with the romantic or emotional stakes — this is an agent who describes swooning as a job skill. A clinical plot summary will undersell your book to her.
Highlander/Scottish historical romance, holiday romance, and domestic suspense are her most explicit 'I want this now' categories — if your book fits, say so clearly and name the sub-genre.
If your book is a retelling (Shakespeare, Austen, fairy tale), name the source text early — she actively seeks clever retellings and will recognize the hook instantly.