Haley Moe is a story-first agent at The Rudy Agency who hunts for genre-bending speculative fiction, character-rich YA and middle grade, and practical nonfiction in science, health, and business.
In brief
Her stated wishlist is broad, but the authoritative agency page narrows her active focus to Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, Children's, YA, New Adult, and nonfiction in Science, Health, Business, Leadership, and Children's — query within those lanes.
She consistently emphasizes flawed, complex characters and plots that subvert familiar tropes; projects that lean on originality of world and voice will resonate more than polished executions of well-worn formulas.
Her sub-genre list signals strong enthusiasm for diverse fantasy traditions — African, Asian, and Latinx fantasy/sci-fi/horror appear alongside Gothic, Cozy, and Literary Fantasy — suggesting she is actively building a multicultural speculative roster.
Illustrated and graphic novel work appears in her sub-genre preferences for all age groups, a signal not prominently featured on the main agency page but consistent across her longer wishlist materials.
Query submission is handled through an online form specific to her — not a shared agency inbox — so follow the dedicated link on the agency site and observe the subject-line format for other agents as a style cue.
Lately
Her current agency page consolidates her fiction focus to Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, Children's, YA, and New Adult — a tighter frame than her earlier, sprawling sub-genre lists, suggesting she has refined her active priorities.
What Haley is looking for
This is the clearest priority across every version of her wishlist. She wants Epic, Literary, Gothic, Cozy, Historical, Urban, and Grounded Fantasy. Diversity of tradition matters — she calls out African, Asian, and Latinx fantasy specifically. Whatever the sub-flavor, the entry fee is original world-building and characters who carry genuine interior contradiction.
Character-driven and literary SF appeals to her alongside near-future, cyberpunk, and tech-thriller adjacent work. She lists African, Asian, and Latinx Sci-Fi as explicit sub-genre interests, signaling she wants SF with culturally specific roots. Dystopian and post-apocalyptic are in scope.
Children's work spans picture books (fiction and nonfiction, lyrical and concept-driven), chapter books, and middle grade across nearly every genre — adventure, fantasy, horror, humor, mystery, and contemporary. A key qualifier: picture book submissions should come from author-illustrators or illustrators; she lists 'illustrators and author/illustrators' as a specific sub-genre interest, which signals she is not seeking picture book writers only. Middle grade graphic novels are also welcome.
High-concept YA with speculative or fantastical elements sits at the center of her YA appetite. She also welcomes YA historical fantasy, YA mystery, YA humor, and magical realism YA. New Adult is explicitly listed as a primary fiction genre, making her one of the fewer agents who openly accepts that category.
Horror appears throughout her sub-genre list — adult, literary, character-driven, mythic, techno-, and horror-comedy variants. Gothic and supernatural horror are both welcome. Her emphasis on character complexity suggests she favors horror that earns its dread through character investment rather than pure atmosphere.
She explicitly calls out modernized mythologies and folklore retellings as areas of interest, and mythology appears in both her agency page language and sub-genre lists. The emphasis is on 'new takes' — she wants reimaginings that challenge the source material, not faithful retellings.
Her agency page lists these as primary nonfiction categories. Health and wellness, narrative nonfiction, and children's nonfiction all appear in her sub-genre preferences. Business and leadership titles with a fresh perspective or engaging educational angle are welcome. She does not emphasize memoir or politics in her current nonfiction focus.
Graphic novels for all age groups appear in her sub-genre list, as do action-packed graphic novels and YA/MG graphic novels specifically. She also lists illustrators and author-illustrators as a representation interest. However, this interest is not foregrounded on the main agency page — treat it as a real but secondary lane and confirm via query that she is actively building in this area.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Haley
Use her dedicated submission link on The Rudy Agency website — she has her own form, separate from other agents at the agency.
Mirror the subject-line format used agency-wide: 'Query – Fiction [or Nonfiction] – [Book Title]'. This convention appears in the agency's own instructions and suggests consistency is expected.
Send the query letter only to start — no manuscript pages, no proposal, no attachments of any kind in the initial submission.
Lead your query with the element that matters most to her: character complexity and the specific way your plot challenges a familiar trope. Generic 'subverts expectations' language will not stand out; name the trope and show how you break it.
If your project draws on a specific cultural tradition — African, Asian, Latinx, or other underrepresented mythology or folklore — name that tradition early and specifically. Her sub-genre list signals this is a genuine priority, not a courtesy checkbox.
For children's projects, clarify your role upfront: writer-only, illustrator-only, or author-illustrator. Given her stated interest in illustrators and author-illustrators for picture books, this distinction could determine whether she reads on.
Verify her form is currently accepting queries before submitting — no confirmed open date is on record and status should be treated as unknown until confirmed directly on the agency site.