Hannah Strouth is an associate agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates who hunts for emotionally resonant literary and upmarket fiction—especially anything dark, edgy, or offbeat—alongside culturally sharp nonfiction that reframes how we see the world.
In brief
Strouth joined SJGA in 2024 after more than four years at another major agency, bringing a developed editorial sensibility and a growing client list that skews toward literary, upmarket, and women's fiction with sharp cultural edges.
Her stated wishlist and her comp titles align strikingly well: she gravitates toward character-driven stories about identity, grief, bodies, queerness, and female friendship—think literary fiction with commercial hooks, not quiet prestige.
Her nonfiction taste is notably feminist and sociologically curious—she repeatedly cites work about gender, poverty, mental health, and pop culture, suggesting she's building a cohesive nonfiction list, not just dabbling.
She explicitly names a wide range of comp titles spanning upmarket commercial to queer literary to speculative realism, giving queriers an unusually clear map of her taste—use them.
She is open to queries as of mid-April 2026 and responds within four to six weeks; she accepts submissions through an online query tracker form, not direct email.
Lately
Her agency page confirms she joined SJGA in 2024 after more than four years at a prior agency, bringing an already-formed editorial sensibility and client relationships with her. She assists several senior agents at the firm while also building her own list.
What Hannah is looking for
This is her core. She wants emotionally complex, character-driven narratives that explore how people connect and disconnect, what haunts them, and how they survive. 'Dark,' 'edgy,' and 'gritty' are green-flag descriptors. She's drawn to ensemble casts, found family, female friendships, coming-of-age, and campus novels. Intersectional and diverse voices are a consistent priority across everything she takes on.
Contemporary romance and romcom are firmly on her list—she's an admitted consumer of romance reality TV and her comp titles signal she wants wit alongside emotional depth. She is NOT seeking historical romance, so contemporary or near-contemporary settings only.
She has a self-described soft spot for speculative work and magical realism, particularly when it serves literary or upmarket storytelling rather than leading with worldbuilding mechanics. Psychological thrillers and gothic elements also appeal. Hard sci-fi and deep fantasy with elaborate worldbuilding are explicitly out of scope.
She wants nonfiction that either shifts perspective on the world or teaches something meaningful about being human. Feminist cultural criticism, narrative journalism, personal essay collections, memoir, and pop history that hits the cultural zeitgeist are all welcome. Her comp list here is unusually specific and signals a strong point of view.
Not the right fit
On Hannah's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Hannah
Submit via the online query tracker form she specifies—do not cold-email; her email address appears on some older sources but her current page directs all queries through the form.
Expect a response within four to six weeks; she does not indicate she responds only to manuscripts of interest, so a reply is expected either way.
Lead with a comp title from her stated list if your book genuinely resembles it—she published an unusually specific set of touchstones, which signals she wants writers to use them as a map, not a formality.
Her taste runs emotional and thematic rather than plot-mechanical—frame your pitch around what your book excavates about human connection, identity, or resilience before leading with plot summary.
If your work is speculative or magical realist, foreground the literary or upmarket quality first; she loves the mode but is wary of heavy worldbuilding, so signal early that the fantastical is a lens, not the engine.
For nonfiction, she responds strongly to a clear cultural argument or fresh perspective on a recognized issue—show her what worldview shift your book creates, not just its subject matter.
She has a documented interest in Southern fiction and Appalachian voices (she was raised in TN/VA), which may be worth mentioning in a query letter if it's relevant to your book's setting or perspective.
Diverse voices and intersectional perspectives are a stated consistent priority—this is not a differentiator for your query, but it is a genuine signal that writers from underrepresented backgrounds are actively welcome here.