Hillary Fazzari is a Bradford Literary Agency generalist who casts a wide net across age bands and formats, with a particular appetite for high-stakes YA/NA fantasy and sci-fi, dark feminist adult fiction, interactive and adventure-driven middle grade, and nonfiction/novelty picture books—while currently closed to fiction picture books.
In brief
Fazzari is a true generalist: she actively seeks middle grade, YA, new adult, commercial adult fiction, graphic novels for kids, and nonfiction/novelty picture books—an unusually wide aperture for a single agent.
Her wishlist signals a consistent taste for high-intensity, plot-propulsive stories—addictive pacing and 'dangerous' stakes appear as recurring qualifiers across nearly every category she lists.
She places a notable emphasis on relationships beyond romance: bromances, found family, and ensemble dynamics are called out explicitly for YA/NA, setting her apart from agents focused purely on romantic beats.
She is temporarily closed to fiction picture books as of May 2026 to catch up on submissions, but remains open to nonfiction and novelty picture books—a meaningful distinction writers often miss.
Foreign rights are handled through Taryn Fagerness at the Taryn Fagerness Agency, which signals an infrastructure built for international sub-rights deals.
Lately
Looks like it’s that time again — I’ll be closing to unsolicited queries very soon to get caught up. For those who like stats (I do!!) since I reopened at the end of April, I’ve gotten about 2300 queries in total. 1/4
I'm temporarily closing to unsolicited picture books queries (in fiction -- I'm still open to PB nonfiction/novelty books) to get caught up. I'm still open to MG, YA, NA & Adult fiction, along w/graphic novels and chapters books for young readers. Head over to my QueryManager or MSWL for more info!
Hi everyone! I've reopened to queries for the first time in FOREVER. Very excited to start seeing everyone's work again. I'll be focusing most on PB, MG, YA, NA, and commercial adult fiction in multiple genres. For more, visit my MSWL page: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/hi...
She announced a temporary closure to unsolicited fiction picture book queries, citing a need to catch up on her submissions pile. She clarified the closure is limited to fiction PBs only—nonfiction and novelty picture books remain open, as do MG, YA, NA, adult fiction, graphic novels, and chapter books for young readers.
What Hillary is looking for
She wants protagonist-driven adventures with lovable oddball or offbeat heroes—think quirky, humorous, and deeply kid-appealing. She's equally interested in school-set adventures and grand quests, and humor is a significant draw especially for lower MG. Upper MG with genuine emotional drama also appeals. Broadly, she's hunting for stories that will pull reluctant or screen-first readers into books.
A distinct priority: she's actively seeking MG that uses format as a feature—LitRPG, Choose Your Own Adventure, search-and-find, mystery-puzzle hybrids, alternate or combined formats, and stories with fun or goofy illustration. This is aimed squarely at 'scroller' kids who need more stimulation than a straight prose novel delivers. Projects that blend illustration with prose are welcome.
She wants high-stakes, compulsively readable fantasy and sci-fi with big relationships—ships included, but bromances and ensemble bonds are equally prized. Big-world urban fantasy and off-planet or futuristic sci-fi are both on the table. The overriding criterion is that the book must be impossible to put down; she invokes the feeling of a certain dystopian blockbuster as the emotional target, not the genre itself.
Soapy, fun, emotionally rich contemporary YA and NA with standout voice and great relationship dynamics—not just romance but layered friendships and rivalries. She references both novels and TV as touchstones, suggesting she values cinematic pacing and ensemble energy.
She's hunting for adult fantasy that keeps her on the edge of her seat, with or without heavy romance, plus horror that weaves in genuine humanity and romantic threads. She also wants witty, horror-tinged fantasy including cozy horror-adjacent work. The unifying thread: darkness with craft, not darkness for shock alone.
A pointed category: she wants genre fiction—fantasy, thriller, horror—that is consciously feminist, strange, and engages critically with capitalism or other power structures. This is not a catch-all; the critique and the weirdness need to be structural, not decorative. Futuristic settings, including cozy-futuristic, are also welcome here.
She wants thrillers with genuine bite and a fresh perspective—something the category hasn't seen before. Novelty of premise or voice is the entry bar.
Currently one of her most actively open categories. She's looking for biography, science narratives (including how-things-work books), history and mythology, search-and-find and other interactive formats, and 'oddities' books. This is for picture-book-format nonfiction and novelty projects, not fiction picture books, which are temporarily closed.
She represents graphic novels for young readers only—elementary through high school—and is specifically seeking projects from author-illustrators (not writers seeking a separate illustrator). A fantasy element is strongly preferred. Hybrid projects that combine graphic novel panels with prose or other formats are particularly interesting to her.
Not the right fit
On Hillary's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Hillary
Fiction queries require a query letter, the first chapter of the manuscript, and a synopsis; include genre and word count in the cover letter—these are non-negotiable fields, not optional.
Nonfiction queries (including nonfiction/novelty picture books) require a full book proposal, a query letter, and a sample chapter—the format is distinct from fiction, so don't send a query letter alone.
She is temporarily closed to fiction picture books; submitting one now will land in a closed queue. Confirm her current status on the live form before querying in any category.
For graphic novels, confirm you are an author-illustrator before querying—she does not represent writers seeking an illustrator match.
When pitching YA or NA fantasy/sci-fi, lead with what makes the book impossible to stop reading—pacing and stakes are her stated primary interest, so your hook should establish danger and momentum before world-building.
If your MG features an interactive, illustrated, or hybrid format (LitRPG, puzzle elements, Choose Your Own Adventure), call that out explicitly near the top of your query—it's a category she's actively hunting and the format itself is the selling point.
For adult fiction with feminist or anti-capitalist critique, make the ideological thrust structural and explicit in your pitch—she's looking for work where the critique is load-bearing, not thematic wallpaper.
Bromances, ensemble bonds, and non-romantic relationships are a genuine draw for YA/NA—if your book has a standout friendship or rivalry dynamic alongside (or instead of) romance, mention it.
Foreign rights are handled by a separate agency (Taryn Fagerness Agency), which may be relevant if you have existing international deals or rights encumbrances to disclose.