Kristy Hunter is a veteran Knight Agency agent with over a decade of experience who champions commercial fiction with distinct voices—specializing in YA across nearly every genre and adult romantasy, grounded fantasy, and book-club fiction with wide audience appeal.
In brief
Her wishlist and her named touchstones align tightly: she gravitates toward high-concept, emotionally resonant commercial fiction—books people want to discuss the moment they finish them.
Her stated favorites span celebrated crossover hits (Red, White and Royal Blue; The Vanishing Half; The Hate U Give), signaling she values both literary voice and mass-market reach—she is not a quiet-literary agent.
Coastal settings, unexpected narrators, and genre-bending structures appear repeatedly across her preferences, suggesting writers who subvert familiar forms have a real edge with her.
She explicitly limits her new-client intake to YA and adult fiction only—no middle grade, picture books, or nonfiction at this time.
As of March 31, 2026, her submission form is closed. Writers should verify the live form before querying.
Lately
Her current agency profile confirms she is accepting only YA and adult clients, with a clear emphasis on fantasy (cozy, grounded, and romantasy flavors), genre-bending projects, and book club-style commercial fiction that sparks conversation.
What Kristy is looking for
Cozy, grounded, and romantasy-flavored YA fantasy are all welcome. She is drawn to atmospheric, sweeping worlds and heist or mystery elements woven into fantasy structures. Named touchstones from her own favorites list include Divine Rivals, An Ember in the Ashes, Caraval, The Scorpio Races, and The Wicked Deep—taken together, these point to fantasy that is emotionally immersive, romantic, and richly atmospheric rather than purely plot-driven.
She wants contemporary YA with distinct, authentic voices and books that feel culturally urgent. Romance, friendship, identity, and social themes are all in range. Thrillers and mysteries are equally welcome. Her favorites list here is notably diverse—from the emotionally grounded (The Hate U Give, You Should See Me in a Crown, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda) to the propulsive and twisty (Sadie, We Were Liars, The Inheritance Games)—signaling she reads across the full contemporary-YA spectrum.
Historical YA is welcome provided it carries a modern sensibility—she is not looking for staid period pieces but for stories that feel alive and resonant to today's readers. Code Name Verity is a clear benchmark. Genre-bending projects that resist easy categorization are particularly attractive to her.
Romantasy is one of her top adult priorities. She wants propulsive writing, a distinctive hook, and the kind of wide commercial appeal that turns books into conversation pieces. Red, White and Royal Blue and The House in the Cerulean Sea appear on her favorites list, indicating she values warmth, wit, and emotional payoff alongside the fantastical.
She is drawn to fantasy rooted in recognizable, emotionally grounded reality rather than sprawling secondary worlds. Speculative premises that feel human-scale and emotionally true are a strong fit. She specifically cites a love of unexpected narrators and unconventional structure—Remarkably Bright Creatures (narrated partly by an octopus) and The Ministry of Time are her own examples.
She seeks commercial adult fiction built for shared reading—books with a unique hook that leave readers wanting to discuss them immediately. Thrillers, upmarket contemporaries, and historical fiction all qualify under this umbrella if they have wide appeal. Her favorites here span character-driven literary-commercial crossovers (The Vanishing Half, Little Fires Everywhere, Such a Fun Age) and propulsive reads (The Midnight Feast, The Wedding People). Coastal settings are a recurring personal preference.
Contemporary romance and rom-com appear on her sub-genre list, and The Hating Game, One Day in December, and The Kiss Quotient all feature in her favorites—signaling she enjoys classic romantic tension, slow-burn dynamics, and clever setups. This is welcomed but not as loudly emphasized as romantasy or book club fiction.
Not the right fit
On Kristy's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kristy
Her submission form was observed closed as of March 31, 2026—check the live form at The Knight Agency's website before querying and do not submit while it is closed.
She submits via an online query form only; do not email her directly.
Open your query with a sharp, high-concept hook—her favorites list skews heavily toward books with a clear, instantly communicable premise.
Unexpected narrative structure or an unconventional narrator is a genuine differentiator for her; if your manuscript has one, lead with it.
Coastal settings, atmospheric world-building, and emotionally resonant writing are recurring signals across her entire list—foreground these if they apply.
LGBTQ+ stories and underrepresented voices are explicitly welcome and appear throughout her favorites list; these are real priorities, not tokens.
Genre-bending projects should be pitched with clarity: tell her what the blend is and why it works, rather than leaving her to guess the shelf placement.
She is accepting only YA and adult fiction clients—do not pitch middle grade, picture books, or nonfiction.
Close your query letter by noting who the book is for and why it will spark conversation—she explicitly looks for books readers can't wait to discuss the moment they finish.