Lauren E. Abramo is a VP and Subsidiary Rights Director at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret who curates a deliberately small, socially conscious list spanning upmarket fiction, social-justice nonfiction, and children's fiction by and about underrepresented communities.
In brief
Abramo holds dual roles at DGB — VP and Subsidiary Rights Director — which means their personal client list is intentionally small and highly selective; a query must be an exceptionally strong match.
The deal record shows deep relationships with major commercial publishers alongside literary imprints, with confirmed #1 New York Times bestsellers and television/film adaptations among their clients — real commercial muscle despite a compact roster.
Nonfiction is not an afterthought: Abramo's wishlist is unusually specific about social-justice angles, and their agency bio explicitly names pop culture, psychology, pop science, reportage, and media as nonfiction strengths — suggesting this category may be underappreciated by querying writers who focus on the fiction side.
Abramo's identity-centered framing is consistent and sustained across years: the emphasis is not merely on marginalized topics but on writers from those communities, regardless of whether the book itself foregrounds identity.
The current agency page adds feminist thrillers as an active want — a signal not present in the older wishlist — making it the freshest targeting cue available.
Lately
Abramo's current agency bio flags feminist-bent thrillers as an active priority — a new addition not present in earlier wishlist posts, indicating a fresh targeting signal for suspense writers.
What Lauren is looking for
This is the backbone of Abramo's nonfiction practice. They want rigorously reported work that sits at the crossroads of a discipline or industry and marginalized communities — not necessarily books primarily 'about' social justice, but books written from inside an underrepresented perspective. Specific gaps they've flagged: healthcare access and marginalized populations, sex-work policy, marijuana legalization seen through a criminal-justice and decarceration lens, non-sensationalist true crime (including cults), and deep investigative dives into MLMs. Accessible reportage giving an inside view of neglected communities also belongs here.
Abramo wants high-concept popular science that doesn't require a specialist reader — particularly biology, psychology, and neuroscience written for a curious general audience. Pop culture and contemporary culture titles that intersect with social themes also fit. The key word is 'accessible': dense or jargon-heavy proposals are a mismatch.
Abramo describes their fiction sensibility as 'upmarket commercial and accessible literary.' They have a particular appetite for women's fiction and book club fiction authored by writers from underrepresented communities. Fiction that treats friendship as seriously as family or romance — complex, fraught, irreplaceable — is a stated draw. Works inspired by real-world unsolved mysteries (historical ciphers, unexplained disappearances, medical mysteries) are also of interest, in either fiction or nonfiction form.
Suspense is well-represented on the confirmed client roster and is a category Abramo actively sells. The agency's own current page flags 'thrillers with a feminist bent' as a specific current want — this is the freshest signal available and should be weighted accordingly. Psychological and domestic suspense also sit comfortably in the upmarket-commercial lane Abramo favors.
Abramo wants contemporary romance featuring BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or disabled protagonists and love interests. They are explicit about narrative consent: romance that depicts men who honor a 'no,' active affirmative consent, and no glorification of persistence. Books that challenge rather than reinforce those tropes are the right fit.
Abramo gravitates toward grounded contemporary YA and is emphatic that they want more 'fun and fluffy' submissions alongside sad and serious ones — both ends of the emotional register are welcome. They have a particular interest in YA by authors who are trans, nonbinary, disabled, neurodiverse, mentally ill, or Native/Indigenous/American Indian (and anyone at the intersections of those identities), whether or not the book itself centers those identities.
Abramo runs the full genre spectrum in MG and has carved out two vivid niches: (1) atmospheric stories set in old houses with mysterious architecture — secret passageways, hidden staircases, inexplicable hallways — and (2) fun but sincere MG about kids facing real stakes who are 'unapologetically weird.' They also specifically seek MG fiction by and featuring autistic protagonists, ideally by #actuallyautistic authors, particularly in contemporary settings. The same identity-centered author demographics listed for YA apply here as well.
Not the right fit
On Lauren's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Lauren
Read the DGB submission guidelines page fully before querying — the agency has detailed instructions, and Abramo specifically asks that queries responding to a named specific request include a signal in the subject line.
Lead your query letter with the identity angle if it applies: Abramo is explicit that they seek writers from underrepresented communities regardless of whether the book foregrounds that identity — this context belongs in your pitch.
For nonfiction, be precise about the social-justice or community angle up front; a vague 'explores social issues' framing will not land — name the community, name the policy question, name the stakes.
For romance, state your consent framework clearly if it's relevant: Abramo's stated aversion to persistence-glorifying narratives means briefly signaling how your love interest handles rejection can distinguish your pitch.
For MG or YA, don't assume 'fun and fluffy' is a lesser pitch — Abramo has explicitly and repeatedly asked for lighter material, so don't darken your tone to seem more serious.
Because Abramo maintains a small, deliberate list, demonstrate in your query that you've studied the existing client roster and understand where your book sits within it.
Verify current open/closed status directly on the DGB submissions page before sending anything — status was unverified as of mid-April 2026 and may have changed.