Leah Pierre is a Senior Agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency and a tenacious champion of BIPOC and marginalized voices, hunting for fast-paced, trope-rich speculative fiction, dark gothic horror, and contemporary stories across YA, New Adult, and Adult.
In brief
Her submission form was confirmed open as of January 5, 2026 — but always verify the live form before querying.
Her wishlist is unusually explicit about representation: she accepts queries ONLY from Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander writers (LGBTQIA+ or not) — this is a hard filter, not a preference.
Speculative fiction is her top priority by her own ranking; contemporary sits further down the list, and romantasy is welcomed but is not her first choice given her plot-over-romance orientation.
She holds AALA membership and has volunteered with RevPit and the WNBA's Authentic Voices Program, signaling strong ties to community-focused publishing pipelines — a meaningful network advantage for clients.
Picture books, middle grade, dystopian, legal/spy thrillers, and non-fiction are all hard exclusions; note that her current agency page specifically says she is NOT open to picture books right now, which supersedes older bios that listed PBs.
Lately
Her current agency page confirms she is not accepting picture books at this time — a meaningful update from earlier bios that listed PBs among her categories. Writers should rely on the current page, not older profiles.
What Leah is looking for
This is her stated top priority. She wants moody, atmospheric work — elevated dark academia, Southern gothic, and horror that unsettles. Think gothic horror in the tradition of classic haunted-house fiction, psychological horror films like Black Swan and Saltburn, social horror in the vein of Jordan Peele's work, or campy horror à la Scream Queens. She's drawn to dread-soaked, literary-leaning horror and gothic fiction, especially when it centers BIPOC protagonists. Liselle Sambury's Delicious Monsters is a named touchstone.
She loves genre-blended fantasy — mix in sci-fi, horror, gothic, mystery, or even a thread of romance, but keep the plot engine running. Mythology, legends, history, and fairytale reimaginings are a strong pull, especially from lesser-represented cultures: Middle Eastern, Indigenous, African, and South American traditions are specifically called out. Lush, immersive worldbuilding is non-negotiable, but characters must earn emotional investment. She's an escapist at heart and actively wants adventure-forward stories — sea heists, mythic quests, political intrigue. Paranormal and urban fantasy are welcome; pure contemporary fantasy is not her preference unless it has a paranormal edge. Romantasy is accepted but is not her first instinct given her plot-first sensibility.
Her preference leans toward sci-fantasy hybrids over hard sci-fi. For straight sci-fi she needs it to feel accessible rather than technical. Space opera with a high-concept hook (think: space bounty hunters) or near-future, real-world-adjacent speculative fiction that interrogates the social impact of technology are the two lanes she's most excited about. The Blood Trials duology is her named touchstone for the sci-fantasy blend she wants.
She's open to mystery and thriller at the YA level only, and she'd love it blended with fantasy. For mystery, she gravitates toward ensemble whodunits, campy fun, and stories with unreliable narrators or dark emotional depth. On the thriller side, she's hunting for heist-driven action — she specifically calls out ensemble heist narratives and family-run crime dynamics. Standalone thrillers without a genre-blend hook are a lower priority.
She describes contemporary as one of her favorites and is drawn to quieter, emotionally resonant stories. However, this category sits below speculative fiction in her own priority ranking, and given her overwhelming emphasis on SFF and horror, writers in this space should ensure their work is especially distinctive. BIPOC voices and the same fast-paced, character-driven qualities she prizes everywhere still apply.
Not the right fit
On Leah's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Leah
Lead with your own identity as a BIPOC and/or marginalized writer — this is a prerequisite, not a bonus point. Her filter is exclusive, and she states it plainly. Make it clear from the first line of your query.
Mirror her genre-blend enthusiasm: if your book fuses fantasy with horror, gothic atmosphere, or mystery, name those layers explicitly. She responds to genre hybrids and will be more engaged if you articulate the blend rather than forcing your book into a single genre box.
Invoke her trope language if it genuinely fits your book: found family, unreliable narrators, villainous female rage, slow-burn relationships, deals with devils. These are not buzzwords to her — they are active desires. Use them precisely and only when accurate.
Reference a cultural mythology or tradition if your fantasy draws on one, especially if it's from a lesser-represented culture. This is a direct line to her stated appetite.
If you're pitching mystery or thriller, confirm it is YA before querying — she's explicitly limited those genres to YA only. An Adult mystery/thriller will be a mismatch regardless of quality.
Keep the pitch fast-paced on the page, just as she wants the manuscript to be. A slow, winding query letter signals a slow book. Front-load your hook, your character's identity, and the central conflict.
Avoid pitching your book as dystopian, even if it has dystopian elements — this is a hard exclusion. If your near-future speculative story has dystopian trappings, reframe it through its technology-critique or social-horror angle instead.
Do not pitch picture books or middle grade to Leah — her current page is explicit that she is not accepting PBs, and MG is a standing exclusion.
Verify the submission form's open/closed status immediately before querying — the last confirmed open date is January 5, 2026, but status can change without notice.