Natalie Sun is a junior agent at HG Literary building her own list with a clear passion for fantasy across age groups — from sweeping adult epic fantasy and romantasy to laugh-out-loud middle grade and emotionally resonant picture books.
In brief
Fantasy is her core and her compass — she names it first across every age category, and her wishlist comps (Babel, Six of Crows, Red Rising, Song of Achilles) signal an appetite for ambitious, high-stakes, character-driven worlds rather than quiet, literary fare.
She is still building her list, which means she is actively looking for debut voices and new projects — a genuine opportunity for unagented writers whose work fits her taste.
Her stated comps reveal a consistent aesthetic: she gravitates toward books with moral complexity, lush prose, and emotionally devastating (not just sad) stakes — stories that make readers cry over connection, sacrifice, and love rather than sheer tragedy.
Picture books are the one category where she is explicitly selective and condition-gated: she wants emotional resonance above all else, and the bar appears higher here than anywhere else on her list.
She trained under Carrie Hannigan at HG Literary and has worked across the agency's client base, giving her broader genre exposure than a debut agent who went straight to building a solo list — her taste is informed by that cross-genre apprenticeship.
Lately
Her current agency page lists an explicit wishlist for the 'next' Babel, Red Rising, The Hunger Games, and the Daevabad Trilogy — all ambitious, high-concept, culturally rich fantasy series with broad commercial appeal — signaling she is actively hunting for breakout-scale speculative fiction.
What Natalie is looking for
This is the heart of her list. She wants fantasy with strong worldbuilding and compelling characters — epic, dark academic, cozy, low fantasy, and romantasy all welcome. She is especially drawn to original magic systems rooted in underrepresented cultures, fairytale and mythology retellings, found-family dynamics, and well-executed romantic tropes. Books in the vein of morally complex, lushly built worlds like those of R.F. Kuang or Leigh Bardugo are exactly what she's hunting.
Romance — including contemporary, rom-com, and fantasy romance — sits squarely on her list alongside fantasy. She loves emotional beats, trope-savvy writing, and stories where character chemistry drives the narrative. Adult rom-com and romantasy are explicit sub-genre interests.
She treats YA fantasy with the same enthusiasm as adult — worldbuilding and character are the twin requirements. Retellings, enemies-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers, and dark academia threads are all welcome. She also seeks YA romance.
In middle grade, laughter is her primary criterion — she wants books that are genuinely funny, adventurous, and propulsive. She gravitates toward ensemble casts, clever mysteries, and animal-forward or fantasy-adjacent stories. Animal companions and found-family dynamics translate well from her adult taste into this category.
She represents picture books but holds them to a high bar: the manuscript must genuinely move her. Heart-tugging emotional arcs are the gatekeeping quality. She is not seeking picture book writers who are not also illustrators — check the agency's current guidelines, as picture book submissions without art components may be treated differently. Unsolicited email submissions are never acceptable; use the online form only.
She will consider science fiction, thriller, and mystery across adult and YA, but only when the execution is exceptional. These are not her primary focus — writers in these categories should ensure their work has a strong character and/or speculative hook that bridges toward her fantasy taste. Light sci-fi and YA sci-fi are the most viable entry points.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Natalie
Use the personal online submission form only — she does not accept or read queries sent directly to her email address, and those are deleted without response.
Include a query letter and the first twenty pages of your manuscript; picture book writers should submit the complete text.
Lead your query with the emotional core of your story — she responds to books that make her feel something beyond grief, so articulate what kind of emotional gut-punch your book delivers.
Name your comp titles carefully: her own named comps span Kuang, Bardugo, Schwab, and Owen — if your book genuinely sits in that conversation, say so and explain precisely how (tone, structure, theme), not just genre.
If your fantasy draws on a specific cultural tradition or features a non-Western magic system, make that explicit and central in your pitch — it's a stated priority, not just a box to tick.
For middle grade, lead with the comedy — tell her what makes your book genuinely funny before you describe the plot.
For science fiction, thriller, or mystery, acknowledge the genre crossover with fantasy or character-driven elements that make it a fit for her selective appetite; a bare genre label won't be enough.
Verify the form is still live and the submission window is open on the agency website before querying — status can change.