A senior agent at Looking Glass Literary & Media with a decade-plus track record of launching award-winning YA, MG, and adult fiction—especially for BIPOC, queer, and disabled voices—who hunts for distinctive prose, offbeat premises, and the kind of characters that linger long after the last page.
In brief
Patricia's sales record tells a richer story than her wishlist: her heaviest confirmed dealmaking is in YA and MG, with adult fiction a growing priority—her recent adult deals (trans romance, Modern Orthodox romcom) signal genuine commercial ambition there, not just polite interest.
She has deep, multi-book relationships with several authors—Edward Underhill, Axie Oh, Jen Ferguson, Hayley Chewins, Candice Iloh, Dahlia Adler, Mary McCoy, and Margaret Dilloway each appear more than once in her record—signaling she invests in long-term career building rather than one-and-done deals.
Her award track record is exceptional: a National Book Award finalist, multiple Printz Honors, Stonewall Honors, a Governor General's Award winner, Edgar nominee, and numerous YALSA and ALA recognitions—evidence she sells books that earn both critical and commercial attention simultaneously.
Patricia joined Looking Glass Literary in 2025 after more than ten years at Marsal Lyon; her existing client roster came with her, so deal credits from both agencies belong to the same career.
Queries are only accepted during the first week of each month—missing that window means waiting a full cycle; the form was confirmed closed as of late May 2026, so writers should watch for the next opening.
Lately
Patricia moved to Looking Glass Literary & Media in 2025 after more than a decade at her previous agency, bringing her full client roster with her. Her agency page notes she is open to queries strictly during the first week of each month.
What Patricia is looking for
Patricia's deepest and most prolific category. She welcomes the full genre spectrum—contemporary realistic, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, magical realism, historical fantasy, mysteries, and verse novels—with one consistent requirement: a standout voice paired with an original, captivating premise. She leans toward the quirky, strange, and eerie, and is especially drawn to innovative narrative structures when they're executed well. Specific recurring priorities include: atmospheric contemporary fantasy (particularly anything witchy), YA horror and YA historical fantasy that immerses readers in a vivid time and place, voicey diverse contemporaries and romcoms, diverse fantasy with fresh worldbuilding and high stakes, and YA by poets (verse or prose). LGBTQ+ protagonists in stories that aren't exclusively about coming out or discrimination are a perennial wish-list item, as are fresh takes on female friendship and queer community. She gravitates toward books that could be described as haunting or weird, and toward teens who engage with social justice. Culturally and geographically specific settings—both inside and outside the US—are a plus.
Patricia looks for warm, heartfelt MG with a pitch-perfect voice; humor and a touch of magic are bonuses, not requirements. She is actively seeking literary MG fantasy with immersive, imaginative worldbuilding, heartfelt stories that tackle tough issues in a kid-accessible way, atmospheric contemporary fantasy (witchy MG included), historical fantasy, clever mysteries, and magical realism. MG by poets—whether in verse or prose—is a specific wish. She also responds strongly to stories in which young characters engage with their communities and care about social justice. The same geographic specificity bonus applies: settings outside the US or with a strong regional identity are welcome.
Patricia wants big ideas delivered through a distinctive point of view. Her special sweet spot is upmarket literary fiction with a speculative, horror, or magical realist twist—think grounded literary premises that take an unexpected imaginative turn. This is a growing part of her list, as evidenced by recent adult deals; writers who blend literary ambition with accessible storytelling are well-positioned here.
Patricia covers the full women's fiction range—from light, fun beach reads and romcoms to darker stories threaded with mystery or suspense. She is particularly excited about romcoms with a big hook, genre twist, or speculative element, as well as upmarket adult horror and horror romance. Historical women's fiction set in the 1960s or later is a specific wish. Diverse casts and fresh takes on female friendship or queer community are always welcome. Her recent romcom deal (a Modern Orthodox Jewish rom-com pitched as Nobody Wants This meets 27 Dresses) shows she can place commercial romcoms at major imprints at auction.
Patricia wants clever, original mysteries across age categories—YA, MG, and adult—that prioritize genuine surprise and avoid formulaic plotting. This overlaps with her women's fiction and upmarket interest, where a mystery or suspense thread can elevate a story rather than define it. Her client roster includes an Edgar Award-nominated author, demonstrating she can place mystery titles competitively.
Not the right fit
On Patricia's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Patricia
Mind the submission window: Patricia only accepts queries during the first week of each calendar month. Submitting outside that window will almost certainly be ignored — set a calendar reminder and check that her form is open before hitting send.
Send a query letter plus your first 10 pages as directed by the submission form; follow the instructions precisely, as deviations are a quick path to rejection.
Her wishlist and sales record both reward specificity about identity and community — if your book features a BIPOC, queer, or disabled protagonist and/or author perspective, say so clearly early in your query; she explicitly prioritizes these voices across all categories.
Lead with your hook before your biography. Patricia's stated priorities — 'unique plot, fantastic writing, complex characters' — map directly to a strong pitch paragraph. Bury your credentials and lead with the story.
If your book has a geographic anchor (Michigan, Texas, California, Chicago, the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere outside the US), mention the setting prominently; a strong sense of place is a recurring explicit criterion.
For adult fiction, a comp pairing that combines literary ambition with a speculative or genre element (e.g., 'for readers of Station Eleven and The Seven Year Slip') signals you understand exactly what she's building on the adult side of her list.
For YA/MG, 'quirky,' 'strange,' 'eerie,' 'haunting,' and 'offbeat' are her own words — if any genuinely apply to your book, use them. Avoid generic descriptors like 'fast-paced' or 'unique.'
Do not query her for nonfiction, memoir, adult SFF, picture books, screenplays, or poetry collections — these are hard exclusions, and querying them signals you haven't done your research.
Her multi-book author relationships (Axie Oh, Jen Ferguson, Edward Underhill, Hayley Chewins, Candice Iloh, Dahlia Adler, and others) show she thinks in terms of careers, not individual titles. If you have a series concept or future projects in mind, briefly noting your long-term vision can resonate.