Paul Lucas is a veteran literary agent at Regal Hoffmann & Associates who spent 15 years at a major New York agency before moving over in 2025, and who focuses almost exclusively on speculative fiction novels alongside a small, curated nonfiction list.
In brief
Lucas brings 15 years of deal-making experience from one of New York's most prominent agencies to Regal Hoffmann, making him one of the more seasoned agents currently open to queries.
His client roster is a who's-who of commercial and epic fantasy and science fiction — R.A. Salvatore, Katherine Arden, Anthony Ryan, James Islington, Cory Doctorow, Wes Chu, Ed Ashton — signaling that he has genuine commercial muscle in SFF, not just literary-adjacent 'speculative elements.'
Despite describing himself as looking 'selectively' for speculative novels, the depth and breadth of his existing SFF roster strongly suggests this is his true bread-and-butter category, not a side interest.
He explicitly bars AI-assisted manuscripts, children's books of any kind (picture books through YA), poetry, memoir, screenplays, and practical/self-help nonfiction — an unusually specific exclusion list worth reading carefully before querying.
His nonfiction list (Bruce Gibney, Robert Baer, Stuart Schrader, Gregory S. Gordon) skews toward serious narrative and current-affairs nonfiction rather than platform-driven or instructional books, which he does not want.
Lately
Lucas joined Regal Hoffmann & Associates in 2025, arriving after a 15-year tenure at one of New York's most established literary agencies, where he built a deep SFF list. The move signals an expanded platform and continued focus on speculative fiction.
What Paul is looking for
This is Lucas's core category and the clear heart of his list. He wants novels that blend speculative elements — whether fantasy, science fiction, or something harder to categorize — with strong prose and genuine emotional resonance. His roster spans epic fantasy (Anthony Ryan, James Islington, R.A. Salvatore), science fiction (Cory Doctorow, Ed Ashton, Wes Chu), and more literary-leaning dark or folkloric fiction (Katherine Arden, GennaRose Nethercott, Kailee Pedersen), suggesting he is comfortable with both commercial genre SFF and more literary speculative work. The common thread across his list is ambitious, character-driven storytelling rather than thin-premise action.
Lucas has stated a preference for fiction that combines speculative conceits with strong writing and heart, which points toward upmarket or literary-leaning work that doesn't fit neatly into genre shelving. Clients like GennaRose Nethercott and Kailee Pedersen suggest he is genuinely interested in fiction that uses the fantastical as a lens for emotional or philosophical exploration, not just as a plot engine.
Lucas describes his nonfiction list as eclectic and takes on only occasional proposals. His existing nonfiction clients suggest an appetite for current affairs, intelligence/national security, history, and cultural criticism — serious, idea-driven books aimed at a general but sophisticated readership. He is not interested in instructional, self-help, or practical nonfiction of any kind. Writers should approach with a fully developed proposal and a clear sense of why their book belongs on a serious nonfiction list.
Not the right fit
On Paul's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Paul
Email your pitch and manuscript together in one submission: the query letter goes in the body of the email, and the manuscript (full or partial, as appropriate) should be attached as a Word file. This is an explicit requirement — do not send a query-only email and wait to be asked for pages.
Address: paul.submissions@rhaliterary.com. Do not use the agency's general contact address.
His 60-day no-response policy is clearly stated — if you haven't heard back in two months, assume a pass and move on. Do not follow up before then.
Lead with what makes your novel's speculative premise distinctive and what gives it emotional depth. His roster suggests he values both commercial genre ambition and literary execution — showing both in your pitch is worth the effort.
Do not query him with anything AI-assisted, even partially. This prohibition is explicit on his agency page and is a hard stop.
Do not query him with children's books, YA, memoir, poetry, screenplays, or practical nonfiction. The exclusion list is unusually specific — read it carefully and take it at face value.
For nonfiction, approach with a fully developed proposal. He describes himself as taking on only 'occasional' nonfiction, so the bar is high and the fit needs to be clear — look at the kinds of serious, idea-driven books already on his list as a calibration guide.
His background in Canadian poetry and his stated fondness for atmospheric, immersive settings (cold climates, snowy peaks) are real signals about his aesthetic. Fiction that is grounded in a specific, vividly rendered world — rather than generic epic geography — is likely to resonate.