Phoebe Rhinehart is an assistant literary agent with a strong appetite for voices at the intersection of identity, culture, and form — particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ fiction, speculative literary work, and nonfiction that spans art, criticism, science, and spirituality.
In brief
Phoebe Rhinehart skews decidedly literary and identity-forward across both fiction and nonfiction, making them a strong target for writers whose work centers marginalized perspectives or engages seriously with culture and ideas.
Their fiction wishlist is notably form-conscious — short story collections and speculative literary fiction sit alongside straight literary work, signaling an openness to experimental or genre-blending manuscripts.
The nonfiction range is unusually wide, stretching from hard science and journalism to art criticism and spiritual inquiry, which suggests Rhinehart values strong intellectual voice over category neatness.
As an assistant agent, Rhinehart is likely building a list rather than maintaining a full one — early-career writers querying now may catch them at a receptive moment.
Query status is unverified; writers must confirm the live submission form before sending anything.
Lately
Rhinehart's wishlist positions them as a fiction-and-nonfiction generalist within a clearly defined literary and identity-focused lane — BIPOC and LGBTQ literature, speculative literary fiction, and intellectually serious nonfiction across art, criticism, science, and spirituality.
What Phoebe is looking for
Rhinehart actively seeks fiction centering BIPOC voices and experiences. Given the pairing with literary and speculative categories elsewhere on the wishlist, projects that bring a distinctive cultural lens to ambitious, layered storytelling are likely to resonate most.
LGBTQ fiction is a named priority. Rhinehart's broader taste for literary and speculative work suggests queer narratives with strong prose or a genre-bending element will stand out over more formulaic approaches.
Core literary fiction — character-driven, prose-forward, and thematically substantive — is central to Rhinehart's list. Works that grapple with identity, society, or form are well-matched to their stated interests.
Rhinehart explicitly includes short fiction, which is relatively rare on agent wishlists. Collections with a cohesive thematic or emotional spine — particularly those exploring BIPOC or LGBTQ experience — align well with the rest of their list.
The speculative-literary hybrid is a named category, not just a vague aspiration. Rhinehart appears drawn to work that uses speculative elements (near-future, magical realism, surrealism, etc.) in service of literary and social inquiry rather than genre plot mechanics.
On the nonfiction side, cultural criticism and journalism are clear priorities. Essay collections and reported books that interrogate culture, media, or society with a strong authorial voice are squarely in range.
Art-focused nonfiction — whether criticism, history, or creative practice — is a named interest. Works that treat visual or performing arts with intellectual seriousness fit the overall profile.
Rhinehart welcomes narrative or explanatory nonfiction in psychology and science. Projects that connect scientific ideas to human experience or social questions will likely be better received than purely technical manuscripts.
Spirituality appears as a nonfiction category, though its pairing with science, psychology, and criticism suggests Rhinehart is more interested in intellectually rigorous or culturally grounded explorations of the spiritual than devotional or prescriptive work.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Phoebe
Lead your query with the specific category from Rhinehart's wishlist that best matches your manuscript — naming it directly shows you have done your homework.
For fiction, make the cultural or identity stakes of the work clear upfront; Rhinehart's wishlist is explicitly organized around BIPOC and LGBTQ literature, so don't bury the perspective that makes your book distinctive.
For speculative literary fiction, frame the speculative element as a tool for exploring theme or character — not as a plot engine. Rhinehart appears drawn to the literary end of the spectrum.
If submitting a short story collection, emphasize what unifies the book thematically or emotionally; collections pitched as 'a variety of stories' are harder to champion than those with a clear spine.
For nonfiction, lead with your intellectual argument and your authority to make it — Rhinehart's nonfiction range (art, criticism, journalism, science, spirituality) rewards a strong, specific point of view over broad topic coverage.
As an assistant agent still building a list, Rhinehart may be more open to debut or early-career writers than a more established agent would be — lean into that if it applies to you.
Verify that submissions are currently open before querying; status was unconfirmed at the time this profile was compiled.