Sandra O'Donnell is a RO Literary agent with a collector's instinct for literary and historical fiction and narrative nonfiction — drawn to writing that entertains, enlightens, and above all, dazzles on the sentence level.
In brief
Sandra O'Donnell's stated priorities are literary fiction, historical fiction, history, and memoir — with a strong personal affinity for Southern fiction that surfaces repeatedly in their wishlist.
The wishlist is unusually comp-heavy, naming specific authors as stylistic targets across multiple categories — a rare window into exactly the kind of voice and scope Sandra O'Donnell responds to.
Sandra O'Donnell describes themself as 'the queen of queries,' signaling they read widely and have high standards for opening pages — your query letter and first pages carry outsized weight here.
Religion and spirituality are noted as favorite sub-genres, meaning work that engages those themes — even as texture or backdrop — may resonate more strongly than a purely secular pitch.
No confirmed sales record is available in the source material, so the wishlist and stated preferences are the primary guide to taste; writers should verify current status directly before querying.
Lately
Sandra O'Donnell's public wishlist positions them as someone with exacting taste who reads broadly across literary fiction, historical fiction, and narrative nonfiction, citing an unusually specific set of author touchstones as a map for the kind of work they want to find.
What Sandra is looking for
Sandra O'Donnell wants propulsive, intellectually engaging historical fiction with a strong sense of place and period. The touchstones they name suggest a taste for both high-concept adventure narratives and quieter, deeply researched literary work — fast-moving plots and beautiful prose are not mutually exclusive in their view.
Southern literary fiction occupies a special place for Sandra O'Donnell — they maintain a personal collection of first-edition Southern novels and are actively looking for voices in that tradition. More broadly, they want literary fiction that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually alive, written by someone who can construct a sentence that earns its keep.
Sandra O'Donnell is drawn to deeply reported, narrative-driven history that illuminates a subject the reader never knew they cared about. Think a narrow, surprising topic opened up into a sweeping human story — the kind of book that reads like a thriller but leaves you genuinely more informed.
Memoir is on Sandra O'Donnell's list, though it receives less explicit emphasis than history and fiction. Work that combines strong personal narrative with broader cultural, regional, or spiritual stakes is likely to resonate most.
Religion and spirituality are listed as favorite sub-genres. This likely functions as a thematic thread within literary fiction, historical fiction, or memoir rather than as a standalone category — work where questions of faith, meaning, or moral reckoning are woven into the story.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Sandra
Send queries to submissions@roliterary.com — this is the stated submission channel; verify current guidelines on the RO Literary website before sending.
Sandra O'Donnell explicitly says they expect to be dazzled 'right from hello' — your opening paragraph must be sharp, specific, and immediately convey what makes the book distinctive.
Mirror their comp language in your query: they think in terms of author mashups and tonal shorthand (e.g., 'X meets Y'). If your book genuinely sits at the intersection of two of their named touchstones, say so clearly.
If your work has a Southern setting, regional voice, or engages with themes of religion or spirituality, flag those elements early — these are personal passions, not just professional checkboxes.
For narrative nonfiction, lead with the surprising or counterintuitive subject matter — Sandra O'Donnell is drawn to books about things they didn't know they needed to know. Make the subject itself the hook.
Polish your first pages ruthlessly before submitting. An agent who processes a high query volume will make fast decisions — strong prose in the opening pages is your best insurance.
Do not pad your query with credentials unless they are directly relevant to the subject matter (e.g., a history PhD for a work of narrative history). Sandra O'Donnell's wishlist is craft-first and concept-forward.