A former Big Five editor turned senior agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, Sarah Landis hunts for high-concept, emotionally resonant fiction across middle grade, YA, and adult — with a particular weakness for witches, sweeping fantasy, and thrillers with a twist.
In brief
Fifteen years in editorial chairs at major imprints — Putnam, Hyperion, HarperCollins Children's, and HMH — means Landis evaluates manuscripts the way an acquiring editor does, not just a gatekeeper. She knows exactly what a book needs to survive acquisition.
Her stated priorities span three age categories (MG, YA, adult), but her comp list and wishlist both lean hardest into fantasy with strong world-building and thrillers with structural cleverness — that is where her editorial instincts are sharpest.
Her agency page credits her clients with Reese's Book Club picks, Barnes & Noble Book Club selections, and New York Times and USA Today bestseller placements — she has real commercial muscle, not just literary credibility.
She is an openly declared witch-story evangelist: stating she is 'always looking' for stories with witches is unusually emphatic for an agent wishlist and should be treated as a standing priority, not a passing interest.
Adult fiction appears to be a growth area for her — the wishlist's adult section has expanded with specific comp titles, suggesting she is actively building that part of her list rather than simply accepting it as overflow from her children's background.
Lately
Her current agency bio has been updated to reflect a 'senior agent' title and explicitly highlights client accolades including Reese's Book Club, Barnes & Noble Book Club, and multiple bestseller lists — signaling she is positioning herself as a commercially successful agent actively building her list.
What Sarah is looking for
This is arguably her most clearly articulated passion. She wants MG fantasy with genuine heart, a sense of humor, adventure, and real magical invention — not just magic as window dressing but an original, thought-through system. Illustrated middle grade in the spirit of lush, naturalistic storytelling is also welcome.
Contemporary MG with warmth, humor, and emotional authenticity. She wants stories that feel alive and kid-true — the emphasis is on heart and character more than high concept.
Inventive world-building is non-negotiable — she is not interested in derivative secondary worlds. Strong hooks, a distinctive magic system, and a powerful emotional core are what she is chasing. Southern settings are a plus she names specifically. Angsty YA romance that earns real tears is also explicitly on her list.
Diverse voices and big, hooky premises. She wants YA that feels fresh and specific rather than generic, with emotional stakes that justify the concept.
She is drawn to speculative premises that take a world closely resembling ours and introduce one mind-bending departure — the kind of single-concept speculation that forces readers to interrogate reality. The writing should be grounded and literary even when the premise is wild.
Lush, immersive, grounded fantasy — not grimdark for its own sake. She loves fairy-tale and folkloric roots, richly built worlds that feel lived-in, and prose that earns the word 'sweeping.' Witch-centric narratives are an explicit, standing priority.
She wants thrillers with genuine structural ingenuity — not just a twist but a premise or timeline construction that recontextualizes everything. Atmospheric, setting-driven thrillers and genre-bending works that smuggle literary ambition into a commercial package are her sweet spot.
Not the right fit
On Sarah's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Sarah
Submit to the agency's dedicated submissions email — her wishlist specifies this route explicitly, and the agency's own submission guidelines page should be checked for any updated requirements before sending.
No response within three months means a pass — she states this clearly. Do not follow up before the 90-day window closes.
If you receive a competing offer before she responds, email her immediately — she explicitly asks to be notified of outside offers, which means she may fast-track a read when there is competition.
Lead your query letter with the category and hook in the first line — her stated priorities (high-concept plots, big hooks) signal she makes fast decisions based on premise. Bury neither.
If your book features witches in any meaningful role, say so early and directly. Her public wishlist flags witch-centric stories as a perpetual priority — it is a genuine differentiator.
Southern settings in YA are a specific plus she names. If your YA is set in the American South, that is worth a sentence in your query.
Her fifteen years as an acquiring editor means she will evaluate manuscript-readiness at a high level. A polished opening is especially important — she will read like an editor, not just an agent.
For adult fiction, frame the speculative or thriller premise as a single crystalline 'what if' — her comps (The Measure, Weyward, Wrong Place Wrong Time) all have a concept you can state in one sentence. Lead with yours.
She represents fiction only — do not query nonfiction.