Sarah N. Fisk is a Tobias Literary Agency agent and former mechanical engineer turned publishing polymath who hunts for compulsively readable, socially conscious fiction — especially SFF, YA, and romance featuring queer characters, disabled characters, and the kind of siblings who'd commit felonies for each other.
In brief
Sarah N. Fisk's stated priorities cluster tightly around three poles: speculative fiction (especially grounded fantasy and near-future sci-fi), Young Adult across all genres, and adult romance — and their wishlist language is unusually specific about voice and atmosphere rather than just genre bucket.
Their background spanning editorial, publicity, and art direction means they likely engage with a manuscript as a whole-book object, not just a plot summary — query letters that demonstrate command of voice and hook will matter more than genre credentials alone.
Their disability-advocacy work (co-founding Disability in Publishing) is not incidental: they are one of a small number of agents with an explicit, sustained institutional commitment to disabled and neurodiverse creators, making them a high-value target for authors in that community.
Their podcast, Queries, Qualms, & Quirks, is a direct window into how they think about the query process — writers who engage with it before submitting will have a concrete advantage in framing their pitch.
They operate a restricted submission window — queries are accepted only during the first five days of each calendar month — so timing is as important as targeting.
Lately
Sarah confirmed their 2025 query window policy: submissions are accepted only during the first five days of each month, making timing a critical factor for writers planning their query campaigns.
What Sarah is looking for
Sarah wants YA across every genre — contemporary, fantasy, thriller, romance, sci-fi, and beyond. The throughline is voice and vibrant characters. Atmospheric fantasy is a particular sweet spot, as are speculative mysteries and stories that complicate gender norms or center queer and disabled characters. Strong sibling dynamics are an explicit draw. Horror is acceptable in MG/YA where it would not be in adult.
Seeking MG across all fiction genres, including horror — which is one of the few places horror is explicitly welcomed. The same core sensibilities apply: atmospheric storytelling, strong character work, and themes around identity, disability, or neurodiversity are all welcome. Fun-to-read is a genuine criterion, not filler.
Grounded fantasy and near-future sci-fi are the sweet spots. Sarah wants books with a strong commercial hook AND elevated prose — what they describe as upmarket SFF. Speculative mysteries or genre-blends that weave mystery into a fantastical frame are especially appealing. Cozy fantasy is welcome but must have a strong hook to differentiate itself. Time travel is a difficult sell. Military sci-fi and AI-concept sci-fi are firm nos. Anything that comps Game of Thrones, The Goblin Emperor, or A Memory Called Empire is not a fit. Stories centered on who gets to rule an empire are explicitly excluded.
Open to most traditionally published romance subgenres. Heat level preference runs medium-to-high, or stories with sustained, charged sexual tension. Historical romance needs a high-concept hook or a distinctive voice to stand out. Celebrity or author protagonists are not appealing. Pregnancy and baby-based storylines are a firm no. The romantic happy ending is a genre requirement Sarah takes seriously — it's not negotiable by definition.
Sarah is drawn to mysteries that have something meaningful to say — social commentary woven into a compelling plot — or books that are capital-F Fun. Named touchstones include the work of Kellye Garrett, Alyssa Cole, and Nita Prose as models of the kind of voice and purpose they admire. Heavily military or CIA-focused thrillers are not a fit.
Contemporary or literary-leaning fiction that drives conversation — particularly stories that challenge societal norms or feel like atmospheric contemporaries — fits here. Social justice themes woven into commercial plots are especially welcome, as are anticapitalist, pro-labor, or conservationist themes. Authentic regional voices (small-town, Southern, Midwestern, Appalachian, or 'weird Florida' from actual Florida residents) are a distinct interest.
Nonfiction is a narrow lane. Sarah prioritizes books with a social justice angle or progressive thought leadership, OR titles that reframe a topic in culture, food, history, science, nature, or relationships from a fresh angle — the kind of book that makes a reader fascinated with something they previously ignored. Scam and fraud, labor, capitalism, chronic illness, environmental/climate issues, cryptids, and relationship equity are cited areas of interest. The You're Wrong About podcast is offered as a taste reference for tone and approach. Author platform is essential. Disabled and neurodiverse creators, especially those writing from an intersectional perspective, are explicitly prioritized. Hard nos in this category: parenting books, religion, and memoirs that don't anchor to the social-justice or fresh-perspective criteria above.
Not the right fit
On Sarah's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Sarah
Time your submission carefully: Sarah only accepts queries during the first five calendar days of each month. Submitting outside that window will likely result in an automatic pass or no response.
Lead with hook and atmosphere. Sarah's wishlist repeatedly flags 'compulsively readable' and 'atmospheric' as key values — your query letter should demonstrate both through its own prose, not just claim them about the manuscript.
If your book features queer characters, disabled or neurodiverse characters, or characters navigating chronic illness or mental health, name that explicitly and early. These are stated personal priorities, not polite checkboxes.
For SFF queries, clearly signal whether your book is grounded fantasy or near-future sci-fi — those are the high-priority lanes. Avoid comping Game of Thrones, The Goblin Emperor, or A Memory Called Empire under any circumstances.
For romance, state your heat level clearly. Sarah prefers medium-to-high heat or strong sexual tension, and they take the genre requirement of a romantic HEA seriously — don't hedge it.
If your nonfiction has a social justice angle or features a disabled or neurodiverse author writing from an intersectional perspective, foreground your platform and credentials prominently — both matter as much as the book concept.
Listen to the Queries, Qualms, & Quirks podcast before submitting. Sarah's public commentary on queries is unusually detailed and will help you calibrate both your letter and your expectations.
Do not describe your book as a comp to Game of Thrones, empire-succession narratives, or AI-concept sci-fi — these are hard stops, and any accidental framing in that direction will hurt your query even if the book itself doesn't fit those categories.