Sarah Younger is a romance-first agent at Nancy Yost Literary Agency who has built her list around the full spectrum of romantic fiction — from contemporary and Regency to paranormal and suspense — with selective forays into women's fiction and nonfiction centered on animals and sports.
In brief
Romance is the undisputed core of her list — she represents virtually every romance subgenre, making her one of the more broadly romance-focused agents at an agency that specializes in exactly that.
Her women's fiction taste skews emotionally grounded and multigenerational, with a clear soft spot for animal characters and stories that don't sidestep life's harder realities.
Her nonfiction appetite is narrow but distinctive: equine/animal stories and athletic narratives — a niche that sees little competition in most agents' inboxes.
She has been with Nancy Yost Literary Agency since 2011, giving her over a decade of deep relationships within romance publishing specifically.
Her query form was confirmed closed as of September 2020 — writers must verify current status before submitting, as this is the oldest reliable signal on record.
Lately
Her agency profile describes a sustained, multi-subgenre appetite for romance in virtually all its forms, with specific enthusiasm flagged for sports romance and equine nonfiction — two categories she connects to her personal passions rather than market calculation.
What Sarah is looking for
The broadest and most emphasized corner of her list. She welcomes contemporary romance in all its forms, including sports romance — a specific enthusiasm she has called out by name, reflecting her identity as an avid sports fan.
She actively seeks both Regency-era romance and Western romance, treating these as distinct subgenres worth calling out separately, suggesting genuine enthusiasm rather than token openness.
She explicitly wants paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance, as well as hybrid combinations that blend these with other romance subgenres. Crossover blends — suspense-paranormal, contemporary-urban fantasy — are welcome.
Romantic suspense is a named priority, in keeping with NYLA's agency-wide strength in the genre. Combinations with paranormal or other elements are equally welcome.
Both inspirational and category romance are on her list. Neither is foregrounded as urgently as contemporary or paranormal, but both are explicitly stated as areas she actively represents.
New Adult is listed as a distinct interest, relevant for romance-forward stories featuring protagonists in that transitional post-teen stage.
She is drawn to women's fiction that is layered and emotionally honest — stories that confront the genuine difficulties of life rather than glossing over them. Multigenerational plotlines are a particular draw. She also notes a strong appreciation for meaningful animal characters and happy or hopeful endings. This is a selective category: not all women's fiction qualifies, only work with these specific qualities.
Her nonfiction appetite is narrow and personal: she specifically wants inspirational stories involving animals, with a special call-out for equine narratives, and athletic/sports narratives that reflect her identity as a sports fan. This is a small but genuine gap in most agents' inboxes — writers with the right project face less competition here.
Not the right fit
On Sarah's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Sarah
Verify that her form is currently open before investing time in a query — the last confirmed signal is from September 2020 and conditions may have changed substantially.
Lead with your romance subgenre label clearly in the first line. She represents a wide range of romance types, so precision helps her place your book immediately.
If you are writing a genre blend (e.g. paranormal romantic suspense, or contemporary sports romance), name both elements — she has explicitly flagged interest in combinations, so a hybrid pitch is a feature, not a problem.
For women's fiction, make sure your query communicates the emotional depth and the life challenges your story grapples with. A multigenerational element or a meaningful animal character is worth foregrounding if present.
For nonfiction, make clear whether your project is an equine/animal story or an athletic narrative — these are the two lanes she has described, and framing yours within one of them immediately signals fit.
Her social handle is @seyitsme — checking her public posts before querying is the fastest way to find real-time status updates and any shifts in her current wish list.
NYLA is a romance-specialist agency, so queries that show familiarity with the romance market and reader expectations will land better than pitches that treat romance as a secondary label.