Sophia M. Ramos is a Cuban-American literary associate at New Leaf Literary & Media who champions genre-blending, lush-yet-propulsive fiction rooted in culture, history, and the speculative—with a strong emphasis on underrepresented voices and intersectional identities across adult, YA, and select middle-grade.
In brief
Ramos is early-career and building actively—her list is described as wide-open, making her a high-upside target for writers who match her taste profile.
Her wishlist skews heavily toward speculative fiction with cultural or historical grounding, particularly from diaspora and immigrant perspectives; this is her most clearly articulated priority and likely where she'll be most receptive.
She operates as a literary associate under Jordan Hill at New Leaf, meaning she brings the full infrastructure and relationships of an established agency while growing her own roster.
Her background in foreign rights and international scouting is a real differentiator—writers with cross-market or translation appeal may find an unusually well-positioned advocate in her.
Her submission form was confirmed closed as of November 14, 2025; writers should verify the live form status before querying, as her stated goal of filling her list suggests closures are likely temporary.
Lately
Her agency profile describes her as having a 'wide-open list she's ready to fill,' signaling she is actively seeking new clients across her stated categories—a meaningful indicator of receptivity when her form reopens.
What Sophia is looking for
This is her most loudly stated priority. She wants narratives exploring immigrant experience, colonial legacy, and diaspora identity—written in any genre. The emotional and political stakes should be embedded in the story itself, not just the backdrop. Authors writing from lived diaspora experience are of particular interest.
She wants historical fantasy built on centuries of lore, with protagonists whose agency and interiority are so compelling she'd follow them anywhere. Think conquest, transformation, and cultures rendered with specificity and depth—not a Western European medieval default.
She has a clear appetite for fiction that excavates the psychological and supernatural costs of domestic life—marriage, motherhood, and the female body as sites of dread. Haunting, literary, and emotionally precise. Not domestic thriller; genuinely speculative.
She's drawn to horror and dark mystery set against contained, often rural environments—where something eldritch intrudes and the protagonist resists being the hero. A reluctant protagonist with cultural specificity and a sense of place is the sweet spot.
She gravitates toward mysteries and thrillers built around confined or isolated settings, narrators whose reliability is in question, and revenge as a motivating engine. Plotting should be tight; the read should feel urgent. Literary ambition on top of commercial hooks is ideal.
She's drawn to protagonists operating at the extreme edge of self-preservation—morally complex, often monstrous, doing what must be done. These books tend to be dark, strange, and resist easy categorization. The tone should be uncompromising.
She wants speculative fiction that announces itself through a distinctive, original narrative voice or formal conceit—academic framing, epistolary structure, unusual POV. The narrative perspective itself should feel like an artistic choice, not a default.
She's interested in warmhearted narratives—fantasy, mystery, and contemporary—where family dynamics (chosen or biological) are central and the emotional arc involves some form of reckoning, repair, or rest. The coziness should feel earned, not saccharine.
In YA, she wants fantasy and horror that stay rooted—culturally, emotionally, geographically—rather than drifting into abstraction. High-octane plotting and intense character chemistry (not necessarily romantic) are non-negotiable. She's particularly drawn to YA horror that doesn't soften its edges.
She takes on select middle-grade with emotional weight, immersive prose, and a meaningful central message. A gentle sense of adventure is welcome; saccharine or thin storytelling is not. She is NOT seeking picture book writers (author-only); author-illustrators should check the agency's current guidelines separately.
Not the right fit
On Sophia's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Sophia
Confirm the submission form is open before querying—it was closed as of November 14, 2025, but she is actively building her list and closures are likely temporary.
Lead with cultural or geographic specificity: if your work is rooted in a particular diaspora, history, or community, put that front and center in your query letter—it's her primary filter.
Genre-blending is a feature, not a problem. Don't smooth over the fact that your book crosses speculative, horror, mystery, or romance lines; she's explicitly drawn to books that resist single-genre categorization.
Prose matters to her. A polished, voice-forward first page will carry more weight than a high-concept premise alone. If your writing is lush and intentional, let the sample do work.
She names family dynamics—specifically complex, thorny ones—as a recurring draw. If your narrative has a meaningful family thread, flag it in your pitch.
Her background in foreign rights and international scouting means she's attuned to books with cross-cultural and global resonance; if your story has translation potential or international settings, that context is worth including.
Her wishlist explicitly welcomes queries that don't fit a named category if there are genuine taste-level overlaps—so don't self-reject just because your book isn't a perfect sub-genre match.
She is a literary associate working under Jordan Hill; address your query to Sophia M. Ramos directly and follow New Leaf's current submission guidelines precisely.