Glass Elevator

Stacey Graham is a Senior Literary Agent at 3 Seas Literary Agency who specializes in offbeat nonfiction, cozy and Gothic mysteries, romance (by referral), and graphic novels, with a sharp eye for humor, the macabre, and commercial quirkiness.

Synthesized from 4 independent signals · last reviewed June 2026
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In brief

the 30-second read
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Graham's current agency page has significantly tightened and redirected her wishlist since older posts circulated — Romance is now referral-only, and several horror/YA subcategories from earlier wishlists are absent from her current page. Trust her current page over older fragments.

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Her own creative background as a humor writer (she authored the *Zombie Tarot*) is the clearest taste signal available: she's drawn to work that treats dark or absurd subjects with wit and commercial savvy.

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Nonfiction is her most actively stated priority category, with a notably expanded scope on her current page — adding cookbooks, lifestyle, and pets to the older how-to/antiques/crafts list — suggesting she is actively building this part of her list.

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A public note from late December 2024 confirmed she was still closed but anticipating reopening, meaning her closed status may shift; writers should verify the live form before querying.

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Graphic novels (YA and adult) appear on her current page as a discrete, welcome category — a signal writers sometimes miss because her horror/romance personality tends to dominate her public image.

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Lately

most recent public notes

Graham posted publicly that she was quietly hoping her query inbox would include a cheese-themed book when she reopened, joking she could sign editor pitches with a cheese pun — a lighthearted but real signal that she was still closed in late December 2024 and anticipating eventually reopening.

December 2024 · 1y ago
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What Stacey is looking for

organized from the wishlist, interviews, and listings
Nonfiction — Offbeat, Commercial & PracticalActively seeking

This is Graham's most openly prioritized category and the one she has expanded most recently. She wants topics that are fun, quirky, or genuinely fascinating, paired with strong commercial potential and a credible author platform. Her specific interests include how-to books, antiques, craft books, cookbooks, lifestyle, and pets. Her own background as a humor writer and her authorship of a novelty tarot deck signal that unusual formats and irreverent voices are genuinely welcome here — this is not a category she tolerates, it is one she leads with.

CompsZombie Tarot (Graham's own work — a benchmark for tone)
Mystery & Commercial FictionActively seeking

Graham's current page lists mystery and commercial fiction as active interests. Her subgenre preferences from wishlist notes skew toward amateur sleuth setups, whodunits, cozy mysteries, and Gothic-inflected mysteries. Southern Gothic in particular appears as a favored flavor. Work that blends atmosphere with accessible plotting will resonate more than hard-boiled or procedural approaches.

Graphic Novels — YA and AdultOpen to

Graphic novels for both YA and adult audiences are explicitly listed on her current agency page. Submission requires a query plus a link to the artist's portfolio, making this a category that is meaningfully gated by finished or substantially developed visual work. Author-illustrators and illustration-ready projects are the intended audience here.

HumorOpen to

Humor is called out on her current page as a standalone interest, which is consistent with her personal creative output. This likely encompasses humorous nonfiction, comedic commercial fiction, and projects with a strong comedic voice rather than purely joke-format books. Her love of rom-coms and offbeat sensibility suggest character-driven humor over satire.

CompsBook Lovers by Emily HenryJust for the Summer by Abby JimenezSay You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
Pop Culture & Occult NonfictionOpen to

Pop culture appears on both her older wishlist and her current page, indicating staying power as an interest. Occult nonfiction — including tarot, astrology, witchcraft, and hauntings framed nonfictionally — is a noted subgenre preference. Given her own tarot publishing history, pitches in this space that combine research, voice, and commercial presentation are likely to land well.

Romance — AdultSelective

Romance is now listed on her current agency page with a referral-only gate, meaning she is not accepting unsolicited romance queries from writers she has no prior relationship with. Writers who do not have a mutual connection or prior relationship with Graham should not query romance at this time. Her taste in the genre (contemporary, category, enemies-to-lovers, 'just one bed,' rom-com energy) is well-documented in older wishlist notes for context, but the referral gate is what matters for querying purposes.

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Not the right fit

save yourself the rejection
Science fiction
Poetry
Screenplays
High fantasy
Religion / religious content
Memoir
Vampire fiction
WWI / WWII-set fiction
Time travel
Urban fantasy
Angels and demons
Romance without a referral (currently referral-only)
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On Stacey's list

authors and titles represented
SG
Stacey GrahamZombie TarotGraham's own published work — humor/occult novelty; key taste benchmark for the kind of dark-but-funny, commercially packaged nonfiction/gift projects she gravitates toward.
SJ
Shirley JacksonWe Have Always Lived in the CastleNamed as a touchstone — Gothic, darkly witty, literary horror; reflects her taste in atmospheric fiction.
SJ
Shirley JacksonThe Haunting of Hill HouseNamed as both a touchstone and a personal favorite; signals deep affinity for psychological haunted-house horror with literary ambition.
PT
Paul TremblayA Head Full of GhostsNamed as a desired comp — contemporary horror grounded in character and dread rather than gore.
GH
Grady HendrixHow to Sell a Haunted HouseNamed as a comp — commercial horror with humor and heart; strong signal for the tone she wants in Gothic/horror fiction pitches.
MA
Melissa AlbertThe Hazel Wood seriesNamed as a desired comp — dark, fairy-tale-inflected YA with literary atmosphere.
AJ
Abby JimenezJust for the SummerNamed as a desired comp in romance — contemporary, warm, witty.
AJ
Abby JimenezSay You'll Remember MeNamed as a desired comp — reinforces her preference for emotionally resonant, voice-driven contemporary romance.
AP
Ashley PostonThe Dead RomanticsNamed as a desired comp — romance with a Gothic/ghostly twist; a strong indicator of the tonal blend she finds compelling.
EH
Emily HenryBook LoversNamed as a desired comp — sharp, witty, character-driven contemporary romance.
MB
M.C. BeatonThe Hangman's Beautiful DaughterListed as a personal favorite — cozy/traditional mystery with dark atmosphere and local color; taste signal for her mystery interests.
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Taste fingerprint

the threads that run through Stacey's taste
Gothic atmospheredark humorcozy mysteryoffbeat nonfictionoccult & tarothaunted housescommercial witcharacter-driven romanceamateur sleuthSouthern Gothic
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How to query Stacey

10 ways in Through an online submission form
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Graham is currently closed to queries — verify her live submission form before sending anything, as her December 2024 social post suggested reopening was anticipated but no date was given.

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Romance is referral-only on her current agency page. Do not query romance unless you have a mutual connection — this is not a standard open category for her.

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For fiction, she asks for a query letter (250–300 words), a synopsis, and the first two chapters as a.doc or.docx file. Name your file clearly: LASTNAME-TITLE-Partial.

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Her query letter standard is specific: address the stakes, the world, the main characters, and — critically — why readers will be emotionally invested in your protagonist's journey. Lead with the hook.

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For nonfiction, submit a query plus a full book proposal. Her profile notes she has published guidance on building a book proposal — find it through her agency page. Platform is explicitly important to her for nonfiction; address yours directly.

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For graphic novels, submit a query and a link to your portfolio. Have substantial visual work ready — this category is portfolio-gated.

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Her own taste is a genuine guide: she is a humor writer who loves dark, offbeat, and commercially clever work. If your pitch can convey that the premise is both genuinely funny and commercially packaged, you are speaking her language.

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She notes she teaches workshops and takes critique meetings — if you have worked with her in that capacity, a brief mention in your query bio is appropriate context.

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Include a brief professional bio with writing credits. For nonfiction, add relevant professional affiliations.

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Do not send sci-fi, high fantasy, memoir, poetry, screenplays, vampire fiction, or time travel — these are explicitly outside her interests.

Open the submission form
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Frequently asked

what writers ask about Stacey
Is Stacey Graham open to queries right now?
As of May 2024, her submission form was confirmed closed. A public post from late December 2024 suggested she expected to reopen but gave no specific date. Always check her live submission form before querying — this status can change without notice.
What agency does Stacey Graham work for?
She is a Senior Literary Agent at 3 Seas Literary Agency, based in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Does Stacey Graham represent romance?
Yes, but currently by referral only. Her agency page explicitly flags adult romance as referral-only, meaning unsolicited romance queries are not appropriate unless you have a mutual connection or prior relationship with her.
Does Stacey Graham represent horror?
Horror, YA horror, and ghost-story fiction featured prominently in older wishlist materials, but they are absent from her current agency page. This may indicate her focus has shifted. If you write horror, check her current page and any recent public statements before querying.
What nonfiction does Stacey Graham want?
Her current wishlist prioritizes how-to books, antiques, craft books, cookbooks, lifestyle, and pets — all framed around quirky, fun, or genuinely fascinating topics with strong commercial hooks and a credible author platform. Occult nonfiction (tarot, astrology, witchcraft) also aligns with her stated subgenre preferences.
Does Stacey Graham represent picture books?
Picture books appear in her agency bio as part of the formats she represents, but they do not appear on her current wishlist. Her wishlist is the operative guide for what she is actively seeking — treat picture books as a category to clarify rather than assume.
What does Stacey Graham NOT want?
She has explicitly stated she is not the right fit for: science fiction, poetry, screenplays, high fantasy, religion, memoir, vampire fiction, WWI/WWII settings, time travel, urban fantasy, and angels/demons stories.
How do I submit to Stacey Graham?
Via her agency's online submission form (when open). Fiction requires a 250–300 word query, synopsis, and first two chapters (.doc/.docx). Nonfiction requires a query and a full book proposal. Graphic novel submissions need a query and a link to your portfolio.
What is Stacey Graham's email address?
Her publicly listed contact is stacey@threeseaslit.com, though submissions should go through her agency's official submission form rather than direct email.
What kind of mysteries does Stacey Graham prefer?
Her stated subgenre favorites lean toward cozy mysteries, amateur sleuth setups, whodunits, Gothic mysteries, and traditional mysteries with atmospheric flair. Hard-boiled or procedural crime fiction is less consistent with her stated tastes.