Stuti Telidevara is a commercially minded, editorially hands-on agent at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management who hunts for high-concept genre fiction—especially romantasy, adult fantasy, and YA with dark edges—from diverse and underrepresented voices.
In brief
Her confirmed deal record skews heavily toward romantasy and YA fantasy, with multiple pre-empts and auctions in both categories—this is where her commercial muscle is most evident, regardless of how broadly her wishlist is written.
She co-represents most clients with partner Pete Knapp, but several solo deals (REAP & SOW, SEASON OF STEEL, FULL THROTTLE) confirm she drives acquisitions independently and is building her own list.
Her publisher relationships are notably strong at Berkley/Berkley XO, Putnam, Dutton, and Delacorte—imprints that favor commercial, crossover, and romantasy titles—signaling where her pitches land best.
Repeat client Alyssa Sheinmel appears in both YA and adult commercial fiction deals, and Becka Mack's hockey romance series generated a five-book deal plus audio rights—evidence that she invests deeply in long-term author careers.
She is explicitly editorially minded and most interested in writers who are underrepresented in publishing; a diverse author perspective is not a bonus but a stated priority.
Lately
During a pitch event for diverse authors, she confirmed she accepts emailed queries directly; asked writers to include her name, the pitch event tag, and the genre in the subject line, and to paste both the query letter and sample pages into the body of the email—no attachments. She specified 10 pages for YA and 25 pages for adult.
What Stuti is looking for
She wants the full tonal range—from propulsive epic fantasy to lyrical myth-inspired work to book-club-ready historical fantasy. The non-negotiables are a confident voice, layered worldbuilding, and a plot that escalates and surprises. Recurring motifs she gravitates toward: the cost of magic, female rage, Gothic atmosphere, dark academia, reincarnation, and history-flavored settings. She is not looking for one subgenre in particular but for a standout execution of any of them.
She sets a high bar for gore but welcomes it; what she actually wants is psychological depth, morally terrible characters, and plots that reframe everything. Gothic atmosphere is a consistent plus. She also has appetite for the opposite end of the spectrum: campy, funny horror. Romantic horror—from lush and decadent to genuinely monstrous—is an explicit area of excitement.
Her deal record makes this her single busiest category. She is looking for standouts—not more of the same, but work that earns its place. Dark pacts, forbidden magic, and morally complex romance are well-represented in what she has already sold. Crossover duologies with commercial hooks are a demonstrated sweet spot.
She is selective within sci-fi, favoring two poles: near-future speculative fiction grounded in recognizable reality, and fully committed space opera. For dystopian, she wants something that feels visually and conceptually fresh and has something genuine to say about the present world—not a genre exercise.
She has a strong appetite for work that blurs genre lines—stories that live between literary fiction and the speculative, or that blend romance with lightly fantastical premises. Time loops, alternate universes, and magical romantic premises all fit here. She is especially hungry for something in the vein of Holly Gramazio's The Husbands.
Her deal record in this space is substantial—a five-book hockey romance deal and a multi-book F1 rivals-to-lovers series confirm real commercial investment. She is drawn to high-concept hooks and a dash of magic or speculative flavor, but contemporary romance with a strong, fresh premise is also welcome. She is actively looking for standouts in romantic fantasy.
She welcomes genre sensibility even in realistic fiction—she is not looking for pure literary work. High-concept hooks, distinct voices, and plots with momentum apply here just as in genre. Her sale of a bookshop-portal-into-Pride-and-Prejudice adult debut illustrates the kind of inventive, reader-friendly premise she responds to.
She does work in suspense but is explicitly selective. A mystery thread woven into fantasy or commercial fiction is something she loves broadly; standalone thrillers need to be exceptional and fit her overall taste profile to land.
YA is half her stated focus and well-represented in her deal record. She gravitates toward dark fantasy, folk horror, and fantasy with genuine stakes and morally complex worldbuilding. Identity, community, and survival under systems of power are themes that recur in what she has sold.
She has sold speculative contemporary YA with emotional depth—stories where a fantastical element externalizes an internal psychological reality. Strong voice and a commercial hook are still required; purely realistic contemporary YA would need to be exceptional.
She works in middle grade but is explicitly extremely selective. Do not query her in this category unless your project is genuinely exceptional and fits her broader taste for genre sensibility and diverse voices. The bar is high by her own description.
Not the right fit
On Stuti's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Stuti
Address the query directly to Stuti Telidevara by name—she co-represents many clients with Pete Knapp, so clarity on who you're querying matters.
Paste everything into the body of the email: no attachments. Include your query letter and sample pages (10 pages for YA; 25 pages for adult) in the same email.
Lead with your high-concept hook in the first line—her wishlist and sales record both show she responds to premise-first pitches that immediately signal commercial potential.
If your book is rooted in a specific mythology, historical setting, or underrepresented cultural perspective, name it up front; this is a consistent priority across her stated interests and her sales record.
Comp thoughtfully: her wishlist names dozens of specific titles spanning a wide tonal range. Aligning your comps to that range (and avoiding purely literary titles) signals you understand what she actually buys.
For romantasy and YA fantasy especially, emphasize the emotional stakes and the magic system's cost or rules—both are recurring elements in her confirmed acquisitions.
Confirm live submission guidelines on her agency's website before sending; her query instructions and status may have been updated since the last public signal.