Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management is purposefully selective in who we choose to represent, and we work primarily with queries by professional referral or through conferences and speaking engagements. We also actively scout self-published authors with strong sales and high visibility in the areas listed below.
At this time, please review each agent’s manuscript wishlist to see who is open
to submissions and what genres they accept.
Andrea Hurst’s Manuscript Wishlist
Andrea is currently seeking well-crafted, commercially viable fiction titles. Her preferred genres are women’s fiction, upmarket and book club fiction, domestic suspense/thrillers, family dramas, psychological suspense, crime fiction, historical fiction, rom-com, and romance. She is always open to working with underrepresented voices and stories. Below are some of her more specific interests:
- Crime novels that play games with the psyche – no police procedurals please
- Rom-coms with a diverse set of characters and an idealistic setting similar to novels by Abby Jimenez
- In terms of literary fiction, Andrea is drawn to works like Beartown by Fredrik Backman, which contain strong character development, powerful themes, and overcoming both internal and external conflicts
- Historical fiction set in the Georgian era (Jane Austen’s Era), Gilded Age, or early 1900s like Downton Abbey and WWII fiction
- Contemporary romance novels with strong tropes and series potential
- Fast-paced, twisty domestic suspense similar to novels by Freida McFadden or Harlan Coben
- Atmospheric, high-conflict, high-stakes thriller similar to The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- Dramatic thrillers with family dynamics similar to The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
- Psychological suspense with a surprise ending like The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
- Anything in the same vein as the series The Morning Show or Defending Jacob on Apple TV+
- Nonfiction – Narrative and prescription manuscripts with a high profile authors.
As always, Andrea is enthralled by stories that challenge her, where the mystery is seemingly impossible to figure out, and the reader never knows the truth until the very end. However, believability is of utmost importance!
Please keep in mind, she is not a right fit for titles that deal with espionage, the military, explicit gore or carnage, animal abuse, high-fantasy or sci-fi, erotica, poetry, young adult, or middle-grade.
Andrea is temporarily closed to queries at this time except through referral
If we are interested in reviewing your manuscript, we will request it. Unfortunately, due to the volume of queries we receive,
we regret that we cannot always respond to each submission.
Katie Reed’s Manuscript Wishlist
Katie is actively building her client list and looking for standout projects to champion. She is interested in stories that hit that sweet spot between commercial and literary—where strong, poignant prose, complex characters, and a twisty, high stakes plot intersect. Katie is especially drawn to books with universal human themes that resonate with readers and characters that reach through the pages and grab hold of her heart. She is a sucker for popular tropes and can’t resist anything with a high concept hook she hasn’t seen before, or a twist she doesn’t see coming. Across genres, she tends to prefer edgy, emotional, and sharp to sweet and light. Katie is looking for underrepresented voices in publishing in any genre.
Katie is open for submissions in the following genres:
- Upmarket and Commercial Women’s Fiction with a fresh, magnetic voice, emotionally complex narrative, and fast pace (think Boo Walker, Barbara Davis)
- Book Club Fiction—particularly drawn to anything with a unique concept or fresh spin, like Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis was her favorite book of 2023.
- Historical Fiction akin to Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ruta Sepyts, Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn. She loved Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll and, of course, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR.
- Suspense/Psychological Thriller (in the vein of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, Lisa Jewell, Stacey Willingham); she will also look at thrillers with genre blending elements, like Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter or Gillian McAllister’s Wrong Place, Wrong Time.
- Fiction with a fantastical angle (a la The Midnight Library by Matt Haig or The Measure by Nikki Erlick) or an interesting spin (Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman)
- Retellings, similar to Circe by Madeline Miller or Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
Katie is also interested in select speculative fiction (for her list, she is looking for “accessible fantasy,” meaning that readers who think they don’t love fantasy would pick it up and enjoy it. In accessible fantasy, there is still imaginative and enchanting world-building, but usually the plot and characters lean more commercial and take center stage, and the book is not buried in heavy concepts. She converted her lifetime best friend to fantasy via Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, to give an example.) Subgenres include:
- Fantasy with a strong dash of romance (can be classified as “romantasy” like Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR, or more fantasy focused but with a strong romance included, like her Throne of Glass )
- Anything with dragons, time travel, fae, and medieval or epic fantasy (prefers a faster pace)
- Stories set in our world but with a fantasy twist (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab)
- Urban Fantasy/Paranormal (again, must have a fast plot)
- Dystopian, but only if it has a completely new and different story concept
- Limited YA (currently only looking at fantasy that has crossover potential to the adult audience) Favorites include The Caraval Series by Stephanie Garber, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Under the romance umbrella:
- Contemporary Romance or “Rom-Coms”—favorite authors include Emily Henry and Abby Jiminez (must be voice driven)
- Edgy romance with series potential (loved The Ravenhood Series by Kate Stewart)
- Steamy, small-town romance similar to Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
- Other subgenres she enjoys include historical, paranormal, fantasy, and suspense
A note on romance submissions: Katie is open to considering a range of heat levels in the romance genre but does not accept submissions that are classified as full erotica. She generally prefers slow burn, delayed gratification, with lots of buildup of tension and angst. If you refer to this guide on heat levels in romance, she tends to read somewhere between heat levels three and five, avoiding wholesome/clean/sweet or excessive smut bordering on erotica. If your book falls in the middle of these two ends, it’s probably a good match for her taste.
Please keep in mind, Katie is not a right fit for Heavy Sci-fi, Space Opera, Spy/Military/Government/Conspiracy/Eco Thrillers, Middle-Grade, Chapter or Picture books, Memoir, or Nonfiction.
To query Katie, submit by email only to querykatie@andreahurst.com
Please include a query letter and paste the first five pages into the email. Due to the high volume of queries received,
Katie will only respond to those she is interested in. Check her socials for updates on her current query status.
Lydia Caudill's Manuscript Wishlist
Lydia is primarily looking for YA and Adult contemporary fiction, YA and Adult fantasy (she can appreciate both an urban setting or an immersive new world, and bonus points if there’s a romantic element, but the plot must shine regardless), light and cozy science fiction, mysteries with a strong and innovative protagonist, domestic suspense, and historical fiction that is not war-based or rooted in medical/medicinal history.
She is also an enthusiast of lyrical prose, atmospheric writing, emotionally complex and diverse characters, high-conflict stories with an unforgettable and witty heroine, and stories that explore deep and resounding themes. After she finishes a story, she wants it to linger in her head for days after.
As a hopeless romantic at her core, Lydia holds the romance genre close to her heart and is always on the lookout for raw and intimate depictions of love—all kinds by all voices. She also appreciates rom-coms with a good trope or two, and any period piece that provides a much-needed escape from reality. A few of her favorites include Seven Days in June by Tia Williams, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, and Normal People by Sally Rooney.
A few more of Lydia’s favorites include: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Go As a River by Shelley Read, and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.
Agent Bio
Lydia Caudill is an associate agent with Andrea Hurst Literary Management. She began her editorial internship with the agency in 2022, quickly transitioning into a full-time role as a literary scout and editorial assistant. Now, Lydia is excited to build a diverse client list of her own and collaborate with authors to craft and share meaningful stories that leave a lasting impact on readers.
Originally from a small town in Eastern Kentucky, Lydia developed a passion for literature early on, often seen toting around a book and seeking any opportunity to read. She is a graduate of NC State University, where she earned her B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. When she’s not editing or reviewing submissions, you can find her attending live music events, tutoring Spanish, working on her own writing, or spending quality time outdoors with her dog, Rocky.
Lydia is temporarily closed to queries at this time except through referral
Please include a query letter and paste the first five pages into the email. Due to the high volume of queries received,
Lydia will only respond to those she is interested in. Check her socials for updates on her current query status.
