Cecilia Lyra

I just finished GOOD MORNING, MONSTER by Catherine Gildiner--- it's perfection! #amquerying clinical psychologists, please send me your gems in 2021 but before you do, read this book for a master class on how to keep the flair of storytelling alive in nonfiction! #MSWL

SIRACUSA is one of my all-time favorite novels. #amquerying writers: If you write like @DeliaEphron (really, half like her would suffice!) please query me! 🙋🏽‍♀️ #MSWL

Yes! And I'm actively building my list so #amquerying authors please check out my #MSWL and send me your stories! #StorysellerHat 🙋🏽‍♀️

TV SHOWS are also a great way to find the perfect comp for your WIP. Some of my faves are SUCCESSION, VIDA, INDUSTRY, THE MORNING SHOW, RUN, and THE GOOD FIGHT. If your work is similar to these, please query me!

THIN GIRLS by Diana Clarke was engrossing and disturbing in the best way. The isolated setting really hooked me, and I loved how for the supporting characters had rich arcs, too.

There was so much to love about WHITE IVY by @susieyyang, but the best part was Ivy: a liar and a thief. Oh, how she fooled (almost) everyone in her life! Protagonists don’t have to be likeable. They have to be vulnerable. If your protagonist is like Ivy, please query me.

IF I HAD YOUR FACE by @Frances_H_Cha and THE MARGOT AFFAIR by @SanaeLemoine both haunted me in the best way. The storytelling is subtle, and the characters are messy and nuanced, not overwritten or nice (nice characters are 💤💤💤).

THE VANISHING HALF by @britrbennett is one of my all-time favorite books. The world building is masterful, and I was absorbed by how the protagonist reinvented herself. Plus, twins. Who doesn’t love a novel with twins?

DAYS OF DISTRACTON by @alexandra_chang and WRITERS & LOVERS by Lily King are both quiet novels, but I kept turning the pages because the writing is beautiful and I had to know what would happen to Alexandra and Casey, respectively.

DOMINICANA by @acruzwriter is the perfect blend of commercial and literary. Ana’s inner life blew my mind. If you’ve written a novel in the same vein, please query me! Send me your brilliant Latine fiction!

SUCH A FUN AGE by @kileyreid was the most entertaining novel of the year. Great premise, fast-paced, perfect dialogue, expertly fleshed-out characters. A perfect example of book club fiction.

For fiction, my number one read of the year was EXCITING TIMES by @NaoiseDolan. The writing is phenomenal and Ava—the protagonist—describes herself as manipulative, unscrupulous, and prone to moral cowardice which is storytelling GOLD. Who wants a nice protagonist?

I’m on the hunt for great business books with an original angle that both educate and entertain. Think NO FILTER by @sarahfrier and INVISIBLE WOMEN by @CCriadoPerez . Demonstrable expertise/experience is a must when querying for nonfiction.

I adore a good essay collection. TRICK MIRROR by @jiatolentino , THE WITCHES ARE COMING by Lindy West, and ODWABDANOTWM by @Scaachi are so good I’ve read them more than once! Brilliant essayists, please query me!

For memoir, LONG LIVE THE TRIBE OF FATHERLESS GIRLS by T. Kira Madden blew me away, and two all-time favorites are EDUCATED by @tarawestover and WILD GAME by @adriennebrodeur

INVENTING LATINOS by Laura E. Gomez was informative, insightful, and inspirational. I listened to this one and kept having to pause to write down all the brilliant quotes. I’d love to get more submissions from fellow Latines!

I also couldn’t get enough of MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE by @LoriGottlieb1 . First of all, it reads like a novel, but ALSO it taught me so much about self-analysis. If you’re like Lori, I might be the agent for you!

For nonfiction I adored HOOD FEMINISM by @Karnythia — in fact, I often quote her when offending misogynists (one of my fave activities 😇). Send me your feminist nonfiction, especially if they examine race, sexual orientation, and class! Let’s offend misogynists together! 😈

Last but certainly not least for ALL QUERIES: send me your #OwnVoices stories esp if you identify as BIPOC. As a mixed raced #Latinx immigrant, I'm ❤️🔥 about representing under- or misrepresented voices. If you're comfortable, please include your background and inspiration.

I also adore memoirs — please see my fiction guidelines for these stories because (a) I’m drawn to the same themes in novels as I am in memoirs; and (b) a good memoir reads like a novel.