Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

I would love to see stories that feel like straight-up contemporary fiction only to surprise the reader with a speculative twist. THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Dalila Harris is a favorite of mine!

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

I’m hungry for horror that leans on eerie, atmospheric, and unsettling. MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia will forever be a favorite in this space. I don’t mind gore, but I’m typically not drawn to it. I prefer to feel scared, not grossed out.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

Psychological dramas in the vein of THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain are high on my wish-list, as are high-concept thrillers that keep me guessing. I devoured WE WERE NEVER HERE by Andrea Bartz and WHO IS MAUD DIXON? by Alexandra Andrews.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

Family stories are like catnip to me, whether family of origin, family of partnership, or found family. I adored L.A. WEATHER by María Amparo Escandón and THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD by Claire Lombardo.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

…though I am also looking for commercial fiction with smooth writing (such as SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid and THE HUSBANDS by Chandler Baker).

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

For fiction, I am open to all genres. I <3 stories with dysfunctional, messy, and flawed protagonists. My taste gravitates towards literary and upmarket fiction (in the vein of EXCITING TIMES by Naoise Dolan, WHITE IVY by Susie Yang, THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett)…

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

I find that the best nonfiction books both educate and entertain. A recent favorite includes GIRLY DRINKS by Mallory O’Meara, and an all-time favorite is INVISIBLE WOMEN by Caroline Criado Perez.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

The human brain is an endless source of fascination. I’d welcome paradigm-shifting nonfiction with a neuroscience bent, particularly titles exploring the nexus between neuroscience and other fields, e.g., neuropsychology, neurosociology, neuropharmacology, neuronutrition, etc.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

…culminates in paradigm-shifting takeaways. I am a fan of books that expose what’s hiding in plain sight, whether it’s an untold story, the unseen side of things we think we know everything about, and/or projects that unlock unexpected and enlightening patterns/connections.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

A clear, original, and preferably surprising conclusion should be included in a nonfic proposal, meaning that it can’t just be 50 pages of thoughts & feelings—a sharp, unique, and curiosity-inducing through-line must be present from the beginning w/ supporting research that…

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

My taste in nonfiction is eclectic: no title is too serious or too accessible. Demonstrable expertise/experience is a must when querying for nonfiction.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

For nonfiction, I am open to most categories, across the spectrum, including psychology, history, current affairs, science, politics, narrative journalism, nature & the environment, wellness, spirituality, business & economics, mathematics, parenting, lifestyle, and pop culture.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

Cecilia (Cece) Lyra, Agent @ceciliaclyra

All right, #amquerying writers—let’s talk #MSWL because it’s a new year! What follows is what I’m looking for as an agent, i.e., my tastes, opinions, and impressions, as well as examples of some of my favorite books. It’s all subjective, of course. (A 🧵) #WritingCommunity

I rep adult fiction & nonfiction. For both, I am on the hunt for stories that explore *power* (imbalance, struggle, rise & fall), *identity* (perception, exploration, intersectionality) & *dysfunction* (familial, societal, cultural) told with originality, nuance, & authenticity.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

^^ and final evergreen reminder that I'm fairly genre-agnostic, so if you're not sure, feel free to give me a shot anyway! 📚📚

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

Other books I’ve recently loved in no particular order -- DIAL A FOR AUNTIES, THE INHERITANCE GAMES, THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV, ACE OF SPADES, THE FAMILY, THE OTHER BLACK GIRL, THE GRACE YEAR, WHITE IVY, THE ECHO WIFE, WE ARE THE BRENNANS, HAPPILY EVER AFTERS

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

Grounded fantasy/ genre! I can read books like THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE, ADDIE LARUE, SERPENT & DOVE, or THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY again and again -- anything with a lush setting, a little (or a lot) of romance, and high stakes has my name all over it.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

Upmarket fiction! If it’s something you would read in a book club, send it my way. I loooved THE GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead, and would be over the moon to find something similar! Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kate Quinn, Gail Honeyman, Kristin Hannah are other favorites.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

I’m also actively looking for more romance! I’m an absolute fiend for Bridgerton and need something light, witty, and escapist to tide me over until season 2. I’m a huge fan of Talia Hibbert and Emily Henry, and recently loved ONE TO WATCH, THE EX HEX, and THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

Speaking of humor… I’m looking for anything with a darkly funny sensibility. Ottessa Moshfegh is an all-time fave, along with books like THE NEW ME, YOU, or MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER, and TV shows like White Lotus.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

I’m beyond OBSESSED with the TV show Yellowjackets -- would love love love to find something that brings the scares alongside a wicked sense of humor! This goes for thrillers, too -- I’d love to find the next Lucy Foley, Megan Abbott, or Jessica Knoll.