Lily Dolin
United Talent Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
I joined UTA in 2019, and represent clients in both fiction and nonfiction. I’m most drawn to literary and upmarket fiction with dark and offbeat humor, gripping narratives, strong commercial hooks, family dynamics, mother-daughter stories, and nuanced female perspectives. I especially love sweeping family dramas, strange and unusual women in strange and unusual circumstances, and books with strong voices. I grew up near Salem, MA and have a soft spot for elevated narratives with speculative elements. Stories that aren’t afraid to challenge readers, that highlight characters with messy backstories and hidden depths are always welcome. My taste could also be described as books that would live comfortably on the shelves at McNally Jackson.
For nonfiction, I’m looking for narrative nonfiction, and select memoirs that are funny, outrageous, shocking, emotional, or all of the above. I also love true crime, pop culture, and history with a feminist bent. I’m keen on books like ALL THE LIVING AND THE DEAD by Hayley Campbell, where an author takes readers along for the ride as they dive deep into a phenomena, community, industry, or topic, or memoirs like JELL-O GIRLS by Allie Rowbottom that take a personal story and weave in a larger societal context.
Some books I would have loved to work on:
Bunny by Mona Awad; The New Me by Halle Butler, Severance by Ling Ma, Friends & Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan, The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid.
Things I’m not looking for:
- Middle grade and picture books
- High fantasy and sci-fi
- Spy novels or anything to do with the CIA/FBI
- WWII historical fiction
- Pop psychology
- Poetry collections
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to lily.dolin@unitedtalent.com
Please include:
– The word “Query” in the subject line
– A brief synopsis
– Your bio
– The first fifteen (15) pages from your novel or book proposal
Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions, I am only able to respond to queries if interested.
Email: lily.dolin@unitedtalent.com
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
Book Club, Climate Fiction, Commercial YA, Commercial and Literary, Contemporary YA, Diverse Protagonists, Domestic Suspense/Thriller, Female Friendships, Food Writing, Gothic, LGBT YA, Layered Family Stories with multiple narrators, Literary Crossover, Literary Fiction, Literary Horror, Literary Noir, Literary Thriller, Magic Realism, Mothers and Daughters, Multigenerational, Nature Writing, Smart Beach Reads, Upmarket Fiction, Upmarket YA, Women's Fiction, YA Contemporary, YA Crossover, YA Thrillers, dark academia
I’d like the next…
Lily King, Mona Awad, Eliza Clark, Julia Armfield, Maggie Shipstead, Halle Butler, Melissa Broder, Jenny Lawson, or Kevin Wilson. Moving writing with strong plots and perspectives.
My favorites include…
BUNNY by Mona Awad
SEVERANCE by Ling Ma
LITTLE WEIRDS by Jenny Slate
EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN by Alexandra Kleeman
SEATING ARRANGEMENTS by Maggie Shipstead
THE NEW ME by Halle Butler
ALL THE LIVING AND THE DEAD by Hayley Campbell
WRITERS AND LOVERS by Lily King
GOODBYE VITAMIN by Rachel Khong
A TOUCH OF JEN by Beth Morgan
