Maggie Sadler
Corvisiero Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
Maggie will be closed to queries from 15 November until the New Year.
I am actively building my client list with a distinct focus on adult fiction. Adventurous with a love of the weird and wild, I seek to connect with ambitious storytellers who flirt with magic and mayhem. Above all, I crave voice-rich writing and wholly unique concepts that leave me reeling over the palpable talent.
Areas of Interest
- Propulsive literary fiction with carefully crafted tension written in lyrical, stylish prose
- Work that revels in liminality with its genre play—if the project is best described as “Part X, Part Y, and Part Z,” consider my interest piqued (bonus points for intermediality!)
- Intelligently speculative or high-concept fiction with unusual flavors—let’s get weird
- Atmospheric and twisty Magical Realism with nuanced, emotionally complex characters
- While I prefer more literary work, I will also consider:
- Upmarket fiction that explores distinct perspectives, diverse voices, and immersive settings
- Untold narratives or underrepresented perspectives in historical fiction (pre-twentieth century, please)
- I also welcome the following in the narrative nonfiction space:
- Travel narratives that depict remote locations and thought-provoking encounters in an authentic and intentional voice; I’m particularly fascinated with the concept of “slow travel”
- Aesthetic-rich projects that orbit the spheres of wellness, holistic medicine, and women’s health
- Work that marries a warm, rich storyteller’s register with naturalist themes
I am NOT looking to acquire high or epic fantasy, science fiction of any kind, commercial romance, thrillers, political/war narratives, or books for young readers at this time.
Emailed submissions will not be considered.
Fun facts about me:
Professionally irrelevant but potentially charming tidbits:
- I have called four different countries home, with each location being, coincidentally, coastal: USA, Scotland, The Gambia, and Canada (Newfoundland).
- My horse Cooper is much more interesting than I am. His antics include but are not limited to drinking a tipple of brandy from a cup, wearing a variety of hats, and enjoying music by his favorite artist, Prince.
- I confess to being a serial hobbyist—watercolor painting, mounted archery, and fly fishing are a few of my recent quests.
- I am of the very firm opinion that the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is solely about Elizabeth Swann, and I will die on that hill.
Submission Guidelines
BOOK SUBMISSIONS:
Please review our Agents’ profiles to choose the Literary Agent who is the best fit for your genre/writing style. Once you’ve chosen the right agent for you, click on the SUBMIT WORK HERE button on their page to complete the Query Manager submission form.
Important Notes:
- PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT TO ONE CORVISIERO AGENT AT A TIME. A rejection from one agent is a rejection from the entire agency. Please do not query another agent unless expressly invited.
- For fiction, we require a query letter along with a 1-2 page synopsis (includes spoilers and the ending) and the first 5-10 pages of your manuscript.
- For non-fiction, you should include a full proposal (including a sample chapter), but make sure the Agent accepts non-fiction and follow their specific submission guidelines.
- All sample pages must be properly formatted into 1-inch margins, double-spaced lines, and Times New Roman black font size 12.
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
Accessible Literary Fiction, Asian American Literature, BIPOC, Caribbean Literature, Character -Driven History, Cross-genre, East Asian Literature, Experimental, Fabulism, Feminist Horror, Folklore, Found Families, Gothic, High Concept, Historical Fiction, Immigrant Experiences, Immigrant Voices, LGBTQ+, Literary Crossover, Magical Realism, Marginalized Voices, Multicultural, Multigenerational, Multiple POV, Multiple Timelines, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature Writing, Neurodiversity, New Adult, New Weird, Own Voices, Retellings, Speculative, Travel, Underrepresented Voices, Upmarket Fiction, West African Literature, alternate history, books in translation, character-focused fiction, dark academia, diverse voices, eco-fiction, groundbreaking structures, literary, non-Western historical fiction, non-western settings, weird fiction
I’d like the next…
- Poet turned prose writer
- Work from debut Indigenous/First Nations authors
- Grounded folk and fairy tale retellings that sour or devour the conventions of its source text
- Female anti-heroes whose hearts seem to pulse, thrum, and growl with primordial energy
- Emotionally resonant and imaginative fiction with the gentlest touch of magic à la Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle
- Writing that strikes the same notes, atmospherically, as j-hope’s “Blue Side”
- Island settings with quirks—please interpret “quirk” as liberally, whimsically, radically, demonically, or phantasmagorically as you wish!
My favorites include…
Fiction
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
- Anything by Karen Russell
- Revelator by Daryl Gregory
Films
- The Princess Bride
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy
- The Goonies
- Willow
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- The Boy and the Heron
Television Shows
- Black Sails
- Battlestar Galactica (2004)
- Stranger Things
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
