Maggie Sadler
Corvisiero Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
I am open to queries from the 15th to 30th of each month and do not accept queries via email.
I seek adult literary fiction with distinct characters, lyrical prose, propulsive plots, and imaginative genre inflections. I love books that unapologetically challenge and deconstruct narrative conventions—books that take risks. I appreciate a careful, restrained hand with fantastical elements, one that encourages the reader to interrogate the liminal. Above all, I crave confident, stylish writing and wholly unique concepts that keep me up at night.
I would love to see the following in my query box, but I’m always open to being surprised:
For fiction:
• Propulsive, genre-tinged literary fiction with expertly crafted tension written in stylishly restrained prose (let me chew on and savor every word!)
• Work that revels in genre play—if the project is best described as “Part X, Part Y, and Part Z,” consider my interest piqued (bonus points for intermedial comp titles!)
• Startling concepts with unusual flavors—let’s get weird
• Grounded, atmospheric magical realism, wherein the magic functions as a device to shed new light on human truths
• Select historical fiction that foregrounds underrepresented perspectives and/or underexplored locales
• Select literary-upmarket crossover fiction filled with honest, intentional characterization, insightful socio-cultural commentary, fresh negotiations of timeless themes, and distinct emotional resonance
For narrative non-fiction:
• Travel narratives that depict remote locations and intentional, thought-provoking encounters
• 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, hard science fiction, highly commercial fiction, middle grade, or children’s books, and am not the best fit for slasher-horror, erotica, post-apocalyptic, dystopias, or books about wars throughout the twentieth century
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 Elizabeth Swann’s story, 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…
- Work from debut Indigenous/First Nations authors
- Narratives in translation with a special invitation to Japanese or Korean authors—I’m eager to reclaim my comparative literature roots!
- Imaginative retellings that sour or devour the conventions of its source text—particular interest is afforded to non-Western tales and/or settings
- Treacherous, unreliable narrators who are dazzlingly clever and charming all the same
- 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”
- Quirk-ridden liminal spaces and settings—please interpret “quirk” as liberally, whimsically, radically, demonically, or phantasmagorically as you wish!
- Though not the best fit for romances, I can be intrigued by a taut, intelligent enemies-to-lovers B plot
My favorites include…
Fiction
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
- Revelator by Daryl Gregory
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
- Anything by Karen Russell
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
