Nina Leon

I am an associate agent building my list of adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction across all genres with a particular interest in fantasy.

Here are some of the things I’m on the hunt for:

For New Adult/Adult

• I’m focusing on adding more fantasy romance/dark fantasy romance to my list. Mid to high heat is preferable, but low heat with romantically charged tension is also great. I enjoy the popular tropes, but I would also love a unique hook or different take on the genre. I’m always drawn to gothic romances, dark fairy tale retellings, witches, magic, and court intrigue.
• I would love a millennial rom-com
• I’d love to add more commercial fiction to my list. I’m looking for something with the same mass market appeal as Daisy Jones & The Six.
• I’m also open to commercial fiction with subgenres in the romance, historical or low fantasy space.
• I love mysteries and thrillers, so something similar to Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or Big Little Lies would be great.
• I adore cosy romances such as P.S I Love You or The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, Me Before You, or Last Christmas.
• For heavier adult romance I would like to see projects in the vein of The Last Letter from Your Lover, Conversations with Friends, or Normal People.
• I would love more historical fiction similar to The Favourite.
• I would like to see more high fantasy in the vein of Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit The Witcher, or Game of Thrones. However, highly complex political systems aren’t the best fit for me.
• I’ve been enjoying horror lately and would love to add it to my list. I loved The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor – something similar to either of those would be ideal.
• I’m looking for historical romances with a focus on the aristocracy in the Victorian era. Anything similar to Downton Abbey would be fantastic!
• I’m also looking for rom-coms. I would love something deeper, yet humorous at the same time. I’d love to see someone discovering love again, pushing themselves out of their comfort zone or a journey of self-discovery with some unexpected suitors along the way.
• I’d love to add more dark academia to my list.
• Magical academia. I love magic schools, spells, and fantastical creature. I love magical academia with a dark edge – maybe someone was murdered in the library.
• I love anything that deals with magical realms/Gods watching over the human realm (think The Sandman).
• I’d like more crime fiction on my list; something similar to Broadchurch, Happy Valley, Vera, or Shetland would be ideal.

For YA

• More than anything, I would LOVE something similar to Heartstopper or The Summer I Turned Pretty. I adore coming of age stories with a lot of heart, a bumpy road, and a happy ending! Throw in the challenges of being a teen, and I want to read it!
• I would love anything with a Tim Burton aesthetic. Make it spooky. Make it macabre. Make it dark. As long as it has strong atmospheric writing.
• I’m searching for an epic love story. I want to read about an all-consuming love that captures the reader’s heart- even if there is heartbreak involved (if you can capture how Bella felt when Edward left, I’d like to read it). I’m always on the hunt for something with the same heart as The Twilight Saga.
• I’d like to see a regular teenager suddenly caught up in a world they didn’t know existed and falling for someone they shouldn’t have feelings for.
• I love anything humorous that deals with pitfalls on being in your late teens (think The Sex Lives of College Girls)
• I’m always hoping for modern retellings of Shakespeare, Victorian classics, Greek mythology, or fairy tales.
• I would love a story in a non-Western setting, something dark, or a mirrored version of our world. A detailed magical/political system and a world that is run in accordance.
• I’m open to dystopian settings, but nothing with pandemic themes.
• I love anything with magic and witches!
• I’d love a murder/crime/mystery in an unusual or unexpected setting, a thrust together group of friends, and an unexpected twist all wrapped up in a gripping and fast-paced package.
• I’d love a story set in alternate Victorian/modern England (not limited to) that has elements of secret societies, magical realism, occult, and dark academia.

For Middle Grade:

• I’m drawn to darker plots, adventures to whimsical worlds, and characters who discover their bravery along the way. I also enjoy stories with humour, quirky characters, and magical creatures.
• I adore middle grade stories that are fun and uplifting at heart – something parents can enjoy with their kids.

I’m always looking for stories with LGBTQ+, disabled, and minority group representation.

I’m not a good fit for science fiction.

Submission Guidelines

I am OPEN to queries.

Please submit your query through my QueryManager page:

https://QueryManager.com/NinaLeon

Any queries sent via email will not be considered.

Guidelines & Details