Submission Guidelines

General Query Standards

To submit to a Red Sofa agent, please email a query letter before attempting to send a full book proposal or sample chapters. When querying, please put the contents of your query IN the body of your email. We will not open attachments unless they have been requested in advance.

Please read each individual agent profile below to determine who is the best fit for your project.

If there is an interest, we will directly contact the author. The typical response time for requested materials is 2-3 months. Depending on the time of the publishing season, it may take longer (based on travel and work commitments for the agency).

Anyone querying Red Sofa Literary should consider the types of categories represented at this agency. Always do the necessary homework beforehand to have a strong knowledge of the category for your book, as well as experience in connecting with readers and writers in the industry. A little research on the industry standards of queries and book proposals and knowing your competition can help your book idea go a long way.

You will never be charged a reading fee. Going by the usual standards of the query process, please send your query materials via email, clearly explaining the project, who you are, and why you are passionately pursuing it.

We do not take queries via phone calls or standard mail.

Materials Required

  1. The full manuscript for fiction titles (while you should not include the full manuscript in your initial query, your manuscript should be complete and fully edited at the time of your query)
  2. A full book proposal complete with author bio, book synopsis/overview, competitive titles, market appeal (WHO will read the book), promotion strategy (HOW readers will learn about the book), and chapter summaries (for non-fiction). This is required for nonfiction, encouraged for fiction.
  3. Sample chapters (if nonfiction)

Dawn Frederick's Representative Categories - CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS thru 2/1/2025. Will open only to Nonfiction inquiries 2/1/25 through 3/31/2025

  • Nonfiction — It needs to be smart, with noticeable platform, and commercial. I enjoy a wide range of topics. Generally the quirkier the idea, the better. I love current affairs, oddball histories, animals, extreme sports, and more. I’m less likely to consider a Memoir, unless it’s a story that truly lines up to my interests and will fill a hole on bookshelves.
  • Mystery/Thriller - Less mainstream, more quirk. I absolutely enjoyed VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVISE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto, DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney, MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and THE SUN DOWN MOTEL by Simone St. James.
  • History – WWII, Holocaust, and commercial histories. (I listen to a LOT of shows on MPR and NPR).
  • Pop Culture – I’m a nerd to the core, if it’s a fun and offbeat topic, there’s a good chance I’ll be interested.
  • Social Issues/Current Affairs—Women’s Studies, Diverse Narratives, LGTBQIA,, Social Sciences, and more.
  • Young Adult – Fiction (Romance, Humor, Contemporary, and anything offbeat).
  • Middle Grade – Fiction, Nonfiction.

Queries can be sent to Dawn’s attention at:  dawn [at] redsofaliterary [dot] com

Liz Rahn's Representative Categories

Liz does not take queries for new author projects. She handles the rights for the Red Sofa Literary for:

  • Audio
  • TV/Film/Dramatic Performing
  • Any Foreign Rights inquiries
  • Merchandising Rights

Inquiries about Subsidiary Rights can be direction to: liz [at] redsofaliterary [dot] com

Riley Jay Davis's Representative Categories - CLOSING TO SUBMISSIONS 9/1/2024 through 2/1/2025

Currently accepting submissions for a variety of manuscripts. Riley's always looking to promote books from authors of marginalized or underrepresented identities particularly Autistic/Disabled, Black, Indigenous, POC, Queer, and Transgender authors.

For non-Fiction titles, they are always looking for topics related to-- Race and Culture, Social Justice issues, Film Studies, Media Literacy, and Anthropology

In Fiction, they are looking for Young Adult or Middle Grade-- Horror, Magical Realism, Historical, Dystopian/ Science Fiction

Also looking for Children's picture books

Seeing my current reading list can help show what they're looking for reading at the moment, this is what they've read in 2023

Hunger Games Series, Twilight Series, The Weight Of Blood, The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar, The Hundred Years War on Palestine, Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea, It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics, Black Grief/White Grievance: The Politics of Loss, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity, Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, Yellowface, Capitalism and Disability: Selected Writings

Anyone looking to submit ideas should fill out this Google Form linked here 

Riley's email address is: riley [at] redsofaliterary [dot] com

Milan Wilson-Robinson's Representative Categories

Fiction: marginalized voices, unreliable and morally ambiguous characters, dark comedy, writing that shifts plot and characters in tandem when it serves the story

Non-Fiction: Cooking and Baking, Food/Wine writing, music, art, and performance arts, anything about Amrita Sher-Gil, Francesca Woodman, or Dorothy Dandridge, film analysis, memoirs about artists, travel writing (especially from a BIPOC lense).

Writers I enjoy: Zadie Smith, Kiley Reid, Ottessa Moshfegh, Melissa Broder, Raven Leilani, Issa Rae, Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Donald Glover, Jordan Peele, Candice Carty-Williams, Julie Powell, Hanif Abdurraqib, Julie Powell, Samantha Irby, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Toni Morrison, Danez Smith, Sterlin Harjo, and Quinta Brunson.

Milan's email address is: milan [at] redsofaliterary [dot] com