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

  • 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 MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and THE SUN DOWN MOTEL by Simone St. James.
  • History – Books that will engage commercial readers. (I listen to a LOT of MPR and NPR, most of the shows and podcasts).
  • Humor – I love a good laugh (I represented the CHOOSE YOUR OWN MISERY series by Jilly Gagnon and Michael MacDonald).
  • 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, LGTB Studies, Social Sciences, and more.
  • Young Adult – Fiction.
  • 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

5/2023 - RILEY IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS

Riley is actively seeking new authors to work with! They are interested in the following categories:

  • YA SciFi and Fantasy
  • Middle Grade of various genres

Queries can be sent to Riley's attention at: riley [at] redsofaliterary [dot] com