Agentopia: Sandy Lu

Welcome to the April edition of Agentopia! For more information and to see other Agentopia posts, click here.

This month Sandy Lu from The L. Perkins Agency is in the spotlight.

Sandy Lu joined The L. Perkins Agency in 2009 and is actively building her list. She is particularly interested in fiction, including mystery/suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction/fantasy, historical fiction, and YA. Her non-fiction categories include narrative non-fiction, history, psychology, sociology, biography, science, pop culture, and food writing. She is looking for submissions that will draw her in with a unique voice, make her miss her subway stop with a pulse-quickening plot, and keep her up at night with compelling characters who stay with her long after their story ends.

How to Submit

Email your query letter to sandy@lperkinsagency.com. Include a brief synopsis, bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript. No attachment please. For more information, please visit www.lperkinsagency.com.

1. What are you looking for in YA submissions right now?

I grew up reading mystery, suspense, horror, action/adventures, sci-fi/fantasy, and martial arts novels. I’m partial to anything with a supernatural element, and I have a weakness for all things historical. I also love a new twist on a familiar story, such as a classic play or fairy tale retelling. Mix and match any of the above, and you have my attention.

2. What's an immediate turn-off in a query, something guaranteed to get the author rejected?

It’s an automatic rejection when an author obviously did not do any research, did not follow our agency’s submission guidelines, or did not bother to spell check their letter or get my name right.

3. What's the story got to have to make you want to represent it?

The writing is everything. I need to see enough raw talent, good instincts, dedication to the craft, and potential for growth before I take on a new client. I can help fix plot holes, adjust pacing, or enhance character dynamics, but I cannot advise someone on how to create a unique voice or develop an eye for details. It’s also important that the writer has read widely on what’s already been published and has something new and fresh to say.