Kristy Hunter, Literary Agent Kristy Hunter is an active literary agent at The Knight Agency. Kristy is currently closed to submissions.
Represents: Young Adult and Adult Fiction, including Fantasy, Contemporary, Romantasy, and Genre-Bending
About Kristy Hunter
Kristy Hunter is a literary agent at The Knight Agency. After graduating from Vanderbilt University (Women & Gender Studies and English Literature) and completing the Columbia Publishing Course, she began her publishing career in New York City as an editorial intern at Bloomsbury Children’s Books, then worked in publicity at Grove/Atlantic and Random House Children’s Books. She moved to the agenting side at The Knight Agency, where she was closely mentored by founder and president Deidre Knight; her first co-agented project sold at auction soon after. She has more than fifteen years of industry experience and well over a decade at the agency, and she represents award-winning writers and New York Times bestsellers. She loves unique hooks and propulsive writing and is currently focused on taking on young adult and adult clients.
Her clients and projects include Liselle Sambury (Blood Like Magic; Butcherbirds), Kristy Boyce (Dating and Dragons; Hummingdragons and Humans), Loriel Ryon (Into the Tall, Tall Grass), Kelly Powell (Songs from the Deep; Magic Dark and Strange), Sally Blakely (Friends to Lovers), Robby Weber (If You Change Your Mind), Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang (Encore), and Chelsea Ichaso (Little Creeping Things).
Submission Guidelines for Kristy Hunter
Submitting Your Work to Kristy Hunter
Before querying Kristy Hunter
The Market List recommends you verify this agent is still active and open to submissions before sending a query. Check the agency website, recent deal announcements, and any posted guidelines. As of October 2, 2026, her live query form is closed and states she looks forward to reopening in the near future — confirm the live form before querying.
To be sure your project is a fit, we recommend you familiarize yourself with Kristy Hunter’s list by reviewing recently represented titles and the agency’s current submission guidelines before querying.
If you have recently queried Kristy Hunter or have experience with this agent, please submit a comment below. Recent response times are always welcome and helpful to other writers.
From the Kristy Hunter Submission Guidelines:
Queries are accepted only through Query Manager. As of October 2, 2026, she is not accepting queries and has said she looks forward to reopening in the near future — confirm the live form before submitting.
When she is open, she is only taking on YA and adult clients. For fiction, query only with a complete, edited manuscript and do not send updated drafts unless requested. Follow the fields and directions on the live form.
She loves strong writing, compelling hooks, and distinct voices, and she is passionate about representing underrepresented voices.
The Knight Agency Submission Guidelines
- All submissions must be original work written by a human; the agency does not consider manuscripts generated wholly or substantially by AI tools (basic spelling/grammar assistance is allowed). Submitting confirms the material is your own original writing.
- Scroll to Agent Wish Lists on the Submissions page, then use that agent’s Query Now button. Queries are accepted only through Query Manager.
- Fiction: query only if the manuscript is complete and edited; do not send updated drafts unless an agent requests them. Nonfiction: send a query letter and book proposal.
- Do not query multiple Knight Agency agents simultaneously. If the agent you queried feels another colleague is a better fit, they will share it; if they pass, you may then query another agent.
- The agency is not currently accepting screenplays.
- The agency strives to respond to queries within 2–4 weeks, but timelines can slip; check an agent’s form page for timeline updates before following up, and use the follow-up link from your submission if a response seems overdue.
- Specify the correct genre and do not query agents for categories they are not seeking.
Kristy Hunter's Current Wishlist:
For YA, she particularly loves fantasy (including cozy, grounded, and romantasy), contemporaries, thrillers, historical projects with a modern sensibility, sweeping atmospheric tales, mysteries and heists, and genre-bending work.
For adult, she wants romantasy, grounded fantasy, and book-club fiction with a unique hook, propulsive writing, and broad commercial appeal — the kind of manuscript you finish and can’t wait to discuss.
Unique narrative styles and unexpected narrators pull her in; she points to books such as Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Coastal settings are a favorite.
She is passionate about underrepresented voices across the categories she seeks.
Query and Submission Hints
- Lead with a clear hook and distinct voice; her public guidance emphasizes that voice and concept are what pull her in.
- Keep the query short and complete (main characters, stakes, genre, word count)
- Read widely in the category you are pitching — she has said familiarity with the genre shows immediately in a query.