A former librarian turned agent who founded their own boutique shop, championing under-represented voices across mystery, romance, upmarket/book-club fiction, historical fiction, narrative nonfiction, picture books, and verse novels — with a soft spot for everyday joy.
In brief
Two decades in special, public, and school libraries shape Zampetti's approach: the right book for the right reader, now applied to matching clients with editors.
The throughline of the whole list is centering under-represented voices — disability, poverty, women, neurodivergence, and Judaism, Islam, and non-Western religions — and the messy, layered intersections of identity, told with joy.
Across genres they want a strong commercial premise, distinctive prose, and layers of meaning that linger; in mystery and historical fiction, setting should work like a character.
Querying is on a tight cadence: open roughly two weeks each quarter, with responses to queries in about four to eight weeks. Picture books are an especially narrow door because the list is already full.
Lately
Reported being deep in a reading period that opened in April: down from 613 queries to 74, and now narrowing those to roughly 15-20 requests — a note that decisions are getting harder because the queries keep getting better.
What Leslie is looking for
Diverse detectives and amateur sleuths, settings that function as a character, and a fair-play puzzle the reader could solve but probably won't. True-crime sensibilities that center victims and social impact rather than spectacle.
Under-represented main characters and love interests, with an upmarket voice that still delivers the tropes. The premise: everyone deserves love.
Upmarket or literary fiction that balances complexity with commercial appeal in equal measure — distinct prose and multiple layers of meaning that keep a reader thinking after the last page.
Under-represented time periods and places, with setting as a living character and a focus on the sovereignty and history of specific cultures and communities (the Hawaiian people cited as an example).
For children, science and/or art stories that land in the sweet spot shared by kids, parents, and teachers. For adults, the remote wilderness and the natural world (in the vein of My Octopus Teacher or Blackfish), plus true crime centered on victims and social impact.
Verse novels for middle grade, YA, or adult readers, as well as novels-in-stories.
Sly, dry humor; themes of resilience, compassion, and forgiveness; and difficult or sophisticated subjects handled in a way that suits the youngest readers. Especially selective here because the picture-book list is already large.
Not the right fit
Threads through Leslie's deals
Several titles on the roster are children's nonfiction built around the natural world and scientific curiosity — which lines up directly with Zampetti's stated appetite for kids' science-and-art narrative nonfiction and adult stories of the wild. Treat this as taste signal, not a sales claim.
On Leslie's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Leslie
Time it: unsolicited queries are accepted only about two weeks each quarter, so confirm the window is open before sending.
Referrals and conference connections are treated as solicited and have their own dedicated links — use them if you have one.
Expect a response on queried material in roughly four to eight weeks.
Lead with a clear commercial premise paired with distinctive prose and real thematic depth — the calm-sea-with-hidden-depths quality Zampetti describes.
For mystery and historical fiction, make the setting do work, and bring under-represented characters and communities to the center.
Picture-book hopefuls should know the bar is high here; the list is full, so the concept and voice need to stand out.