“You can’t game your way into an agent or a publishing deal. The manuscript is everything; focus on the writing.”
—Christopher Combemale, Sterling Lord Literistic
Every other year, the Writers’ League of Texas brings notable literary agents and book editors to Austin for its Agents & Editors Conference. As we look ahead to the 31st A&E Conference, taking place June 26–28, 2026, we’re happy to share Q&As with some of our visiting agents and editors here.
An Interview with Christopher Combemale
Christopher Combemale is an associate agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. He is looking for a broad range of literary fiction, voice-driven upmarket fiction with a clear hook, and select fantasy with unique or multi-cultural worldbuilding. In non-fiction he is interested in nature, history, journalism, and expert-driven projects. He does not represent memoir. His clients have won the Baillie Gifford, Carnegie Medal, and James Beard awards. Select clients include Manon Steffan Ros, Barry Lopez (Estate), Scott Weidensaul, Wade Davis, Stuart Pennebaker, and Agnieszka Szpila. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar and now lives in Brooklyn.
How would you describe your personal approach to working with an author?
Christopher Combemale: Collaborative and bespoke. Like most agents, I suspect, I try to understand the kind of support and communication a client needs and tailor my working style accordingly. In terms of deeper principles, I believe in matching encouragement with clear counsel. I love my clients and believe they are extraordinary talents, so it is exceedingly easy to be their hype-man, but it’s important to be honest and direct when a book is not working or when an author is taking an approach that won’t serve them/their book. On the creative side, I am only there to serve the author’s vision: to read, listen, and understand deeply the rhythm and intent of their work then note where they are or aren’t meeting intent with execution. I point out issues and rarely prescribe problems – my job’s easy!
What do you look for in a debut author?
CC: A masterful storyteller. Someone who is not working too hard to get our attention, who has characters of depth and interest coming into conflict, who understands how to draw a reader into a story. Like everyone: a great voice! I used to find the heavily stylized more appealing but now need some moving emotional arcs and real character driven storytelling underneath. Otherwise, it’s all sauce, no pasta!
What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving time and time again?
CC: Can I get more than one? You can’t game your way into an agent or a publishing deal. The manuscript is everything; focus on the writing. Don’t overthink the finer points of the query – it’s to give a first impression that you can write and to give us a taste of the book (while yes, covering the facts). Again: focus on the writing! A major complaint is that we agents don’t come across many great books. Very few outstanding works fall through the cracks. We recognize quality quickly and will find you…
What excites you the most about the publishing industry today?
CC: Genre shifts are bringing in new readers, or old readers to new categories. There are efforts to see books as covetable products, a great thing in my view. A new generation is taking the reins, which will bring change. There are more ways than ever to discover great authors.
Tell us about a recent book/project that you worked on that excited you and you want everyone to know about?
CC: I am so excited for my client Agnieszka Szpila’s HEXES OF THE DEADWOOD FOREST publishing this week (April 7) from Pantheon. It is one of the most unhinged, original, provocative books I have represented. As Olga Tokarczuk said: “You are holding a torpedo of a book in your hands.” Check out this cover! ☺
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Thanks, Christopher!
Click here for more information on the 2026 Agents & Editors Conference, a weekend-long event in Austin, TX (June 26-28) that focuses on the craft of writing, the business of publishing, and building a literary community.
