Successful Queries: Lily Dolin and “Passion Project,” by London Sperry

Welcome back to the Successful Queries series. In this installment, find a query letter to agent Lily Dolin for London Sperry's debut novel, Passion Project.

London Sperry is a New York based author of romantic comedies full of heart, humor, and hope. A lover of storytelling, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from The Pennsylvania State University before finding her true passion for writing. Passion Project is her first novel.

PASSION PROJECT is an adult rom-com complete at 79,000 words. It combines the nuanced portrayals of grief in FLOAT PLAN with the tight banter and big soulmate energy of PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION.

If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet is failing miserably…with a big emphasis on the miserable. She’s a part time temp worker in NYC with no career goals and an addiction to binging Criminal Minds and eating potato chips in bed. Also, her ex-boyfriend is dead and it was all her fault. But when the human embodiment of “fuck it” shows up in the form of an annoyingly handsome stranger, Bennet is forced to do the last thing she’d ever imagine…to open up. 

Henry is a fish out of water NYC transplant, an incurable extrovert, and a fool drawn to Bennet’s odd sense of humor and hardened sadness. When their disaster date turns into an after-hours wine and pizza night, Bennet confesses that she never decided what she wanted to be when she grew up—and Henry immediately jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life again, and Henry needs a friend…especially the kind that tugs his heartstrings like her. Fueled by cheap wine and loneliness, the strangers concoct a plan to try a new job or hobby every Saturday until Bennet finds her passion—as friends, of course. As they tackle everything from carpentry to skydiving, Bennet realizes she hasn’t felt this alive since before Sam’s death. But when she starts to fall head over ass for Henry, her fear and anxiety grow. For Bennet, love and loss are synonymous. Letting someone new into her heart is the biggest risk she can take—and Henry won’t wait forever.

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It's always a thrill when I receive a query so well-written that it makes me want to clap my hands and shout "no notes!" From the first few lines of London's query, I knew exactly what the book was, who would read it, and what made it different from other novels in the genre. I was really impressed by London's ability to not only convey the plot and hook of the novel in a tight and direct pitch, but to do so with voice and humor. I often approach query letters as if I were browsing the shelves at a bookstore—if this were the copy on the back flap of a book, would it make me want to read more? Would it make me want to buy the book? In London's case, the answer was a resounding yes.

She starts off with great comp titles, which always help me to contextualize a submission. The first paragraphs of the query gave me a wonderful sense of both Bennet and Henry as characters —relatable and loveable in their own ways. And then London establishes the hook, the "passion project dates," which I absolutely adored as an idea and framework for the novel. 

I am always looking for novels that not only tell a great story but ask readers to consider larger questions and uncomfortable topics. Yes, this is a rom-com about two people finding their passion, but it's also a story about grief, loss, and learning to love oneself in the face of doubt and anxiety. That's what really stood out to me about London's query letter. She did a good job of establishing the fun and whimsy of the book, while also showing how PASSION PROJECT would explore deeper themes. For me, the best queries are the ones that not only explain the plot and stakes, but also the larger themes the author hopes to examine.

*****

Lily Dolin joined Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. in 2025, after five years in the publishing department at United Talent Agency. She represents authors in both fiction and nonfiction, including YA, with books ranging from commercial to literary and everything in between. Her list includes New York Times bestsellers, Barnes & Noble book club picks, Book of the Month picks, and Indie Next picks, among others. She loves finding and championing debut voices, especially from underrepresented communities, and is especially passionate about building careers from the ground up. Originally from coastal New England, Lily graduated from NYU and still lives in New York City, but tries to surround herself with nature as often as possible.

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