With the publishing industry working from home and the beloved agent-editor lunches on hold until further notice, I realized that the best way to tell professional contacts what I’m looking for is to post it here, where it is easily accessible and updated as necessary.
Please note: I only accept submissions from literary agents at this time. Please do not use the contact form to send queries and materials. If you are a writer and would like me to see your work, please have your agent reach out. I cannot review material otherwise.
Acquiring: suspense, upmarket women’s fiction, historical fiction
Drawn to (though not all at once!): atmospheric settings, lyrical or stylized writing, inventive storytelling, strong voices that immediately jump off the page, a sense of humor.
2021 Update: This year, I’m particularly eager to read more of the following.
*Expansive epics: give me love stories, family sagas, stories that span decades or centuries. These need not be long in length, but should feel all-consuming
*The unpredictable: I love a novel that challenges my sense of where the story is going even from one chapter to another. I’m particularly intrigued by elements that straddle genres (my list includes historical rom-coms, speculative mysteries, etc.).
*More: High-concept historical fiction and love stories; a comedy of manners; literary crime; suspense that engages (implicitly or explicitly) with current culture or events; historical fiction outside of European settings
All of the below are perennial wishlist items and still apply!
- Twisty, suspenseful narratives with equal weight given to writing and plot
- Con artists and grifters (Social Creature; My Sister the Serial Killer)
- Suspense with a strong blend of friendship and women’s fiction in the style of Liane Moriarty
- Literary crime, although I am rarely drawn to police procedurals, military, or cybersecurity thrillers
- A historical thriller like Rule of Four, The Shadow of the Wind, The Historian, The Doll Factory
- Historical fiction set in South American or Asia (The Night Tiger)
- Elegant historical fiction in the vein of Amor Towles, Beatriz Williams, and Anton DiSclafani
- Rom-coms with a strong hook, humor and heart (including historical rom-coms–humor a must!)
- Novels with unusual structures and inventive storytelling (All the Missing Girls, Homegoing, Daisy Jones & The Six)
- Millennial narratives with a new take on how we live today (Playing with Matches, Love at First Like)
- Fiction with a speculative twist à la Karen Russell, Kelly Link, Yangzee Choo, and Karen Thompson Walker
- Feminist fables or fairytales like What Should Be Wild, Conjure Women,The Water Cure, and The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
I am also looking for select non-fiction projects, specifically narrative non-fiction, true crime, social history, and memoir with a strong platform. Please feel free to reach out specifically via email.
Maybe not for me: although I am an enthusiastic editor of rom-coms, I don’t edit contemporary or historical romance without a strong comedic element; I am rarely drawn to novels with supernatural beings, but please feel free to ask if a submission fits my taste otherwise.
Outside of the office, my interests include opera, ballet, and learning new languages. I am always open to novels that include those elements!
Last updated: August 17, 2021
