What We Offer:
Ella Kate Guthrie
Ella has dedicated herself to the arts for almost fifteen years. A senior in high school, she is a working actor and soprano, with six years of classical instruction and performance. She recently appeared in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro as Marcellina at UNC Chapel Hill, and is currently playing Roxie in Chicago. She has completed a five book fantasy series, and is currently working on a YA dystopian. In addition to novels, Ella enjoys writing screenplays. When she's not writing or performing, Ella enjoys drinking tea on rainy days and watching Succession with her dog, Milo. Ella’s wishlist includes…
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NA/YA High fantasy
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Contemporary fantasy
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Southern gothic or similar subgenre
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Dystopian (she’s picky - please send dystopian based on things that could ACTUALLY happen (real world viruses, climate change, ect.)
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Strong female characters
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Stories with found family
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Dynamic/spunky characters full of life
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Unique twists on popular tropes of your genre
Please do NOT send anything with illness that results in hospitalization or domestic abuse. Please no middle grade. Ella is not the best fit for thrillers or body horror. Please do not send any form of romance. If your book can be compared to The Last Of Us, Six of Crows, Arcane, or Netflix’s 1899, PLEASE send it!
Preferred honorific: Ms.
Query Ella here: https://forms.gle/BKTgPnXsqT3LkPpv9
Olive has dedicated their time to writing and academics. As a senior in high school, they have written three novels and three plays and hope to see their writing thrive in public one day. They have been a member of many writing organizations, The Author’s of Tomorrow and The Rider Eye to name a few. When they are not writing or studying for AP exams, they are usually in the theater working on the next production on their school’s stage. Their free time is usually occupied with heavy debates about pop culture and viewing classic Disney movies.
I would prefer fantasy, reversed tropes, science fiction, and romance plotlines. Please send in anything with LGBT+ or disability rep! I am not the best person for contemporary, but I am always open to new things. I will not accept middle grade or younger and I don’t enjoy treasure hunts. Scripts and heavy intimacy are not okay for me.
Happy Querying!
Preferred honorific: Mx.
Query Olive here: https://forms.gle/s6Ehb7n5SXFSmmpM8
Olive
Sacha Del Bosque
Sacha fell in love with stories as a little kid and started writing his own as soon as he could. Now, he's a college student, preparing to continue his education at Columbia University, where he will study comparative literature and creative writing. Sacha works as a ghostwriter and freelance editor, but his passion is writing stories about queer people of color that he's always hoped to find but never has. He’s in the process of traditionally publishing his debut novel.
Sacha would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite genre. He accepts Young Adult and Adult fiction in mystery, romance, historical fiction, and literary fiction. He isn’t the right choice for commercial romance (unless it’s YA or similar to the style of Isabel Allende). A story's message and the depth of its characters mean the most to him. Sacha loves novels that give the reader hope, and he can also never resist when one includes gothic or magical realism elements. If you write stories with a diverse cast, especially with transgender or mixed-race representation, he’d be especially happy to read it!
Preferred honorific: Mr.
Query Sacha here - https://forms.gle/jKaXzc1f79s7LhcK8
I read mostly commercial fiction in the age ranges of YA to Adult. Please no MG or lower manuscripts. As a general statement, I'm not a good fit for stories with a focus on romance. I'm looking for writers who can express emotions in a meaningful way, lingering with the readers long after they've put down the book. I'm automatically drawn to flawed characters grappling with big questions throughout the narrative.
For fantasy, I read all subgenres with the exception of high fantasy. I have a particular taste for low or urban fantasy with real-world references incorporated into the writing. Manuscripts with a darker or more brutal feel are generally preferred, but I'm not averse to softer stories a la T.J. Klune. I adore adventure-filled stories with an emphasis on time constraints. Give me all the apocalypses, too.
I prefer sci-fi stories with less of a focus on technology and more on its impact on society. However, if you think you've achieved an accurate portrayal of futuristic technology, feel free to submit it. I would devour anything along the lines of Becky Chambers or Douglas Adams. Bonus points for unique alien races, funny spaceship hijinks, contorted reflections of current society, and vague applications of cosmology.
Mystery is always welcome, no matter the subgenre. Manuscripts that resemble golden-age detective fiction would be especially welcome. I enjoy mysteries set in confined environments (boarding schools, islands, isolated mansions, etc.), unusual motivations (both for the detective and the perpetrator), and careful attention to crime-scene evidence.
Outside of genre fiction, only YA contemporary will be considered. If you have a character-driven coming-of-age story with realistic dialogue, please submit it. Otherwise, keep in mind that I'm very selective in this genre.
Bonus points:
-offbeat/absurd humor
-an emphasis on platonic relationships
-a ragtag bunch of outcasts coming together to save the world (found family)
-a carefully orchestrated apocalypse
-a recurring motif that eventually takes center stage during the climax
-theatrical villains
-LGBTQ+ representation
-neurodivergent representation
Spencer Ahn is a (mock) literary agent actively growing their list of commercial genre fiction. As a writer themself, they developed an interest in traditional publishing while working on their first novel. They understand how complicated querying can be and want to help other writers in their journey. Outside of writing, they enjoy obsessing over Marvel movies and sudoku. They can be found at @toastieghostie.writes on Instagram.
Preferred honorific: Mx.
Query Spencer here: https://forms.gle/AdAJq1TePYgzLvZi8
