PLEASE NOTE: I update this MSWL occasionally. Updated 5/1

Thank you so much for querying me. I am looking forward to reading your work. Please consider submitting to one agent at a time at Aevitas--the one who you best thinks fits your work.

I’m looking for novels across genre with excellent writing and a propulsive plot.  The writing should be of high quality throughout the manuscript--this doesn't necessarily mean the writing needs to be literary--I love commercial fiction too. What else is important? Characters--they should feel real and the reader should understand or be intrigued by their motivations; atmosphere/setting--when done well, it's almost like a character in itself, voice--a distinctive voice is always welcome. I do welcome novels with multiple timelines especially if they evoke a sense of time travel--but it needs to make sense for the book and work smoothly--they are not easy to pull off. 

TIP: Read your pages aloud--no matter the genre, you'll be able to 'hear' when something isn't smooth, when it's overwritten, when you've overused a word too many times, and more.

MSWL by genre

Literary thriller, suspense, and crime I'm especially interested in compassionate novels of crimes and misdemeanors that provide the reader with insight into the human condition in the vein of Liz Moore, Tim Johnston, Jessica Knoll (esp Bright Young Women), Ashley Audrain, Chris Whitaker, Will Dean, but also voicey, twisty, suspense with edge like Samantha Downing, Mark Edwards, Adrian McKinty, Greer Hendricks, Jess Lourey, Ruth Ware, Tana French, and Catherine Steadman. I'm sometimes asked if I'm looking for a series in the crime genre--yes (!), but the first book must be a standalone with the potential to be a series.

Supernatural thrillers or thrillers with some horror such as books by Marcus Kliewer, Tracey Sierra, Alex North or think horror for readers who don't typically read horror. I'm especially looking for folk horror, horror related to historical events, female centered horror. I loved the recent film The Companion because it was so twisty, sharply written, and unexpected for the genre.

Elevated book club fiction & women’s fiction with emotional heft like novels by Ashley Audrain and Moira MacDonald's Storybook Ending (the latter of which is a kindred spirit to Nora Ephron's film You've Got Mail). Family stories or a big novel with a romantic angle (not genre romance) like David Nicholls's One Day or my client Phoebe Rowe's novel Swan Light. I'm also eager for socially engaged novels by Kiley Reid, Alyssa Cole, Rumaan Alam's Leave the World Behind, Tom Perrotta's Little Children, and Marcus Kliewer's We Used to Live here. Grounded speculative or sci fi like Andy Weir and Lily Brooks Dalton are up my alley too. I'm looking for stories not sermons, meaning I love stories that examine issues but it needs to be story first.

* I need some time travel on my list! No hard sci fi or fantasy. Must be grounded like Octavia Butler's Kindred, Stephen King's 11/22/63--standalone preferred.

* I represent and welcome writers of all voices.

Notes:

I strongly encourage debut writers to work with beta readers, critique partners, writing workshops and so on to develop their writing as much as possible. Building a community with other writers will be invaluable to you.

Take advantage of all the excellent resources for writers out there, many with online access. Organizations and sites like AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs), WritersHelpingWriters.net, Loft Literary Center (with online classes), Grub St., or if you have a speciality like mysteries or thrillers check out Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers (ITW), Horror--HWA (Horror Writers of America) as well as podcasts and newsletters The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing, Book Riot, The 5 a.m. Writers Club, The 7 a.m. Writers Club...there are lots more.

The #1 mistake I see writers make is submitting their work to me too early and often it's because they've not received feedback from another (unbiased) reader. I expect to work with authors editorially (and enjoy the process) but I will do my best work if your manuscript is ready for me.