Authors, when I first became an agent, I truly did not understand how many queries would come to my inbox or how long it would take to get through them. Very quickly after I opened, I became snowed under with the inundation of queries. I’m so thankful that so many authors chose to query me, but the mountain was too high to keep my promise of responding to each and every one. I then understood why most agents can’t and won’t make that promise: it’s unfair to both of us because there simply isn’t enough time. Reading and responding to queries is 100% unpaid time, and unfortunately, we must prioritize our current clients.

On top of that, many of us have other jobs; agenting is not our main source of income. It takes a long time to start earning a decent income from selling books, partly because the publishing process is painfully slow. We don’t get paid until we sell a client’s book, and even then, it comes in several payments spread out over about two years (as it does for the author). Therefore, many (most?) of us have a ‘day job’ so that we can earn a decent living while we build our list of talented authors, and that means we’re agenting part-time. This is the case with me.

So, with this mountain of queries, I became more and more stressed out; I wanted to reply to everyone but there just wasn’t enough time in the day, day after day. But I can’t remain closed forever, so I made the decision to start fresh. I’m passing on the old queries and inviting those I had interest in to re-query me when I open again in January 2026. I’m getting back to everyone that’s waiting to hear from me because my conscience won’t allow otherwise, but going forward, I’ll only be responding to queries if I’m interested in seeing more.

If you don’t hear back from me by 12 weeks since you queried, you’re welcome to nudge me, but if you don’t hear from me by another 4 weeks, please consider it a pass. I’ll close intermittently so that I continually have a chance to keep up with my queries instead of letting it get out of control.

Once I’ve re-opened my query inbox, please use the guidelines below when submitting materials to me. If you have something that isn’t listed below, reach out and ask. Often, a person won’t know they like something until they read it, and I do enjoy such pleasant surprises! Content warnings in query letters are always appreciated; don’t think of them as a deterrent. Think of them instead as a common courtesy to prepare someone for something that might be difficult to read so they can be in the right headspace to read it. I’m generally down to read almost anything, but my “hard pass” categories below should help with any uncertainty. I prefer this structure in a query letter: tell me about the specifics of your manuscript (metadata, comps, content warnings if applicable). Then, show me the plot; the heart of the story; the central conflict and what the character risks losing. Elevate that tension! Then, tell me a bit about yourself outside of writing. Aim for 350-375 words total; any more than that becomes too long and can get convoluted.

Keep updated on my Instagram or Twitter feed as I will sometimes post about things I’d like to see! (Note I’m barely ever on Twitter anymore and struggle to keep up with IG posts, but I’m trying to incorporate more social media into my work!)

Please note that if my query guidelines are not followed, especially if a query goes directly against my guidelines, it will be deleted and not responded to.

Picture books, middle grade stories, graphic novels, novellas, short story collections, poetry, political thrillers, heavy police/detective procedurals, erotica, space operas, epic fantasies, hardcore sci-fi, werewolves, vampires (unless they’re like ADOW or human-friendly), religious-centred works, or high-tech stories. Anything over 100K is going to be a hard sell for me—I don’t tend to read super long books, so the premise will have to have a very intriguing hook and the line-level writing will need to be spectacular (some genres have a bit more leeway due to world building, i.e., fantasy, historical, etc.). Anything less than 70K will need to be “beefed up” before it’s ready for agents’ eyes if it’s being pitched as a novel-length project. For me, the sweet spot is 75-95K (give or take).

For a general idea on word count ranges in various genres, please see this article from Writer’s Digest.

ADULT COMMERCIAL, UPMARKET, AND LITERARY FICTION

When querying me with your memoir, remember that a good memoir reads like fiction. This means that, although the “story” is true, it should still contain all the same elements as a novel to keep your reader engaged; you are the protagonist of your story. We need to meet you and see your norm, see the inciting incident, meet the antagonist or antagonistic force, we need to know what your goals are, how external circumstances are affecting your internal struggles and ability to meet your goals, what stands in your way, and what’s at stake. This all must be woven together with tension, emotion, and voice with a clear story and character arc. If you haven’t taken literary agent Cece Lyra’s course on memoirs, I highly recommend it! Note that because memoir is technically nonfiction, it will require a proposal, and that means you’ll need to have a strong platform.

• Memoir Plus: your intense internal/emotional journey affected by a universal external circumstance (and remember, a good memoir reads like fiction!)
• I’d really love to see a memoir depicting the impact of the paparazzi and other intrusive behaviour on high-profile celebrities and their families.
• I’d also love to see something in the vein of Wildcat (how saving animals can positively impact our mental health) in an exotic location (NOTE: I’m leaving this here, but I’ve now signed with Harry Turner, the Emmy-winning filmmaker behind Wildcat, so you could say my wish has been fulfilled in this area!)

FAVOURITE ELEMENTS AND TROPES

High-tension, locked-room mysteries, thrillers in isolated and exotic locations à la The Hunted (Roz Nay), thrillers and suspense with a bit of sarcasm mixed in, past covered-up crimes in the family, twins, adoptions, the manipulation and jaw-dropping twists as seen in Behind Her Eyes, based-on-true-crime stories, ancestry, soulmates, friends to lovers, fauxmance, enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, international travel (let me live vicariously through your characters!), small town romance, unequal social status relationships (bonus if one of them lives in a castle!). If your story has midwives and related topics/themes, that’s a huge hook for me!

FAVOURITE BOOKS AND FILM/TV

Outlander (books and tv series), The Time Traveler’s Wife, Behind Her Eyes, The Soulmate (Sally Hepworth), Every Summer After (Carley Fortune), You’ve Got Mail, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, the Jack Ryan tv series, The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova), A Discovery of Witches, Steel Magnolias, Little Fires Everywhere, Yellowjackets, Dexter, Forrest Gump, This Is Us, Parenthood (tv series), YOU, Jason Bourne, The Notebook, Just Friends, Indiana Jones, Man on Fire, Salem’s Lot, The Shining, Weyward (Emilia Hart), The Secret Life of Addie Larue, The Lost Apothecary

AUTHORS I ENJOY

Diana Gabaldon, Ruth Ware, Roz Nay, Christina McDonald, Hannah Mary McKinnon, Anne Patchett, Bianca Marais, Carley Fortune, Sally Hepworth, Susan Kay, Erica Waters, Rae Knightly, Caroline Kepnes, Wendy Webb, Kelley Armstrong, Darby Kane, B. A. Paris, J. T. Ellison, Samantha M. Bailey, Jennifer Hillier, Amy Tector, Marissa Stapley, A. G. Riddle, Chevy Stevens, Stephen King, Julie Carrick Dalton, Anne Rice, V.E. Schwab, Matt Haig, and so many more!

Note: Some of these books and authors mentioned are in genres/categories that I haven’t mentioned in my wish list. If you have a story that is comparable to these, even if it’s a genre I haven’t explicitly stated I’m looking for (like romance or romcom or action-adventure), let me know!

I’D LOVE THE NEXT

• Back to the Future retelling or spin-off
• Behind Her Eyes (the astral projection! the ending!)
• Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters
• Haunted house masterpiece–is it a character itself?
• A Discovery of Witches
• Outlander
• Anne of Green Gables
• YOU with a unique twist
• Jumangi (the new movies)
• Every Summer After

UNICORN MANUSCRIPTS

• A witchy, or ghosty, or past-lives-centred You’ve Got Mail
• Maybe Lake House meets You’ve Got Mail?
• Or You’ve Got Mail, but make it about competing travel bloggers?
• (Can you tell what my favourite romcom movie is?)
• Outlander, but in the future, and maybe a dystopian future
• A witchy female Indiana Jones
• Alternate history like For All Mankind, but something other than space–yet equally as fascinating (I’m not sure what exactly that means, but I’ll know it when I see it!)

HARD PASSES

Please do not send me, under any circumstances: erotica, extreme and/or gratuitous violence or torture, explicit/repeated on-page violence, intentional on-page harm to children or animals, vaccination debates, bigotry, racism, misogyny, heavy politics or heavy religious themes. I am not a believer in or supporter of Trump or any of his goons, so I will never represent a manuscript that is in support of him or speaks highly of him in any manner. Hard. Pass.

MY THOUGHTS ON AI AND STORIES

It is my genuine wish to work with original, authentic authors with a passion for what they create. Someone who treats their characters like real people who they know and love on a deeply intimate level. AI cannot do this; it’s incapable of passion or love or pride in accomplishments. I feel very strongly that AI has no place in creativity; an author writes their stories themselves. Writing a story takes hard work, dedication, confidence, perseverance, time, relentless revisions, and often at times, tears of frustration. Especially with fiction, it also requires massive amounts of creativity, which is born from imagination and life experience—something AI absolutely does not and cannot ever have. The end result is something a person can be proud of. Can AI do any of that? No. Authors create; AI generates, and there’s a big difference. Not to mention the fact that AI is trained with hundreds of thousands of authors’ copyrighted works without permission and without paying the authors for their work. Therefore, if you have an AI-generated manuscript, please do not send it to me—I am not the right fit for you. It’s ok to use it to do *ethical* research, but the writing and editing must come from a (human) author/editor to be truly authentic. I’m looking for authors who are willing and excited to put in the hard work of creating stories, not those who are looking for a lazy way out of it. AI takes the fun and excitement and passion out of writing, and it shows on the page. People who use AI to generate any part of their stories are not authentic authors, and they’re taking away from authors who put in the hard work. If you don’t know how to write but dream of becoming a published author, take classes, courses, read other books by authors you admire, study how they accomplish their masterpieces. Do the learning. Put in the time and effort. If you disagree with this reasoning, I’m not the agent for you.

NONFICTION CATEGORIES

I’m quite specific in what I’m seeking for nonfiction, but also open to your ideas about the following categories. Bonus if a bit of humour appropriately fits into some of these categories. I’m interested in hearing from you if you have a voice-y, expertise-driven narrative nonfiction proposal about the topics below. Platform is a must with nonfiction, which can be built in a variety of ways (social media, You Tube, speaking engagements, running a popular podcast, newsletter, involvement in various organizations, etc.), and your proposal must indicate your ability to reach readers. Publishers are looking for who you can already reach, not who you plan to reach out to–and real numbers to show strong platforms.

• Motherhood, natural pregnancy and childbirth, midwifery, planned unassisted births (in the vein of Teresa Palmer and Sarah Wright Olsen’s The Zen Mama or Ina May Gaskin’s infinite wisdom)
• Topics exploring women living in and overcoming injustice in a historically male-dominated world
• A light-hearted (humorous) look at what males get wrong about females and vice versa
• The intersection of motherhood vs societal expectations & the physical/mental/emotional implications on moms (maybe with an upbeat, positive, or even humorous tone)
• Fascinating family histories–hidden gems in family trees that are universally relatable or relevant in today’s times (I’m a bit of a genealogy nerd!)
• Amazing human experiences–how unique experiences or abilities help shape us and what others can learn from it
• The emotionality of music–how certain types of music or specific melodies can speak to our soul, and why music can evoke strong emotions. (Like hiraeth, but for beautiful music!)
• Spiritual explorations of past life regression sessions and reincarnation beliefs (spiritual ≠ religious)
• Tarot, palm reading, tea leaf reading, astrology, metaphysical stuff
• The negative impact humans (population, industrialization, ‘sport’ hunting, environmental changes, etc.) have on animals
• The intersection of cults vs societal “norms”
• True crime
• Wine and Wineries
• Cookbooks, especially something that pairs wines; perhaps various international cuisines/wines.
• Travel writing exploring a particular facet or unique area within this topic
• A history of witches and witchcraft (who society thinks they are/were vs who they actually are/were)
• Puzzling ancient locations/peoples/legends and resulting theories (have you seen Ancient Apocalypse on Netflix? Bingo!) from a journalist or investigative reporter who has travelled the globe, visited these places, spoken with experts, etc.
• Platform-driven exploration of a social media influencer’s growth, challenges, success, etc.

(In addition to the hard no’s above) biographies/autobiographies, academic works, self-help, health and fitness, sports, science or high-tech, DIY, religious-centred works, or anything to do with politicians especially if it’s in support of Trump or any of his minions, as noted above in the fiction hard no’s.

I’m always seeking works from BIPOC or historically underrepresented writers and would love to see more LGBTQIA+ stories.

One last thing: If John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, or Meg Ryan are working on literary projects, someone *please* send them my way 😉 (#jokingnotjoking 😅👀)

Please know that I’m unable to represent a manuscript I’ve worked on as an editor due to a conflict of interest. If you hire me for professional edits, you won’t be able to query me with the same manuscript (even if it’s been extensively revised or rewritten). I would not put my professional reputation at stake in either capacity and ask that you decide ahead of time whether you’d like to query me with a fully polished project or hire me for professional edits. Yes, you can query me with your next project! 🙂