
Literary Assistant

Editor
Has someone written a novelization of this yet? If not, please write it for me! #mswl washingtonpost.com/history/2019/0…

Literary Agency
"If you have a contemporary family drama set in the Midwest (especially in my home state of Wisconsin), please send it my way."
@claire_m_harris #MSWL
psliterary.com/submissions/

Literary Agency
"If anyone's working on an adult novel that can comp SCREAM *and* something super millennial like THE HERD or A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN, I want to see it."
@readbystephanie #MSWL
psliterary.com/submissions/

Editor

Literary Agent
I got my hands on an ARC of @adriennebooks
's SPELLS FOR FORGETTING and can't stop thinking of it so #MSWL that vibe. Magic. Murder. Romance. History. Settings as Character.

Literary Agent
I got my hands on an ARC of @advanyoung 's SPELLS FOR FORGETTING and can't stop thinking of it so #MSWL that vibe. Magic. Murder. Romance. History. Settings as Character.

Literary Agent
And to my author soulmates who I've yet to connect with: I'm looking for youuu 👀💭📚
Lastly and most of all, thank you to any writers who have trusted me with their work. Reviewing your queries and manuscripts is a true pleasure. If we're not a match, don't be discouraged—keep submitting!
I'm currently caught up on all submissions and full requests, so if you haven't queried myself or Root Literary in the recent past and feel your work might be a match for me, fire away! 💌
Please visit @RootLiterary's website for submission guidelines: rootliterary.com/submissions
As mentioned above, I do also rep nonfiction and YA. Check out my complete MSWL here for more details on those categories publishersmarketplace.com/members/alyssa…, or visit my website alyssamaltese.com for more info.
I'm also very eager to support books about marginalized characters, by marginalized creators. BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity, and disability representation is more than welcome here!
I'd love to see stories targeted for a new adult audience. (Search Party is a favorite that comes to mind here, and is the perfect example of an intersection of so many of my interests.)
When it comes to horror, I like to be SCARED—I'm talking afraid-to-turn-off-the-lights-at-night scared. (Think Hereditary, Midsommar, The Witch, and, once again, Jordan Peele.)
Generally speaking, I'm drawn to social commentary (Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; Pigs by Johanna Stoberock; Jordan Peele films), and I'm also not opposed to humorous horror (The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix; Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer).
Propulsive pacing is a must (see: Hide by Kiersten White), and twists that really surprise me are a bonus (The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is a staple).
I'm also drawn to female-centric concepts, like motherhood and the gender divide—think The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, The Husbands by Chandler Baker.
I love freaky technology-related sci-fi elements (Severance is my favorite show I've watched in recent years), though I like my fiction grounded.
Make it just real enough to seem possible, and you've got me on the hook.
I'm eagerly seeking commercial thrillers, horror, and domestic suspense, as well as upmarket speculative fiction.
In all of these genres, I'm looking for high concept stories with something new to say.









