If you are an author hoping to be traditionally published, check out my Manuscript Wish List manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/brandy-vallance/

late night #mswl but things I would love to see more of in my inbox:

- speculative circuses and carnivals, esp with a historical/gothic thread
- *actual* dark academia, not just campus settings
- cowboys, esp if ft. gothic vibes
- cli-fi horror

thank youuuuuu 👻💕

For speculative fiction and magical realism, I love stories that deal with time in interesting ways (OONA OUT OF ORDER) but I also love Isabel Allende’s stories.
I’ve been saying I would love to see an adult version of Encanto.

I acquire a few genres between our two imprints, but to break it down:

Crooked Lane:
thrillers, historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, and horror.

Alcove Press:
historical fiction, magical realism, speculative fiction, romcoms, bookclub fiction, and romantasy.

#MSWL
Manuscript wish list:
Fiction:
- Adult space only for Dec 2023
- Thrillers
- Psychological thrillers: character-driven & twisty
- Horror: thoughtful, more suspense than gore, unexpected endings.
- Mystery: 70k-100k words, historical & contemporary with or w/o a hint of romance, trad cozies, police procedurals, amateur sleuths & private 👁️ fiction
- Suspense: 75k - 100k words, no paranormal, lower to mid-level descriptions of violence
- Romance: Historical & Contemporary (with series potential), Romcom (with new fresh spins on old tropes), Small Town Western Settings, Diverse Romance, Holiday Romance
- Historical Fiction (no WWII fiction) from the ’20s, ’40s and Victorian era
- I would LOVE a creative retelling of The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes
- I would also love a contemporary take on AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
- High-concept book club fiction with a commercial hook. Anything provocative, humorous, and/or haunting
- Novels featuring complex family and/or racial dynamics and unforgettable characters - Speculative fiction with quirky characters
- For all fiction: a magnetic opening, well-trained, flowy writing and cliffy chapter endings please!

NonFiction:
- Only from authors with an established/large platform
- Commercial nf with a wide reach
- Sports
- History
- Celebrity or true crime autobiography - Book club nonfiction books with take-away
- Stories infused with faith/positive spirit
- Space-related memoir & other space nf from authors with a platform

I may add more! And if you're very keen on working with me, but you aren't sure if you've got what I'm looking for, you can always DM or comment with your questions.

I'm on the hunt for a nuanced and compelling dystopia, along the lines of STATION ELEVEN.

Something speculative that comments on our current world. #MSWL

before i re-open to queries (please send me your weirdest & wildest), i whipped up a little something to show what i'm looking for these days:

#MSWL
Manuscript wish list:
Fiction:
- Adult space only for Dec 2023
- Thrillers
- Psychological thrillers: character-driven & twisty
- Horror: thoughtful, more suspense than gore, unexpected endings.
- Mystery: 70k-100k words, historical & contemporary with or w/o a hint of romance, trad cozies, police procedurals, amateur sleuths & private 👁️ fiction
- Suspense: 75k - 100k words, no paranormal, lower to mid-level descriptions of violence
- Romance: Historical & Contemporary (with series potential), Romcom (with new fresh spins on old tropes), Small Town Western Settings, Diverse Romance, Holiday Romance
- Historical Fiction (no WWII fiction) from the ’20s, ’40s and Victorian era
- I would LOVE a creative retelling of The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes
- High-concept book club fiction with a commercial hook. Anything provocative, humorous, and/or haunting
- Novels featuring complex family and/or racial dynamics and unforgettable characters
- Speculative fiction with quirky characters
- For all fiction: a magnetic opening, well-trained, flowy writing and cliffy chapter endings please!

NonFiction:
- Only from authors with an established/large platform
- Commercial nf with a wide reach
- Sports
- History
- Celebrity or true crime autobiography
- Book club nonfiction books with take-away
- Stories infused with faith/positive spirit
- Space-related memoir & other space nf from authors with a platform

I may add more! And if you're very keen on working with me, but you aren't sure if you've got what I'm looking for, you can always DM or comment with your questions.

While I'm thinking of queries, I've decided to update my #MSWL for the new year. Check it out here:
serarivers.com/mswl/

Grounded speculative fiction and/or contemporary or historical fantasy, esp. if on the darker side. Maybe even incorporating horror or thriller. If you’re comping NINTH HOUSE, we want to read it!

We’re probably NOT a fit for romantasy, epic fantasy, or hard scifi. 2/4

I would really just love some romance with a spec twist in my inbox right now (adult or YA, I'm not picky) -- give me your ghost hunters falling for each other, your vampire crushes, your love spells gone wrong. #MSWL

After closing this summer for the first time ever, Senior Agent @Cforde_litagent is ready to open for submissions again!

She will be open for submissions from November 6th to December 6th 2023!

Find more details in the attached graphics.
#mswl #queryme #pitchme #litagent

A novel grounded in our world with a dash of the speculative.

I am always hoping to find out there's magic in our world, if only we knew where to look.

8/?

#Horror Novels that explore personal difficulties (caring for an aging parent, feeling like an outsider, addiction, grief, etc.) via a speculative lens.

Or funny-yet-scary #Horror stories that are pure entertainment.

Gore is great. Bring on the blood! 🩸3/?

quick links, friends:
MSWL arthouselit.com/who-we-are
Queries querymanager.com/query/ArtHouseLitSubmissions
Pinterest: pinterest.com/estywrites/titles-i-wish-were-mine/

*art by @ katiemadethat on insta

Like it could be a Dark Fantasy or a Speculative Thriller, or an Ensemble Bottle Episode Mystery, or a Heisty Puzzle Solver, or a gloebtrotting Adventurous Romp or a Warm & Fuzzy Rom-Com... but critically... whatever the vibe is I want THE MOST VIBES WE CAN HANDLE.

She’d also love to find ms that speak to the unspoken or largely undiscussed facets of motherhood, like The Push & those that feature speculative fiction settings where people may live and love whomever they please like Hanya Yanagihara’s To Paradise. #writingcommunity /6 end 🧵

Aaaaand my #MSWL is here: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/trinica-sampson-vera/ Looking forward to reading your amazing queries! 💞

I love romantasy, but I’d also be curious to see romance-forward stories in other SFFH genres. Dystopian? Speculative/SF? And maybe most challenging of all….Horror? #mswl

I'm on QueryManager now! 🥰 QueryManager.com/TrinicaSampsonaSampsonVera

#amquerying authors: send me your MG, YA, and adult! I'm a sucker for anything speculative (particularly fantasy, romantasy, and horror) and am especially interested in stories featuring queer/BIPOC rep.