Also, on the hunt for stories by underrepresented voices in fiction, again either contemporary or historical.

• Clever Spy Stories: Middle-aged female protagonists unraveling intricate plots in international settings. Bonus points for diverse casts and twists that leave us reeling.
• Gothic Atmosphere: Haunted houses, eerie villages, long-buried secrets, and creeping shadows. This is your permission slip to scare us—just a little.
• Historical Fiction (Not WWII): Narratives from untold eras and overlooked perspectives. Transport us to extraordinary places and moments we didn’t know we were missing.
• Gilded Age Drama: Glittering wealth hiding sharp contrasts and sharper twists. Let us peek behind the velvet curtains for all the intrigue.
• Character-Driven Literary Suspense: Slow-burn stories with emotionally complex characters navigating high-stakes situations. Make us feel the tension in our teeth.

This is winter storytelling at its best: atmospheric, layered, and impossible to put down. Think your manuscript fits the bill? Submit your query, and for a deeper dive into the season’s wishlist vibes, head to our Instagram. We’re breaking it all down over there.

Possible comp titles: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo, Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob, A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, The Lightness by Emily Temple