Memoir/narrative nonfiction that explores the nuances and quirky characters of a niche world through the author’s personal journey. (Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Private Equity, Uncanny Valley, H is for Hawk, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Liar’s Poker)

Particularly looking for a project in the digital space that takes you down an internet wormhole into a thriving subculture you didn’t know existed–a reddit group, nouveau digital art frenzy, cult fandom, social media trend, etc.

A sports or outdoor adventure narrative, particularly from a writer who is not the traditional group who gets to tell these kind of stories. (Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World; Into Thin Air; Wild; Alive; Turn to Stone)

Memoir/narrative nonfiction of a struggle for justice/against the casual injustice of the world. (Know My Name, Three Women, I’m Glad My Mom Died)

Serious reported nonfiction delving into the history, causes, and current repercussions of a problem we should know more about. (Empire of Pain, Hidden Valley Road)

Pop science that is surprising, fascinating, and weird. (An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us; Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers; The Computer Always Wins)

Evidence-based self-help with a strong voice and defined vision. (Never Split the Difference, How to Change Your Mind, Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit)

Cookbooks with a unique voice and eye to teach beyond the recipes, ie. new skills, how to shop, how to intuit what ingredients work together, about culture or history… (Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat; Big Night)

• Literary fiction that’s eerie or uncanny—explores some type of repressed trauma that bubbles to the surface/is quietly present in day-to-day life. (Liar, Dreamer, Thief; The School for Good Mothers; Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow; I Have Some Questions for You; Trust Exercise; Never Let Me Go).

• Literary and upmarket fiction that’s witty, sharply observed, and captures some truth about love/life. (The First Bad Man, All Fours, Vladimir, Big Swiss, Lessons in Chemistry, I Capture the Castle, The Idiot)

• Literary fiction with a speculative twist or engages with mythology. (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Pisces, Such a Fun Age, Station Eleven, Circe)

• Upmarket crime, thriller, horror, cozy mystery. (The Writing Retreat; In a Dark, Dark Wood; The House Across the Lake; Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers; The Final Girl Support Group)

• Romcom that’s a playful and smart take on established tropes. (Book Lovers, Every Summer After, Better Than the Movies).

• Fantasy—adventure, romantasy with brisk pacing and exciting world building. (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Six of Crows)

• New adult/campus novel—YA themes and pacing set at college or soon following. Self-discovery & social climbing. Fun, with horror or fantasy elements. (Iron Widow, Ninth House, Yolk, Fourth Wing, The Atlas Six)

Low fantasy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, magical creatures invade the real world, horror elements (The Art of Exile, Legendborn, Cemetery Boys, Vampire Academy, The Nature of Witches)

Rom-com exploring deeper issues. Fun, but changes your worldview.

Young detectives – Sammy Keys, Nancy Drew, Veronica Mars, Encyclopedia Brown, Hardy Boys for the current day.

• Picture book

• Young reader

• Middle grade