Grace Layer

I joined Dutton in January 2021 and acquire both fiction and nonfiction. I’m looking for smart narrative nonfiction, including investigative journalism; popular science that explore an awe-inspiring part of humanity or the environment; travel/food narratives; and character-driven stories that bring an unknown piece of history to light or dive into a propulsive mystery (in the vein of Hidden Valley Road or Say Nothing). On the fiction side, I’m interested in upmarket, voice-driven novels with timely themes that resonate in our world today (like The Leavers). I enjoy genre elements, particularly mystery, suspense, light speculative, and horror (like The God of the Woods and My Murder); books that explore the complexities of friendships and family; multi-POV; and stories that make me feel claustrophobic and obsessive in the best possible way. In more commercial fiction, I like fresh, young takes on cozy mysteries. Across my list, I’m seeking stories by and about BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals.

My recent and upcoming titles include American Scare by Edgar Award-winning journalist Robert Fieseler, an exposé on a Florida legislative committee who persecuted queer individuals and civil rights workers in the 1950s and 60s; Stronger by Michael Joseph Gross, a narrative exploration of the central role of muscle in human life; A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon, a cozy millennial mystery set in a Texan liberal small town; and American Poison by bestselling author Daniel Stone, the untold story Alice Hamilton, a trailblazing labor rights and public health activist.

Submission Guidelines

I am only accepting submissions from literary agents. If you are an author, please do not submit to me. Agents, you can find my contact information on Publishers Marketplace!