Brianna Fairman

Hi, I’m Brianna! I’m an Assistant Editor at Putnam, an imprint of Penguin Random House. I’ve been a part of the Putnam team since 2024, after spending a couple of years at MCD. I am actively acquiring both fiction and nonfiction.

What I’m Looking For 

Thriller/Mystery/Suspense: From a gritty high-concept thriller to a cozy whodunit to a twisty domestic suspense, I am interested in just about any and all stories in these genres! The most important things I look for are a strong voice, relatable (but complex!) characters, and fast-paced, hooky plots. Feminist thrillers that make me say “GOOD FOR HER” are some of my favorites, as are novels that focus on themes of desire, obsession, ambition, loss/regret, and isolation. Bonus points if it explores sisterhood, mother/daughter relationships, found families, or romantic partnerships.

Speculative: I lean more towards the upmarket horror and sci-fi sides of things, but I’m also on the lookout for grounded fantasy and magical realism. I’m very into Southern Gothic, psychological, and supernatural horror. I’m also very interested in soft sci-fi, particularly books that explore future technology/AI/androids, as well as dystopias/post-apocalyptic societies. Across the board, I love speculative fiction that offers intelligent and insightful critiques of social and cultural issues—extra points if it has a premise that can be described as either “weird” or “bonkers,” or if it plays with genre. I’m especially drawn towards themes regarding our culture’s obsession with true crime/reality TV/spectacles, the blurring of reality with fiction/entertainment, and climate change/books about nature/eco-horror. I prefer stories that have a hopeful, uplifting, and/or satisfying ending—it doesn’t have to be happy, but I’d also rather not feel bereft afterwards. 

Women’s Fiction/Book Club: I love books that make me feel. Novels like Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin are some of my all-time favorites. I’m drawn towards poignant and irreverent stories with millennial/Gen-z protagonists that explore romantic and familial relationships. BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or disability rep is a huge bonus!

Nonfiction: While my taste leans a bit more towards fiction, I am eager to find nonfiction projects that are right for me. I’m looking for essay collections, cultural criticism, true crime, popular psychology, and environmental science, as well as select history and memoir. I tend to prefer diagnostic/descriptive nonfiction, but can definitely fall in love with a great prescriptive book, too!

Some Uber-Specific Topics I’d Love a Book About Include:

• Cults/evangelical extremism
• OCD
• Heists
• A speculative novel that draws inspiration from Simulacra and Simulation in some way (specifically the idea of hyperreality)
• Ethel Cain
• Florida, Appalachia, and other weird, uncanny, or liminal spaces

What I’m Not Looking For 

I am not interested in police procedurals, legal or military thrillers, high fantasy, or romances. And if the dog dies, it’s not for me.

Submission Guidelines

I only accept agented submissions. If you are an author looking to submit your work, please do not submit to me.