Bridget Smith

JABberwocky Literary Agency

My Manuscript Wish List®

Young adult fiction: I am open to all genres of YA. I have a soft spot for layered, emotional contemporary, preferably with more than an ounce of humor; sophisticated and fun SFF; and vivid, immersive historical fiction about lesser-known stories. I love books about teenagers having complicated feelings, girls who try hard but mess up, clever concepts handled in an unusual way, and a voice that makes me feel like I know the character personally.

Science fiction and fantasy: I tend to prefer the more literary side of the genre: the first things that grab me are character and voice. Fantasy was one of my first loves, and I’m interested in a wide variety of novels; I particularly like stories where the characters drive the plot and the worldbuilding shapes the characters. In science fiction, I’m looking for books that are intimately human on a galactic scope.

I’d particularly love to see romantic SFF (like A MARVELLOUS LIGHT or WINTER’S ORBIT), big fascinating stories with a moment that grabs you by the throat (THE TRAITOR BARU CORMORANT or GIDEON THE NINTH), and historical fantasy, but the whole genre is fair game.

Literary fiction: I tend to prefer literary fiction that includes elements of other genres or an interesting structure. I’m particularly interested in historical fiction about women, people of color, and LGBTQ people. Some non-client favorites include THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry, POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt, FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters, and THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker. I’m also interested in contemporary fiction with a speculative element and/or a strong plot (a la Alice Hoffman or Tana French).

Rom-coms: I’m newly open to adult rom-coms! Like in YA, I want them warm, funny, voicey, and layered; a high-concept premise that leaves space for big feelings and will appeal to a mainstream/crossover audience. I’m still not the best fit for genre romance.