Allison Hellegers
Stimola Literary Studio
My Manuscript Wish List®
As both Foreign Rights Director and Literary Agent, my tastes lean towards books that have emotional hooks mixed with strong plot, film/TV and/or translation appeal, and take the reader on a journey.
Please send me adult fiction, non-fiction, middle-grade and young adult submissions: I’m looking for strong, real voices (focusing on BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and neurodiverse stories), page turning and twisty plots and storylines, coming-of-age family dynamics/drama, charming magical realism, surrealist fiction, speculative fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoirs. I’m on the lookout for books that advocate for body, gender, and sex positivity, especially for young adult readers. It would be great to find a contemporary YA graphic novel (author/illustrator only please) in this space. I would love a horror or thriller with deep emotional depth and atmosphere, psychological especially. I’m also hoping to find more stories that center both the Jewish and Muslim experience, especially during these times. I have a particular fondness for myths and retellings, and I’m always open to queer or differently abled love stories. More please!
Children’s authors I like: Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Natalie Babbit, Lois Duncan, Jean Craighead George, Roald Dahl, Renee Watson, Walter Dean Myers, Nicola Yoon, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, Katherine Applegate, Kate diCamillo, Cecily von Ziegesar, Karen M. McManus, Ruta Sepetys, Tae Keller, Erin Entrada Kelly, Thanhha Lai, Jenny Han, Maggie Stiefvater, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Kathi Appelt, Andrea Beaty, Mo Willems
Please do NOT send picture book texts, but I would look at an author-illustrator submission with an already existing dummy.
For adult fiction and non-fiction, I’m drawn to powerful and engaging stories told from the voices that we don’t often hear. I love psychological drama and gripping family dysfunction as much as I like books that transport me to faraway places and feel like a warm hug. I love historical fiction with a modern/feminist edge/political voice, and I’m drawn to books about islands or water, space (more speculative than sci-fi), and memoirs that explore unique and courageous lives. I would also love to find a romance with a non-hetero-normative main character or a character who is neurodiverse or has a disability.
Adult authors I like: Ruth Ozeki, Jeanette Winterson, Meg Wolitzer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Katherine Heiny, Khaled Hosseini, Margaret Atwood, Philip Roth, Megan Miranda, Liane Moriarty, Jeffrey Eugenides, Janice Erlbaum, Paula McLain, Kay Redfield Jamison, Michael Cunningham, Truman Capote, Celest Ng, Kristin Hannah, Sally Rooney, Lynn Steger Strong, Julia Whelan, Ada Calhoun, Stephanie Land, Ibram X. Kendi, Kate Atkinson, Roxanne Gay
Fun facts about me:
Allison (who also goes by that name Alli at the Studio) received her degrees in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After spending a semester abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris, she was thrilled when her jobs as Literary Scout and Foreign Rights Manager would take her back to France (among other countries). Alli also volunteered with the non-profit Girls Write Now, and empowering teen girls became one of the biggest drivers in her career. After working with the YA packager, Alloy Entertainment, Alli spent the last 10 years as Foreign Rights Director with Rights People. She also co-agents books for all ages on behalf of foreign publishers and agencies (international, British, and Australian) to represent projects into North America. Alli loves hiking in nature, listening to music on road trips, and spending time with her friends, partner, son, and her rescue mutt in Brooklyn.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to alli@sls-submissions.com
I’m currently closed to submissions.
Vital Info
I’d like the next…
THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy by Suzanne Collins
I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jeanette McCurdy
YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL by Maggie Smith
THE HATE YOU GIVE by Angie Thomas
HEARTSTOPPER by Alice Osman
RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN by John Ajvide Lindqvist
POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo
IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo
I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS by Ann Brashares
RAMONA QUIMBY by Beverly Cleary
LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds
WE ARE OKAY by Nina LaCouer
SADIE by Courtney Summers
SISTERS by Raina Telgemeier
WISHTREE by Katherine Applegate
MELISSA by Alex Gino
INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thannha Lai
ELEPHANT AND PIGGY series by Mo Willems
EDUCATED by Tara Westover
GOOD TALK by Mira Jacob
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG ON THE NIGHTTIME by Mark Haddon
RANDOM FAMILY by Adriene Nicole Leblanc
THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham
SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid
THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah
ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman
My favorites include…
Black Mirror, Physical, SKAM, Glow, Insecure, Veronica Mars, Better Things, Fleabag, Yellowjackets, Atlanta, Russian Doll, Friday Night Lights, Skins, The Queen’s Gambit, The Affair, Hanna, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Breaking Bad, the Americans, The Great, Dickinson, Succession, Pen15, Euphoria, Punky Brewster
