Ashlee MacCallum

Ashlee MacCallum joined Howland Literary after interning at Triada US. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Ashlee is passionate about championing marginalized creators and uplifting historically underrepresented voices. She gravitates toward high-concept, commercial fiction with bold storytelling, standout pacing, and a distinct voice that grabs you from the first page. Ashlee has a soft spot for speculative stories, mysteries, and anything delightfully weird.

MSWL

Across all categories, I’m looking for:
• A clear, compelling, one-sentence pitch
• Strong, distinctive voice
• Diverse and underrepresented perspectives
• A touch of the unexpected, offbeat, or strange
• Stories that balance emotional depth with commercial appeal

YOUNG ADULT (HORROR, MYSTERY/THRILLER, PARANORMAL)

Horror: Twisted tales with layered storytelling
• Southern Gothic
• Occult
• Folk Lore
• Paranormal
• Bubble Gum
• Psychological
• Found footage
• Monsters

Mystery/Thriller: Fast-paced stories that blend danger and emotional depth
• High stakes
• Emotionally driven
• Danger and secrets
• Dark challenges
• Reluctant detectives
• Race-against-time
• Revenge
• Unreliable narrator

Paranormal: Supernatural forces lurking just beyond the veil of reality
• Ghost stories/hauntings
• Vampires
• Werewolves
• Paranormal Romance
• Curses
• Shapeshifters
• Dual worlds
• Dark rituals
• Forest spirits

ADULT FICTION (MYSTERY/THRILLER, BOOK CLUB FICTION/ WOMEN’S FICTION, HORROR/GOTHIC/PARANORMAL, COZY FANTASY, HISTORICAL FICTION)

Thriller / Mystery
• Psychological or domestic suspense with a strong hook
• High-stakes premise that escalates quickly
• Unreliable narrators or morally complex characters
• Bingeable pacing with sharp twists
• Cozy mysteries with a unique setting, voice, or hook

Horror / Gothic / Paranormal
• Commercial or elevated horror, gothic, or paranormal stories with a clear, compelling hook
• Atmospheric, eerie, or unsettling storytelling—hauntings, decay, isolation, or a lingering sense that something isn’t right
• Psychological or social tension grounded in real fears, often intersecting with the uncanny or supernatural
• Voice-driven narratives with strong character perspective and emotional depth
• Stories that blend horror, gothic elements, or the paranormal with identity, relationships, grief, or memory

Cozy Fantasy
Please do not send high fantasy or dark fantasy – instead, try the wonderful Rebecca Angus!
• Witches, covens, enchanted forests, and quirky magical communities
• Warm, character-driven stories
• Found family, community, or healing-centered arcs
• Light magic or whimsical world elements
• Strong voice with charm and humor
• Escapist, comforting tone with a clear hook

Women’s Fiction / Book Club Fiction
• High-concept emotional premise (clear, pitchable hook)
• Relationship-driven stories with strong character arcs
• Family, identity, and reinvention at the center
• Secrets, moral dilemmas, or layered interpersonal tension
• Diverse perspectives and culturally specific storytelling

Historical Fiction
• Fresh angle or underexplored historical moment
• Strong emotional throughline and character focus
• Dual timelines or narrative reveals that drive momentum
• Hidden histories or marginalized perspectives
• Book club appeal with a compelling central hook

Specific MSWL
• The gritty, power-driven storytelling and morally gray characters of Peaky Blinders and Sons of Anarchy, particularly in settings where loyalty, violence, and ambition collide
• The sharp social dynamics and slow-burning unraveling of privilege seen in The White Lotus—ensemble casts, contained settings, and tension that simmers beneath the surface
• Dark, gothic storytelling that interrogates monstrosity and creation
• Women who push too far, want too much, and refuse to be contained. Give me women who are messy, unlikable, impulsive, and unapologetically complex.
• Subversive myth retellings—especially Persephone—that lean dark, romantic, and emotionally charged
• Historical or historical-inspired settings used as a backdrop for high-stakes conflict, violence, and power—not quiet or nostalgic, but immersive and propulsive. I’d love something set during the Civil Rights Era.
• Layered, mystery-driven narratives with buried secrets and generational consequences, structurally tight and reveal-driven
• Isolated or insular settings (compounds, estates, retreats, small towns) where secrets fester, and tensions turn volatile
• Ghosts, hauntings, spirits, and eerie, unexplained elements with strong atmosphere and emotional stakes. I’m especially drawn to stories where the supernatural intersects with grief, memory, or buried secrets.
• Bubblegum horror! Bright, glossy, hyper-stylized horror with sharp edges—playful on the surface but dark underneath. I’m drawn to bold aesthetics and stories that balance fun, femininity, and danger.
• Campy horror that’s bold and self-aware with a sense of fun—over-the-top concepts, big characters, and a willingness to lean into the chaos while still delivering real stakes
• Power structures and hierarchy-driven worlds (crime families, cults, elite circles) where characters must navigate loyalty, betrayal, and survival

Submission Guidelines

At this time, Ashlee is closed to queries, with a tentative reopening date of September 1, 2026.

Query Link: https://QueryTracker.net/query/queryashlee

Guidelines & Details