Ashley Quintana

I’m an Editorial Assistant at St. Martin’s Publishing Group, looking to acquire adult and young adult fiction. Prior to working here, I was a Barnes & Noble bookseller and interned at Avon. I’m primarily interested in romance, or anything with a strong romantic thread throughout. I’m drawn to stories that are plot-driven with strong characters and a lot of emotional depth.

I’m looking for:

• Contemporary romances with a strong voice and a unique hook. I love anything from a sweet and fluffy rom-com to a dark and spicier romance. I’m a big fan of trope-y romances done right. Some of my favorite tropes include: fake dating, second chance, and friends to lovers. The only trope I really tend to shy away from is pregnancy (for personal reasons), so no accidental pregnancies or secret babies, please! Some of my favorite authors include: Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, Nisha Sharma, Abby Jimenez, and Christina Lauren.
• All things paranormal romance! I’m a big fan of vampires, witches, and werewolves, but would love to see more unique creatures as well. I’d also love to see stories that lean a bit more speculative (I’m on the lookout for a good time travel romance in the vein of Steins;Gate). Right now, I’m really craving a good enemies to lovers vampire romance that feels like an Ali Hazelwood book.
• Fantasies and Romantasies that are a bit more grounded or second-world. I love anything from sweet and magical stories (Once Upon a Broken Heart) to darker and grittier stories with complex female characters (The Wolf and the Woodsman).
• Dystopian books, especially in YA and NA. I firmly believe that dystopian is making a comeback, and I’d love to see stories that really set themselves apart from the big books of the 2000s and 2010s in terms of voice. I’m a big fan of Divergent, The Selection, The 100, etc.
• Thrillers with a younger edge to them. I tend to gravitate more towards thrillers on the YA side with a good romantic hook. I’m a big fan of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying! However, I’m open to thrillers on the adult side in the vein of So Happy Together.
• Books that lean a bit more literary. I love flowery prose that’s done just right (think Ava Reid!). I want to feel really enchanted and drawn in by the writing style.
• Fun genre blends! There are so many things that have been done already, so it would be great to see a book that takes two popular ideas and brings them together to create something fun and fresh. Some examples that I’ve seen and loved are: Demon hockey players, alien cowboys, and werewolf mafia romances. I’m very open to things that are a little more out there, but feel really unique!
• Diverse stories featuring queer characters, characters of color (especially Latine characters), and characters with illnesses and disabilities (especially chronic pain, chronic migraines, PCOS/PMOS, etc.).

I am not the best fit for non-fiction, horror, or why choose/reverse harem novels.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that I am only accepting agented submissions.