Caitlin McDonald

I represent adult and young adult science fiction and fantasy, including all tangentially related subgenres. I’m also seeking contemporary YA if it has a geeky angle; historical if it has a bit of magic; horror if it crosses over with another genre; and SFF romance if it is queer. I want to see diversity of all kinds, including (but not limited to) race, gender, sexuality, and ability, in both characters and worldbuilding; and I am actively looking to represent authors from marginalized groups. Most of all, I want strong, unique voices and engaging characters, and stories that speak to the world around us.

I would love to add more Young Adult to my list, but voice is the most common barrier, especially with first-person POV. Please really hone that prose! I would love to see more diversity in how YA talks about romance and relationships, such as poly relationships, or power couples breaking up; let’s acknowledge that a First Love is not always a Forever Love. I would love a snappy YA historical mystery (especially with magic thrown in). I always love heists and found families, and I’d love to find a really good geeky queer romcom. Portal fantasy and dystopian are a very hard sell for me.

For Adult, I want space operas and near-future science-fiction, but I am not the best person for hard sci-fi or military SF. For fantasy I will take pretty much everything, so long as it diverges from the beaten path in execution. I particularly love heists, found families, and strong worldbuilding. I’m a sucker for court intrigue, and would love to see projects like the Daevabad trilogy, or The Lies of Locke Lamora with more women.

Horror only works for me if it is crossed over with another genre, such as the sci-fi trappings of THE LUMINOUS DEAD. I particularly love horror that leans towards psychological thriller, but please don’t send me anything set in a psychiatric hospital.

I’m dipping my toes into Romance, but at the moment I’m only seeking queer stories with a heavy science fiction or fantasy connection. Historical works, as long as it has some element of fantasy or magic, however small. I love stories that embrace–or dismantle!–tropes. Antagonists-to-lovers, fake relationships, and secret identities are a few of my favorites.

I am also looking for Graphic Novels. My interests for these are the same as everything listed above. I am not partnering authors with artists at this time, so please submit graphic novel pitches only if there is already an artist attached to the project.

As of August 2023, I am no longer accepting queries for middle grade or nonfiction for the time being.

Please do not send:

• picture books, grade school, middle grade, or anything younger than YA
• memoir or any other nonfiction
• commercial crime or thrillers, unless they are SFF
• military fiction
• Christian fiction
• sports books
• screenplays
• stories that feature graphic sexual assault or suicide

Submission Guidelines

Please follow the submission guidelines on the Query Manager form at the link below.

Guidelines & Details

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