Catherine Ross
Corvisiero Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
I’m mainly focusing on middle grade and young adult stories at this time. I’m drawn to lush, descriptive settings, impeccable world building and a rich, atmospheric prose that fully commits to the fantasy, horror, or mystery of the story.
Across the Board:
- Horror, fantasy, and mystery
- Stories set in the South, Appalachia, or coastal towns
- Isolated, contained settings (islands, camps, or boarding schools)
- BIPOC characters written by BIPOC authors
- dual-timeline mysteries
- stories rooted in supernatural folklore (especially Caribbean folklore- give me La Ciguapa)
Middle Grade
- stories that show kids facing their fears
- stories showing underrepresented home-life experiences and socioeconomic backgrounds, such as foster care, divorced parents, etc.
- cozy, contemporary fantasies that show the magic among the mundane
Young Adult
- gripping mystery that explores the dynamics of a small-town or friendships
- feminine rage
- sorority or cheerleading horror
- dark academia that examines academic institutions from a race or class lens
- atmospheric horror and sharp tension
- witches, banshees and sirens!
I’m happy to consider projects that do not exactly match any of the above elements. I am not a good fit for legal thrillers, futuristic or sci/fi leaning fantasy, and procedural thrillers.
Fun facts about me:
- I lived in Germany for 3 years
- I taught my pet fish to give high fives with his tail fin
- I’m huge on board game nights
Submission Guidelines
Please share your query letter, 1-2 page synopsis, and the first ten pages of your manuscript using my query form.
Unsolicited submissions sent via email will not be considered. Submissions that utilize AI in any part will not be considered.
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
#Dis, #ownvoices, AAPI Fantasy, AAPI Horror, BIPOC Fantasy, BIPOC Horror, Character-Driven Horror, Contemporary Fantasy, MG Fantasy, MG Horror, Southern Gothic, Supernatural, Tarot, YA Fantasy, YA horror, dark academia, dark fantasy, witches
I’d like the next…
YA:
- Legendborn by Tracey Deonn
- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
- Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
- One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
- The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
MG:
- Root Magic by Eden Royce
- Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
- Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
My favorites include…
In addition to the books above:
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
- Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall
- The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
- Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
- They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
TV + Movies
- The Invitation
- Yellowjackets
- Chambers
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Maxton Hall
- Pretty Little Liars
- Outer Banks
