Char Dreyer

After collecting lots of other work and life experience (which includes but is not limited to: podcast production, bookselling, soccer coaching, bamboo cabin building, living in Chile, Spain, and Mexico, non-profit work, 30 day thru-hiking, and sheep farming), I joined St. Martin’s Publishing Group in January of 2024. Here, I assist Associate Publisher and VP of Wednesday and Saturday Books, Eileen Rothschild. I’m interested in acquiring both YA and adult commercial and upmarket stories that are immensely readable with a strong, smart plot and voice. I love finishing a book, throwing it down, and immediately jumping up to find someone to argue with about the ending. I’m looking for diverse adventures and curios and twists I don’t see coming, balanced by great dialogue, satirical cuts, and a well-turned phrase or two. I’m very drawn to characters who are forced to make impossible decisions, leaving readers debating what we would have done in their place. 

Some things I’m looking for specifically in Adult fiction (commercial & upmarket):

• Quick, intense reads that turn societal issues on their heads, ideally with a sprinkle of speculative elements and a good dose of humor. Some examples:
  • Gender and patriarchy
    • THE POWER by Naomi Alderman 
  • Xenophobia & classism
    • BEL CANTO by Ann Patchett
    • THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley 
• Novels with a cutting, satirical voice and a lot of dark comedy: 
  • YELLOWFACE by RF Kuang
  • DR. NO by Percival Everett
  • THE SELLOUT by Paul Beatty 
  • SEVERANCE by Ling Ma

Things I’m looking for across Adult and Young Adult fiction: 

• Stories that take place (at least partially) outside and/or feature the land as a strong central character
• Strong magical realism / curio elements
• A central adventure, quest, or mission 
• Dystopias
• Use of time in an interesting way, whether for structure or within the plot itself 
• Twists that make you rethink a character, idea, or storyline 
• A focus on the power of linguistics and language 
• Stories that operate around community and found family (rather than the nuclear family) 
• Stories that center Indigenous voices and narratives 

Adult examples of one/more of these themes: 

• CIRCE by Madeline Miller
• ASYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday
• Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo
• STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel
• LAND OF MILK AND HONEY by C Pam Zhang
• PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke
• ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD by Eiren Caffall
• THE CENTRE by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

YA examples of one/more of these themes:

• LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel
• The Marrow Thieves duology by Cherie Dimaline
• FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley
• OUR INFINITE FATES by Laura Steven
• I KISSED SHARA WHEELER by Casey McQusiton 

In terms of non-fiction, I am interested in:

• Narrative, outdoor adventures with a strong sense of voice, like WILD by Cheryl Strayed or A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson
• Sociological criticisms or calls to rethink elements of our lives, like BULLSHIT JOBS and THE DAWN OF EVERYTHING by David Graeber, SAVING TIME and HOW TO DO NOTHING by Jenny Odell, or BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Creatives explaining their process and giving glimpses into their lives, like BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert

I am not a good fit for: 

• Animal abuse/death 
• Intense body horror
• Contemporary rom-coms

Submission Guidelines

At this time, I am only accepting agented queries.