Eric Smith

PS Literary Agency

My Manuscript Wish List®

Note, just because what you’re writing isn’t on here, doesn’t mean I’m not interested in it. If you think you’ve got something I might enjoy based on my tastes, send me a pitch! But please, send all pitches through the P.S. Literary submissions email.

You can find that contact information here: psliterary.com/submissions.html

Young Adult: I’m eager to find bright new voices in YA. I’m currently (and always) searching for diverse sci-fi and fantasy YA novels, books that do a bit of genre blending, and heartfelt contemporary stories that’ll make me laugh and/or cry. I really want to see more LGBTQ+ YA books in my inbox.

My favorite YA novels include More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi, Hero by Perry Moore, Mosquitoland by David Arnold, Pointe by Brandy Colbert, Winger by Andrew Smith, Timekeeper by Tara Sim, Starfish by Akemi Bowman, and scores more.

Evergreen favorites include Erin Bowman, Nina LaCour, Zoraida Cordova, Adi Alsaid, Amy Spalding, Lauren Morrill, Stephanie Kuehn, Mindy McGinnis, Nova Ren Suma, Veronica Rossi, Justina Ireland, Cindy Pon, and Susan Dennard. I’ve read every single one of their books.

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Looking for accessible fantasy and sci-fi, especially SFF that does a bit of genre blending. John Scalzi is probably the perfect example. Redshirts (sci-fi collides with pop culture) and Lock In (sci-fi smashed up with noir and mystery) are great comps for what I love. Other favorites of mine include Cory Doctorow, Fran Wilde, Kat Howard, S.A. Chakraborty, Sylvain Neuvel, and Cherie Priest. Also see Chuck Wendig’s entire publication history. I’ve read all his books.

Cookbooks: I’m particularly interested in cookbook ideas from bloggers. Do you have an awesome food blog with a growing audience? Can you take amazing photos? Are you an active part of the food blogger community? Let’s talk. I’m very open to helping develop ideas here, even if the book isn’t quite there yet.

Non-Fiction: When it comes to non-fiction, I’m interested in books that focus on pop culture, geekery, and/or teach readers about the odd and the unique. If you’ve ever picked up a book by Mary Roach, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Non-fiction that explains big ideas and large concepts in ways that are accessible, fun, and humorous. I’m also very interested in essay collections and memoir, from people who are writing and publishing pieces actively.

Literary & Commercial Fiction: The sweet spot here, is work that does a bit of genre mashing. Think Station Eleven, The Last Policeman (one of my favorite books ever), The Night Circus, The Last One, Good Morning Midnight, and novels by Tom Perrotta, especially like The Leftovers. I like literary novels with a splash of quirk.

What I’m Not Looking For:

Middle Grade or Picture Books (pitch my colleague Maria!)
Angel & demon love stories, Heaven / Hell stories.
Adult epic fantasy or military sci-fi. See below.
Books that are far over 100k+.
Non-fiction about sports or politics.
Thrillers about terrorism.
Portals.
Main-character-is-a-bigot-and-learns-a-lesson. Hard pass.
Redemptive story arcs for abusers. Nope.
Horror novels. I like them, but I don’t know what makes a good one.
Anything “Lovecraftian” (he was racist, not interested)
Commercial fiction about sports (exceptions made for sports YA, I love sports YA!)