Eric Smith

Remember, just because an agent says they’re looking for something specific, it doesn’t mean they aren’t looking for something else. These are a few big wishlist items:

• Stories that celebrate neurodiversity, from authors who are themselves neurodivergent, both in fiction and non-fiction.

• Joyful novels and memoirs about the adoptee experience, written by adoptees.

• Genre-blending upmarket and literary fiction! This is a sweet spot for me in my agent life, so keep sending it to me.

• High concept rom-coms! I read a lot of romantic comedy, and I’m eager to find more projects that go a bit out of the box!

As for a little more general, here’s what I’m always looking for:

Genre Blending Literary & Adult Commercial Fiction: I’m looking for genre-blending fiction… books that pull a bit of genre into the literary. Some of my favorites in that space include Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Last One by Alexandra Olivia.

I’m also really hungry to find some great rom-coms. A few of my clients are working on them, and I’d just love to find some unique, high-concept romances, like I said above.

Accessible Fiction & Fantasy: I’m a bit picky when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy novels. I love them. I read a ton of them. But they have to be accessible. What does that mean? It means that readers who don’t traditionally pick up much sci-fi or fantasy, can pick up one of these novels, and enjoy it.

Some of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy reads include The Book of M by Peng Shepherd and Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. I’m not the right person for epic fantasy, military sci-fi, or doorstoppers.

All Kinds of Non-Fiction: I’m a little all over the place in non-fiction, but specifically I’m trying to find more memoirs, essay collections, pop history, and wellness books. With memoir, I’m best suited for projects that read like a collection of essays. When it comes to wellness, I’m looking for platformed writers who are experts in their respective topics, writing books in that space.

Very Select Young Adult + MG Fiction + Non-Fiction: I read widely in YA, and enjoy just about every genre in it. And while my client list is a bit full when it comes to kid-lit projects, the right standout book will absolutely still grab me. I love moving contemporary reads, thrilling sci-fi, and lush fantasy. I love diverse and inclusive Young Adult novels that reflect the world, and what the world could be.

My favorite YA novel of all time is a toss up between Hero by Perry Moore and The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.

When it comes to my favorite YA authors, I’ve read every book by Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, Nova Ren Suma, Mindy McGinnis, Jeff Zentner, Brandy Colbert, Meg Medina, Bryan Bliss, Lamar Giles, Ashley Poston, and Nina LaCour.

I’d also love to see more MG + YA non-fiction hit my inbox. Memoir, essay collections, you name it.

What I’m Not Looking For: Right now I’m still not looking for picture books, epic / military sci-fi or fantasy, novellas, or New Adult novels.

I hope this breakdown was helpful, and I wish you best of luck in your querying. Hopefully I’m a good fit!

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to eric@neighborhoodliterary.com

You can send your query directly to eric at er**@ne******************.com in a standard query letter format. If you’re having a hard time nailing that structure, Jane Friedman has some fantastic advice, as does Lindsay Ribar. But truly, don’t overthink it.

No attachments, please. Just the pitch. It takes between four to six weeks for Eric to respond to every query. While he can’t offer feedback on every pitch, he will reply to everyone.

Nudges are very welcome! But remember… four to six weeks, friends.

Guidelines & Details

Consultations