Jacqualyn (Jackie) Pfeil

Hello! My name is Jackie and I’m an editorial assistant at St. Martin’s Publishing Group looking for agented submissions in adult and new adult fiction and select nonfiction. While I’m primarily interested in romance, I’m also drawn to romantasy, mystery, and pop culture nonfiction and read widely in these areas. I’m captivated by emotionally compelling and immersive stories with characters that etch their way into my heart and linger in my mind, like Delilah and Oliver in BETWEEN THE LINES by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer and Grace and Sam in SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater. 

Broadly speaking, I’m looking for: 

• Fiction (both adult and upper-YA) that has a throughline or thread of romance or romantic elements. I’d love to see more genre blends in general, especially if there’s romance!
• Romances and realistic love stories with a compelling hook, deep emotional nuance, and witty, refreshing banter that make me laugh out loud 
  • Contemporaries are a bit tough in the current market, so I’m only really focusing on those that have a strong voice, hook/concept, and/or author track.
• Magical realism and speculative elements, including but not limited to time travel, time slips, dream-slips, ghosts, weather/unnatural powers, etc. (THE SEVEN YEAR SLIP by Ashley Poston)
• Dark, suspenseful fiction and romances with twists and tragedies you don’t see coming and that propel the character’s journey forward (WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens)
  • I’d especially love to see more mafia, motorcycle, agents/assassins, etc. but not trigger-warning heavy
  • The story doesn’t have to be straight-up dark, but instead have dark, suspenseful (even gothic) themes and/or undertones (ALL RHODES LEAD HERE by Mariana Zapata) 
• Sweeping fantasy and paranormal romances that make me reminisce about watching Twilight for the first time (THE BITE by Z. W. Taylor and BRIDE by Ali Hazelwood)

I’d love to see more of: 

• Superhero romances! Can be grounded in our world (think DAREDEVIL seasons 1-3 originally on Netflix) or set in a new world/realm (like THE BOYS, and yes, action and gore please!).
• Fresh retellings, folklore, and fables, especially if it’s Scottish, Irish, or British, in fantasy/romantasy that are high-concept and packed with charm, speculative elements, and a touch of danger (OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon and MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand)
  • I especially love when they teach me something along the way, whether it’s about history, a new place or idea, the character’s journey, or even a lesson

Nonfiction

• In nonfiction, I’m primarily looking for pop culture and fandom-related nonfiction, specifically focused on topics related to or by One Direction, Harry Styles, or Big Brother USA.

I studied English and Communications at Florida State University and attended New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute. Prior to starting at SMPG, I worked at Barnes & Noble handselling books that I now work on daily. Currently, I’m actively building my list while assisting the Senior Publishing Manager of Castle Point Books, as well as Executive Editor of the Griffin Puzzle Program. Most notably, I have worked on various MURDLE titles and upcoming puzzle books, including New York Times Games crossword puzzle titles.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to jacqualyn.pfeil@stmartins.com

I am only accepting agented submissions at this time.