Jennifer Baker
Amistad Books/HarperCollins
My Manuscript Wish List®
Jennifer is a senior editor at Amistad Books (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers). Amistad Books has existed for over 35 years and is known for publishing award-winning/bestselling adult commercial and literary titles of the Black Diaspora as well as IPOC voices.
Jennifer IS interested in adult works with strong narrative voice, unique perspectives, and characters that are relatable & have agency. Welcome non-U.S. centered stories and character-driven narratives with strong sense of place/vision. She is open to “non-traditional” narratives (epistolary, non-linear, multiple POV) in literary fiction (novels and story collections); upmarket & commercial fiction (romance, humor, speculative, horror, light sci-fi/fantasy, true crime, mystery); narrative and reported nonfiction (memoirs, essay collections with a specific focus, biographies, investigative journalism about Black communities, satirical political analysis) in areas of climate, economics, criminal justice, etc.; poetry (prose and free form); graphic novels & graphic memoir; highly illustrated (or photographic) historical discussions/reflections of the diaspora and/or comedic & introspective works reflecting on history, politics, worldviews.
Jennifer is NOT interested in erotica, epic fantasy, steampunk, coffee table or novelty books, children’s literature, parenting books, self-help/spirituality/inspiration, travel guides, sports, translation, religion, narratives that focus solely on traumatic experiences without balance & nuance.
Fun facts about me:
I am also the creator/host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast.
Submission Guidelines
Amistad accepts agented submissions unless otherwise solicited. (Unsolicited submissions from authors will be deleted unread and email addresses will be blocked.)
Vital Info
I’d like the next…
Good Talk (by Mira Jacob), Kindred (by Octavia Butler), On Beauty (by Zadie Smith), Castle Cross the Magnet Carter (by Kia Corthron), Bastards of the Reagan Era (by Reginald Dwayne Betters), The Office of Historical Corrections (by Danielle Evans), Erasure (by Percival Everett), What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky (by Lesley Nneka Arimah), We Are Never Meeting in Real Life: Essays (by Samantha Irby), One Last Stop and Red, White, and Royal Blue (by Casey McQuiston), Salvage the Bones (by Jesmyn Ward), Ayiti (by Roxane Gay), Sula (by Toni Morrison).
My favorites include…
Film/TV: Los Espookys, Shaun of the Dead, Clerks, Insecure, Awkward Black Girl webisodes (miss this show!), Nora from Queens, Shameless, early seasons of Black-ish, In Treatment (first two seasons), Chasing Amy, Sweet Home, Train to Busan, Abbott Elementary, Peacemaker.
