Kenna DeValor
D4EO Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
Kenna DeValor (they/them/theirs) is a queer and nonbinary literary agent, artist, and writer who aspires to bring representation and diversity to the literary world through the books they publish and the authors they represent. Kenna wants to partner with those who have a genuine passion for their stories and have words that “sing” off the page. Kenna is currently an MA/MFA graduate student at Wilkes University studying Creative Writing (Fiction and Arts Education) with the incredible fiction author Allison Saft as their mentor. With 7+ years of publishing, literary arts education, social media, and marketing experience across the literary and nonprofit scopes, Kenna wants to advocate for authors, build an author-centric vision for author careers, and build a foundation on connection, trust, and genuine passion for storytelling and literary arts as a whole.
Kenna would love to work with authors who are underrepresented in publishing (LGBTQIA+, disabled, BIPOC, etc.), and loves YA Fiction, Poetry, and Fiction that features horror, folklore, strong female main characters, LGBTQ+ Fiction and YA, and other fictional subgenres such as Romantasy, “Weird Girl Fiction”, Enemies to Lovers Romance, Dark Academia, Gothic, and Fantasy.
In Kenna’s career, they are the founder and editor-in-chief of their very own nonprofit (501c3) literary arts magazine: FlowerMouth Press, which publishes Gen-Z poets, writers, and artists from all over the world. They are also a Best of The Net 2025 nominee and a Best Small Fictions 2026 nominee and have many fantastic connections in the indie publishing world. Kenna also works at their local newspaper as a journalist and is a professional typewriter poet with the Poetry Society of New York.
When Kenna isn’t writing poetry or reading books on their Kindle, they love to make DIY Zines, teach workshops around the East Coast, go to punk rock concerts, support their local library, go thrifting with friends, and enjoy “cozy” hobbies like crocheting, playing video games, and exploring new cities.
Submission Guidelines
Note: Please query me on my QueryTracker! <3
Manuscript Wishlist:
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LGBTQIA+ Adult Fiction and YA (Horror, Fantasy, Romance)
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Strong FMC (Female Main Character) Fiction
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Poetry (Full-Size Collections – 80-120 pgs.)
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YA (Romance, Horror, Folklore, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+)
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“Weird Girl Lit”
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Adult Fiction: Horror, Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Dark Academia Fiction
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Fictional Sub-Genres: Romantasy, Dark Academia, Gothic Horror, Story Collections (Full-Length)
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Graphic Novels
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Creative Nonfiction: Punk Memoirs (akin to “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner & “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy)
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I wish to represent and uplift diverse and underrepresented voices in literature, such as LGBTQIA+, disabled, BIPOC, Latine, AAPI, and neurodivergent characters and voices.
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Loves: Enemies to Lovers, diverse characters and diverse representation, Secret Societies, Magic, Dragons, Stories that feel like a fever dream, Dark Academia & School-Based settings, Vampires, Gothic undertones, folklore, mythology.
My Anti-Wishlist – What I am NOT looking for:
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Autobiographies/Biographies
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Self-Help and Craft Books
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Erotica (Spicy Books OK!)
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Music Books
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Essays
- Western/Cowboys
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Children’s Literature / Early Reader Books
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Religious/Faith-Based Books
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Cookbooks and other instructional nonfiction
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War and Political Biographies (Both Fiction and Nonfiction)
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Stories with Animal Abuse or Sexual Violence
Hard NO to tropes like:
Non-Consensual/SA/Age Gaps, stalkers, cheating in relationships, weak female characters (damsel-in-distress), everyone gets married at the end, everyone dies at the end, teacher x student, stereotypical or diverse characters lacking in depth (aka “the quirky gay best friend”), “not like other girls”, miscarriage/pregnancy, and abuse masked as love, grandparent death (specifically, grandpa as father figure death).
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
AAPI Fantasy, AAPI Horror, AAPI Sci-Fi, Activism, Adult, Adult Horror, Adult Rom Com, Adult Romantasy, Apocalyptic, Asian Fantasy, Asian Horror, Asian Sci-Fi, BIPOC Fantasy, BIPOC Horror, BIPOC Mystery, BIPOC Sci-Fi, Biography & Memoir, Book Club, Character-Driven Horror, Character-driven SciFi, Chick Lit, Classic retellings with BIPOC characters, Contemporary Fantasy, Contemporary YA, Contemporary Young Adult, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Cyberpunk, Dark Female Friendships, Disability, Diverse Protagonists, Diversity, Epic Fantasy, Fairytale Retellings, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Fantasy YA, Female Friendships, Feminist, Feminist Horror, Feminist SF/F, Femoir, Folklore, Gothic, Gothic Fantasy, Gothic Horror, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels (for all ages), Hauntings, High Fantasy, High-concept YA, Historical Fiction YA, Historical RomCom, Humor YA, Inspirational Memoir, LGBT YA, LGBTQ Contemporary, LGBTQ Romance, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ Fantasy, LGBTQ+ Sci-Fi, LGBTQ+ rom coms, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIAP, Latinx Fantasy, Latinx Horror, Latinx Sci-Fi, Latinx stories, Literary Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Literary Horror, Literary YA, Low Fantasy, Magic, Magic Realism, Magical Realism, Magical Realism YA, Marginalized Voices, Mental Health, Minority Voices, Modern Dating, Modern Retellings of Fairy Tales, Modernized Mythologies, Monsters, Multiple POV, Mythic, Mythic Horror, Mythology, Neo-Victorian, Neurodiversity, New Weird, Occult Horror, POC, Paranormal Horror, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Thriller, Poetry, Psychological Horror, Psychological Thrillers, RomCom, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thriller, Same-Sex Romance, Sci-fi Thriller, SciFi Romance, Science Fiction YA, Science nonfiction, Shakespeare Retellings, Short Stories, Soft Fantasy, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera, Steampunk, Strong Females, Thriller, Thrillers, Time Travel, Time Travel Romance, Underrepresented Voices, Women's Fiction, Women's Issues, YA, YA Contemporary, YA Contemporary Romance, YA Contemporary Romance with layers, YA Fantasy, YA Mystery, YA Nonfiction, YA RomCom, YA Romance, YA Romantasy, YA SF/F, YA Sci-fi, YA Science Fiction, YA Thrillers, YA fantasy/light sci-fi, YA horror, YA rom com, YA thriller/mystery, Young Adult, anti-capitalist sci fi, body horror, book club fiction, character-focused fiction, classic retellings, comedy, comics, coming of age, contemporary women's fiction, dark academia, dark fantasy, diverse, diverse and own voices, diverse heroines, diverse voices, enemies to lovers, feminine narratives, ghost story, gothic romance, historical romance, horror, light Sci-Fi, light fantasy, memoir, pining, queer, queer horror, queer narratives, romantasy, romantic New Adult, romantic fantasy, romantic suspense/mystery, science fantasy, science fiction epic, science fiction horror, scifi thriller, slow burn romance, space horror, sweet romance, two people one bed, upmarket/book club with female protagonist, visible disability, weird fiction, whimsical, who did this to you, witches
I’d like the next…
- Give me a place with dark secrets, puzzles, and characters that are diverse! (Babel by R. F. Kuang)
- Give me so much passion for literature that it literally kills me. (The Secret History by Donna Tartt)
- Give me the next dark academia that transports me to another realm and makes me feel like the secret society it secretly draining my life force (All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters)
- Give me a dark academia that makes me feel like I know something I shouldn’t and I have yet to face the consequences. (Catherine House by
- A novel that makes me feel like I’m in a fever dream (Bunny by Mona Awad)
- Give me some good ol’ “Weird Girl Lit” (Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval or My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh)
- Give me a fantasy realm that makes falling in love so easy, no matter how much I try and tell myself “he’s the enemy and I shouldn’t love him” (The Cruel Prince by Holly Black)
My favorites include…
Books:
- All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
- Babel by R.F. Kuang
- A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
- Chlorine by Jade Song
- Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk
- I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
- Bunny by Mona Awad
- Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab
- A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid
- If We Were Villains by M.L Rio
- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E Schwab
- Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
- Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
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Hazelthorn by C. G. Drews(and many more to count!)
TV:
- Fleabag (would love recommendations for shows just like this!)
- Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- (Technically a YouTuber) Good Mythical Morning
- Anime: Chainsaw Man, Death Note, Sailor Moon, Pokémon, etc.
- (Unapologetic Nostalgic one) Spongebob Squarepants
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Our Flag Means Death
- Supernatural
- It’s A Sin
- Pluribus
- Parks and Rec
- The Office
- Shadow and Bone
- Umbrella Academy
- Midnight Mass
- Broad City
- Vampire Diaries
- American Horror Story
(and many more!)
Movies:
- Dead Poet’s Society
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- Spirited Away
- Princess Mononoke
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Sinners
- Love Lies Bleeding
- Hereditary
- Parasite
- Everything Everywhere All At Once
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
- Saltburn
- The Godfather
- Blair Witch Project
- Superman (2025)
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Longlegs
- The entire Twilight saga
- Pride and Prejudice (2004)
- Nosferatu(2024) and Frankenstein (2025)
- Bo Burnham: Inside
(and many more!)
