Kristin Temple

I’ve been at Tor since 2016 and am exclusively acquiring adult horror novels and novellas for Nightfire.

I am particularly eager for submissions from queer, BIPOC, neurodiverse, disabled, or other marginalized perspectives.

I’m primarily drawn to commercial, fast-paced, character-driven stories that can surprise me. I love stories with a good sense of humor, and narratives that can play with readers’ expectations (e.g. the Scream franchise).

My favorite kind of horror is grounded in close friendships/found family – think IT, Stranger Things, and the Fear Street movies – or twisted, complicated family dynamics – think A Head Full of Ghosts, Hereditary, and Netflix’s adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House.

I’m always on the lookout for books that use horror to tackle modern-day anxieties in fresh, unique ways (e.g. Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Alison Rumfitt’s Tell Me I’m Worthless, and Sunny Moraine’s Your Shadow Half Remains). Horror has always been a safe space to challenge societal issues like racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc., and I want my list to reflect that!

I’m particularly hungry for creature features, deep water terror, found footage/ghost hunting, and slashers – if you have the next Jaws, Underwater, The Blair Witch Project, or Scream, I want to see it! I’d also love the next Jurassic Park – more scary dinosaurs please!

While I love a brutal gut-punch, my favorite kind of horror is ultimately hopeful. I want to watch characters face their fears and win. Make impossible choices and survive. Rescue each other and rescue themselves.

I’m not usually the best fit for books about classic monsters—vampires, werewolves, zombies—unless they’re coming from a queer, BIPOC, or otherwise marginalized perspective (e.g. Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones and Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia). I’m more interested in unknown creatures or folklore that hasn’t been explored yet – preferably outside the Western canon.

I’m open to dark fantasy and sci-fi horror, but they have to have very strong horror elements. Examples on my list include: Black Tide by KC Jones, The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown, and The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey.

Submission Guidelines

Kristin only accepts agented submissions at this time.