Leah Pierre

I am exclusively looking for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander voices who are or are not LGBTIQA+—basically anyone underrepresented and/or marginalized

I love diverse and unique work that is fast-paced and has a complex cast of diverse characters. I also love a good plot twist and is a huge sucker for camaraderie, banter, and the tight-knit, family-like group of friends trope. Give me something out of the ordinary, and a conflict that’s hard-hitting and really makes me wonder if anyone is right. I am pretty much a fan of all the tropes and am specifically interested in stories that contain elements of and are in the vein of the following: deals with devils, found family, villainous female rage, slow burn so long as it’s worth it (but heat is also welcome!), and unreliable narrators

She is not open to PBs at the moment. Nor does she accept MG, dystopian, legal/spy thrillers, or non-fiction. 

She is looking to acquire across YA, New Adult, and Adult in the following genres (genre-blending welcomed!) in order of what she is most interested in: 

Speculative

While not the hugest fan of contemporary fantasy, I do love a good paranormal and urban fantasy and would want to see things like Hush, Hush or The Mortal Instruments (but for now and BIPOC) or something similar to Crescent City (but BIPOC).

I’d love an elevated dark academia or some moody, dark atmospheric (southern) gothic and/or horror. Anything along the lines of the following:

• Nosferatu
• Black Swan
• Our Vicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
• Phantom of the Opera
• Haunting of Bly Manor
• Mexican Gothic
• Year of the Witching, 
• Wednesday x Lizzie Borden
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Edgar Allan Poe
• Saltburn
• The Haunting of Hill House or Haunting of Bly Manor
• Crimson Peak

I’m also in the mood for something campy ala Scream Queens or some social horror i.e Jordan Peele!

SFF/Fantasy

I love a good genre blend with fantasy—sci-fi, horror, gothic, mystery, romance (though note I’m more plot-focused than romance, so romantasy isn’t my first choice). Really, anything except contemporary (unless it’s paranormal)!

Gimme anything with elements of myth, legends, history, and/or fairytales (retellings or re-imaginings welcomed), preferably lesser-known cultures (i.e. Middle Eastern, Indigenous, African, South American, and etc). 

I like otherworldly and magical as much as I do political intrigue. I’m a sucker for a really lush world/world building, but I also need the characters to be people I care and root for. Provide a world I don’t want to leave! Think The Daevabad Trilogy, Red Rising, Throne of Glass, and/or An Ember in the Ashes Trilogy. I’m very much an escapist and want mystical adventures ( i.e. Atlantis or Pirates–sea heist, anyone?). 

While open to sci-fi, I’d really love a good sci-fantasy! Something similar to the Blood Trials duology. For straight sci-fi, it would need to be something accessible like Red Rising. I’m specifically looking for an accessible space opera akin to Kill Joys (space bounty hunters). Or something that is near-future, real-world-esque, like Black Mirror or Orphan Black—something that really delves into how technology is impacting and shaping our society. 

Mystery/Thriller* (YA only):

For mystery, I’d like a traditional whodunit, something that brings the vibes of And Then There Were None, Scooby Doo, or Only Murders in the Building. But I’m also looking for any of the following: something with a good unreliable narrator (anyone remember the Mara Dyer series?), anything campy like Do Revenge, things with dark depth like Sadie, or on the lighter side of the spectrum, Now You See Me and/or Knives Out, or anything akin to Tiffany D. Jackson.

On the thriller side, I’m more looking for an actiony—give me a heist a la Six of Crows or Heist Society (ifykyk) or Leverage! Or something family run/inspired like Deli Boys!

*I would especially love this blended with fantasy!

Contemporary/Romance

Contemporary is one of my favs, esp quiet books BUT because publishing is a business and it’s saying contemporary is not selling right and/or is hard to make books stand out (unless it’s REALLY high concept), at the moment (and because I already have quiet a roster of fab contemporary writers), I am not actively seeking anything in this genre.

But if your book has some of the following evergreen concepts I love, I’d still be willing to consider it!

• Something more romance-leaning that highlights the struggles of today’s dating culture, about how people deal with growth and life pulling them in two different directions, or even missed connections, like One Day.
• A reality dating romcom or something fun and rompy in the vein of Emily in Paris 
• Very specific want: something similar to Pose x Sex Education and following a group of NA queer characters falling in love and living life 
• Relationships (platonic and non-platonic) growing and being pulled apart like Someone Great
• That (post) college/new adult space, something like Sex Lives of College Girls, Adults, or Just One Day by Gayle Forman.
• Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram, but for new adults

Submission Guidelines

I only accept submissions via QueryManager: https://querymanager.com/query/leahpierre

I respond to all submissions via form response or otherwise.

Guidelines & Details