Renee Runge

I’m an Associate Agent at Spencerhill Associates, where I specialize in children’s literature. I represent picture book, MG, and YA authors, and particularly enjoy developmental editing. I lead my life with empathy, curiosity, silliness, and creativity, and love to work with authors who appreciate the same!

My taste in media has been described as pretty eclectic, but what my favorite books all have in common is commercial appeal with a literary aura. I’m excited to find more projects with fresh or unexpected hooks that will really stand out in the current market. Elements that most grab my attention are arresting voices, seamless subplot connections, and a sucker punch of an ending. Settings with strong atmospheric vibes also tend to stand out.

As a neurodivergent person, I’m really excited to collaborate with and champion diverse and underrepresented creators from all backgrounds. Please send me your projects that explore intersectional issues or historically marginalized identities, especially if they offer new perspectives on any part of my MSWL!

Having grown up in Florida’s public education system, I have a vested interest in keeping knowledge freely accessible and allowing children to read whatever they want to read. I’m a huge advocate for the idea that if a child can experience it, they can read about it. Stories with “bannable” qualities are generally appealing to me, and I’m not one to shy away from the big topics that inform the ways children start to experience the world around them.

I’m willing to look at most projects in the categories I represent because I’m also a huge believer in the idea that sometimes we don’t know what we’re looking for until we find it, but here’s a general idea of some things really piquing my interest at this time:

MG/YA 

• Coming-of-age, slices of life that explore a defining period in a character’s life (Seventeenth Summer)
• Animal protagonists, preferably those we haven’t seen as heroes often/ever before, that inspire years worth of storylines and fandom potential
• Secret worlds, abilities, knowledge that adults may or may not know about
• Magical realism with a literary bent (The Fledgling, Skellig, A Monster Calls)
• Dystopia!!! All of it!
• Iconic friend groups
• First love / crushes and all their embarrassing moments
• All the failed romances, situationships, missed opportunities to express feelings for each other, anything that dissects the nature of relationship in retrospect (Why We Broke Up)
• Anything funny that speaks the language of today’s children while transcending age group
• Niche history – give me a new perspective on a major event, or introduce me to history that didn’t make the school textbook
• Alternate history – what if xyz happened instead?
• Characters who have to significantly adapt or question long-held beliefs for the first time in order to survive their situation

• Thrillers with unreliable narrators, big unexpected twists, repressed traumas and fears resurfacing
• Summer-y beach reads that might also… gently Say Something (Imagine if Belly considered that the privileged way in which the boys grew up affected how they both got away with treating her in The Summer I Turned Pretty)
• Growing pains, fears about adulthood, characters who aren’t ready to grow up… something that addresses how sad it is to leave childhood behind
• Rule-breakers, in every sense of the word
• Examination of identity and allyship (re: Imogene, Obviously)
• Reconnecting with one’s roots
• Mom Friends who need someone to take care of them for once
• Stories based on songs

At this time, I am only accepting picture book submissions by request from events. No exceptions here.

I am probably not the best fit for: retellings of fairy tales / mythology / the classics (NEW literary traditions do strongly appeal to me), heavily romance-driven fantasy, or novels-in-verse. 

While I am well known to love animal protagonists, please do not send me stories about sad pets even if there’s ultimately a HEA, as it is extremely difficult for me to read about companion animals suffering / experiencing issues in any way / dying. For this reason I generally prefer animal fantasy about wild critters. 

My hardest no’s are reserved for anything that actively harms / contributes to stereotypes against groups of people, and I am about as anti-AI as it gets!

I do not represent adult genres at this time.

Submission Guidelines

Please only query me via my official QueryManager profile.

Guidelines & Details