Simone Roberts-Payne

Hi! I am an Assistant Editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. Putnam strives to publish a book for every reader. Prior to joining Putnam, I worked as a research assistant for Jacqueline Woodson. I have always loved books from a teen perspective, especially because I feel like they act as a microcosm for what people are worried about in our larger society, and it’s such a pivotal age group. I am particularly interested in uplifting BIPOC voices and am mainly looking to acquire commercial YA, literary picture books and the occasional chapter book or middle grade novel-in-verse.

In YA, I am drawn to grounded fiction that is dynamic and diverse. I am looking for stories that explore complicated familial or romantic relationships, have a hint of mystery or magic, and are a touch heartbreaking. I love voicey YA with girls that feel like outcasts, thrillers with twists that leave your jaw dropping, and romance with couples you just can’t help but root for. When it comes to the exploration of tough topics for teens, I am more interested in the dissection of systemic issues like colonialism rather than hard individual issues, like suicide. I would love to see an author similar to Britt Bennett but for young readers, and books that deal with race in a nuanced way. I am also looking for a story with the darkness, humor, and detective element of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Netflix TV show Wednesday or Veronica Mars.

For picture books and middle grade, I am looking for lyrical and poetic fiction that explores hope, love, grief, identity, family, and magic. I am also looking for scary picture books or books about monsters.

For chapter books, I am looking for commercial stories about friendship, adventure and finding oneself in the same vein as Creaky Acres, the PAWS series, Ruby René Had So Much to Say and Junie B. Jones series. 

I am not the best fit for:

• Animal focused novels
• High fantasy
• Locked-door mystery (setting is very important to me)
• Desert, Groundhog Day, Robot or Space stories

~Currently hunting for a YA pacey thriller with romance that is set in a small town and by a BIPOC author~

Submission Guidelines

I only accept agented submissions.