Amanda Jain’s #MSWL Madness

  • By: admin | Date: Mar 21 2018

More #MSWL Madness headed your way! I’m excited to share my wishlist with you today and can’t wait to see all the lovelies it brings to my query box. As a general reminder, I represent adult mystery, romance, women’s fiction, upmarket, and literary fiction, as well as adult nonfiction, and I am always interested in historical fiction across all genres. Here are some specific things I’m looking for!

In nonfiction:

-I am a huge fan of books that combine history and travel and would love to add some of those to my list. If you write in the vein of Tony Horwitz’s BLUE LATITUDES or Rinker Buck’s THE OREGON TRAIL, I’d love to see your work. If someone wrote this type of book about The Wilderness Road, many of my agent dreams would come true.

-I’m also looking for food-centered nonfiction, especially those projects that explore either forgotten aspects of our food culture or the intersections of food, feminism, and race. Send me nonfiction projects like Ronni Lundy’s VICTUALS, Laura Shapiro’s WHAT SHE ATE, Michael Twitty’s THE COOKING GENE, John T. Edge’s THE POTLIKKER PAPERS, or the explorations of these topics you would find on podcasts like GRAVY and RACIST SANDWICH.

-I also love to read books about our interests and obsessions and how far we’re willing to go to entertain them. Maybe it’s our obsession with objects and their importance, like Marilyn Johnson’s LIVES IN RUINS or Deborah Lutz’s THE BRONTE CABINET. Maybe it’s our obsession with books and the authors who wrote them, like Wendy McClure’s THE WILDER LIFE or Ted Scheinman’s CAMP AUSTEN.

In romance:

-Diverse historical romance, diverse historical romance, diverse historical romance. I would love to see some perspectives in time periods that have been largely overlooked. If I keep putting the idea of a romance centered on South Asians in London during the Regency period out there, I’m confident it’ll turn up eventually. Right? *looks at you* Right?!?

-Spring is finally here, and I’d love to see some outdoorsy contemporary romances. If your main characters are competing archaeologists, adventure guides, park rangers, gardeners, farmers, etc, and spend their time fighting and falling in love outdoors, send ‘em my way!

Random wants:

-Historical or contemporary romance with a hint of magic

-Contemporary mystery where the setting is integral like Jane Harper’s THE DRY

-Upmarket or literary fiction with a mild speculative bent like THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, STATION ELEVEN, or THE JANE AUSTEN PROJECT

-Engaging, whip-smart women’s fiction with an interesting hook like Aimee Agresti’s upcoming CAMPAIGN WIDOWS

-If someone writes a book that’s a mashup of the movies BAD MOMS and SHAUN OF THE DEAD, you’d make me very happy.

-Every year in Virginia there’s a 100-mile-long yard sale. I can’t help but think there’s a fun women’s fiction or contemporary romance project in there.

And remember, our submission wishlists are always changing so keep an eye out here for updates.

To read my submission guidelines and submit a query, find me at https://QueryMe.Online/AmandaJain. Please remember to query only one BookEnds agent at a time. I can’t wait to see your stories!