Sophie Sheumaker
Global Rights Assistant & Literary Assistant
(she/her/hers)
Sophie Sheumaker is the Global Rights assistant and literary assistant to Naomi Davis. She studied writing, literature, and publishing at Emerson College, graduating in the spring of 2023 and has recently begun building her list of authors and illustrators. She can be found at the library checking out more books than she could ever possibly read, crocheting like it's a full-time job, or taking her anxiety-ridden dog for a walk through the streets of Boston. She is a firm believer that everyone should read children's books, walnuts should never be in banana bread, and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice is better than the BBC version.
Sophie Sheumaker Wishlist
Sophie is seeking fiction for middle grade through adult. Across the board, she is seeking works by historically underrepresented voices and stories with the sort of casual diversity that is representative of the world in which we live.
In middle grade, she is seeking adventure filled or cozy fantasy. Fantasy that feels like a fairy tale but isn’t necessarily a Disney-esque retelling (think The Girl Who Drank the Moon/The Phantom Tollbooth/The Princess Bride). She loves a third person narrator that feels like a character and stories driven by the wild, ever-changing, ever-learning emotions of early adolescence. Quiet magic that’s woven subtly throughout the story and big families/communities that rely on each other (Encanto/Ponyo/MG Gilmore Girls). MG that can be reread as an adult and doesn’t treat the reader like they’re a child.
If any of the above can be translated into a YA/Adult setting, she’d love to see it. Here, she’s looking for fantasy, romance, LIGHT grounded sci-fi, and anything speculative/genre-bending. Fantasy can run the gamut from cozy with a soft magic system (Maiga Doocy’s Sorcery and Small Magics) to high-fantasy with an intricately woven magic system (think Godkiller, The Jasmine Throne).
For romance, she’s particularly interested in queer stories, especially sapphic romances. She loves witty dialogue and banter (Emily Henry/Talia Hibbert) or a hooky beach read with the melodrama of a K-drama (True Beauty, Business Proposal, To the Beautiful You). Contemporary/fantasy/romantasy, tried and true tropes in your typical straight romance done through a queer lens. Especially on the look out for a surprising magical/speculative twist (One Last Stop).
In general, loves quirky-off beat storytelling that can deliver serious messaging without taking itself too seriously, characters with richly developed relationships that are central to the story, and stories that center female friendship/sisterhood.
Non-book favorites include: Cinderella (2015 and Brandy’s), any Studio Ghibli movie, What We Do in the Shadows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Our Flag Means Death, Avatar the Last Airbender, Ted Lasso, The Last of Us, The Holiday, Love Rosie, The Iron Giant, every K-drama ever.
To query Sophie, please submit here: https://QueryTracker.net/query/3848