Adult Fiction
and ‘s THE DEAD & BREAKFAST, a cozy mystery about two vampires who open a small town B&B and must prove their innocence when the local mayor shows up dead in their garden with something that looks suspiciously like puncture marks on his neck, to Michelle Vega at Berkley, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services for Thor and Carrie Pestritto at Laura Dail Literary Agency for Hillis (world).
Author of THE Z WORD ‘s THIS IS MY BODY, a story of demonic possession, queer religious trauma, family bonds, and the heartbreak of trying to escape the pain that made you, in which a gay mom must grapple with the worst years of her life and the worst person she knows to save her daughter from an invading entity, pitched as for fans of Rachel Harrison and Clay McLeod Chapman, to Jess Zimmerman at Quirk Books, for publication in fall 2025, by Kate McKean at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency (world).
Author of THE GIRLS I’VE BEEN and BARBED WIRE HEART ‘s NO BODY NO CRIME, a queer romantic thriller pitched as The Lost City meets a modern Thelma & Louise, in which a rural PI finds herself on the trail of the one who got away with her heart, and with murder; years after a horror-show sweet 16 party that ended with the girls in love and that good-for-nothing boy in the ground, the two women find that they didn’t bury him—or their feelings for each other—deep enough, to Sean McDonald at MCD/FSG, with Brianna Fairman editing, in a good deal, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (world).
Jen Julian’s RED RABBIT GHOST, an eerie speculative story following a young man’s return to his rural North Carolina hometown to uncover the mystery behind his mother’s death, which sets him on a collision course with time-bending magic, a gun-toting ex-boyfriend, and the troubled stranger who lured him home, to Bradley Englert at Redhook, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Jessica Felleman at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency (NA).
‘s THREE PARTIES, a tragicomedy pitched as inspired by Virginia Woolf’s MRS. DALLOWAY, in which a gay Palestinian refugee in modern Detroit prepares to throw himself a birthday party that, unbeknownst to the guests, will also double as his coming out party, amid an escalating torrent of romantic, professional, and familial surprises, to David Ross at Hamish Hamilton Canada, at auction, by Mariah Stovall at Trellis Literary Management.
BookTuber-turner-author ‘s Realm of Fey series, a previously self-published queer romantasy series about a half-fey boy and his personal guard preventing a war between the realms, plus the final book in the series, and two new and separate standalone novels, to Eleanor Teasdale at Angry Robot, at auction, in a six-book deal, for publication starting in fall 2024, by Hannah VanVels Ausbury at Belcastro Agency (world English).
Lambda Literary program director and FIYAH magazine cofounder ‘s THE YEAR OF THE MER, pitched as a queer retelling of The Little Mermaid in which Ariel’s granddaughter, the ruler of a human kingdom, is forcibly ousted from her throne, leading her to revisit her mermaid kin and strike a vengeful bargain with a notorious sea witch who has plans of her own, to Amara Hoshijo at Saga Press, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency (world English).
Two-time Lambda Literary Award winner ‘s A BEARD PARADOX, a collection of 100 erotic microfictions translated from Spanish by Sandra Kingery that captures a snapshot (or more accurately, 100 snapshots) of contemporary gay life in Europe, Latin America, and the U.S,, pitched in the vein of Brotnez Purnell or Garth Greenwell, to Sven Davisson at Rebel Satori Press, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2024 (world English).
Author of YOU’LL BE FINE and editor of jmww ‘s ALL THIS CAN BE TRUE, a queer romance in which a woman rediscovers choice, hope, and wild love in the wake of her husband’s coma, to Amanda Chiu Krohn at Keylight, in a nice deal, for publication in June 2025, by Esty Loveing-Downes at ArtHouse Literary Agency (world).
Author of I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST Mason Deaver’s THE BUILD-A-BOYFRIEND PROJECT, in which a wannabe journalist gets the professional break he’s been looking for in the form of a sweet but inept young man who desperately needs to learn how to date, until real feelings threaten to derail both his career prospects and the relationship he didn’t know he wanted, to Sylvan Creekmore at Avon, with Shannon Plackis editing, in a two-book deal, by Lauren Abramo at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (world English).
Hesse Phillips’s LIGHTBORNE, pitched as a reimagining of the last days of one of the most famed Elizabethan playwrights—Christopher Marlowe—and of a queer love that flourishes within the margins, to Claiborne Hancock at Pegasus, by Helen Edwards at Helen Edwards Rights Agency, on behalf of Brian Langan at Storyline Agency (NA). Rights also to Atlantic Books (UK).
Author of WHITE TRASH WARLOCK ‘s REDNECK REVENANT and BACKWOODS BANSHEE, the next two books in the Adam Binder series, to Marilyn Kretzer and Rick Bleiweiss at Blackstone Publishing, in a very nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Lesley Sabga at The Seymour Agency (world).
National Book Award Finalist Sonora Reyes’s THE BROPOSAL, a queer romance about lifelong best friends entering a marriage of convenience to avoid the looming shadow of deportation, but neither are prepared for the very real feelings pretending to be in love stirs up, to Amy Pierpont at Forever, with Junessa Viloria editing, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in January 2025, by Alexandra Levick at Writers House (world English).
Editor-in-Chief of Geist magazine Emma Cleary‘s ALL THOSE STRANGERS, a queer, feminist, literary horror, following two sisters confronting issues of autonomy, trauma, and desire as one struggles with infertility and the other a mysterious, rapidly developing, unwanted pregnancy, to Harper, Harper Canada, and The Borough Press (UK), in a pre-empt.
MA candidate at the University of South Alabama ‘s ANTENORA, a queer southern gothic novella, in which a religious community claims a woman is possessed, killing at least three and injuring others, while her friend recounts their childhood together in a part confessional, part plea for her friend to come home; she also tells the story of another girl’s horrific eighteenth birthday, of the time the possessed woman may or may not have fully revived a snake, and of what truly happened at her deliverance ceremony, to Amanda Manns at Creature, for publication in fall 2024 (world).
and Lambda Literary Award winner ‘s HOMEGROWN MAGIC, a queer, cozy fantasy romance, about a charismatic but lonely warlock and their estranged childhood best friend, a plant witch running her family’s struggling greenhouse, who together battle evils like strawberry weevils and predatory banking systems to save her village while falling for each other, to Anne Groell at Del Rey, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2025, by Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary (world).
Ploughshares Notable Emerging Writer ‘s THE SUNFLOWER BOYS, pitched in the vein of SWIMMING IN THE DARK, about a gay boy growing up in Chernihiv, Ukraine, who has just begun to grapple with his awakening sexuality when Russians invade in the spring of 2022, forcing him and his younger brother to journey alone across war-torn Ukraine in an attempt to find help and safety, to Millicent Bennett at Harper, in a pre-empt, for publication in summer 2025, by Naomi Eisenbeiss at Inkwell Management (world English).
Author of the forthcoming OUR INFINITE FATES Laura Steven’s SILVERCLOAK, the author’s adult debut, the first in a new romantic fantasy trilogy, set in a corrupt world where magic is created and enhanced by pleasure and pain, in which a young detective must infiltrate a dangerous crime organization to get revenge for her parents’ murders, all while trying not to fall for the cutthroat son of the man who killed them, to Emily Archbold at Del Rey, in a major deal, in a seven-figure deal, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2025, by Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency (NA).
‘s THE MERCY MAKERS, a queer fantasy about a prodigy skilled in heretical magic who infiltrates the fracturing royal court to save her condemned father, only to find she’s caught between the dangerous longings of her own heart and the desire to burn the corrupt empire down, to Angelica Chong at Orbit, in a very nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).
Author of RAVEN’S CREEK ‘s THE HAUNTING OF HARRY PECK, a previously self-published gay comedy pitched as inspired by classic horror films, about family curses and killer animals seeking revenge against the humans who butchered them, to Steve Berman at Lethe Press, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in June 2024 (world English).
‘s debut HOW TO LOSE A GOBLIN IN TEN DAYS, a cozy sapphic fantasy about a goblin and a halfling who find they’ve both inherited the same cottage and make a bet: whoever can’t take living together first forfeits the house; despite forced proximity and cultural misunderstandings, they begin to fall in love, until a common enemy tests whether their bond is strong enough to unite their fractured communities and protect their home, to Tiana Coven at Orbit and to Jenni Hill at Orbit UK, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2025, by Maeve MacLysaght at Copps Literary Services (world).
Former editor-in-chief of ELLE and cohost of the Some Families podcast ‘s THIS LOVE, about a life-changing queer friendship, following two people who meet at university and make a pact to have a child together someday—chronicling the ups and downs of their relationship over 10 years, and following the newfound friendships, relationships, and heartbreaks that occur along the way, pitched as for fans of ONE DAY, to Ezra Kupor at Harper Perennial, in a pre-empt, by Kiele Raymond at Thompson Literary Agency, on behalf of Abigail Bergstrom at Bergstrom Studio (NA).
National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” Honoree, Ignatz and Lambda Literary awards winner Lee Lai’s CANNON, a graphic novel pitched in the vein of Ocean Vuong’s ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS, which centers around two second-generation queer Asian women facing the end of their youth and the decline of their friendship, to Peggy Burns at Drawn & Quarterly, with Tracy Hurren editing, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2025, by Alessandra Sternfeld at Am-Book (world ex ANZ). Rights also to Nick Tapper at Giramondo (ANZ).
Author of THE SECRET LIVES OF COUNTRY GENTLEMEN KJ Charles’s LACKADAY HOUSE, an Edwardian Gothic m/m romance with cursed family, misty moors, and people running from houses, to Mary Altman at Sourcebooks, in an exclusive submission, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2025, by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary (world English).
Author of SCORCHED GRACE and BLESSED WATER ‘s DIVINE RUIN and RAVAGED LIGHT, following a queer, wise-cracking, punk rocker nun-cum-detective, in which the local New Orleans drug epidemic infiltrates her school campus, to Lexy Cassola at Gillian Flynn Books, in a two-book deal, by Laura Macdougall at United Agents (world).
Founder of the School for Writers Lauren Marie Fleming’s BECAUSE FAT GIRL, pitched as Chasing Amy meets ROMANTIC COMEDY with a twist on the typical coming-out story, in which a down-on-her-luck queer screenwriter gets her script green-lit by one of Hollywood’s hottest male actors, and she not only has to navigate A-list egos, but must figure out what happens when you fall in love with someone totally off-script, to Jessica Turner at Amara, in a nice deal, for publication in October 2024, by Jill Marsal at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (world).
Children’s/MG Fiction
‘s MOVE IT OR BRUISE IT, book two in the Blood City Rollers graphic novel series, which continues the humorous and queer adventures of a talented human ice skater recruited into an underground roller derby league full of vampires and supernatural creatures, illustrated by , to Liesa Abrams at Labyrinth Road, for publication in spring 2026, by Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds for the illustrator (world English).
‘s THE INCORRUPTIBLES, a queer-inclusive fantasy series that is set in a future ruled by sorcerers who use their magic to oppress, while human resistance fighters battle for safety with nothing more than tech and grit, to Kara Sargent at Aladdin, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Alexandra Levick at Writers House (NA).
Young Adult Fiction
‘s WITCHLORE, a contemporary fantasy about a nonbinary shapeshifter who must team up with a handsome witch in order to bring back their dead girlfriend and clear their name in her accidental death, all while reckoning with their own identity when ancient magic begins to shift their body at random, to Vanessa Aguirre at Wednesday Books, in a significant deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2025, by Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara at Park & Fine Literary and Media on behalf of Philippa Milnes-Smith at The Soho Agency (NA).
Author of SIZZLE REEL and TIME OUT Carlyn Greenwald’s MURDER LAND, pitched as BODIES BODIES BODIES meets a queer ONE OF US IS LYING set at a pseudo-Disneyland, following a ride operator at California Land’s most exciting new attraction, but when someone mysteriously dies on her ride, she must prove that she had nothing to do with it and stay alive as more people are dropping dead and an increasingly desperate killer stalks the park, to Gabbi Calabrese at Sourcebooks Fire, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Janine Kamouh at William Morris Endeavor (NA).
Author of BY ANY OTHER NAME Erin Cotter’s A TRAITOROUS HEART, set in Renaissance France and pitched as A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE meets Bridgerton, in which the noble niece of the royal spymaster must prove her worth to her uncle by matchmaking her closest friend (and ex-lover), the Princess of France, with the despised King of Navarre in order to prevent a bloody war, all while falling for the brazen young king herself, to Nicole Ellul at Simon & Schuster Children’s, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2025, by Hilary Harwell at kt literary (world).
‘s QUEEN OF FACES, the first in a debut fantasy series set in a world where the rich buy and trade bodies as readily as designer clothes, in which a teenage girl must use her illusion magic to earn a new body at a cutthroat magical academy, before the decaying male form she’s stuck in takes its last breath, to Brian Geffen at Holt Children’s, in a major deal, in a seven-figure deal, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication in winter 2026, by Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara at Park & Fine Literary and Media (NA).
Author of AGAINST THE STARS ‘s AS ONE DOOR CLOSES, a queer romantasy in which the half-angel/half-human son of Death must team up with a reluctant human warlock to avert a global crisis when the keys to the afterlife are stolen, preventing the human race from crossing over; together they must unlock the passage of death and in doing so learn there might be more to life than they thought, to Joshua Dean Perry at Tiny Ghost Press, in a nice deal, for publication in the spring of 2026 (world English).
Author of FLICKER, FLARE, and BAREFOOT IN THE WOODS ‘s ALL (DEAD) GIRLS LIE, a sapphic thriller pitched as A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER meets Heathers, following a teen whose life is thrust into danger as she navigates her feelings for another girl, the best friend of a locally murdered teen, and the suspicions of the town residents who think the protagonist is to blame for the murder, to V. Ruiz at 100 Block Futures, for publication in June 2025 (world English).
Non-Fiction
Kirkus Prize and Lambda Literary Award winner for HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES ‘s HOME OUT THERE, on leaving home to find oneself, and coming to understand home itself as a journey—braiding together the author’s experiences as a journeyman with histories of Black and queer people in unfamiliar spaces; and a poetry collection, to Jenny Xu at Washington Square Press, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Jesseca Salky and Erika Stevens at Salky Literary Management and Charlotte Sheedy at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency (NA).
Cave Canem fellow and filmmaker ‘s BOY MAYBE, a poetry collection that explores Black queer Southern identity, grief, love, and intimacy while enduring and witnessing unfreedom in America, to Catherine Tung at Beacon Press, in the Raised Voices poetry series, by Kent Wolf at Neon Literary (world).
Nona Footz’s THE HIDDEN HEIRESS, about the reclusive 20th-century heiress Alice Delamar, who became a transformative patron to the arts while shielding her private life (and scandalous same-sex relationships) from the prying eyes of the public, to Jacqueline Young at Grand Central, by Rick Richter at Aevitas Creative Management (world).
Best known for his roles as Hodor on Game of Thrones and Wee John on Our Flag Means Death, and one of Ireland’s most prolific house DJs Kristian Nairn’s BEYOND THE THRONE: EPIC JOURNEYS, ENDURING FRIENDSHIPS, AND SURPRISING TALES, sharing behind-the-scenes stories of the perils and triumphs of the hit show from the author’s unlikely audition to his on-the-job training as an actor to his ascendance as one of the most beloved and pivotal characters, as well as his personal story of being raised by a single mother during the Troubles, coming of age as a gay man in Lisburn and Belfast, and seeking out his scene, to Brant Rumble at Hachette Books, for publication in September 2024, by Kirsten Neuhaus at Ultra Literary and Ben Dunn at DunnFogg (world English). Rights also to Serena Brett at Sphere (UK).
