Now Seeking Adult Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror

Dear Friends,

I am so excited to announce that as of January 2020, I am now representing adult and crossover science-fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction. I will continue to represent and sign new authors of middle-grade and young adult fiction, which will remain a large part of my list, and in addition will now be actively pursuing and selling genre projects in the adult space as well.

What I’m seeking:

I want explosive, colorful, funny, bizarre, exciting stories that examine technology, identity, and human relationships of all kinds. As in kidlit, I’m eager for stories that connect like an emotional gut-punch: vital, personal, and poignant stories, featuring unforgettable characters. I’m particularly eager to find voices from historically underrepresented perspectives in SF/F and horror, and as a queer man, I am especially drawn to LGBTQIA+ and feminist perspectives.

Some recent projects I adored, and which evoke the kinds of stories I’m seeking, are:

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Circe by Madeline Miller

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz

Speak by Louisa Hall

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

 

So John, you may be asking, why the change?

In part, I’m expanding into this space because I love to explore speculative and fantastical worlds, and adore reading these genres. Additionally, and no less importantly, many of my clients who have historically written for kids and teens are now writing for the adult market as well. Laura Sebastian’s HALF SICK OF SHADOWS is the first of these titles I look forward to announcing in the coming year and beyond. Finally, I’ve read so many amazing genre projects in my query inbox that weren’t quite right for the YA market, because of the subject matter, tone, age of the main characters, or a number of other factors, and I don’t want age classifications to limit the kind of amazing stories I represent.

So, if you are an author of quirky, adventurous, challenging and bold sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, be in touch, and if you are an author who isn’t quite sure whether your work is for the YA or adult market, query me and we’ll figure it out together. Speaking of, here are my submission guidelines:

Please email john @ foliolit.com with the word “Query” in the subject line, with your query letter and the first 2500 words of your manuscript pasted into the body of your message.

I can’t wait to read your work and take this journey together!

Greenhouse’s Adult Fiction Debut

It always sounds odd to me, saying so-and-so writes “adult” books, when I mean fiction for a general audience, not specifically the kids and teens market.** I much prefer the term “grown-up” books.

Actually, I don’t. Those both sound weird. In different ways.

ANYWAY, I’m excited to share some news from my colleague, fellow-agent, and president of Greenhouse (also my agent), Sarah Davies. As you may have read in Publishers Weekly, Sarah has sold Megan Miranda‘s*** debut adult novel – at auction no less – to Simon & Schuster for six figures. This is all kinds of great news on its own, but this is also the agency’s first deal for adult (there’s that word again) fiction.

As Sarah put it in her Facebook post, “We believe we can sell any great book clients bring us, whatever age group and genre.” I couldn’t agree more.

From PW:

YA author Megan Miranda (Fracture) sold her adult debut, Disappear, to Sarah Knight at Simon & Schuster for six figures. Sarah Davies, at Greenhouse Literary, represented the author, in her first adult deal at the agency; Knight took world rights to two books in the agreement. Disappear, Knight explained, is told in reverse and covers a period of two weeks. The story, Knight said, “unravels the mystery of two missing girls who vanished 10 years apart, and whose cases are linked by the same group of friends in a rural North Carolina town.” Miranda is an MIT graduate and former science teacher.

**At least I’m not alone in this. Client Rahul Kanakia agrees.

***Megan is the author of three amazing y.a. novels, FRACTURE, HYSTERIA, and VENGEANCE.