Alexandra Levick
Writers House, LLC.
What am I looking for?
Picture book author-illustrators, a wide range of middle grade and YA, and more speculative-leaning or genre-bent upmarket adult works. I’m committed to working with writers from diverse backgrounds and am looking to put forth a list of outstanding creators who will be able to provide windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors (thank you, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop) into all kinds of experiences. I’m particularly looking for own-voices stories about historically underrepresented characters, identities, and cultures.
No matter the genre or age-range, I crave a distinctive voice and strong thematic point behind the work—I want to run screaming to my friends and family about your book because there is so much to discuss. I love character-driven stories that revolve around BIG topics (discussing things like mortality or grief in a new and hopefully somewhat uplifting way is always an instant lightbulb!). One might say that I have a great affinity for what used to be known as ‘issue books,’ however, I would argue that I’d like to represent authors and stories that stand for more than just a good yarn; I’d like to represent authors who provoke conversations around important and necessary topics in our world today. I don’t just want contemporary versions of these stories, either. Send me your fantasy, your sci-fi, your genre-bender!
Particular topics/ideas I’m intrigued by…
- ‘I do not write dark books. I write candles. I write fire.’ – Laurie Halse Anderson
- Unapologetic and intersectional feminist narratives
- Healthy portrayals of masculinity
- Atmospheric YA horror
- Literary and socially conscious horror
- Anything inspired by myths, folklore, or legends particularly those that are non-western in origin
- Dark futures / apocalypse with a touch of hope
- Outbreak / contagion discussed in a new and innovative way
- A novel in seasonal movements
- A YA that takes a nuanced and hard look at relationship violence
- A literary thriller set in a confined space (ex: a cargo ship)
- Anything involving the ocean
- Please note, a touch of whimsy is always, alwayswelcome.
‘When I say fantasy, I simply mean a story in which one foot, or heel, or toe is not planted on firm familiar ground. But my favorite fantasies are the ones where the other foot is. Where the line between the known and the new, the observable reality and the strange fantastic is dotted, if not blurred.’
—V.E. Schwab, ‘In Search of Doors’ Pembroke Tolkien Lecture 2018
So please, send your horizon-expanding work on over to me. I can’t wait to give it a read.
Fiction: Children’s, Horror, LGBTQ, Middle Grade, Picture Books, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
Favorite sub-genres: Contemporary YA, Feminism, Gothic Horror, Historical Fantasy, Literary Middle Grade, Literary Noir, Literary YA, Middle Grade Horror, Narrative Nonfiction, Social Issues, Speculative Fiction, Speculative Middle Grade, Upmarket YA, YA horror.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to alevick@writershouse.com
Please send your personalized query letter along with your first ten pages (pasted into the body of the email) to me at alevick (at) writershouse.com. Bonus points if you can tell me a bit about the intention behind your work.
Please note: you may not query more than one agent within Writers House at a given time.
thank you Kathy and Allie!
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By: Lauri Meyers on April 2, 2019
at 11:33 am