Acquiring the gamut of commercial and upmarket fiction, I’m drawn to novels that deliver on high-concept hooks, books with strong momentum, singular voices, and an emotional and thematic undertow that lingers after the final page.

I love writers who subvert genre expectations and our conceptions of literary/commercial, highbrow/lowbrow. I hope to publish books that are entertaining, smart, poignant, and reader-focused; the best of the best in every category, and across a wide range of genres and perspectives.

WISHLIST

GOTHIC / HORROR
Surprisingly emotional, socially conscious, or absurdly hilarious. Always chilling.

Christopher Buehlman’s BETWEEN TWO FIRES, Monika Kim’s THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART, Zakiyah Dalila Harris’s THE OTHER BLACK GIRL,Victor LaValle’s THE CHANGELING, Stephen Graham Jones’s THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS, John Fram’s THE BRIGHT LANDS, Uketsu’s STRANGE PICTURES, Mariana Enriquez’s OUR SHARE OF NIGHT, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC, Lucy Rose’s THE LAMB, Keith Rosson’s COFFIN MOON, as well as the works of Grady Hendrix

THRILLER / SUSPENSE
Voice and character-driven, a fresh premise, twists, and a knock-out hook. I love thrillers that are rooted in subculture or setting and have interesting things to say about class, obsession, or power.

Micah Nemerever’s THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, Caroline Kepnes’s YOU, Annakeara Stinson’s NERVE DAMAGE, Yu-Mei Balasingamchow’s NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED, Hannah Dietch’s KILLER POTENTIAL, Grace D. Li’s PORTRAIT OF A THIEF, Jessica Knoll’s BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN, Gillian Flynn’s GONE GIRL, Sarah Pinborough’s BEHIND HER EYES, CJ Tudor’s THE DRIFT, Catherine Steadman’s SOMETHING IN THE WATER, Joyce Maynard’s TO DIE FOR, Alyssa Cole’s WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING

Harlan Coben’s TELL NO ONE, Adrian McKinty’s THE CHAIN, Jacob Kerr’s DEAD MONEY, Brett Easton Ellis’s THE SHARDS, Blake Crouch’s DARK MATTER, Daniel Kraus’s WHALEFALL

I’m also looking for select military/espionage thrillers in the vein of Jack Carr’s THE TERMINAL LIST, Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, Lee Child, and John Le Carré. I would love to read more heist novels.

MYSTERY / CRIME
Either literary in execution, innovative, or with of bumbling, absurdly lovable sleuth.

Michael Chabon’S THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION, Mick Herron’s SLOW HORSES, Richard Osman’s THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, Benjamin Stevenson’s EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE, Elle Cosimano’s FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT, Lisa Lutz’s THE SPELLMAN FILES

Alan Bradley’s THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, Anthony Horowitz’s MAGPIE MURDERS, Walter Mosley’s DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, Charlie Huston’s CAUGHT STEALING

Marisha Pessl’s SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS, Jasper Fforde’s THE EYRE AFFAIR, Umberto Eco’s THE NAME OF THE ROSE

Rebecca Makkai’s I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU, David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s WINTER COUNTS, Liz Moore’s LONG BRIGHT RIVER, Danya Kukafka’s NOTES ON AN EXECUTION, Attica Locke’s BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD, Dennis Lehane’s MYSTIC RIVER, and anything by Tana French

SCI-FI / FANTASY
Imaginative, inventive worldbuilding, and fine writing. I’m actively looking for cozy fantasy and adventure fantasy with strong crossover potential.

Matt Dinniman’s DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL, Matt Haig’s THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, Robert Jackson Bennett’s THE TAINTED CUP, Katherine Arden’s THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE, Simon Jimenez’s THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER, NK Jemisin’s THE FIFTH SEASON, James Islington’s THE WILL OF THE MANY, T. Kingfisher’s NETTLE & BONE, Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, Samantha Sotto Yambao’s Water Moon, Becky Chambers’s Psalm for the Wild-Built, Sofia Samatar’s A STRANGER IN OLONDRIA, Emma Torz’s INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE, Susanna Clarke’s PIRANESI, Lev Grossman’s THE MAGICIANS, Seth Dickinson’s THE TRAITOR BARU CORMORANT, Hiron Ennes’s THE WORKS OF VERMIN, John M. Ford’s THE DRAGON WAITING, anything by TJ Klune

ROMANCE / ROMANTIC COMEDY
High-concept with crossover potential, strong dialogue and writing, and a surprising mix of humor and poignancy. I’m also considering select romantasy projects.

Casey McQuiston’s RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE, Layne Fargo’s THE FAVORITES, Emma Brodie’s INTO THE BLUE, KJ Charles’s SLIPPERY CREATURES, Cat Sebastian’s YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY, KT Hoffman’s THE PROSPECTS, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ATMOSPHERE, Ashley Poston’s THE DEAD ROMANTICS, Jacqueline Carey’s KUSHIEL’S DART

DYSTOPIAN / SPECULATIVE
Humanistic and emotionally grounded, with a sense of hope.

David Mitchell’s CLOUD ATLAS, Emily St. John Mandel’s STATION ELEVEN, Sequoia Nagamatsu’s HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK, Erin Swan’s WALK THE VANISHED EARTH, Justin Cronin’s THE PASSAGE, Stephen King’s THE STAND, Peter Heller’s THE DOG STARS, Peng Shepard’s THE BOOK OF M

COMMERCIAL / UPMARKET
Feel-good fiction with humor, poignancy, a bit of quirk, and a strong narrative engine.

Kevin Kwan’s CRAZY RICH ASIANS, Grant Ginder’s SO OLD SO YOUNG, Steven Rowley’s TAKE ME WITH YOU.

Rufi Thorpe’s MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES, Jan Saez’s 200 MONAS, Annie Hartnett’s UNLIKELY ANIMALS, Kevin Wilson’s NOTHING TO SEE HERE Gabrielle Zevin’s TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW, Parini Shroff’s THE BANDIT QUEENS, Carol Rivka Brunt’s TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME, Miriam Toews’s ALL MY PUNY SORROWS, Coco Mellors’s BLUE SISTERS, Alison Espach’s THE WEDDING PEOPLE, and the work of Fredrik Backman, Madeline Miller’s SONG OF ACHILLES

OTHER BOOKS
I would have loved to work on:

Alice Winn’s IN MEMORIAM, Maria McCann’s AS MEAT LOVES SALT, Michael Chabon’s THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY, VE Schwab’s VICIOUS,

NICHE INTERESTS

• Medieval history (The Name of the Rose)

• More TK lol

If you’re a literary agent or you’re seeking an informational interview, you can email me at: jesse.shuman (at) flatironbooks.com. I cannot consider unagented manuscripts.