I acquire all kinds 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 and 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 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, Stephen Graham Jones’s THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS, John Fram’s THE BRIGHT LANDS, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC, anything by 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, Catherine Steadman’s SOMETHING IN THE WATER, Alyssa Cole’s WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING

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

MYSTERY / CRIME
Either literary in execution, 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, 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, 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, Emma Torz’s INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE, Susanna Clarke’s PIRANESI, Lev Grossman’s THE MAGICIANS, Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, Samantha Sotto Yambao’s Water Moon, Sofia Samatar’s A STRANGER IN OLONDRIA, 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 very 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

DYSTOPIAN / SPECULATIVE
Humanistic and emotionally grounded.

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

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, Fredrik Backman’s ANXIOUS PEOPLE, 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.