African or Caribbean inspired anti-colonial fantasy with adventure and whimsy elements; urban fantasy featuring magic in our world; D&D inspired fantasy with puzzles and dumbfuckery; college-based stories, especially romance; queer romance with ace, bi, pan, trans characters; self-discovery and reinvention centered on gender and sexuality; strong friendships valued as much as romantic relationships; diverse, complex characters including Jewish and disabled authors.
Stories that attempt to 'cure' or 'fix' a disability in an unrealistic way or through magical means
Rebecca Matte is a literary agent at Bradford Literary Agency who represents fiction across romance, fantasy, and science fiction genres. She has a strong focus on LGBTQ+ representation, diverse characters, and stories that blend adventure with emotional depth and meaningful friendships.
MSWL as of June 5, 2025: Specially Interested In: - African and/or Caribbean inspired, anti-colonial fantasy, from authors with African or Caribbean ancestry - A really good adventure with fantasy elements – think Indiana Jones or Clive Cussler or Pirates (give me swashbuckling!) - Dungeons & Dragons inspired fantasy that has the adventure and whimsy and puzzles and the absolute dumbfuckery of any good D&D game - Artemis Fowl but for adults - Urban Fantasy – our world plus magic or magic creatures (the vampire next door, magical tattoos, alt. history with magic) - Magic Schools, but for parents or teachers - Stories that read like fanfic - College-based stories (especially romance, but possibly fantasy too) - Romances feat. ace, demi, and trans characters All Categories: - Stories of self-discovery & reinvention (particularly those that center gender and sexuality) - Strong, realistic friendships that are valued as much as any romantic relationship - Queer characters, particularly those with underrepresented identities (such as bi, pan, trans, ace) - Jewish characters - Diverse, complex characters (race, religion, ethnicity, background, sexuality, gender, etc) - Stories from Deaf, chronically ill, or disabled authors Romance: - Queer romance (particularly f/f, or featuring ace, bi, pan, or trans characters) - All the tropes: friends to lovers, there was only one bed, grumpy/sunshine, coffee shop/library/bookstore, rivals to lovers, fake dating, marriage of convenience, slow burn, forced proximity - PINING. Slow burn & pining are bread & butter - Partners of protagonists with chronic illness or disability doing small things to make their lives easier without being asked (in a sweet, not patronizing way) - Sub-genres: contemporary, historical, rom-com, millennial/borderline New Adult Fantasy: - Stories that combine wonderful friendships with romance, e.g the wholesome group dynamic from Check Please by Ngozi Ukazu, or the close friendships & assorted romances of Fences: Striking Distance by Sara Rees Brennan Science Fiction/Fantasy: - Leans more towards fantasy than sci-fi, but open to both - Romantasy (books that have equally developed plot/magic/world and romance, think 50% romance, 50% fantasy) - Stories that cleverly add magic to the real world, shedding light upon and capitalizing on existing inequalities and important issues - Stories that ultimately believe that people are good - Books that feature a fully original world, or a world inspired by something other than medieval Europe - Stories that subvert reader expectations by juxtaposing tropes or worlds with something seemingly incompatible - Grounded characters & relationships - Stories that feel like BBC Merlin, but without the queer-baiting - Pretty much any sub-genre, but NOT grimdark, horror, and paranormal What NOT to Query: - Magical disability cures/fixes - Nazi romances - Sexual assault/non consensual sexual contact by the protagonist - Grimdark or horror - On page description of infestation and/or body horror (strong personal trigger) Anti-MSWL (not a definite no, but may not be the right person): - Shapeshifters (e.g. werewolves, dragonkind, etc), vampires, fae, Christian-aligned angels/demons - Kidnapping, cheating (by the protagonist), love triangles, or any sort of unbalanced power dynamic - Protagonists who are aligned with American police or military - Prominent focus on Christian themes
Last verified: March 27, 2026
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