Submitting to Maria

Maria is looking for: literary and upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, horror, magical realism and reimaginings of myths, fairy tales, and folklore. In the nonfiction space, she is looking for cultural criticism, narrative nonfiction, big-idea nonfiction, and select cookbooks and food writing. For short story collections, Maria accepts primarily literary fiction, collections with elements of magical realism, or speculative. With regards to novella, Maria is looking primarily for literary fiction, elements of speculative, or contemporary fiction.

Maria’s taste in books: Whether fiction or nonfiction, Maria is seeking novels that skew literary or upmarket, with an edge. She is drawn to writers who explore overlooked facets of society, take risks, unflinchingly examine society. In the fiction space, she is drawn to books with a hook, feature complicated relationships and have a propulsive plot (think “The Names” by Florence Knapp and "My Absolute Darling" by Gbriel Tallent). Maria loves books that allow readers to do some armchair travel, transporting us to far-flung places. She seeks projects with horror, speculative, magical, or dystopian elements (“The Lamb” by Lucy Rose, “The Eyes Are the Best Part” by Monika Kim). She gravitates towards books that don’t shy away from the dark and subversive stories that reveal or explore uncomfortable truths about our culture (Han Kang, Yoko Ogawa, and Agustina Bazterrica). Maria also enjoys books with humour, and a contagious narrative voice that gets under the skin and makes the reader start seeing the world through the character’s eyes (Nicole Flattery, Jen Beagin, and Katherine Heiny). 

Regarding nonfiction, Maria is seeking narrative nonfiction and select memoirs, with a story that is either stranger than fiction or has a message that has the power to unify us.  She gravitates toward unflinching investigative journalism and urgent cultural criticism (Maggie Nelson, Susannah Cahalan, Jia Tolentino, Roxane Gay, and Patrick Radden Keefe). She is drawn to books about the environment and nature (Alexander Clapp and Amanda Little), (pop) culture, and overlooked and revisionist history. She also enjoys some cookbooks and food writing.  

Please do not send her: YA, MG, New Adult, picture-books, graphic novels, military thrillers, and fantasy, sci-fi, crafts/DIY, or biographies.