Submissions
I am particularly interested in fiction that is beautifully written and cleverly constructed, but still accessible to a wide readership. I am often drawn to darker tales that weave together excellent characters and an impossible-to-put-down story, from immersive book club novels with a splash of suspense, crime and thrillers, accessible horror, and speculative, genre-bending or dystopian stories. I also love smart, witty, contemporary rom-com in the style of Emily Henry.
In the thriller, crime and suspense space I am interested in most areas, except military thrillers and organised crime/ mafia / mob stories. Big hooks, high concept and clever set ups are a big bonus! I adore Karin Slaughter (especially her standalone novels), and Gillian Flynn, and recent, slow burn favourites include The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, and All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.
In the book club / reading group space, I’m particularly drawn to fiction in the vein of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng, and absolutely fell in love with Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, both for the incredible voice, and the exquisite use of structure and time. Complicated family dynamics, empathetic and smart approaches to controversial issues, stand out protagonists (like Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry or Bernadette in Where D’You Go Bernadette), long buried secrets, complicity, the road to justice, and impossible decisions, are all themes I keep returning to.
In the horror space, I’m a sucker for amazing female-centric stories in the vein of Yellowjackets, and the kind of contemporary, accessible horror that Stephen King always nails. I want to get lost in a (terrifying) world that feels within reach of ours. In the speculative, dystopian and genre-bending spaces, I’m interested in genius ideas that set up big questions or reflect the most broken (and sometimes hidden) parts of society. I love Octavia Butler, Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, and also adored The Leftovers, Station Eleven, Wanderers, and The Power. I will forever love The Hunger Games. The what-ifs of life and fiction fascinate me. In the grounded sci-fi space, I’d love to find a smart, immersive, and accessible story like The Martian.
I don’t represent fantasy or romantasy. When it comes to sci-fi, unless it’s very grounded and has crossover potential to a mainstream audience, it’s not for me.
In the romance space, I’m particularly drawn to smart, complex and witty characters, where the chemistry is jumping off the page. I love contemporary settings and all the tropes, though the voice and characters must come first to make the reading experience fully immersive. I want to be cackling, and rooting for the characters with all my heart.
I am very hands-on editorially, and love working with my authors to shape their manuscripts, and brainstorm ideas. The best part of the job is discovering debut authors, and helping them find a home for their books.
I have a smaller non-fiction list, and I’m especially interested in pop science / psychology, narrative history, true crime and investigative journalism.
Adult submissions only please.
Marilia is currently closed to submissions
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Marilia Savvides - What I'm looking for:
GUIDELINES
Submissions are currently closed
At The Plot Agency, we’re always looking for new stories.
Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are currently only able to respond to the ones we wish to pursue further.
Make sure you read our guidelines below before sending your work, and please note that we only accept submissions via email.
How to submit your work:
Please send us the first three chapters of your novel or non-fiction project, as well as a full
synopsis. In the body of the email, please write a covering letter that includes information
on what kind of book you're writing (the genre and market you think it fits into), and any
relevant writing experience. Please only submit one project at a time.
Find out more about what we’re looking for below.
Email your submission to marilia@theplotagency.com
Please do alert us if other agents have requested your complete manuscript or you have an
offer of representation.