Allison Hunter’s Wish List

In fiction, my taste runs the gamut from literary to commercial, but the very experimental or otherwise “weird” projects probably aren’t for me. I need a real plot with a narrative engine that keeps the reader turning the pages. I love “big feelings,” whether those feelings are happy or sad, and am looking for grounded, memorable characters that feel real. Ultimately, the fiction I gravitate toward the most is relationship based, whether romantic, platonic or familial, but I also love a juicy mystery and unexpected twists – “secrets” is one of my buzzwords. (“Love,” “friendship,” and “beach” are others!)

In fiction, I’m specifically looking for…

  • Big hearted rom coms or rom “drams” that sit in the sweet spot between romance and women’s fiction (Emily Henry, Annabel Monaghan, Carley Fortune) 

  • Anything that can be called a beach read, especially books actually set at the beach (Elin Hilderbrand, Meg Mitchell Moore, Catherine Newman’s SANDWICH, Miranda Cowley Heller’s THE PAPER PALACE) 

  • Family stories, especially involving issues of class (Jenny Jackson’s PINEAPPLE STREET, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s THE NEST, Claire Lombardo’s THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD, Mary Beth Keane’s ASK AGAIN YES) 

  • Books about female friendship or friend groups (Kristin Hannah’s FIREFLY LANE, Judy Blume’s SUMMER SISTERS (my all-time favorite book!), Meg Wolitzer’s THE INTERESTINGS, Joanna Smith Rakoff’s A FORTUNATE AGE) 

  • Sisters (Brit Bennett’s THE VANISHING HALF, Ann Napolitano’s HELLO BEAUTIFUL)

  • Campus novels (Curtis Sittenfeld’s PREP (another all-time favorite), Rebecca Makkai’s I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU) 

  • Coming of age stories (Candice Carty-Williams’ QUEENIE, Stephanie Danler’s SWEETBITTER)

  • Secrets! (Liane Moriarty, Celeste Ng, Liz Moore) 

  • Voice-y humor (Dolly Alderton, Katherine Heiny, Maria Semple)

  • Domestic suspense, if not terribly dark (Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware) 

  • Cozy crime (Nita Prose’s THE MAID) 

  • Lightly speculative fiction (Rebecca Serle, Ashley Poston) 

  • 20th century historical fiction (Taylor Jenkins Reid) 

  • Books diving into a specific subculture (Gabrielle Zevin’s TOMORROW, TOMORROW AND TOMORROW (my favorite book of the last ten years))

  • An interesting or unexpected narrative structure (David Nicholls’ ONE DAY, Margarita Montimore’s OONA OUT OF ORDER)

I am not considering the following fiction at this time:

  • Dark thrillers

  • Police procedurals

  • Fantasy (although I am dipping a cautious toe into grounded romantasy!) 

  • Science fiction

  • Historical fiction prior to the 20th century

  • Anything involving mythology 

  • Magical realism 

  • Speculative beyond lightly 

  • YA/children’s 

My nonfiction trends towards narrative projects, although I do represent a handful of prescriptive authors with significant platforms, specifically in “relationship” areas – dating, friendship, parenting, etc. I love to work with journalists writing about the way we live now, whether that’s about culture, politics, technology, or anything similar. I am a pop culture junkie and am always looking for smart books about film and television. I am not looking for literary memoir, but welcome a hybrid project that weaves a personal take into a bigger, timely topic.

In nonfiction, I’m looking for…

  • Narrative projects about women or “women’s issues” (Rebecca Traister, Kate Bolick)

  • Deep dive cultural histories on a specific topic (Stephanie Coontz’ MARRIAGE, A HISTORY, Jill Lepore’s THE SECRET HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN)

  • Culture, pop or otherwise (I am extremely proud to represent Anne Helen Petersen and would love to find others in her orbit. I also sold a wonderful book by Kelsey Miller called I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU: The One About Friends and would love to find similar projects aimed at a specific, ardent fanbase)

  • Memoir “plus” – personal stories that speak to larger cultural issues (Jia Tolentino’s TRICK MIRROR, Sarah Hepola’s BLACKOUT, Anna Wiener’s UNCANNY VALLEY, Glennon Doyle’s UNTAMED)

  • Funny women (Samantha Irby, Jenny Lawson, Lindy West)

  • Prescriptive projects from experts in their field with major platforms on issues like dating, parenting and relationships (Emily Oster, Gretchen Rubin)

I am not considering the following nonfiction at this time:

  • Literary/voice-driven memoir 

  • Memoir about illness or abuse

  • Health and diet

  • Prescriptive business books

  • Cookbooks 

  • Poetry

  • YA/children’s