Brianna Fairman

Hi, I’m Brianna! I’m an Assistant Editor at Putnam, an imprint of Penguin Random House. I’ve been a part of the Putnam team since 2024, after spending a couple of years at MCD. I am actively acquiring both fiction and nonfiction in the commercial and upmarket spaces.

What I’m Looking For 

Thriller/Mystery/Suspense: My interest in these categories is very broad. Send me your dark and psychological thrillers, your cozy mysteries, your juicy domestic suspense and page-turning spy novels—I want to see it all! Across the board, the key things I’m looking for are a hooky, commercial plot and a fresh, strong voice. I love when it’s zany or darkly humorous, and when there’s an element of spice and/or romance. Feminist thrillers that make me say “GOOD FOR HER” are some of my favorites, as are novels that focus on themes of desire, obsession, ambition, loss/regret, and isolation. Bonus points if it explores sisterhood or mother/daughter relationships. 

Speculative: I’m looking for speculative fiction that offers intelligent and insightful critiques of social and cultural issues. If it has a premise that can be described as “bonkers,” or if it plays with genre, I’m probably going to love it. Once again, my taste here is broad–I’m looking for all kinds of horror, as well as grounded sci-fi and fantasy. I’m particularly interested in stories with Gothic vibes, as well as books that explore future technology/AI/androids and dystopias/post-apocalyptic societies. I’m especially drawn towards themes regarding our culture’s obsession with true crime/reality TV/spectacles, the blurring of reality with fiction/entertainment, and climate change/books about nature/eco-horror. I prefer stories that have a hopeful, uplifting, and/or satisfying ending—it doesn’t have to be happy, but I’d also rather not feel bereft afterwards. 

Women’s Fiction/Book Club: I love books that make me feel. Novels like Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin are some of my all-time favorites. I’m drawn towards poignant and irreverent stories with millennial/Gen-z protagonists that explore romantic and familial relationships. BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or disability rep is a huge bonus!

Nonfiction: While my taste leans a bit more towards fiction, I am eager to find nonfiction projects that are right for me. I’m looking for essay collections, cultural criticism, (respectful!) true crime, popular psychology, and environmental science, as well as select history and memoir. If it feels like it could be adapted into a limited docuseries on Netflix (Bad Surgeon, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, Don’t F**k With Cats, etc), I’ll probably be obsessed with it.

Some Uber-Specific Topics I’d Love a Book About Include:

• Heists and spies (but not political)
• A speculative novel that draws inspiration from Simulacra and Simulation in some way (specifically the idea of hyperreality)
• Ethel Cain vibes
• International/exotic settings, as well as books set in Florida, Appalachia, and other weird, uncanny, or liminal spaces
• OCD
• PMDD/hormonal health in general

What I’m Not Looking For 

I am not interested in legal, military, or political thrillers. Romances and general historical fiction are also a no, but I will be happy to consider projects with these elements. And if the dog dies, it’s not for me.

Submission Guidelines

I only accept agented submissions. If you are an author looking to submit your work, please do not submit to me.