Kelly Stone

I am an associate editor at St. Martin’s Publishing Group with interests in adult and young adult commercial fiction and select nonfiction. I joined St. Martin’s in 2021 after studying Communication with a focus in Media Studies at Cornell University. My research explored the ways we interact with social media in the digital age and how to educate young adults to become more media literate. This background has definitely influenced my reading interests, as I love to pick apart each book I read to get to the core of a story and explore new topics that are trending, whether that’s the way our sense of humor is shifting with each new generation and iOS emoji update or whatever new reality TV show everyone is talking about and how that works behind the scenes.

I have always been drawn to the formative coming-of-age years that many people experience in their late teens and twenties when they figure out how to be an adult on their own terms. There are so many big changes, emotions, and outside influences on our lives during this time that makes it feel rife with opportunities for stories within this YA and adult crossover space.

For adult and YA fiction, I am looking for:

• Warm and uplifting fiction featuring earnest and endearing protagonists like The Maid, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Guncle
• Buzzy book club fiction featuring niche industries or unconventional subcultures, like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, The Favorites, and Lessons in Chemistry
• Late-bloomer coming-of-age stories about witty, silly, bold, and realistic people navigating their early adulthood, like Emergency Contact and Funny You Should Ask
• Fast-paced thrillers, mysteries, and action-packed adventure stories that are filled with fun, high-stakes situations, rather than gore or police procedurals, like The Inheritance Games and Stars and Smoke
• Speculative twists on fiction showcasing a unique spin on our world and imagining the near-future in a grounded way, like Scythe and The Ones We’re Meant to Find

For nonfiction, I am looking for:

• Projects that examine trendy topics in pop culture, accessible pop science about how the world works the way it does, and millennial/Gen Z nostalgia, like Tacky and Cultish
• A behind-the-scenes look into the entertainment and media that acquire fandom power from all their devoted followers, like The Office BFFs and Talking as Fast as I Can

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to kelly.stone@stmartins.com

I am only accepting agented submissions at this time.