Alisha West

Victress Literary

My Manuscript Wish List®

Alisha West (she/they) has had a life-long love affair with stories. At Gonzaga University, they majored in English and added a concentration in Women’s Studies. They went on to earn a Master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Louisville. Alisha always knew she wanted to be part of helping great stories make their way into the world. Though they took a circuitous route, through working at nonprofits to tutoring writing to taking writing classes to writing her own novel, when she joined Victress Literary, she knew she was home. As an editorial agent, Alisha loves helping writers create vivid and compelling stories that readers will not be able to put down.

Alisha is a new agent so she’s actively building her list (under the mentorship of the wonderful, Lizz Nagle). So what is Alisha looking for?

YA and MG – I lean toward contemporary stories with underrepresented (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, gender diverse) characters and authors. I also love mystery, adventure, and magic.

Adult Fiction – I look for complex characters and thoughtfully crafted plots. Genres that tend to make me giddy include psychological thrillers, mystery, family saga, and historical fiction. I always love a bit of romance, but as more of a subplot. Here, I’m also looking for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and gender diverse characters and authors. I’m looking for stories that reveal the truths of what it means to be a human in our difficult, often oppressive, world.

Non-fiction – Though I’m interested in many non-fiction genres, my highest priority are books that touch on social issues of importance: racial and social justice; untold history of persons or movements that changed the world; environmental justice; women, gender, and sexuality; addiction (including food and sex).

Fun facts about me:

Alisha and her partner name their rescue fur babies after characters from TV shows. They have loved Roary Gilmore for 11 years, Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds for 5 years, Charlie Kelly for 8 months, Ronald “Mac” McDonald for 1 month, and Walter White (rest in peace) was adored for 7 years.

Submission Guidelines

Queries must be sent through our Query Manager. Any queries that do not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Prepare the following items for your FICTION query:

  • A query letter including what makes your book unique
  • An Author bio
  • A 1-2 page synopsis including genre and word count
  • The first chapter of your book

Prepare the following items for your NON-FICTION query:

  • A brief, 1-2 paragraph synopsis
  • Your bio or resume specifying credentials and publication credits, if any
  • A complete table of contents plus page and word counts
  • 2 sample chapters, excluding the first two
  • A description of your target audience ~One paragraph on your book’s unique advantages
  • A list of competing, comparable titles and how your book differs

Please do not send complete manuscripts until requested.

Guidelines & Details