Fergus Inder

High Spot Literary

My Manuscript Wish List®

I’m a Junior Agent for High Spot Literary working from Melbourne, Australia. While I do represent US authors, I am currently only seeking queries from authors based in Australia.

And while I love Australian characters and Australian settings, please note that only you the author *must* be based in Australia.

I am mostly looking to grow my Adult List, especially with regards to literary fiction and certain genres of commercial fiction: speculative fiction, sci-fi, horror, thriller, romance. I am also open to General Non-Fiction queries across a wide spectrum for an author with the right credentials/expertise.

I’m not seeking any YA projects at this time.

I love epic reads, dystopias, Shakespeare adaptations, Dickensian coming-of-age stories, and sexy and sad millennial lit-fic.

I like genre fiction! More of a sci-fi guy than a fantasy guy, for the record.

Action/Adventure — Mostly seeking projects in the grounded contemporary or five minutes in the future space. Love spy thrillers. Not seeking much in the High Sci-Fi or Fantasy space. Strong hooks and PACE please. I’d lose my mind for modern Indiana Jones vibes, especially if the protagonist was BIPOC, queer, or the historical power/artifact to be discovered was rooted in indigenous mythology in a non-exploitative way. I want to represent the next Matthew Reilly.

Crime – I like all sorts. From Holmes to Scorcese. Try me.

Got a heist story? *Insert Rick & Morty finger guns* You son of a b*tch, I’m in.

Horror/Thriller/Paranormal – Equally excited by the downright terrifying (King) as I am by the strange, eccentric, and delightful (Gaiman). Love stories set in confined/enclosed spaces—2001, Alien, Gerald’s Game. Love historical horrors (The Witch) as much as speculative/sci-fi ones (Black Mirror). Would also love to see indigenous mythology and colonial criticism incorporated into this genre!!

Adult Literary* — My tastes are very broad here. Love a bit of dark comedy (dark everything, if we’re honest), along with playfulness in structure and form. I’m generally drawn to tragic romance. Strength of the prose is KEY.

*Atop my wishlist here is something that is set amongst the incredibly strange world of young performers, musicians, artists.

Romance — I’m an absolute sucker for Richard Curtis films. If you have a commercial romance that feels like this—mannered, funny, uplifting—send it my way. ESPECIALLY if the cast of characters is more diverse than a Richard Curtis film.

I love a story about food that’s not about food—Heartburn by Nora Ephron, The Bear on FX, Como Agua para Chocolate, hell, even Chocolat.

Non-Fiction:

Are you an influencer with a great brand and loyal online audience that is keen to publish a book? Maybe you’ve got a manuscript, maybe you have no clue where to start. Whether it’s food, finance, wellness, pop psychology, activism: query me. Let’s talk.

Likewise, I would *love* to do more cookbook collaborations, especially for successful Melbourne-based chefs, mixologists, bakers, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir — Open to submissions of this nature. Again, I believe comedy is incredibly important in this genre. But I wouldn’t say no to the next In Cold Blood either, would I.