Matthew Valdez
Megibow Literary Agency, LLC.
My Manuscript Wish List®
Kindness. Integrity. Patience. Profit. Enthusiasm.
Matthew’s love of literature began as a teenager when his mom handed him a copy of TWILIGHT after years of being a reluctant reader. Then, in college he took a Young Adult Literature class and was immediately hooked on reading YA. In fact, it was that professor who encouraged him to attend YALLFest- that conference is what launched Matthew into the world of publishing. With over a decade of volunteering at conferences and interning at literary agencies, Matthew brings a very behind-the-scenes perspective to his job as agent.
Matthew holds a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is currently attending The University of Central Florida to obtain his Master’s in Educational Leadership. He lives in sunny Florida where he teaches High School English and hopes just a sliver of his passion for books rubs off on his students.
I am always looking to champion stories from writers of all marginalized backgrounds, especially voices from the LGBTQ+ community!
Fun facts about me:
- I’ve been a loyal Lady Gaga fan since 2008 and have seen her in concert 6 times in 4 different states.
- I’ve been playing both Genshin Impact AND Honkai: Star Rail since launch
- When not listening to Lady Gaga, my go-to genre of music is usually Japanese Rock / Pop (the GazettE, Girugamesh, Gackt, Versailles: Philharmonic Quintet, Jupiter, Kaya, Utada Hikaru, Ayumi Hamasaki, Angela Aki, amongst MANY others).
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to matthewquery@megibowliterary.com
I am OPEN to new queries as of January 27th, 2025!
Queries should be sent to ma**********@me*************.com with the subject “QUERY – MANUSCRIPT TITLE”.
What I’m currently looking for: (Updated 1/27/25)
Adult:
- Fantasy
- All sub-genres, but particularly: Romantasy, high, cozy, and dark!
- Psychological Thriller
- Horror
- Would love to see some Horrormantasy!
- RomCom (Particularly LGBTQ+, but all welcome!)
- Commercial / Upmarket Literary Fiction
Young Adult:
- Fantasy
- Contemporary
- Paranormal
- Thriller
- Dystopian
- RomCom (Particularly LGBTQ+, but all welcome!)
Oddly Specific things I’m looking for:
-
Books with vibes similar to Uncharted / National Treasure. Using actual history in an alternate way is absolutely up my alley.
- Baking! Particularly an LGBTQ+ RomCom with Great British Bake Off vibes.
- LGBTQ+ Sports RomComs, with a particular interest in Baseball.
- Villain Origin Stories. Lifelong fan of villains here! Tell me what makes your character so evil!
-
Horror novels that feature dysfunctional families. Think Haunting of Hill House or DIAVOLA.
- Horror similar to INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE by Josh Malerman, in that this book had me turning the lights on at night for weeks. If you have a manuscript that will freak me OUT… I want to see it.
-
LGBTQ+ Romance that feature characters that are famous. IF THIS GETS OUT, KISS & TELL, DARK HEARTS, are all favorites! Would love to see some similar New Adult projects.
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Retellings: Give me all the retellings! From myth, to folktales, to Shakespeare; I want them all! I am always looking for unique perspectives to much loved stories.
-
Historical novels: I am particularly interested in historical novels that center on a specific person’s history with alternating time lines. I’m looking for projects that make me forget these characters are fictional. I absolutely loved THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD, and DAISY JONES AND THE SIX.
- Please note: I am closed to historical fiction at this time. However if you manuscript fits the above criteria, please submit!
I am not the best person for:
- Superheroes
- Zombies
- Fae (Situational. I am NOT a fan of ACOTAR type faeries… but enjoy other depictions)
- Science-Fiction (I’m extremely picky with Sci-Fi, so I’m closing to it for now)
- War / Military (I like wars as seen in The Lord of the Rings, not Black Hawk Down)
- Politics
- Urban Fantasy (I’m not particularly interested in magic in our real world at the current moment- this could change in the future!)
I am currently NOT accepting:
- Nonfiction
- Memoir
- Middle Grade
- Picture/Chapter
- Poetry
- Short Story
- Screenplays
- Material for the Inspirational / Religious Market
Vital Info