Molly Ketcheson

I’m an agent at Wolfson Literary Agency, hungry to sign new clients in the commercial and upmarket fiction space, as well as select literary fiction, fantasy and YA. Across all genres, I’m drawn to stories with a unique premise (especially if it twists genre conventions), lyrical prose, complex women, and that are, ultimately, hopeful. Here is some more specific info, but I don’t always know what I want until I see it! So even if I don’t explicitly mention what you’re writing here, but you think I would enjoy it, please do send it my way (within the genres I represent).

Across the board:

• I’m always on the lookout for diversity in everything I represent, and am keen to champion authors from underrepresented groups, across all genres. Everyone deserves to see themselves represented in the books they read. What are books for, if not to do that? 
• A speculative twist in any genre will always draw me in. Think The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Pushing Daisies, How High We Go In The Dark, or Migrations.
• Friend love stories are also something I’m always on the lookout for, and a strong friend group in any story is a plus for me (like those in Derry Girls, the Raven Cycle or Happy Place).
• I adore retellings, particularly Jane Austen and Shakespeare, such as Clueless, Fire Island, Eligible, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and Ten Things I Hate About You (if you can comp your work to Ten Things I Hate About You in any way, I would love to see it!). Really, I’m looking for this Tweet in book form.
• Setting is really important to me. The more specific, the more luscious, the better. 
• On a similar note, I’m really drawn to niche communities. Give me your theatre troupes, your knitting clubs, your world champion video game teams. 
• I’m drawn most to stories that find a bit of magic in the every day. Whether that be real magic, joyful friendship, or true love. 

Commercial fiction:

• I’m on the hunt for fiction that blurs the line between commercial and upmarket, especially if it blends a commercial hook with lyrical writing and complex characters. 
• In the romance space, I (like everyone else) would love to find something similar to Emily Henry. I would die for something that melds humour, swoon-worthy romance, and, crucially, the exploration of the real (emotional and tangible) issues that young women face the way EmHen does. 
• Also in romance, I’m interested in works that play with the form and genre conventions, like The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemond-Broka, or the TV series Starstruck.
• I love energetic, voice-driven books, such as the work of Hannah Grace and Ali Hazelwood. If you can comp your voice to the podcast Normal Gossip, I’m sold. 
• Give me feeling adrift in your 20s, but with magic (if you can comp your book to the TV series Extraordinary, I’m all in!)
• College settings
• Something fun, colourful, and emotional a la Barbie.
• I’m all for a good sports romance, but ideally it would explore a new angle (if you’re writing a queer romance about the messy relationships within a women’s sports team, please send it my way!)

Upmarket fiction:

• Upmarket, women’s fiction, high-end commercial, book club fiction, whatever you’re calling it, I’m in. I love upmarket books that are character driven and with sharp, thoughtful writing, like Taylor Jenkins Reid.
• I love stories that explore specific family dynamics, and multigenerational sagas; particularly, I am a sucker for a good sibling story, especially if it’s multi-POV. I want something that explores the nuances of sibling relationships, either as the focus or a subplot. Think Malibu Rising or I’ll Give You the Sun (if you have an adult book that you could comp to this, I would love love love to see it!). 
• I would love something that captures the magic of Gilmore Girls, in both its depiction of mother-daughter relationships and its setting. 
• Something quirky and particular, with a unique setting and a large cast of characters. Give me The Grand Budapest Hotel in book form. 
• Quiet stories that toe the literary line with their subtle prose, exquisite settings, and loving exploration of interpersonal relationships. Think Tom Lake or the film Past Lives.

Fantasy:

• I’m picky with my fantasy, and am more likely to go for a light fantasy than high fantasy. In the light fantasy space, I love contemporary fantasy, where the real world still has a strong hold on the plot, and the story is really about the melding of the two, and what that melding means. Some of my favourites in this space are Ninth House, the Raven Cycle, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 
• Sweeping magical realism with a lot of heart, like Jane the Virgin.
• I’m also very here for stories rooted in myth and folklore. 
• In high fantasy, the worldbuilding needs to be accessible and the characters as leading forces in the work. I am a huge Sarah J. Maas fan (I even wrote my university dissertation on Throne of Glass), and what I love about her work is how her characters drive the plot. Same with the Grisha Verse (my favourite there is King of Scars – I want all the badass, difficult women like Zoya Nazyalensky in my inbox!)
• I am, of course, also on the hunt for good romantasy (fantasy where the focus is romance).

Literary Fiction:

• I’m very selective in this space, and really only looking for literary fiction that sits on the upmarket/literary line. I want books with beautiful, but accessible, writing, but hold a strong plot/concept. Think Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow or the work of Ann Patchett.
• A novel in verse, where the choice of verse holds weight and makes sense, like Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan. 

Young Adult:

• In YA, I’m really only looking for things at the upper end, in the crossover space or right near it. 
• Prose in YA is very important to me, and I’m most drawn to books that tell heartfelt, universal stories with lovely prose, and that take the feelings of young people seriously.
• Light fantasy with atmospheric settings, and where the magic ultimately serves a larger purpose, like Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour (give me all your non-horror ghostie stories). 
• Swoon-worthy YA romance with well-rounded characters, please!
• Something high concept with a focus on the complexities of teenage girlhood like Do Revenge or the Gallagher Girls books (Also please send me your spy books).
• There’s room for some fun in here too! I grew up in the Disney Golden age of Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Camp Rock, and High School Musical. If your book has some good 2000s Disney energy, send it my way! 
• Anything that captures the angst and raw emotion of Olivia Rodrigo’s music.
• I firmly believe YA dystopia is making a come back, and would love to see books in that realm.

Maybes:

• I could be swayed by historical fiction, if the historical period is used in an intentional way, and the story still feels energetic and prescient, like Daisy Jones and the Six, Lessons in Chemistry, or Reputation by Lex Croucher. I also do have a love for old Hollywood. I’m not the best fit, however, for historical fiction where the plot is focused on historical events (like Outlander).
• I could also be convinced into something with a thriller/mystery angle, if it’s more lowkey, like Yellowface.

I’m not the right fit for:

• Horror. I’m sorry, I simply can’t do blood, even on the page! 
• I’m not looking for any heavy sci-fi at this time (space opera, military sci-fi, etc).
• Vampires, werewolves, demons.
• I do not represent any nonfiction at this time.

Fun facts about me:

• I’m Canadian, and very passionate about championing Canadian stories! Bonus points for Toronto-based stories.
• I lived in the UK (Scotland and London) for six years, and would love stories set over there and to work with UK authors.
• I went to an all-girls high school, and love to see those dynamics in books (another reason I loved the Gallagher Girls books)
• I was heavily involved in theatre all through high school and university, and would love to represent books about the craziness of that world.
• I am a huge Taylor Swift fan! If your book has Mirrorball energy, please send it my way!

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to https://querymanager.com/query/MollyKetcheson

I only accept submissions through my Query Manager form, here: https://querymanager.com/query/MollyKetcheson.

Unfortunately, I cannot consider queries sent to my email. Please only query one WLA agent.

Guidelines & Details