Renee Runge

I am an Associate Agent at Spencerhill Associates, actively building a list in MG and YA! I would describe my taste in media as pretty eclectic, but what my favorite books all have in common is commercial appeal with a literary aura. I’m drawn to hooky concepts, strong storytelling voices, and seamless intertwining of A and B plots, with bonus points to anything that can make me cry at the end. I also love when a story is heavily setting-driven and I get to be charmed by a locale new to me.

As a neurodivergent person, I’m really excited to collaborate with and champion diverse and underrepresented creators from all backgrounds. Please send me your projects that explore intersectional issues or marginalized identities, and especially if they offer new perspectives on any part of my MSWL!

Some dream projects I’d love to represent:

• Something extremely atmospheric that captures The Real Florida
• MG with animal protagonists, preferably animals we haven’t seen as heroes often/ever before, with well-crafted lore and saga potential for years and years worth of storylines that would really engage fans (ie: Erin Hunter’s Warriors or Brian Jacques’ Redwall)
• YA dystopia with huge commercial appeal to crack the genre back open – really high stakes, lots of action, and multifaceted characters (a swoon-worthy love triangle straight out of the 2010s a huge bonus, but not required)
• Fantasy with Donner Party vibes
• A really cool goth girl MC whose story isn’t about being a witch
• A story centered on someone’s place of work

I’m willing to look at most projects in the categories I represent because I’m a huge believer that sometimes we don’t know what we’re looking for until we find it, but here’s a general idea of some things really piquing my interest at this time:

MG/YA 

• Coming-of-age, slices of life that explore a defining period in a character’s life (Seventeenth Summer)
• Animal protagonists!!!
• Secret worlds, abilities, knowledge that adults may or may not know about
• Magical realism with a literary bent (The Fledgling, Skellig, A Monster Calls)
• Dystopia!!! All of it!
• Iconic friend groups
• First love / crushes and all their embarrassing moments
• All the failed romances, situationships, missed opportunities to express feelings for each other, anything that dissects the nature of relationship in retrospect (Why We Broke Up)
• Anything funny that speaks the language of today’s children while transcending age group
• Niche historical fiction – give me a new perspective on a major event, or introduce me to history that didn’t make the school textbook
• Alternate history – what if xyz happened instead?
• Characters who have to significantly adapt or question long-held beliefs for the first time in order to survive their situation
• Thrillers with unreliable narrators, big unexpected twists, repressed traumas and fears resurfacing
• Summer-y beach reads that might also… gently Say Something (Imagine if Belly considered that the privileged way in which the boys grew up affected how they treated her in The Summer I Turned Pretty?!)
• Growing pains, fears about adulthood, characters who aren’t ready to grow up… something that addresses how sad it is to leave childhood behind
• Rule-breakers, in every sense of the word
• Examination of identity and allyship (re: Imogene, Obviously)
• Reconnecting with one’s roots
• Mom Friends who need someone to take care of them for once
• Stories based on songs

I’m also a huge advocate for the idea that if a child can experience it, they can read about it. If a story has a “bannable” quality, I’m all for it. 

I am probably not the best fit for: retellings of fairy tales / mythology / the classics (NEW literary traditions do strongly appeal to me), heavily romance-driven fantasy, or novels-in-verse. I have very few “absolutely nots” for my inbox, but I really do not want to see any works featuring death of companion animals, anything that actively harms / contributes to stereotypes against a group of people, or anything produced with or pro-AI.

I do not represent adult genres at this time.

Submission Guidelines

Please only query me via my official QueryManager profile.

Guidelines & Details