30th September Isabel Lineberry #Agent121. Looking for: YA, NEW ADULT & ADULT ROMANCE

Description

LOOKING FOR: YA, NEW ADULT & ADULT ROMANCE

Born to two bibliophiles, Isabel Lineberry could not have grown up to be anything else. She was born and raised in the Southwest United States but always knew she wanted to move to the UK. In high school she set her sights on a job in the publishing industry and hasn’t blinked since.

Isabel graduated in 2021 from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, with dual degrees in English Literature and Business Entrepreneurship. Just a few months later she was in Scotland pursuing an MLitt in Fantasy at the University of Glasgow. She wrote her Masters thesis on Tamora Pierce and is a fan of Ray Bradbury, Octavia Butler and Samantha Shannon. 

At Pérez Literary & Entertainment, Isabel looks after foreign rights and audio rights inquiries, assists the Managing Director and is building her own client list of contemporary stories and fantasy, across the YA and New Adult genres and any teen / Adult fiction that features a prominent romantic plot, in any guise.

Isabel is particularly interested in Contemporary Romance, Romantasy and Fantasy and is always attracted to the character and voice first, so give her romantic tension that has her giggling, a villain who is as charming as they are evil or a group of characters who have her watching their conversations as if it’s a tennis match.

More specifically, Isabel is looking for:

Romance –– For YA, updated Meg Cabot or John Green. Those were favorites for her as a teenager but she wants new takes––LGBT characters, diverse backgrounds, complex character development and a deep-dive into what it means to be a teenager in the current world. Give her relatability that doesn’t sacrifice a character’s unique traits. She is looking for the middle ground between the manic pixie dream girl and the buttoned-up character who just needs to take off their glasses.

In New Adult, Isabel is a big fan of authors like Elle Kennedy, C. W. Farnsworth, Elsie Silver and Morgan Elizabeth. BookTok romances are the perfect escapism for readers of all ages but especially for college students and young professionals like myself. Her all-time favorite tropes are Grumpy/Sunshine, Fall First/Fall Harder and all the Spice! She is not a fan of cheating storylines, accidental pregnancy, step-sibling romance or unnecessary miscommunication tropes. 

Romantasy –– Send her romance with sufficient fantasy worldbuilding. The romantic plot should be the main event but the worldbuilding needs to be able to stand up to scrutiny. The reader should accept the customs and specifics of your fantasy without too much confusion. Recent titles Isabel has loved include Fourth Wing and League of Gentleman Witches. 

As for the romance, Isabel loves tropes (especially: Enemies to Lovers, Who Hurt You?), morally grey characters and kick-ass heroines. She loves training montages and dueling as foreplay. Show her spice during high-pressure situations, quick kisses stolen in battlefields, and fantastic banter. She would also love a return to the paranormal romances that dominated the 2010s. Think the 2020s twist on Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, Shiver or Vampire Academy. Isabel is most definitely on the hunt for Romantasy and paranormal romance featuring queer and underrepresented voices.

Fantasy –– The worldbuilding absolutely must be believable and purposeful. Fantasy should be a mirror held up to the real world, offering a differing perspective that allows us to examine something about ourselves or our lives in a new light. Isabel has a masters degree in Fantasy from the University of Glasgow so can be a bit of a stickler when it comes to this! The magic/training/military school trope has been nearly exhausted, so be creative with the setting. Her favorite fantasy author is Tamora Pierce - she would love a “girl has to pretend to be a boy to get her knighthood” storyline that Pierce couldn’t do in the 80s such as LGBT representation (although Alanna was definitely gender fluid and Kel was 100% ace), a deeper dive into the social and political implications (no white saviorism!) and more spice. Some of her other favorite fantasy novels include Howl’s Moving Castle, Good Omens, Kindred and Golden Compass. Isabel does not want Tolkien-esque hard worldbuilding with 100k+ quests; instead focus on the pacing and how it can grab the reader. She wants a fantasy plot that compels me to keep reading even if it’s past her bedtime! She adores fairytale retellings, dark fantasy, alternate histories and historical fantasy, and the occasional steampunk/dystopia.

When not working, Isabel can usually be found reading or wandering a bookstore. Some of her favorite books include The Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice and The Mysterious Benedict Society. 

Isabel would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 -2 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your completed manuscript in a single word document.

(In addition to the paid sessions, Isabel is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). 

By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting.

The submission deadline is: Monday 16 September 2024