Let's have a conversation.

If you follow me on social media--especially Threads and/or Bluesky--you've likely seen me posting statuses over the last few weeks asking authors for very specific types of manuscripts. And I hope that you have been paying attention if you are an author, because I am very actively searching for our next publication for Left Unread and I want y'all to SEND ME BOOKS.

My hope is to one day be able to open our submissions to all different types of books, but as you know, we are a brand-new imprint and only have the capacity to publish a couple of books a year right now. Which means I need to be very specific about what we are looking for.

With that said, I do want the door open to Black and brown authors across genres, so here is what I am looking for specifically in different genres:

Right now, I am MOST excited for horror and/or dystopian stories, so let's start there:

HORROR: My dream manuscript in the horror genre would be a story that centers Black or brown community and a historically/culturally relevant monster/evil. I'm thinking about books like The Reformatory by Tananarive Due (which is about systemic racism in Jim Crow south and haints, a classic Black American monster) or Jackal by Erin Adams (which focuses on monsters that call out to you from the woods as a way to strategically talk about white supremacy). Stories that both highlight histories/legends of Black/brown people while also centering community/family. I love horror stories that either focus on a Black or brown community like both of those stories, but I am also open to ones following reconnecting characters, such as Bad Cree by Jessica Johns (which follows an Indigenous woman who has to go back home and reconnect with her mother and aunties in order to successfully confront the monster haunting her dreams).

I am not a huge fan of slashers and splatter punk unless it is a commentary on something systemic or the genre itself (for example, a modern retelling of Candyman would appeal to me).

DYSTOPIAN/UTOPIAN: I think y'all know what I am looking for here, but just in case, let me just lay it out for you. I am looking for stories that either expose systemic injustice in the real world or reimagine the world. Books like Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (that followed a young Black woman who was actively deconstructing her worldview and figuring out a path forward for humanity) or Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin (which followed several women navigating a world that has been deteriorating for centuries and is now due to finally end for good). I also love stories like Tender is the Flesh (which was set in a morally corrupt world and followed a character that was completely complicit with the systems of oppression while viewing them as evil, both because he felt powerless to change them and because he held a privileged identity that made it beneficial to him). I love stories that ask massive questions or take a very strategic look at specific systems of control, such as The Getaway by Lamar Giles (which uses the setting of the last standing resort in a post-apocalyptic America to take a concentrated look at the dangers of capitalism and white supremacy). I'm also very interested in stories that explore largely ignored evils in the world, such as the Unwind Series by Neal Shusterman (a series set in a post-abortion world where, instead of aborting children, parents can send their children to be "unwound" after 13, where they are killed and their body parts are distributed to other people who need them--it's worth noting that I found this series problematic, but the concept is phenomenal) or Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (an alternate America where the industrial prison complex hosts a yearly gladiator-style game where prisoners can fight to the death for a slim chance at freedom). I am also interested in Utopian stories that show us what the world could look like, if not for the systems of control/injustice we currently live under.

FANTASY: My Fantasy tastes are very well-established. But to be honest, I am not passionately looking for Fantasy at the moment. We have multiple incredible fantasies coming out over the next year and a half, so I would love to find something outside of that genre. But I am not closed to it. If you have something next level, send it along! But you know me, I want something that says something big. I love cozy stories and books that highlight joy, but I am really focused on challenging people to widen their lens and abandon their privileges. If you bring me fantasy, I want something that either highlights a largescale fight for justice or dives deep into a marginalized identity. I am especially interested in coming of age mm fantasy written by a Black man or a man of color, or stories that go beyond just fighting against an oppressor but actually seek to dismantle systems of oppression, such as Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.

THRILLERS: I've been pretty open about the fact that thrillers are not my thing, but I won't close the door to them. Here is what I will say though: I am only open to thrillers that are having a conversation about racism and/or community. I am not interested in copaganda or murder mysteries where we are looking to heroes from any type of law enforcement or detective agency. If you want to bring me a story commenting on missing Black or Indigenous women, I'm in. If you have a story that takes a critical look at law enforcement and ends up relying on the work of everyday people to keep a community safe or bring a killer down, sign me up. A home invasion story, I'll read it. Just no copaganda or I'll resent you bothering me. lol

ROMANCE: I am very excited about finding the perfect romance for Left Unread to publish. I am particularly interested in a romance highlighting Black love in settings, or from perspectives, we don't typically find romance stories. For instance, give me a contemporary Black mm love story set in the projects, or a literary romance about a Black couple in the suburbs trying to hold onto their cultural identity while learning to blend into their community, or a coming-of-age story about two college kids in an HBCU. I don't care about the specific setting, I just want something unique that speaks to a setting where Black love is not typically represented on the page. I am open to stories that are not Black, but that is what I am most eager to publish.

What I do NOT want are stories where marginalized people fall in love with their oppressors. And I do not mean interracial romance. IR is fine. I am talking the inmate and the prison guard, the salve and the prince, the cop and their former collar, etc. I don't want it. Ick. lol Outside of that, I'm pretty open.

ALSO....

I do want to say that I am open outside of these parameters as well, but this is what I'm passionate about. So if you have something like this, please make that clear in your pitch letter. I anticipate shuffling through a lot of stories, so the more information you provide in your pitch letter, the better shot your story stands out.

Pitchfest starts on the 9th and you can submit your manuscript by going to binderybooks.com/pitchfest and choosing the link for Left Unread

I am very serious about finding our next book, so good luck!

Don't forget, if you want to follow along as I search for our next book to publish, make sure you are subscribed at the $5, $12 or $25 tier. By doing so, you not only get access to the publishing process in real time, but you are also helping us to fund these projects and to fight for Black and brown books!