alterean.

Euan Thorneycroft

A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd

Submission status
Open
Submission route
Website
Response time
Aims to reply within 6 weeks
Last checked
13 days ago

About

Euan loves novels with propulsive stories, fascinating characters and great heart, whether commercial fiction or something more literary.

He seeks first-in-class storytelling that makes the reader care. He specialises in crossover literary/commercial fiction (“Bookclub fiction”) that starts conversations and taps into the zeitgeist, with examples including Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and The List by Yomi Adegoke, as well as immersive, transporting novels like Still Life by Sarah Winman and Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason. He reads crime and thrillers, from police procedurals to spy fiction, psychological suspense and full-throttle action adventure, and seeks unusual and imaginative hooks. He is drawn to authors such as Mick Herron, Cara Hunter, MJ Arlidge, TM Logan and Chris Whitaker, and to boundary-pushing crime novels like My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Historical fiction is another passion, whether a historical crime series in the vein of Laura Shepherd Robinson or Elodie Harper, or stand-alone novels such as The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins and The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews, with vivid setting and complex characters. In non-fiction, he loves memoirs, stand-outs include Educated by Tara Westover, The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks and Do No Harm by Henry Marsh, and works with experts in history, science, technology, politics and nature to craft narrative-driven books.

Genres

Commercial FictionCrimeHistorical FictionLiterary FictionMemoirNarrative Non-FictionPsychological SuspenseThriller

Looking for

  • crime
  • psychological thriller
  • upmarket book club novels
  • speculative literary/literary horror
  • high concept fiction
  • historical and contemporary literary
  • narrative nonfiction in history, geopolitics, politics, geography, and science (including health, social sciences, and smart thinking)
  • memoir, on occasion, particularly memoir that reaches outside of its immediate story to resonate widely
  • a twisty suspense with an exciting and original hook
  • an epic or intimate love story with protagonists they root for, but can't help feeling are making the wrong decisions
  • thrillers, from the literary to the commercial, that portray real psychological insight and moral complexity in its characters
  • a story that hinges on a clever speculative twist
  • something fresh and surprising that blends genres
  • sharp, contemporary narratives, and voices with bite and edge
  • an audacious and inventive historical voice
  • a story set in a world entirely divorced from our own, but with characters that still feel modern and human
  • experts who can translate their expertise into an engaging and page-turning narrative
  • a compelling proposal for a story that feels international and wide-reaching, but hasn't yet been told

Not looking for

  • children's
  • young adult
  • science fiction and fantasy

Agency submission guidelines

No longer accepting paper submissions. Submit online via the submission form, providing contact details and information about the submission (e.g. whether finished or work in progress), a covering letter (maximum 500 words), a synopsis (maximum 1,500 words), and the first 10,000 words of the submission. Submissions must be the original work of the author and not generated or co-written using artificial intelligence. Email submissions to submissions@amheath.com only if: other agents have requested the full manuscript; an offer of representation has been received; no response has been received within 6 weeks of sending the submission; or the submission is a cookery proposal or illustrated children's book. Otherwise, submissions made via the submissions@amheath.com email will not be considered. The covering letter should state the genre and market of the book, two or three lines about the story, any writing experience (creative writing courses, previous publication including short stories, self-publishing), and a little about the writer's background and interests. The synopsis should expand on the covering letter to give a better sense of plot and characters and where the story is going, without detailing every plot twist; use of the full 1,500 word limit is not required.

Links

Clients include

  • Vaseem Khan
  • Frances Crawford
  • Katy Brent
  • Cynan Jones
  • Noel O'Regan
  • Karen Powell
  • Glen Ireland
  • Sean O'Neill
  • Alwyn Turner
  • Yeshim Harris
  • Emma Reed Turrell
  • Flann O'Brien

Other agents at A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd