TOR PUBLISHING GROUP

A Division of Macmillan Publishers

Bramble

From science fiction and fantasy to contemporary and family saga, romance belongs in every genre and every genre belongs in Bramble. Whether the last page holds happily ever after, to be continued, or an ending that isn’t so simple, Bramble books will take you on an extraordinary journey of love. With spice levels to suit all readers, with familiar tropes and uncharted territory, Bramble books will explore a love that's tangled up, covered in thorns, and oh so sweet. Bramble is for everyone and everyone deserves a good love story.

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Monique Patterson, Vice President, Editorial Director, Bramble/ Bramble, Forge

(she/her)

Monique Patterson is vice president and editorial director of Bramble. “With over 25 years in the publishing business, it’s safe to say I found the career of my dreams!” 

The quote “All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town,” by Leo Tolstoy is one of her favorites, because it immediately sets to mind all the possibilities of a fantastic story. Finding books and authors that reach across the breadth of our experiences as humans is important to her. Publishing a wide array of romance and commercial women’s fiction allows Monique to explore all of those experiences. She is drawn to high concept commercial fiction that embraces genre, including the blending of genres, and strong stand out characters.

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Sanaa Ali-Virani, Assistant Editor/ Tor, Tordotcom, Bramble

(she/her)

I have been with TPG since 2019 and am excited to be building my list. I am seeking science fiction, fantasy, and romance, at novel- and novella-length, with a preference for character-driven stories.

Across SFF, I tend to be drawn to books that are ultimately hopeful, and that carry a sense of adventure and exploration—whether that means setting off on a quest, delving into secrets of the past, or uncovering new corners in one’s own home.

Some of my particular interests include:

Deep dives into religion. Hook me with an interesting take on the god-king, immortals, false idols, reluctant deities, dead gods, or another angle. I am especially interested in set-ups that are not a direct analog to an extant religion or to the Greco-Roman pantheon [Brandon Sanderson’s work, Kushiel’s Dart].

Myths, folktales, legends, and epics. A good retelling will absolutely catch my attention, but I am even more excited about fiction that feels like myth or folklore without necessarily being based on a specific tale [The Tiger’s Daughter], as well as fiction that draws on a body of lore and makes it its own [The Bird KingOn Fragile Waves].

I love an ensemble cast that makes me change my mind about my favorite character depending on who’s currently on the page; stories centering families, born or made; a diversified group with niche roles that comes together to make a united whole (think heist team, D&D party, spaceship crew, Anime sports team) [Leverage, Haikyu, Sufficiently Advanced Magic].

I have a weakness for books that can’t decide if they’re fantasy or science fiction [Light From Uncommon Stars], and also enjoy SFF stories that stretch into adjacent genres, particularly romance or historical fiction [This Is How You Lose the Time War, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street].

I am also considering romance submissions without any SFF elements. In this area, I am most likely to be interested in Queer stories, especially those featuring characters with specific professions, hobbies, or niche interests that play a notable role in the fabric of the story (athletes, D&D players, blacksmiths, monarch butterfly hatchers). I personally take a broad view of “Queer” in this context, including the diverse LGBTQIA+ spectrum and beyond into sexualities, genders, and ways of loving that may be considered non-normative or marginalized by our societies, such as polyamory or kink.

In addition, I tend to have a preference for stories in which primarily external factors keep characters apart, as opposed to factors internal to the relationship (especially repeated miscommunication); I have a soft spot for Sapphic love stories, especially if they include one or more butches; and I would love to see an actively anti-misogynistic take on the isekai genre in the form of a romance novel.

Across all genres, I love to see BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ characters as well as fiction that looks beyond Western norms. I am eager for all sorts of these stories, but those with South Asian, East African, or Japanese touchstones; immigrant and refugee narratives; and frameworks that defy or subvert gender and gendered societal roles will hit personal notes for me.

I am actively seeking submissions from authors of underrepresented backgrounds. Above all I am looking for stories that push the borders of genre from within. And I am always open to falling in love with something I didn’t even know I wanted!

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Ruoxi Chen, Editor/ Tor, Tordotcom, Bramble

(she/her)

I joined Tor Publishing Group in 2017 and am interested in a wide range of speculative fiction for the adult market—from core science fiction and fantasy to literary crossover.

Some touchstone authors include Octavia E. Butler, Dorothy Dunnett, Kelly Link, Mary Renault, and N. K. Jemisin.

At Tor, I’ve edited bestselling and award-winning authors who’ve taken home the World Fantasy Award, the ALA Alex Award, the Ignyte Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Hugo Award, among others. I’ve been lucky enough to debut authors such as Freya Marske Marske, Emily Tesh, and Nghi Vo, and to work with voices like P. Djèlí Clark, Seth Dickinson, Sarah Gailey, Zin E. Rocklyn, Alexandra Rowland, and Tochi Onyebuchi on new projects. My editorial work has been recognized with a Hugo Award for Best Editor and a Publishers Weekly Star Watch honor.

In addition to the Tor Books and TDCP lists, I’m always ready to be driven into a shipping frenzy with the right Bramble romance, and am still waiting for the right horror project to keep me up at night. I’m a sucker for unexpected retellings and works that slip between genres. Bring me a translatio imperii narrative about orisha, Meng Jiang Nu in space, Cleopatra in a fantasy of manners.

 Right now, I’m particularly interested in the following:

  • Fantasy that kisses mythology with precise, confident narratives that turn on themselves like Megan Whalen Turner’s The King of Attolia, Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant, and Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi
  • Historical SF/F and secondary worlds inspired by deeply specific histories that make you question your own reality like P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout, Jordy Rosenberg’s Confessions of a Fox, and Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune
  • Queer speculative fiction that fluidly mixes genres and treats its characters with care (even if they are very much not preserved from danger) like Ryka Aoki’s The Light from Uncommon Stars, Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds, and Kai Ashante Wilson’s Sorcerer of the Wildeeps
  • Immersive, fresh worlds that evoke new myths being made like Kerstin Hall’s The Border Keeper, N. K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and A. K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name
  • Stories that understand how to deploy a fantastical creature(s) in a richly developed world with the intention of maximum emotional damage: dryads! dragons! neixin! Send me this generation’s Mogget, Falkor, Appa, Temeraire, etc.
  • Crossover SF/F (into literary, romance, thriller, can’t put your finger on it etc.) with vivid prose and worldbuilding/scene-setting used to amplify a strong, central relationship like Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s This Is How You Lose the Time War, Scott Hawkins’ The Library at Mount Char, and Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni.
  • A specific ask I have yet to find: I’d love to see an exceptional witch book that charms me and knocks me off my feet, whether in the one sidestep from our own contemporary world vein of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, Quan Barry’s We Ride Upon Sticks, or Mona Awad’s Bunny, or further afield like Alix Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches and Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching. If your witches are queer, from outside the European tradition, working their magic in the diaspora (or all of the above!), you especially have my attention.

I prefer my narratives subversive, my fantasy postcolonial, and my families found. I’m actively seeking submissions—both novellas and novels—from authors from underrepresented backgrounds. Above all and regardless of subgenre, I’m looking for compelling characters and voices that will haunt me long past the last page.

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Ali Fisher, Executive Editor/ Tor, Nightfire, Forge, Tor Teen/Starscape, Bramble

(she/her)

Since 2013, I’ve been HEA with Tor Publishing Group where I’m actively acquiring speculative fiction for adults, teens, and middle-grade readers, as well as humorous nonfiction for adults. 

I’m a big fan of comedy in all genres so please send me the manuscripts that make you laugh and I love to see submissions from BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ writers. 

FOR TOR, NIGHTFIRE, BRAMBLE, TOR TEEN, AND STARSCAPE: I’m interested in diverse and inclusive commercial speculative fiction with off-the-charts character chemistry, truly original world-building, and strong opinionated voices. 

I’ve been a Tor fangirl since high school when I read Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart and Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest. Iconic. These days my manuscript wish list includes new and original takes on folklore, possession, rivals-to-lovers, fake dating, witches, magic that requires tangible spellcraft, classic little guy aliens, and more. I’m into romance of all spice levels—from zero to four chili-pepper emojis—and I’m eager to see more gender and body diversity. Historical and dystopian settings generally don’t hit for me.

On the adult side, I acquired, edited, and debuted work from TJ Klune (The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, and repackages of the previously published Green Creek Series), Everina Maxwell (Winter’s Orbit, Ocean’s Echo), and Ananda Lima (Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil). I manage Ursula K. Le Guin’s backlist with Tor and I’m working with Jennifer L. Armentrout on Fall of Ruin and Wrath, the first-ever book to be published under Bramble!

On the kids’ side, I’m currently working with Terry J. Benton-Walker (Blood Debts, The White Guy Dies First), P. Djèlí Clark (Abeni’s Song), Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman (All of Us Villains, A Fate So Cold), TJ Klune (The Extraordinaries Series), Kristen Simmons (Find Him Where You Left Him Dead), and more to be announced! 

FOR FORGE: I’m interested in feel-good, humorous nonfiction. I love niche cultural explorations with vulnerability and heart. 

I acquired and edited #1 New York Times bestseller Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, co-hosts of My Favorite Murder, as well as A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape by comedian Joe Pera and illustrator Joe Bennett, I Will Not Die Alone by Dera White and illustrator Joe Bennett, and Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs by comedian and podcaster Jamie Loftus.

I am not currently taking unagented or unsolicited manuscripts.

 

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Mal Frazier, Editorial Assistant/ Tor, Tordotcom, Bramble

(they/them)

I joined Tor books in 2022 and I’m excited to build my list. I am actively acquiring SFF and romance novels for adults, with a specific interest towards works by authors from underrepresented backgrounds.

In SFF, I am looking for high concept, experimental work that’s grounded, fundamentally political in nature, with a distinctive, accomplished voice. I cut my teeth on fanfiction, and as such, any novel that uses genre as a language, to make arguments and play tricks on the reader (Cadwell Turnbull’s The Lesson, Yuri!!! On Ice) is wonderful. A one-sentence rocket launch of a premise, such as that of Ancillary Sword, gets me like nothing else, and I cannot get enough of a truly perverse central relationship (Lilith Saintcrow’s Dante Valentine series, The Fortunate Fall, The Fifth Season). I am a huge nerd for ecology, history, and zoology so I love cli-fi, and authors like Ada Palmer and Jacqueline Carey are central to my taste. And if your book makes me laugh, I will fall in love. 

Please of me when you find works that feature:

  • Decay–of mind, body, world
  • If your author is a specialist: ecologist, economist, farmer, historian, linguist
  • Alternative forms of consciousness
  • Middle-aged or older protagonists 
  • “Passing” as a concept and biracial Black characters and authors 
  • The extremely strange, discomfiting, and virulently creative
  • Work that examines deep colonial roots of SFF 
  • Unique narrative forms, such as The Raven Tower
  • Futuristic fantasy
  • Themes of physical transformation
  • Organic, biological worldbuilding, see: Scavengers Reign

I’m not interested in acquiring for children’s/YA, and I’m not the right editor for work featuring very structured settings, such as magic schools or reality television competitions. Epic and cozy fantasy are a hard sell, but then again I adore Queen’s Thief, so don’t trust me. 

The romances I love are witty, sweeping, or genre-savvy. I adore a whipcrack high concept pitch, but need characters, voice, and expert execution to sell the premise. I read contemporary, historical, futuristic, and secondary world, but extremely strong worldbuilding and a rich sense of place are critical (The Friend Zone Experiment, The Devil Comes Courting, Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen). I appreciate a romance novel that overlaps with other genres, takes place in less well-trodden settings, or involves characters not typically centered in romances (An Extraordinary Union, You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty, One Last Stop). Strong B-plots, immersive character voices, and messy power dynamics will have me obsessed (A Gentleman’s Position, A Lady for a Duke, One Last Stop).

Specific things I’m looking for in romance:

  • Knight/squire romance
  • Not romantasy but the next evolution of the genre
  • High concept vampires behaving badly
  • Interracial/cultural relationships
  • The funniest thing you’ve ever read
  • Fanfic roots, in the vein of Captive Prince
  • High-heat lesbians
  • Trans, nonbinary and intersex leads
  • Dark science fiction romance–less romp, more gut-wrenching
  • Dark romance and unredeemed villains
  • Bildungsroman-level development of protagonists
  • Romances of the mind, involving destabilization of identity, mind-meld, bodyswapping, genderswapping, etc
  • Grounded takes on folklore and legend, think East 

For romance, I’m not a great fit for stories that involve witches, rom-coms that are more quirky than hilarious, or worldbuilding that is more numinous than grounded. I’m not seeking out YA or erotica.

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Aislyn Fredsall, Assistant Editor/ Tor, Tor Teen/Starscape, Tordotcom, Bramble

(she/her)

Having been at Macmillan since 2017, I joined Tor Publishing Group in 2022 and am thrilled to be building my list. I am actively seeking fantasy fiction across subgenres. In particular, I enjoy—

Fairytale-inspired fantasy, whether imaginative retellings and continuations that cleverly employ, invert, or critique classic fairytale tropes to create fresh narratives or tales that embrace fairytale form and style to tell wholly original stories. I especially appreciate stories integrating elements from lesser-known mythologies, legends, and folklores.

Epic fantasy that tells large-scale stories with fate-of-the-world stakes and features rogues, thieves, and assassins teaming up with or facing off against wizards, gods, monsters, and other larger-than-life figures.

Romantasy that takes the fantasy and the romance equally seriously. The fantasy setting and plot enhances the romantic relationships rather than overshadows them, and the romantic relationships do not sideline the fantasy plot.

Historical fantasy that skillfully interweaves real historical periods and events—especially rarely represented periods and events from all corners of our world—with fantastical elements in clever and surprising ways.

Contemporary fantasy where magic merges seamlessly with the real to address issues of our modern world. 

No matter the subgenre, I’m most excited by worldbuilding and settings that are so rich they feel like characters in and of themselves. Whether it’s a version of our world or a completely secondary world, I appreciate when worldbuilding feels lived-in and allows for in-depth exploration. I want worlds with unique cultures, histories, and magics, and I particularly enjoy worlds that are influenced by under-explored cultures and historical periods. And I adore distinctive, innovative magic systems, especially magic systems that interact with language and culture in interesting ways.

I am strongly interested in stories that reflect the diversity of the world we live in and feature underrepresented voices and perspectives. 

Compelling, complex characters are a must. I love characters with moral gray areas, and I really love ensemble casts with varying personalities. +1 if they make me laugh, +2 if they make me cry. 

I love love! If your manuscript combines the grandeur and expansiveness of a fantasy plot with compelling romantic relationships—whether it’s a subplot or central to character development and plot progression—I probably want to read it. And I always appreciate well-wrought tropes!

While I read widely across genres and enjoy genre-bending narratives, I am not currently looking to acquire science fiction, horror, or contemporary romance.

I am not currently taking unagented or unsolicited manuscripts.

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Stephanie Stein, Senior Editor/ Tor, Bramble

After beaming aboard the Tor mothership in 2023, I am thrilled to be building a list of page-turning fantasy and science fiction for adult readers.

I’m after high-concept commercial reads with smart, stylish execution. My favorite books are driven by a clever sense of humor, sky-high emotional stakes that bring home deep truths, or particularly savvy use of structure and genre tropes. Across all genres, I am always looking for work from LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodiverse, disabled, and other marginalized perspectives.

In fantasy, I’m looking for epic sagas and sword-and-sorcery adventures, emphasis on the and sorcery. Give me hard magic systems heavy on categorization and rules, gods and dragons, mages and mythmaking. What do you get the commercial fantasy reader who’s already read everything? I want the next must-read for fans who think they’ve seen it all. I’m a fan of Sanderson, Jemisin, Rothfuss, RF Kuang, Guy Gavriel Kay, Fonda Lee, Naomi Novik, and VE Schwab. I’m also interested in the intersection where lush historical fiction crosses fantasy (Susanna Clarke, CirceShe Who Became the Sun).

In SF, take me to space: I’m looking for universes that are teeming with human diasporas and creatively imagined alien life. I love space battles, the Prime Directive, mecha anime, and science that will break my brain and reconfigure it (ArrivalThe Future of Another Timeline, The Space Between Worlds). Other obsessions include the Imperial Radch, The ExpanseRed Rising, Becky Chambers, and the Vorkosigan Saga.

For Bramble, I am looking for romantasy, historical romance, and the occasional high-concept contemporary romance that uses a speculative premise to heighten the emotional stakes. Think time slips and time loops, ghosts, alternate lives, or soulmate tropes. I will always be looking for queer love stories in particular, and I prioritize pining and slow-burning tension. If it reads like fanfic–with emotional immediacy and a clear love for its characters–or if it used to BE a fanfic, I will probably adore it.

A few things I always love to see in my inbox:

Settings and plotlines that bring with them an elevated sense of structure and atmosphere: think magical schools (The Poppy War, The Name of the Wind) or space academies (Red Rising), secret societies, tournaments and competitions, or courts full of fealty and hierarchy and betrayal.

Writing that plays with language, POV, or form to drive its themes (The Fifth Season, the Imperial Radch). Epistolary fiction like The Tiger’s Daughter or This Is How You Lose the Time War, and frame stories fueled by strong narrators’ voices and complex motives.

Compelling villains you find yourself rooting for just to see what they’ll do next (think Grand Admiral Thrawn). Send me new Problematic Faves… and set them against hypercompetent protagonists that the plot finds new and exciting ways to challenge (Murderbot, The Witcher).

A strong thread of humor: banter and snark, a sly or wry voice, or self-/genre-aware comedy a la RedshirtsThe Princess Bride, or Galavant. If you could somehow find me a successor to Terry Pratchett, I would happily make a deal with any demon you like.

I came to Tor from a decade in middle grade and YA publishing at Harper Children’s, where I had the pleasure of working with acclaimed and bestselling authors like Ava Reid (A Study in Drowning), Andre Norton Award finalist Shveta Thakrar (Star Daughter), and Sarah Underwood (Lies We Sing to the Sea). For the Tor list, I’m still interested in “cross-under” adult fiction with broad appeal to adult and YA readerships. If you’re not sure whether a book would fit best in the adult or YA market, I’d love to help you decide!

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Erika Tsang, Executive Editor/ Bramble, Forge

(she/her) Erika Tsang blames Judy Blume for turning her into a romance reader. She read Forever at an inappropriate age, followed by Wifey, and has been on the hunt for books with happy (or happy for now) endings ever since. Her publishing career started with Doubleday Book Club where she was the romance expert, and continued with Avon Books for the last 20 plus years.

She has worked with beloved and bestselling authors such as Ally Carter (The Blonde Identity), Alyssa Cole (When No One Is Watching), Jennifer Estep (Kill the Queen), Beverly Jenkins (A Christmas to Remember), Lynsay Sands (Bad Luck Vampire), and Julia Whelan (Thank You For Listening).  She is constantly on the lookout for stories with heart, stories that are unexpected, and stories that will make her fall in love.

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Miriam Weinberg, Executive Editor/ Tor, Forge, Tor Teen/Starscape, Tordotcom, Nightfire, Bramble

(she/her)

I might be biased—but I’ve worked with some of the best and beloved authors and books across my (more than) a decade at Tor!    

Currently, my list ranges from household names to exciting debuts—including authors like V.E. Schwab, Alix E. Harrow, Charlie Jane Anders, Kate Elliott, Mark Oshiro, Holly Black, and K Arsenault Rivera.

While I tend to immediately look for evocative world-building, distinctive style, and strong writing or interesting language–I am always delighted to be entirely surprised by voices and narratives that don’t match anything that I’ve previously known.  While I do acquire across our imprints, my list tends to skew more adult—I have always joked about wanting to be “a walking Alex Award”—and I do love an “extra” hook for reads that don’t quite fit within the standard genre perimeters, like uncanny thrillers, unexpected horrors, and unrepentantly fanfic/AU style romances.

Give me your genre mash-ups, your high-brow-low-brow speculative-inflected narratives, and strongly rendered characters and relationships that evoke intense reactions and emotions from readers.

My taste is highly eclectic—I’m a deep art history and classic film nerd, but I’m just as happy to exchange recs for anime and recommend viewing orders for blockbuster action series. I am always on board for a ghost story, witches, found families, genre mash-ups, and beloved tropes being subverted OR remarkably rendered—but again, I love being surprised by pitches I wouldn’t have even anticipated.

I’m particularly interested in making space for authors with a novel approach to storytelling, and more distinctly, publishing books into a more inclusive readership that better represents the plethora of human experiences and joys. 

I am not currently taking unagented or unsolicited manuscripts.