Forge

(he/him/his)

For over forty years, Tor Books, Forge Books, Tor Teen, and Starscape have been dedicated to publishing the best in genre fiction for adult, teen, and middle-grade readers. In 1979, when I founded the company, our intent was to focus on fiction, often grounded in science past, present, and future, starting with prehistoric fiction—which would be science fiction based on anthropology—and stretching across history and the present into a future which is often extrapolated from possibilities suggested in physics and other scientific fields of today.

The resulting list not only includes books from a wide range of genres, but has managed to win recognition in all of these fields. A diverse list like ours comes from an editorial staff with diverse interests. I want editors to reach beyond those founding concepts. To have the freedom to do work that interests them with authors that they enjoy reading. Our editors bring passion to every project and are dedicated to finding and publishing the best books in every genre. It is a pleasure to introduce them to you.

(she/her/hers)

(she/her/hers)

I have had the honor of working with the talented team of editors acquiring for TDA/Forge for many years, first as VP of Marketing and Associate Publisher for Tom Doherty Associates, and now, as publisher of Forge.  I am proud to be a part of Forge’s continuing tradition to publish accomplished, bestselling and award winning authors across multiple genres including: contemporary and historical fiction, suspense, thriller, magical realism and nonfiction.  I feel honored to have worked on or to have contributed in some part to bringing many wonderful books to readers.  I currently work with a great team of people who all have a passion for working with wonderful storytellers and bringing their works to the broadest possible market.

(she/her)

Monique Patterson is vice president and editorial director of Bramble. 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, commercial women’s fiction, and nonfiction allows Monique to explore all of those experiences.

(she/her/hers)

They say that those who can’t do, teach. In college, I envisioned becoming a professor in medieval studies, teaching generations of students and toiling away as a nameless handmaiden of history. But the editing life called its siren song and for more than thirty years I’ve worked at Tor, indulging in my many passions in genre fiction – fantasy, science fiction, horror, and mysteries. I’ve had the honor of  working with such wonderful authors as Jacqueline Carey, Juliet Marillier, Ramsey Campbell, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gene Wolfe…and many others, too many to count. 

I’ve spent the better part of my adult life working with authors to (hopefully) make their stories and dreams the best that they can be, becoming that “third eye,” general nudge, and all around pain in the butt to accomplish this feat. I give encouragement when I can, instruct when possible, and, again, hopefully contribute in some small way to sharing in the dream, giving readers new worlds and delightful puzzles.

And the best part? I still get to do this and every day feels as fresh as my very first day at Tor did. There is no other feeling like that in the world…

(he/him)

I have been with Macmillan/Tor Publishing Group since 2015, and acquiring for the Forge imprint since 2019.

Currently, I am on the hunt for high concept commercial fiction, especially those that straddle (and sometimes cross over) the line into genre, similar to The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Sea of Tranquility.

The categories I am looking for also include near future fiction in the vein of Andy Weir and Blake Crouch, contemporary fiction with light speculative elements grounded in the real world, climate centered fiction, and outdoorsy survival stories of all circumstances.

I’d especially like to see more manuscripts from the point of view of erased and underrepresented voices.

(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.

(she/her)

I see the job of editor as parts midwife, professional reader, project manager, and bartender. We deliver new voices to voracious readers, help polish stories until they resonate, advocate for our authors, and—probably most important—keep the drinks coming on time.

While I have always read widely, my focus is on crime, suspense, historical, and women’s fiction, and I am especially looking for novels with a diverse cast of characters and strong female voices. The things I loved about my first acquisition, the award-winning A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell—a strong, yet sensitive, female sleuth; a rich historical setting; a thrilling mystery—still resonate with me today. I would also love to see great upmarket women’s fiction about familial relationships (mothers, daughters, sisters, friends). My interest is particularly piqued any time these relationships form the backbone of a crime novel, and domestic/psychological suspense is a particular sweet spot. The short pitch is: “Suspense goes to book club.”

That being said, if you had asked me years ago if I was looking for a novel about a reincarnated dog, I likely would have said no. And yet, the bestselling A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron has been an incredible success. I learned early that acquiring widely is the best way to fulfill my appetite for storytelling.

Some authors that I am honored to have worked with are W. Bruce Cameron, Julie Carrick Dalton, Candice Fox, Matt Goldman, Loren Estleman, Rachel Howzell Hall, T. Jefferson Parker, Spencer Quinn, Lev AC Rosen, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Patrick Taylor, Aggie Blum Thompson, and Heather Webber.

I am not currently taking unagented or unsolicited manuscripts.