Alexandra Grana is a list-building associate agent at P.S. Literary Agency whose sweet spot sits at the intersection of commercial genre fiction—especially horror, SFF, and locked-room mysteries—and niche, enthusiast-driven nonfiction.
In brief
Grana is actively building, not maintaining, a list—this is a genuine growth moment and a real window for debut and early-career writers.
Horror is the standout priority: they call it 'evergreen' and want every flavor, from literary upmarket dread to monster romance and femme gore—a breadth that's rare among agents who list horror at all.
Their SFF appetite is notably accessibility-focused: grounded near-future sci-fi and approachable second-world fantasy rather than sprawling space opera or hard SF, which narrows the field helpfully.
Nonfiction is a genuine second pillar, not an afterthought—cookbooks, occult/witchy titles, pop science, and modern spirituality are all explicitly wanted, and their named comps (Doughty, Nicholas, Moore) signal upmarket commercial nonfiction with strong authorial voice.
A very recent public note (April 2026) adds modern spirituality, community building, and sustainable living to the nonfiction wish list—writers in those lanes have a fresh, timely opening.
Lately
Hi #amquerying writers! Unfortunately, someone is impersonating me to scam writers. I will never reach out to you from a gmail, yahoo, hotmail, or aol email address. If you did not query me, I won’t be reaching out to offer rep or services without previous contact.
This goes for both fiction and NF! I’d love to see NF proposals about modern spirituality, unique perspectives on community building (especially post COVID), & sustainable living. Send me stories about humanity that feel like watching Artemis II landing back on earth! #mswl #moonjoy
love love love second world science fiction and science fantasy! #mswl
please send me all the horroromances!! #mswl
Happy #MSWL Day! I’m an associate agent at P.S. Literary building my list in SFF, horror, mystery/thriller, speculative, and book club fiction. More about my list here, and in the thread below: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/al... Submissions guidelines at: www.psliterary.com/submissions/
In a late-April 2026 public post, Grana expanded their nonfiction wish list to include proposals about modern spirituality, fresh angles on community building (particularly in the post-COVID era), and sustainable living—and noted they want both fiction and nonfiction to carry the emotional scale of a historic human achievement. The post conveyed genuine excitement rather than a routine update.
What Alexandra is looking for
Grana describes horror as 'evergreen' on their list and wants the full spectrum: layered, immersive upmarket horror that lingers long after reading; fast-paced commercial horror with thriller momentum; horror-romance and monster romance; gothic horror in any register; femme gore and body horror; supernatural and psychological thrillers; and horror rooted in religious deconstruction or cult dynamics. This is their most enthusiastically stated fiction priority.
Grana wants approachable, accessible second-world fantasy—not sprawling epics that demand a glossary before page one. Their particular passion is for fantasy drawing on non-Western mythologies and folklore, alternate or mirrored historical settings, and contemporary second-world setups. Sweeping, character-driven epic dramas are welcome. Romantasy also appears in their stated taste tags.
Grana wants grounded, accessible science fiction: think clones, time travel, and near-future space travel rather than hard SF or galaxy-spanning space opera. Fantasies with a sci-fi flavor set in space also fit. Adult dystopians are explicitly wanted. Immersive second-world science fiction rounds out the category.
Grana's mystery taste is specific: closed-circle or locked-room setups with hyper-particular settings—a theater, a train, an Arctic station—earn extra enthusiasm, especially when speculative elements are layered in. Code-breaking or puzzle-solving mechanics are also a draw. Genre-blending mysteries are welcome. Procedural thrillers, by contrast, are explicitly not a fit.
Grana is hunting for fiction that sits comfortably on a book-club table while carrying speculative undercurrents—stories that generate conversation through big emotional stakes, a fresh or young narrative voice, and ideas that feel slightly outside the ordinary world. Reality TV–inspired narratives and stories set in vivid, atmospheric environments (Arctic, Appalachia, desert) where setting becomes almost a character also fall here.
Grana gravitates toward enthusiastic expertise on niche subjects delivered with strong authorial voice. Specific interests include: pop culture, pop science, occult/astrology/tarot and witchy subjects, modern spirituality, food writing and cookbooks, health and wellness, and—added in a very recent public note (April 2026)—unique perspectives on community building (especially post-COVID) and sustainable living. Named touchstones signal upmarket commercial nonfiction with a distinctive author perspective rather than academic or reference-style writing.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Alexandra
Lead with genre and subgenre in the first sentence—Grana's preferences are specific enough that a vague 'literary fiction' label will cost you. Name the subgenre (e.g., 'closed-circle mystery set in a theater' or 'near-future cloning sci-fi').
If your manuscript touches horror in any form, lean into it. Grana describes horror as 'evergreen' and lists more horror sub-types than any other category—showing fluency with the tradition (gothic vs. upmarket vs. monster romance) signals you know your readership.
For fantasy and SFF, emphasize accessibility and point of entry. Briefly explaining how a reader unfamiliar with the genre can follow your world signals you've written the kind of approachable book Grana is seeking.
If your nonfiction project fits the witchy, spiritual, community, or sustainable-living lanes, the April 2026 public note is a live signal—this is a genuinely open door right now. Frame the author's specific expertise and voice early.
Grana explicitly prioritizes stories from BIPOC and queer authors. If you are a BIPOC or queer writer, it is appropriate to note this in your query letter.
Avoid pitching AI-centric sci-fi, space opera, war-focused historical fiction, or procedural thrillers—these are flat rejections regardless of execution quality.
The wishlist mentions 'big, messy feelings' and 'characters screwing up over and over before succeeding'—if your protagonist fits that arc, work it into the pitch. Grana is not looking for clean, self-possessed heroes.
For locked-room or closed-circle mysteries, name the setting specifically and early. 'Set entirely aboard a 1930s transcontinental train' is exactly the kind of specificity that signals a match.
Confirm the submission form is still open immediately before querying; status was verified open in mid-April 2026 but can change without public announcement.