Bethany Hendrix is a Spencerhill Associates agent who specializes in character-driven fiction across middle grade, young adult, and adult romance — with a particular appetite for magical worlds, trope-savvy storytelling, and voices that feel fresh yet familiar.
In brief
Bethany's wishlist is anchored in three lanes: MG adventure/fantasy, YA fantasy and contemporary, and adult romance/romcom — and the touchstone titles they name skew toward fun, propulsive, and emotionally warm rather than dark or literary.
Their TV and book taste (Bridgerton, Heartstopper, Our Flag Means Death, The Vampire Diaries, Emily Henry) signals a clear preference for romantic tension, ensemble casts, and stories with both wit and heart.
Bethany closed to unsolicited queries in October 2024; the live submission form confirmed closed as of March 31, 2026 — do not submit until the form reopens.
A May 2025 public note showed Bethany was still actively working through a backlog of earlier queries, suggesting a thorough (if slow) read process — patience is warranted if you submitted before the closure.
Bethany came up through PR and editorial work before agenting, which likely means attentiveness to both voice and marketability — pitch the commercial hook alongside the emotional core.
Lately
In a May 2025 public post, Bethany updated querying writers that they had worked through to September-dated queries, and encouraged anyone who submitted before that point and hadn't heard back to know their manuscript was still under active consideration in a 'maybe' pile — not rejected, just pending a closer look.
What Bethany is looking for
Bethany is drawn to MG stories with a strong sense of wonder, memorable ensemble casts, and plots that move — think quest narratives, magical systems with rules, and protagonists who feel genuinely kid-aged rather than miniature adults. Fairy-tale adjacency and school/adventure hybrids both resonate. The touchstone titles named here skew toward fun, accessible magic rather than grim or issue-heavy fare.
YA fantasy is clearly a core passion: Bethany gravitates toward lush, romantic worlds, morally complex heroines, and stories where the magic and the emotion are equally load-bearing. Historical fantasy with a fashion or craft angle, underdog protagonists in high-stakes settings, and sweeping multi-book arcs all appear in the touchstone list. The authors named — Sarah J. Maas, Adrienne Young, Stephanie Garber, Elizabeth Lim — make the aesthetic unmistakable: immersive, cinematic, and romantically charged.
Contemporary YA with a sharp voice, romantic throughline, or found-family element fits Bethany's sensibility. The TV references (Heartstopper, Nancy Drew, Gallagher Girls) point toward both tender coming-of-age stories and plot-forward genre-adjacent contemporary (spy, mystery, adventure). Diverse and LGBTQ+ voices appear warmly in Bethany's stated interests.
On the adult side, Bethany wants romance with genuine wit and warmth — the kind of book that makes you laugh out loud and ugly-cry within the same chapter. The touchstones here are squarely in the contemporary romcom and Regency/historical romance space. Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women and Emily Henry's Funny Story set the tonal bar: feminist energy, banter-heavy dialogue, emotionally intelligent protagonists. Bethany also references a Dangerous Damsels series aesthetic, suggesting appetite for feisty heroines in historical or fantastical settings.
New Adult appears in Bethany's listed categories, suggesting openness to fiction that bridges the YA-adult gap in protagonist age and emotional stakes. Given the overall taste profile, NA romance or fantasy with a coming-of-age layer is the most likely fit — but this is not a category Bethany emphasizes with specific titles, so query with a clear sense of where it shelves commercially.
Not the right fit
On Bethany's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Bethany
Do not submit while the form is closed — check for a reopening before querying; submitting through a closed form will not reach Bethany.
Query only Bethany or another Spencerhill agent — not both simultaneously; the agency enforces a one-agent-per-house rule.
Lead with character voice and emotional stakes before explaining the plot mechanics; Bethany's stated priorities are strong characters and fresh voice, not high-concept hooks alone.
If your book is a trope-driven romance or fantasy, name the tropes deliberately in your query — Bethany explicitly says they love new takes on favorite tropes, so demonstrating trope awareness is a feature, not a flag.
Comp to the touchstone titles Bethany has named where genuinely accurate (Emily Henry for adult romcom, Adrienne Young or Elizabeth Lim for YA historical fantasy, etc.) — but only if the comp is accurate; a misfire signals you haven't done your research.
If you believe your book is a strong fit but the form is closed, watch for reopening announcements; Bethany's May 2025 update showed active engagement with the querying community, so status changes are likely to be communicated publicly.
All queries receive a response — if you haven't heard back after submitting during an open window, Bethany is still considering your work rather than silently rejecting it. Patience is warranted before following up.