Camille Burns is a hands-on, editorially minded agent at Solas Literary Agency hunting for atmospheric, emotionally charged fiction across MG, YA, and adult—plus big-idea non-fiction—with a particular appetite for romantasy, romance (spice welcome), and folkloric fantasy.
In brief
Burns's wishlist skews heavily commercial and genre-forward: romantasy and romance dominate their adult fiction wants, and the comp titles they cite (Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, Beach Read, Ali Hazelwood) signal strong appetite for high-concept, emotionally driven stories over quiet literary work.
Their middle grade sensibility leans distinctly British and folkloric — comps like A Pinch of Magic and October, October suggest a taste for cosy, nature-tinged magic with real emotional depth, not just adventure-lite fare.
They are openly enthusiastic about spicy romance, which is worth noting: a writer with a heat-level concern should not self-censor on that front.
Burns explicitly rejects highly literary fiction and space opera, and memoir is only viable when it anchors to a broader cultural or social argument — a strong personal story alone is unlikely to be enough.
Submissions are CLOSED as of 31 October 2025 — confirm the live form status before preparing any query materials.
Lately
Burns's public wishlist emphasises an editorial and collaborative working style — they describe their approach as hands-on, with a preference for iterative manuscript development and clear, warm communication throughout the process.
What Camille is looking for
Burns wants MG with genuine heart and humour — found family, sibling dynamics, folkloric magic, and voices that balance wit with emotional weight. The benchmark is MG that earns its adventure through character rather than plot mechanics. Think cosy British fantasy with a sense of seasonal or natural atmosphere.
High-stakes fantasy with romantic tension at its core. Burns wants the full sweep — world-building that serves the relationship rather than drowning it, and stakes that feel earned.
Character-led speculative fiction where the social or political premise exists to illuminate people, not the other way around. Burns gravitates toward the tradition of writers like Marie Lu alongside the benchmark of The Hunger Games.
Tightly constructed plots with a strong, distinctive voice. The mystery itself must be gripping, but the character's interiority is just as important as the whodunit.
Burns welcomes both ends of the contemporary spectrum: luminous, life-affirming stories and darker, emotionally raw ones. The common thread is an unflinching honesty about what it feels like to be young.
Sweeping, character-driven fantasy romance with real emotional stakes. Burns wants stories that are big in scope but intimate in feeling — the kind of book that keeps readers up at night.
Burns's appetite here is notably broad: from upmarket literary-leaning romance to fun, commercial, and openly spicy reads. Nostalgia and emotional intensity are recurring preferences. Burns is explicit that heat/spice is not a deterrent.
Three distinct flavours are welcome: romantic historical in the Bridgerton vein, gothic historical with dark atmosphere, and sweeping dramatic narratives. Military-heavy historical fiction is expressly not the right fit.
Burns is drawn to non-fiction built around a bold, accessible central argument — feminist cultural analysis, explorations of work and modern life, or nature and science refracted through human experience. The ideas must be genuinely big, but the writing must never lose sight of the reader.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Camille
The form is CLOSED as of 31 October 2025 — check the live status before doing anything else.
Lead with a single-sentence elevator pitch that names both the central hook and the reason a reader should care; Burns specifies this is required and has published guidance on crafting one.
Include the first five chapters and a 1–2 page synopsis covering the full plot, including the ending — there is no ambiguity here, the ending must be in the synopsis.
Burns does not ask for exclusives, so you may query other agents simultaneously — but you must notify them the moment another agent requests the full manuscript, and again if an offer comes in.
Match the emotional register of your comp titles carefully: Burns's comps span from cosy folkloric MG to spicy adult romance — a pitch that signals the wrong heat level or tone for its category will read as generic.
If you are writing memoir, make the cultural or social argument central to your pitch — Burns is not the right agent for a purely personal story, no matter how compelling.
Avoid querying space opera, military-heavy work, or highly literary fiction regardless of how polished the writing is; these are explicit mismatches, not judgment calls.
Guidelines are stated as subject to change — always re-read the current submission page before sending, even if you have queried Burns before.