Carey Blankenship Kramer is an Azantian Literary Agency agent who hunts across the full children's-to-adult spectrum for horror-forward, queer, neurodiverse, and speculative stories—especially when they come from marginalized creators and feature characters too stubborn for their own good.
In brief
Horror is the through-line: from supernatural MG to haunted-house adult thrillers, it is the single category Carey names most emphatically and with the most specificity—treat it as the lens they see everything through.
Marginalized and underrepresented creators are explicitly prioritized in the queue, and queer and neurodiverse identity are personal touchstones, not just checked boxes.
The wishlist spans picture books through adult fiction, but the gates are real: picture books from authors without illustration portfolios are a hard no, and nonfiction, historical fiction, and standalone romance are all off the table.
Carey's stated comps skew heavily toward contemporary YA and literary adult fiction, suggesting a taste for emotional specificity and voice-driven prose even inside genre categories—a purely plot-mechanical manuscript is unlikely to land.
A recent public post (July 2025) advertising paid critique services signals active engagement with writers outside the query pipeline—a useful, low-stakes way to get work in front of them before querying.
Lately
Carey announced they are reopening to paid manuscript critiques, describing working directly with authors as one of their favorite activities. This came alongside a light-hearted note about a personal inconvenience. The post linked to a dedicated page on their personal website with pricing and options.
What Carey is looking for
This is Carey's loudest, most repeated want. For children's and MG, they crave stories where kids are genuinely scared—ghosts, the supernatural, and folk-horror vibes without gratuitous gore. For adults, a haunted-house setup or supernatural thriller element earns instant attention. If horror is in your book's DNA anywhere in the age range, lead with it.
Horror is the top priority here, but Carey also wants queer first-crush and identity-searching stories where homophobia is not the central conflict—just part of a fuller coming-of-age picture. Dark, emotionally complex MG resonates strongly.
Two flavors equally wanted: speculative YA with angsty teens thrust into a supernatural problem, and contemporary YA that tackles large emotional or social stakes with real craft. Cozy fantasy that pulls readers fully into its world is also a genuine want. Queer identity and BIPOC leads are a strong plus across all YA.
Carey wants propulsive, page-turning adult thrillers, and the bar rises if supernatural elements are woven in. Unconventional narrative structures—epistolary formats, mixed media, podcast transcripts—earn bonus points. Genre-blurring books that resist easy categorization are actively welcomed.
Carey has a deep affinity for stories set in a recognizably real world where something is subtly—or dramatically—wrong. This applies across age categories. The more the speculative element is used to illuminate something true about human experience rather than just as window dressing, the better.
Carey accepts picture books ONLY from author-illustrators who are creating both text and art. Text-only submissions are a hard no. Within that gate, they want: stories that teach cultural or emotional lessons without didacticism, celebrations of diverse family structures and cultures, warm and emotionally resonant reads, and spooky folklore-driven stories drawing on non-Western traditions.
Graphic novels from author-illustrators are welcomed across age ranges. The same taste for lyrical, emotionally rich storytelling applies; horror or speculative elements would likely delight.
Carey is not a romcom reader and does not want romance as the sole focus. However, if a story has significant character growth, emotional complexity, and big stakes—and is queer or centers BIPOC characters—they are genuinely interested. The romance must be a dimension of a larger story, not the whole plot.
Carey is drawn to adult books where a specific profession or place becomes as vivid and essential as any character—books with a strong sense of world that couldn't be transplanted to any other setting. Unusual or niche lines of work are a particular draw.
Not the right fit
On Carey's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Carey
Confirm query status on Azantian Literary Agency's website before submitting — it was unverified as of spring 2025 and the live form is the only reliable indicator.
If you identify as a member of a marginalized or underrepresented community, say so clearly in your query letter — Carey explicitly prioritizes these submissions.
Lead with horror or the speculative element if it exists anywhere in your book; it is the fastest path to their attention regardless of age category.
For picture books, do not submit unless you are creating both text and art — author-only PB submissions are a hard stop.
Name your queer or neurodiverse characters and themes directly in the query; this is personal to Carey and earns immediate engagement.
If your manuscript uses mixed media (texts, social posts, transcripts, podcast elements), highlight that in your first paragraph — it is a genuine differentiator for them.
Avoid positioning your book as pure romance, pure historical fiction, or pure nonfiction — these are firm nos regardless of execution quality.
If your main character is headstrong, driven, or even a little toxic, lean into that in the query's character description; Carey finds this compelling.
Consider their paid critique service (listed on their personal website) as a lower-stakes first touchpoint if you want feedback before a formal query.
Lyrical prose is a stated value — if your opening pages have strong voice and beautiful language, make sure your sample pages lead with that quality rather than front-loading plot summary.