Catherine Ross is an associate literary agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency specializing in atmospheric, character-driven middle grade and young adult fiction—particularly horror, fantasy, and mystery rooted in folklore, Southern Gothic settings, and underrepresented voices.
In brief
Catherine Ross's wishlist is tightly focused on MG and YA only — do not query adult fiction of any kind.
Their taste skews strongly toward atmospheric horror and folklore-rooted fantasy; they name Caribbean folklore specifically (La Ciguapa) as a genuine passion, signaling that culturally specific supernatural traditions are a high-priority gap they want to fill.
Ross explicitly disqualifies AI-assisted submissions — any use of AI in any part of the manuscript or query letter will result in an automatic pass.
The named touchstone titles (Legendborn, Root Magic, Small Spaces, The Year of the Witching) reveal a consistent appetite for Black and brown protagonists navigating supernatural threat in atmospheric, culturally grounded worlds — this is the clearest through-line across every comp they cite.
Query status is unverified — writers must check the live submission form before sending, as no confirmed open/closed date is on record.
Lately
Ross is currently focused exclusively on middle grade and young adult projects and is actively seeking atmospheric, folklore-driven horror, fantasy, and mystery — with a particular callout for Caribbean folklore and stories rooted in Southern or Appalachian settings.
What Catherine is looking for
Ross wants horror that commits fully to dread and tension — atmospheric writing, sharp pacing, and a premise that earns its scares. Particularly drawn to sorority or cheerleading settings as a horror backdrop, feminine rage as a driving emotional engine, and horror that interrogates academic institutions through a racial or class lens (dark academia). Witches, banshees, and sirens are explicitly welcome.
Gripping mysteries that use a small-town or tight-knit friend group as the pressure cooker. Dual-timeline structures are a specific draw. Ross wants stories where the mystery unlocks something deeper about power, identity, or belonging — not just whodunit plotting.
Fantasy with lush, immersive world-building and prose that earns its atmosphere. Strong pull toward supernatural folklore — Caribbean folklore in particular is a stated gap Ross is actively looking to fill. Witches, folkloric creatures, and stories rooted in cultural mythology are all welcome. The Shadowhunter Chronicles and Legendborn set the commercial and tonal benchmarks Ross has in mind.
Ross wants middle grade that takes kids and their fears seriously — stories where the stakes feel real and the horror or fantasy element is fully committed, not softened. Isolated settings (islands, camps, boarding schools) and atmospheric Southern or coastal backdrops are especially attractive. Cozy contemporary fantasies that find magic in everyday life are also welcomed alongside darker fare.
Across both age categories, Ross prioritizes BIPOC characters written by BIPOC authors. For MG specifically, stories depicting underrepresented home-life realities — foster care, divorce, varying socioeconomic backgrounds — are a distinct priority. This is not a checkbox; it's a core part of how Ross defines the work they're building their list around.
Settings in the American South, Appalachia, or coastal/island communities carry strong appeal regardless of genre. Ross is drawn to the isolation these places create — both physical and social — and to the way regional folklore and mythology can deepen a story's supernatural logic.
Not the right fit
On Catherine's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Catherine
Use the agency's designated query form — email submissions sent directly to Ross's address are explicitly not accepted and will be ignored.
Do not use AI tools in any stage of writing your manuscript, synopsis, or query letter; Ross states this is an automatic disqualification.
Lead with setting and atmosphere in your query: Ross responds to place, isolation, and a strong sense of dread or wonder — make the reader feel the world within the first paragraph.
Name your folklore tradition explicitly if relevant, especially if your work draws on Caribbean, Appalachian, or Southern supernatural traditions — this is a stated passion, not a vague preference.
If your protagonist is BIPOC and you are a BIPOC author, say so clearly and early; Ross's wishlist positions own-voices BIPOC stories as a central priority, not a subcategory.
Attach a 1–2 page synopsis and the first ten pages of the manuscript along with your query letter — all three components are required.
Frame your comp titles carefully: Ross's named touchstones (Legendborn, Root Magic, Small Spaces, The Year of the Witching) signal a taste for lush prose, cultural depth, and commercial ambition — comps that hit that tonal range will land better than genre-only descriptions.
If pitching YA horror, lean into the emotional and social stakes (feminine rage, institutional critique, ensemble dynamics) rather than just the scare factor — Ross's film/TV references suggest tone matters as much as plot.
Verify current open/closed status on the live submission form before querying — no confirmed status date is on record.