Devon Halliday is a Transatlantic Agency agent who champions literary and upmarket fiction with inventive structure and moral complexity, alongside narrative and investigative nonfiction that illuminates overlooked corners of contemporary life.
In brief
Devon Halliday's stated priorities — literary fiction, upmarket women's fiction, and speculative — align with a wishlist that prizes structural experimentation, morally ambiguous storytelling, and strong sentence-level writing above tidy plotting.
The touchstone titles Devon names skew toward quiet, cerebral literary fiction and cult-favorite prestige TV: Severance, Milkman, Luster, No One Is Talking About This — signaling a taste for voice-driven, formally daring work rather than plot-propulsive commercial fiction.
Devon explicitly positions themselves as squeamish about gore and violence, meaning softcore or psychological suspense is the ceiling — anything darker will be a hard pass.
Writers from marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds are explicitly encouraged to submit, which Devon names as an active priority, not a passive welcome.
Query status is unconfirmed at the time of this profile; writers should verify the live submission form before querying — the last-known state was open via an online form, but no observation date is on record.
Lately
Devon has made it clear they are actively prioritizing submissions from writers from traditionally marginalized backgrounds or identities, framing this not as a courtesy note but as a genuine acquisitions priority.
What Devon is looking for
Devon's core priority. They want contemporary, speculative, women's fiction, romantic comedy, and YA that sits in the literary-to-upmarket register. The operative filter is writing quality: Devon would rather spend editorial energy on a structurally rough manuscript with brilliant prose than a perfectly plotted one written on autopilot. Stories with morally complicated or genuinely ambiguous characters are especially welcome, as are branching or ensemble narratives — provided every character is developed with equal care.
Devon has a stated soft spot for near-future lite dystopia — low-key speculative premises rather than full-scale genre worldbuilding. The touchstones (Severance, No One Is Talking About This, The World Gives Way) all sit in this quieter, literary-speculative register. Genre-crossing or genre-deconstructing work is actively encouraged.
Devon welcomes romantic comedy and upmarket women's fiction, with one firm craft note: love-story obstacles must grow organically from character rather than from manufactured misunderstandings or contrived plot mechanics. Fleabag is cited as a touchstone, suggesting Devon gravitates toward rom-com with a sharp, self-aware, emotionally honest edge.
Contemporary YA and literary YA are both on Devon's list. YA that leans toward voice-driven literary fiction — rather than high-concept plot — will be the strongest fit given Devon's overall sensibility.
Devon explicitly welcomes short story collections, which is relatively uncommon among agents. Genre-crossing collections — or collections that play with form — are especially encouraged. Devon also namechecks the Russian Doll TV series as a touchstone, pointing toward stories with structural recursion and layered repetition.
Devon is seeking narrative, creative, investigative, and 'small-picture' nonfiction — that is, work that zooms into a specific, granular subject rather than making sweeping arguments. The prose must be clear and accessible, with genuine forward momentum. Devon has a particular interest in blended memoir: personal narrative fused with cultural criticism, investigative journalism, or close observation of the niche and strange.
Devon flags a specific and emphatic interest in serious anthropological, historical, or cultural takes on little-known pockets of internet and entertainment culture. This is presented as a distinct priority, not just a subgenre — writers with a rigorous, non-sensationalized angle on niche online worlds, fandoms, or media subcultures should take note.
Devon describes a layperson's enthusiast interest in psychology, medicine, linguistics, and philosophy — accessible, curious writing rather than academic treatises. Devon is also consistently interested in work that confronts climate change, discrimination, and inequality, treating these as both timely and enduring subjects.
Not the right fit
On Devon's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Devon
Verify the live submission form status before querying — no confirmed open date is on record and status should be checked directly.
Send a query letter, an author bio, and 20 sample pages together in a single submission; Devon's guidelines specify all three elements.
Lead with voice and prose quality — Devon has stated plainly that they prioritize original, surprising writing above structural tidiness, so a query that showcases a distinctive sentence is more persuasive than one that pitches plot points.
If your work uses an unconventional narrative structure (non-linear chronology, unusual POV, multi-strand ensemble), name it clearly in the query — Devon actively seeks structural experimentation and won't be put off by complexity.
If you write from or about a marginalized identity or background, Devon explicitly encourages that note in your submission — it is a stated priority, not a checkbox.
Avoid mentioning any of Devon's listed pet peeves in your pitch or pages: prologues, lying unreliable narrators, writer protagonists, pregnancy-as-twist, and humiliation comedy are all flags that will work against you.
For nonfiction, emphasize what is granular, specific, and overlooked about your subject — Devon responds to 'small-picture' thinking and accessible momentum, not broad sweeping arguments.
For romantic comedy or love stories, make clear in the query how the central conflict arises from character rather than misunderstanding — Devon is explicit that contrived plot obstacles are a turn-off.
Do not query horror, true crime, gore-driven thriller, self-help, spiritual, or religious content — these are firm hard passes, not preferences.