Jennifer Jackson is a veteran Executive Vice President at Donald Maass Literary Agency whose three-decade track record centers on speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, and horror in all their forms — with a particular appetite for the kind of immersive, boundary-pushing storytelling that keeps readers awake past midnight.
In brief
One of the longest-tenured agents in genre fiction, Jennifer Jackson has been at Donald Maass Literary Agency since 1993 — a career spanning the rise of modern SF/F publishing, which means deep relationships across imprints that publish speculative fiction.
Their roster signals a clear pattern: they build long-term careers with authors rather than chasing one-book deals. Elizabeth Bear and Martha Wells are held up explicitly as models of the kind of growing, evolving writer relationship Jackson prizes most.
The wishlist nod to Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth and Kerstin Hall's Asunder is a precise taste signal: Jackson wants work that is genre-literate but stylistically daring — not safe, expected SF/F, but stories with a distinct authorial voice and a sense of genuine surprise.
Regional fiction — where place and time are structural, not decorative — is a stated interest that sits slightly apart from their SF/F core; this is a real secondary lane, not a throwaway line.
As of July 14, 2025, Jackson is closed to new queries. Any submission sent before that date will still receive a response; do not send new queries until the window reopens.
Lately
As of mid-July 2025, Jackson announced a closure to new queries, noting that any submissions already received during the prior open reading period would still receive responses. The closure applies only to new incoming queries.
What Jennifer is looking for
Grounded SF and futurism are front-of-mind priorities, as is space opera. Jackson wants work that earns its ideas — speculative premises that feel inevitable once you're inside them, not merely decorative. The emphasis is on storytelling that reaches for something, not just world-building for its own sake.
Second world fantasy and secret histories are named as current draws. The touchstone names — Tamsyn Muir and Kerstin Hall — point toward work with strong voice and conceptual ambition rather than purely commercial epic fantasy. Jackson wants to be surprised by where a story goes.
Horror and gothics are explicitly called out as current interests, alongside dark academia. Jackson is drawn to the atmospheric and unsettling end of the spectrum — work that uses dread and darkness purposefully rather than as genre decoration.
Beyond the named subgenres, Jackson will consider essentially anything that falls under the SF/F/H umbrella or sits in adjacent speculative territory — including speculative literary fiction and speculative thrillers. The core test is whether the work has genuine storytelling ambition.
A distinct secondary interest: fiction in which setting and/or historical period are load-bearing elements of the narrative, not just backdrop. Jackson asks for a contemporary sensibility in this tradition, and is open to regional fiction that does or doesn't carry a speculative element. This is one of the few categories where non-SF/F work is genuinely welcome.
Jackson welcomes the novella's commercial comeback but flags that available markets remain limited. Authors querying with a standalone novella should ideally have a larger novel project in development or planned — showing awareness of the market reality is a meaningful differentiator.
YA is listed as an accepted age category alongside adult fiction. Given the overwhelmingly SF/F/H focus of Jackson's interests, speculative YA is the most natural fit. The same standards for voice, ambition, and originality apply.
Not the right fit
On Jennifer's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jennifer
Jackson is currently closed to new queries as of July 14, 2025 — do not send a query until the window reopens. Check the live submission form directly before preparing your materials.
When open, send your query letter, the first ten pages of manuscript (pasted directly into the email body — no attachments), and a one-to-two page synopsis, all in a single email.
Do not self-reject on voice or style grounds. Jackson explicitly invites unexpected perspectives and writers from all backgrounds and career stages — unconventional approaches to SF/F/H are welcome.
If you're querying with a novella, show that you're thinking beyond it — mention a novel project in development or outline your larger plans. Jackson loves the novella form but is realistic about market constraints.
The Gideon the Ninth / Asunder pairing is a precise signal: Jackson wants genre fiction with distinct authorial personality and a sense of genuine surprise. If your book feels safe or familiar within its subgenre, that's the wrong fit. If it does something unexpected with the form or premise, lean into that in your query letter.
For regional fiction outside SF/F/H, make the role of place and time absolutely clear in your query — show that setting is structural, not decorative, and that your sensibility is contemporary even if the period is historical.
Jackson represents writers at all career stages — debut authors should not hesitate to query when the window reopens, provided the manuscript is finished and polished.