Jennifer Wills is a fiction-focused agent at The Seymour Agency with a background in foreign rights and domestic publishing who champions voice-driven middle grade, dark and romantic YA, and twisty adult thrillers and women's fiction.
In brief
Jennifer Wills built their list from April 2016 onward, bringing prior experience at a major foreign rights department and a prestigious domestic agency — a combination that signals both international placement potential and strong editorial instincts.
The wishlist skews heavily toward fiction across age categories: MG, YA, and adult thrillers/women's fiction are all active, with no nonfiction categories prominently emphasized despite memoir and cookbooks appearing in their genre list.
Wills has a notably specific YA taste profile: equal enthusiasm for dark psychological thrillers and light romance, with a clear preference for friendship-driven narratives over romance-centric ones — a useful differentiator for writers pitching YA.
Stephen King is the single most-cited reference point in Wills's wishlist — if a manuscript has King-adjacent energy (especially Dark Tower–style epic fantasy-horror), that is an explicit invitation to query.
Query status was confirmed CLOSED as of May 20, 2024 — writers should verify the live submission form before sending anything.
Lately
Wills has publicly flagged an appetite for YA with a Stephen King sensibility — particularly anything that echoes the scope and mythology of the Dark Tower series. This is one of the most specific and repeated taste signals in their public-facing materials.
What Jennifer is looking for
Wills wants MG protagonists who are larger-than-life, funny, and propulsive — voice is the decisive factor. All genres are welcome, but magic, adventure, and mystery get the warmest reception. Think big personality, fast pace, and a world that feels genuinely fun to inhabit.
Psychological thrillers and edgy, dark narratives are a top priority in YA. Wills is a self-described Stephen King devotee and actively invites comparisons to King's work, particularly the Dark Tower series. Horror-adjacent, immersive, and unsettling YA is a strong bet.
Light, fun YA romance is equally welcome alongside the darker material. Wills is especially drawn to friendship-driven stories — the emotional fallout when a best friendship fractures is cited as a grabby premise. Smart, capable heroines who drive their own rescues are a clear pattern of preference.
Immersive SFF world-building is a strong draw, whether the setting is far-future, secondary-world, or a hidden fantastical layer beneath everyday life. The world itself needs to be as engaging as the plot — Wills wants readers to want to live there.
Gritty, dark, twist-heavy thrillers and mysteries that genuinely resist being solved until the final pages. Wills prizes morally gray characters and takes personal pride in being a sharp armchair detective — a manuscript needs to outwit them to earn full enthusiasm. Cozies are also welcome.
Protagonists who navigate real-life complexity with humor and resilience. Relatable emotional stakes matter more than high concept here. A grounded, witty voice goes a long way.
Listed as an accepted nonfiction category, but not discussed with any depth in Wills's wishlist — this appears to be a narrow interest rather than an active priority. Query only with an exceptionally compelling project.
Listed among accepted categories but receives no elaboration in Wills's stated preferences. Likely a limited, selective interest — query with caution unless the project has a strong, distinctive hook.
Not the right fit
On Jennifer's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jennifer
Send a one-page query letter and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted directly into the body of the email — no attachments of any kind.
Address the email to queryjennifer@theseymouragency.com, but only after confirming the submission portal has reopened — it was closed as of May 2024.
If your YA or MG manuscript can be legitimately compared to Stephen King's work — especially the Dark Tower series — say so explicitly and early. This is one of Wills's most specific stated desires and a direct invitation.
For YA submissions, lead with what the story is fundamentally about: if friendship is the central relationship rather than romance, make that the emotional hook of your query. Wills has flagged this as a gap they want filled.
For thriller and mystery submissions, demonstrate in your query that the solution is genuinely hidden — reference the structure or misdirection, not just the genre. Wills takes pride in being hard to fool.
Morally gray characters are an explicit bonus in adult fiction — if yours qualifies, name that quality in the query rather than letting it emerge only from the synopsis.
Diverse writers and diverse protagonists are broadly welcomed across all categories — this is stated as an across-the-board priority, not a niche interest.
Do not query with adult SFF, screenplays, poetry, or anything outside the listed fiction and limited nonfiction categories.