Jessica Faust is a founding agent at BookEnds Literary who built her list on dark, psychologically layered commercial fiction—domestic suspense, romantic suspense, historical mystery, and women's fiction—with a long record of placing women-driven thrillers and romance with major publishers.
In brief
Faust's submission form was directly observed as CLOSED on April 15, 2026 — do not query until you verify the form has reopened.
Her stated passions and her wishlist language consistently center on damaged female protagonists, marital secrets, and psychological darkness — a writer whose book lacks that emotional intensity is likely a poor fit regardless of genre.
She works across a notably wide fiction range (thriller, romance, historical mystery, women's fiction, YA) but the through-line is always commercial, genre-savvy storytelling with a dark or emotionally charged core.
Magical realism in the vein of Sarah Addison Allen is a recurring desire — writers who blend the domestic and the slightly uncanny should take note.
Wilderness survival — adult or YA — appears as a specific, underserved want, suggesting she'd welcome an unusual setting pitch as long as the emotional stakes are high.
Lately
Faust publicly described an appetite for dark fiction across multiple categories — thrillers, suspense, mysteries, YA, and romance — with a consistent emphasis on psychologically damaged protagonists and secrets hidden within domestic relationships.
What Jessica is looking for
This is her clearest priority. She wants tightly wound, dark narratives — especially stories hinging on marital secrets, unreliable domestic situations, and protagonists (typically women) concealing or uncovering devastating truths. The atmosphere should feel oppressive and morally ambiguous rather than procedural.
She wants romantic suspense with genuine darkness — not a soft blend of genres, but romance where the threat and violence carry real weight. Think visceral stakes alongside the emotional relationship arc.
A long-standing passion. She has a soft spot for New York City settings and the Regency period, but she explicitly invites writers to surprise her with a setting she hasn't considered. The key is atmosphere and a strong sense of place woven into the mystery.
She gravitates toward women's fiction with a slightly magical or deeply emotional quality — work that blends warmth, complexity, and an element of the unexpected. Dark secrets or marital strife can anchor women's fiction just as well as thriller for her.
Romance in general is a core part of her list. Contemporary and historical sub-genres are both welcome; the stronger your hook and voice, the better the fit.
She seeks YA with a dark or high-stakes edge — psychological suspense, survival narratives, or contemporary YA with real emotional weight. The marital-strife framework she describes for adult fiction translates into YA as stories about hidden secrets and fractured relationships (without the marriage element).
An explicitly named gap she wants to fill — adult or YA, women's fiction or suspense framing both work. The setting itself is the differentiator; emotional and physical stakes must both be present.
She's drawn to magical realism as a flavor rather than hard speculative fiction — think quiet, domestic magic woven into literary or upmarket women's fiction. Writers working in full-scale secondary-world fantasy should look elsewhere.
Not the right fit
On Jessica's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jessica
Her form is CLOSED as of April 15, 2026 — check the live submission form before doing anything else.
Send a query letter only in the body of the email; no attachments at the initial stage.
Lead with your hook immediately — she has stated that a clever, distinctive hook is the single fastest way to earn her attention.
If your protagonist is damaged or morally compromised, say so upfront; that is a feature, not a flaw, in her eyes.
For domestic suspense or women's fiction, name the secret or the central lie in your pitch — vague descriptions of 'family drama' will not distinguish your book.
For historical mystery, name your setting specifically and early; if it's unusual, lean into why that time/place unlocks the story.
Avoid generic romantic-suspense language; show her where the darkness lives in your specific story.
Her address listed publicly is jfaust@bookendsliterary.com — verify this is still current on her agency page before querying.