John Baker is a speculative-fiction specialist at Bell Lomax Moreton who champions underrepresented voices across adult, new adult, and YA fantasy, science fiction, horror, and romantasy — with a particular hunger for non-Western world-building, neurodiversity-centred storytelling, and the kind of pitch that leaves editors baffled but intrigued.
In brief
John's deal record and stated priorities align tightly: he is first and foremost a speculative fiction agent, and everything on his list sits within that broad umbrella — fantasy, SF, horror, romantasy, literary spec, and 'weird stuff' that defies easy labelling.
His clients have landed on the Sunday Times Bestseller and USA Today charts, won the Imagined Future's Prize and the Future Worlds Prize, and had work adapted for cinema by Oscar-winning collaborators — that's meaningful commercial and awards muscle for a relatively young list.
His advocacy role in the industry (Secretary of the AAA, co-chair of the Bridge Committee, now chair of the AAA's 360 Committee, Kingston University advisory board) signals he is deeply embedded in the UK publishing ecosystem and thinks seriously about the pipeline of new writers — a good sign for debut authors.
He explicitly flags cosmic romance / romantasy-in-space as the genre of the future — one of the most specific and forward-looking demand signals on his wishlist, and a gap few agents are naming so directly.
He has also recently added crime and action/adventure fiction to his remit, a meaningful expansion from his original 2019 brief — writers in those adjacent genres who lean speculative are now in play.
Lately
John updated his agency profile to note his expanded committee role — he is now chair of the AAA's 360 Committee, having previously co-chaired the Bridge Committee — signalling continued deep investment in the broader publishing industry and author welfare.
What John is looking for
John's sweet spot. He wants large-scale, immersive fantasy built on mythologies and world-views that aren't rooted in Anglo-Christian tradition — think non-Western cosmologies, diaspora-inspired magic systems, and fresh pantheons. Swords and sorcery, political intrigue, courtly scheming, monster-hunting, and dastardly villains all welcome. He's a particular fan of the heroic quest structure and wants more historical fantasy drawing on modern (post-medieval) history rather than the usual medieval Europe. He also wants to see fantasy that spotlights under-celebrated relationships: long-established married couples, sibling dynamics, chosen family bonds.
He's in the market but highly selective about differentiation. The fae-in-the-woods setup is explicitly off the table — he needs to know immediately what makes a romantasy stand apart from a saturated field. High-concept settings, genuinely surprising stakes, and jaw-dropping love stories are the price of entry. His standout ask: romantasy set in space — cosmic romance is where he sees the genre heading, and he wants to be ahead of that curve.
Horror is one of his oldest loves. He gravitates toward myth- and folklore-rooted horror, subversive weird horror that wrongfoots readers, and historical horror that excavates genuinely disturbing true events. Gothic flavour is always welcome. He is actively looking for horror with a strong romantic throughline, fun YA horror, and is specifically seeking female and non-binary horror authors — a targeted, deliberate gap he wants to fill on his list.
John has been publicly bullish on science fiction's resurgence and is actively building in this space. Found-family ensemble adventures in space, sprawling crunchy space operas, and speculative near-future fiction with an optimistic or thought-provoking (rather than purely dystopian) edge are all on his radar. For YA, the more inventive the premise the better. He references the warmer, more philosophical end of anthology-style speculative TV as a tonal touchstone.
He wants pacy, plot-propelled YA and new adult fantasy that prioritises fun without sacrificing ambition. Swoon, spectacle, and genuine stakes are all welcome in the same book. He has a specific gap he wants to fill: fantasy that teenage boys would actually reach for — adventure-forward, propulsive, with personality.
He's open to character-led work where the speculative or supernatural element serves a deeper social or emotional truth rather than being the main event. Rich magical realism and high-concept mysteries with a speculative twist interest him. The emphasis is on using the fantastical as a lens rather than as genre spectacle.
He has a genuine appetite for work that resists genre labels entirely — books that leave editors simultaneously confused and electrified. The test is whether a pitch can generate that reaction. Think necromantic academia, dark mythos-horror, or time-bending epistolary love stories: whatever the form, it must feel wholly original.
A newer addition to his list, expanded from his original 2019 brief. Details are limited but this signals he is open to genre fiction beyond speculative, particularly where it shares the energy and pacing of his core interests. Writers in these areas with a speculative edge or underrepresented perspective are likely the best fit.
Not the right fit
On John's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query John
His submission form was confirmed open on 7 January 2026 — verify the live form before submitting, as status can change.
Lead your query with what makes your book genuinely different: John explicitly asks what sets your work apart from the existing market, especially for romantasy and horror. Answer that question before he has to ask it.
If your work draws on non-Western mythologies, diaspora experiences, or centres neurodiverse characters or authors, say so clearly — this is a stated priority, not just a bonus.
For romantasy, the fae-in-enchanted-woods setup is a hard pass. Instead, emphasise unusual settings, genuinely high stakes, or a romantic dynamic he won't have encountered before — and if it's set in space, lead with that.
For horror, note if you identify as a woman or non-binary author — he is specifically and actively building that part of his list.
For science fiction, frame the optimistic or philosophical dimension of your story if it has one — he gravitates toward SF that has an adventurous, humane spirit rather than pure bleakness.
For YA fantasy, signal early if your book is the kind teenage boys would love — he has named this as an explicit gap he wants to fill.
For uncategorisable or 'weird' speculative work, lean into the strangeness in your pitch rather than softening it; his test is whether your premise leaves an editor baffled but intrigued.
He has expanded into crime and action/adventure — if your work sits at the intersection of these genres and speculative fiction, that cross-genre angle is worth naming.
Given his film and TV desk role at the agency, projects with strong visual and structural adaptation potential may resonate, though this should not replace the quality of the manuscript itself.