Juliet Mushens is the founder of Mushens Entertainment and one of the UK's most commercially formidable literary agents, known for breaking bestselling fiction across crime, thriller, fantasy, and upmarket commercial genres on both sides of the Atlantic.
In brief
Mushens Entertainment is a boutique London agency with outsized commercial impact — Juliet Mushens has a consistent track record of launching debut authors onto bestseller lists, suggesting strong editorial relationships and effective submission strategy.
Juliet Mushens built a reputation at a larger agency before going independent, which means established relationships at major UK and US publishers are baked into the business.
The agency's profile skews heavily toward high-concept, plot-driven fiction: thrillers, crime, speculative fiction, and commercial fantasy — writers with a strong hook and a clear readership in mind are the best fit.
Juliet Mushens is actively seeking new clients as of mid-2026, but the list is selective by taste, not by volume — a precise, well-targeted pitch will outperform a generic one every time.
Non-fiction and children's picture books are not a core focus; writers in those categories should look elsewhere.
Lately
Juliet Mushens has publicly noted enthusiasm for fiction that defies easy categorization — stories that blend genre elements in ways that make them genuinely hard to shelve but impossible to put down. The emphasis is on concept-first pitches that also demonstrate deep character work.
What Juliet is looking for
Juliet Mushens has a deep, proven appetite for page-turning crime and psychological suspense. Prioritizes tight plotting, compelling unreliable voices, and stories with genuine emotional stakes alongside the tension. Both procedural and character-driven approaches work if the pacing is relentless.
Strongly drawn to commercial fiction that has literary ambition without losing broad readability — books that can win awards and top charts simultaneously. Strong narrative voice and originality of premise are essential.
Actively seeks high-concept fantasy and speculative fiction with commercial appeal. Particularly interested in work that builds immersive worlds while keeping character and plot at the center. Romantasy and epic fantasy with fresh angles are welcome; derivative worldbuilding is not.
Open to horror that delivers genuine dread and has crossover appeal with thriller or dark fantasy readers. Prefers psychological and atmospheric horror over pure shock-value gore.
Selectively interested in YA, particularly when it crosses into thriller, fantasy, or has a distinctive, authentic voice. Must feel genuinely written for a teen readership rather than commercial adult fiction relabeled.
Not the right fit
On Juliet's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Juliet
Lead with a single-sentence hook that names your genre, core conflict, and what makes your book different — Juliet Mushens has publicly flagged vague pitches as a recurring problem.
Follow the submission guidelines exactly: page counts, formats, and attachments are specified on the agency's form and deviations signal inattention to detail.
Avoid opening your query letter with rhetorical questions, the word 'imagine,' or lengthy scene-setting — get to the book's premise within the first two lines.
Comp titles should be recent (within roughly five years) and realistic in scale — comping to the biggest books in your genre without qualification reads as inexperience.
If your book blends genres, name the primary genre first and the secondary element second; don't lead with 'this is unlike anything else' — give Juliet Mushens something concrete to latch onto.
Given the roster's weight in crime, psychological thriller, and commercial fantasy, writers in those categories have the clearest line to Juliet Mushens's interests — demonstrate awareness of where your book sits in the current market.
Keep the synopsis tight and linear: beginning, middle, and end, with emotional stakes clear at each beat. Unresolved or cliff-hanger synopses are a common mistake.
UK-based and international writers are welcome; this is a London agency with strong transatlantic reach, so don't self-filter if you're outside North America.