Kristen Bertoloni is a newer Trident Media Group agent actively building her list in commercial fiction—horror, thriller/suspense, and romance—plus select nonfiction, with a clear appetite for the darkly atmospheric and emotionally resonant.
In brief
Bertoloni is actively building her list and explicitly open to queries as of mid-2026—a genuine opportunity window for commercial fiction writers in her wheelhouse.
Her taste runs toward the gothic and eerie end of horror (think creeping dread, ghosts, dark romance crossover) rather than splatter or extreme horror.
For thrillers, she prizes contained mysteries and ambiguous, twist-heavy endings over sprawling procedurals—the closed-room, psychological vein is her lane.
Her romance interests bridge two distinct modes: emotionally grounded contemporary (second chances, beach settings, coming-of-age) AND fantastical/romantasy crossover—writers who blend genres have a genuine angle here.
As a newer agent at an established, highly commercial agency (Trident Media Group), she brings the infrastructure and deal-making relationships of a major shop while still actively expanding her client roster—ideal timing for debut and early-career writers.
Lately
Bertoloni was spotlighted as a new agent actively seeking to fill her list, naming gothic horror, psychological thrillers with ambiguous endings, emotionally driven romance (both contemporary and fantastical), and respectful nonfiction as her core interests. The spotlight confirmed she was open to queries at time of publication.
What Kristen is looking for
Bertoloni gravitates toward horror that unsettles slowly and atmospherically—think gothic dread, ghosts, and dark romantic undercurrents rather than pure shock or gore. She's drawn to stories that feel captivatingly creepy and layered, with the kind of psychological weight found in classic literary horror and modern gothic fiction. Dark twists and a haunting emotional core are key; horror-romance hybrids are explicitly welcome.
She wants contained, whodunit-style thrillers where the mystery stays tightly wound and the ending refuses to hand the reader easy answers. Ambiguity, clever twists, and a 'what just happened?' final beat are features, not bugs. Psychological suspense and domestic or isolated-setting thrillers align well with her stated preferences.
On the contemporary side, Bertoloni favors emotionally rich stories built around second-chance dynamics, beach or summer settings, and coming-of-age undertones. She references authors known for witty, voice-driven, feelings-first romance—expect her to respond well to strong character interiority and emotional payoff.
Bertoloni is equally interested in romance that crosses into fantasy or fairy-tale territory. She's looking for that specific blend where lush, magical world-building serves the love story rather than overwhelming it—think enchanted bargains, dark courts, and romantic tension with a speculative spine.
She is open to true crime with the caveat that it must handle its subjects respectfully. Exploitative or sensationalized approaches are unlikely to appeal; thoughtful, humanizing narrative true crime is the target.
Collections of personal essays are also on her radar. Given her overall taste profile, voice-driven, emotionally resonant work with a cohesive thematic thread is the likely fit.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kristen
Send only a query letter through her online form—do NOT attach a manuscript, sample pages, or a proposal at the initial stage. She will request materials if interested.
The query itself should be tight: one paragraph about yourself, a brief plot synopsis, and your contact information. She specifies this explicitly, so don't pad it.
Do NOT submit simultaneously to any other agent within Trident Media Group. You may query other agencies at the same time, but not other Trident agents.
Lead your synopsis with the atmospheric hook and the core emotional tension—her taste is strongly mood- and feeling-driven across every category she represents.
If your horror has a romantic element, say so upfront—horror-romance hybrids are a specific stated interest, and framing yours as such could be a differentiator.
For thriller queries, flag the structure: if your story is a contained mystery with an ambiguous or twist ending, call that out early. She's specifically drawn to that architecture.
For romantasy or crossover romance, make clear which side leads—she wants romance with fantastical elements, not fantasy with a romantic subplot. The emotional relationship should be the spine.
As a newer agent at a major commercial agency, she is genuinely list-building—debut writers are not at a disadvantage here and may actually benefit from her focus on acquiring new voices.