Naomi Eisenbeiss is an InkWell Management agent with an international background who hunts for darkly funny literary fiction, "weird women" narratives, propulsive narrative nonfiction, and horror — with a particular appetite for strong voices rooted in a vivid sense of place.
In brief
Naomi Eisenbeiss joined InkWell Management in 2018 and brings a genuinely global lens — raised in Houston, educated in France and Germany, and previously managing a literary festival in Shanghai — that shows up clearly in their preference for books set abroad or steeped in specific environments.
Their wishlist is built around literary and upmarket women's fiction and bookclub-ready commercial fiction, with horror, thriller/mystery, and narrative nonfiction rounding out the list; adult-only with a narrow exception for graphic novels.
Naomi explicitly identifies as a champion of 'weird women fiction' — darkly comic, socially subversive stories that interrogate what society expects of women — so a manuscript's feminist or counter-normative edge is a genuine selling point, not just a nice-to-have.
Time travel, heist narratives, Texas/cowboy settings, and genre mashups are flagged as personal wildcards worth pitching even if they don't fit neatly elsewhere on the wishlist.
Naomi does not represent SFF broadly and is adult-only (graphic novels excepted), so do not send MG, YA, or standard fantasy/sci-fi.
Lately
Naomi has publicly described a fondness for what they call 'weird women fiction' — narratives that push back against social norms and expectations placed on women, combining intellectual provocation with dark humor and emotional specificity.
What Naomi is looking for
This is Naomi's core territory. They want voices that reframe ordinary life and dig into family dynamics, motherhood, and the tender-dark corners of human experience. The emotional interior of a character matters as much as plot. Touchstones include cerebral, offbeat literary fiction with a biting wit — think unconventional protagonists, quiet devastation leavened with dry humor. International settings or a strong, immersive sense of place are a significant plus.
Naomi loves fiction that sparks debate — character-rich, compulsively discussable books with psychological depth and broad appeal. The ideal submission combines genuine literary ambition with the forward momentum of commercial fiction. Works that generate 'I need to talk about this' responses are exactly the target.
Naomi welcomes literary horror, folkloric horror, gothic horror, and genre mashups that genuinely unsettle. The emphasis is on execution — they want work that is well and truly scary, not merely dark in tone. Hybrid forms that blend horror with other categories are encouraged.
Page-turning tension and the ability to surprise are the admission criteria. Naomi is especially drawn to heist narratives (a noted personal passion) and psychological thrillers. Fast pacing and clever construction matter more than action-movie spectacle.
Naomi represents less nonfiction than fiction but is passionate about propulsive, investigative, and narrative-driven work — the kind that reads with the momentum of a thriller. Memoir is listed as an interest on the agency page. The bar for nonfiction submissions is high; the manuscript should have genuine journalistic or narrative urgency.
Graphic novels represent the one carve-out from Naomi's adult-only, no-YA/MG stance — they are willing to consider them. The agency page also lists illustrated books as an interest area. This is the narrowest category on the list; query only with strong, finished work.
A self-described wildcard: Naomi has been surprised by their own enthusiasm for time travel narratives across any genre and actively invites pitches. The concept must be strong and original — 'high-concept' is the stated gate.
Having grown up in Houston, Naomi has a personal connection to Texas settings and cowboy culture and welcomes submissions that explore them authentically. This is additive appeal rather than a standalone category — pairing a Texas setting with another strong category (literary fiction, thriller, etc.) is the strongest pitch.
Not the right fit
On Naomi's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Naomi
Address the email to Naomi Eisenbeiss by name — put their name in the subject line, as this is explicitly required.
Include your full query letter and a short writing sample (one to two chapters) in the body of the email; do not attach large files, as these are automatically discarded.
Lead with a clear sense of place or setting — Naomi is on record valuing books that immerse readers in a specific environment, so foregrounding your world signals immediate alignment.
If your book has a feminist, counter-normative, or 'weird women' dimension, name it explicitly in the query — this is a stated passion, not just a passing interest.
For nonfiction, frame the pitch around narrative urgency and momentum: Naomi's touchstones are all propulsive, investigative works, so lead with the story's forward drive rather than its subject matter alone.
Heist fiction, time travel, Texas settings, and genre-mashup horror are personal wildcards — if your project fits one of these, say so directly even if it also fits a more standard category.
Verify the live submission address and form before querying; submission details can change and the most current guidance should be confirmed on the InkWell Management website.