Nicole Payne is a Confluence Literary Agency agent whose practice centers on romance-forward adult and YA fiction—spanning rom-coms, dark romance, romantasy, and romantic thrillers—with a growing appetite for BIPOC voices and pop-science nonfiction.
In brief
Romance in all its flavors is Nicole Payne's core business: rom-coms, dark romance, fantasy romance, romantic thrillers, and romantic mysteries are all active targets, with an explicit preference for flawed, growth-oriented characters over tidy archetypes.
Diversity is a throughline, not a token add-on — Payne specifically calls out BIPOC authors and non-European settings, and the sub-genre list skews heavily toward African diaspora, Asian diaspora, and Africanfuturism, signaling a genuine curatorial commitment.
A stated interest in nonfiction is still emerging: pop-science (biology, forensics, medicine) and culturally specific cookbooks are on the wish list, but this appears to be a developing lane rather than an established one.
The wishlist contains unusually granular 'do not want' guidance — no dream/nightmare openings, no hooded-cloaked figures, no weather-as-first-line — making it easier than most to self-screen a manuscript before querying.
Query status was confirmed CLOSED as of 28 February 2026; Payne directs writers to check their social presence and the Confluence Literary Agency site for a reopening announcement before submitting.
Lately
Payne's wishlist emphasizes that submissions should open in medias res — dropped directly into the action, with no preliminary backstory — reflecting a clear editorial preference for immediacy over scene-setting.
What Nicole is looking for
Payne is not interested in the basic 'two people meet and fall for each other' setup — they want a structural or conceptual twist that elevates the premise, paired with sharp banter, genuine chemistry, and enough emotional depth to make readers care. Predictable meet-cute beats without a fresh angle will not land.
Morally complex, spicy content is welcome here, provided all intimacy is consensual within the story's logic. Both open-door and closed-door treatments are acceptable. The emphasis is on tension, character complexity, and the darkness serving the emotional arc rather than shock value alone.
The fantasy world-building can take many forms — Payne is flexible on subtype — but the romantic thread must be substantial, not decorative. Settings rooted in non-European mythologies are especially welcome. Egyptian, Norse, and Chinese mythological frameworks are specifically called out; Greek mythology is explicitly not wanted. The 'chosen girl secretly has world-saving powers' trope is a hard pass.
Payne wants the romantic stakes and the suspense stakes to coexist with equal weight. Genre hybrids that tip convincingly into thriller territory while keeping the emotional relationship central are the target.
A particular enthusiasm here: Payne loves mysteries where the reader is deliberately led down false paths, with an unreliable narrator driving the misdirection. The romance element should be woven throughout, not tacked on at the end.
Payne does not require a traditional Happily Ever After ending — a Happy For Now resolution is fine — but the characters must demonstrably be working toward growth. Stagnant or unexamined flaws are not the goal; the arc of self-improvement matters.
Fiction that genuinely incorporates science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics into its plot or world — not just as window dressing — is a stated interest. This overlaps with Payne's nonfiction taste for pop science, suggesting a real intellectual affinity for science-infused storytelling.
Retellings need a genuinely fresh angle to earn Payne's attention — the sub-genre list emphasizes classic retellings with BIPOC characters, suggesting the 'unique take' Payne wants often involves centering perspectives traditionally absent from the source material.
Vampires, zombies, aliens, and psychics are all in play, but the treatment must diverge clearly from familiar templates. Ghosts and genies are not currently wanted. Witches are acceptable only if the angle is genuinely novel — the standard witch narrative is not of interest.
Payne is expanding into nonfiction with a focus on biology, forensics, and medicine — but the crucial qualifier is narrative accessibility. These books must read as engaging stories, not textbooks. Payne's own background (they spent time working with cadavers, suggesting comfort with the forensics/medicine space) hints at a genuine personal investment in this area.
Cookbooks are welcome, but only those rooted in Eurasian or African culinary traditions and presented with a narrative dimension — recipes alone are insufficient. The book must carry a story alongside the food.
Across every category, Payne actively prioritizes manuscripts by BIPOC authors and stories centering diverse protagonists. The sub-genre list is extensive — African diaspora, Asian diaspora, Africanfuturism, LGBTQ+ romance and fantasy — making this a foundational editorial identity rather than a secondary preference.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Nicole
Confirm the form is open before doing anything else — it was closed as of 28 February 2026, and Payne directs writers to check their social presence and the Confluence Literary Agency site for a reopening date.
Open your query letter in the action, not in backstory — Payne explicitly flags in-media-res openings as a green light and backstory-first openings as a red one. Apply the same logic to your first pages.
Self-screen against the detailed 'do not want' list before querying: dream/nightmare openings, hooded-figure openings, weather-as-first-line, Greek mythology, ghosts, genies, and the chosen-girl-saves-the-world trope are all automatic passes.
If your manuscript is romance-adjacent rather than romance-led, reframe your pitch to center the romantic arc — Payne's stated priority is that romance be a significant, not peripheral, element across all fiction categories.
BIPOC authors and stories centered on diverse protagonists receive an explicit callout as priorities; if your work fits that description, say so clearly and early in your query.
For nonfiction, lead with the narrative hook and your own credentials for making a science-heavy subject accessible and engaging — Payne wants pop-science storytelling, not academic proposal writing.
Manuscripts must be unpublished and over 50,000 words; confirm both before querying to avoid an immediate pass.
Do not query with middle grade, picture books, poetry, erotica, or political-primary fiction regardless of how well it fits other criteria — these are categorical exclusions.