Rebecca Love is a junior literary agent at The Booker Albert Literary Agency with a strong editorial sensibility and a gravitational pull toward scary YA, MG historical fiction, graphic novels, and grounded fantasy worlds with unforgettable atmosphere.
In brief
Rebecca is currently CLOSED to queries as of November 2025 — verify her submission form before sending anything.
Her wishlist skews strongly toward younger audiences: YA and MG dominate her stated interests, and she explicitly loves scary YA and MG historical fiction — a narrow lane few agents spotlight.
Graphic novels are her most urgent stated need; she calls them out with rare emphasis, making this one of the clearest opportunities on her list when she reopens.
Her personal favorites reveal a consistent aesthetic: lush, grounded fantasy with romantic threads, atmospheric horror, and historical settings — books that feel intimate even at epic scale.
As a junior agent building her list, she is editorially hands-on and represents an opportunity for debut authors whose work fits her precise taste profile.
Lately
Her agency page currently carries a closed-to-queries notice, confirmed by direct observation of the submission form in early November 2025.
What Rebecca is looking for
This is Rebecca's most emphatic want — she has explicitly called out graphic novels as an urgent need on her list. Any age category or genre appears to be welcome here, making this a rare open lane.
Scary YA is something she actively wants more of, including the fantasy-horror hybrid. She is drawn to atmospheric, grounded dread — think haunted houses with personality (she cites the Winchester Mansion as an inspiration), zombie apocalypse narratives aimed at a younger YA audience, and worlds where fear is embedded in the worldbuilding rather than grafted on.
Fantasy across its sub-genres is one of her deepest interests. She favors grounded worldbuilding, romantic threads woven naturally into the story, and standalone structures. Her taste runs toward intimate, character-driven fantasy rather than sprawling multi-POV epics — though she clearly admires the epic end of the spectrum as a reader.
She specifically calls out MG historical fiction as a category she wants to see more of — unusual emphasis for an agent who is otherwise selective about MG broadly. The Victorian era is a particular draw, and she is open to adventure, horror, and coming-of-age angles within the historical frame.
Horror for middle-grade readers is a clear priority alongside YA horror. She is looking for genuinely scary MG — not just spooky — and atmospheric settings and found-family dynamics would strengthen a submission in this lane.
She welcomes adult historical fiction, with a particular affection for Victorian-era settings and stories that carry real emotional weight. Low-to-no romance spice is preferred across all her categories.
She will consider contemporary, but the bar is high: she wants mundane, everyday conflicts rendered with thriller-level intensity and pacing. She is rarely interested in stories set entirely in high school or college. Stories set in distinctive locations — she names Alaska as a place she would love to see — have a better shot.
Science fiction is on her list, and her favorites suggest she gravitates toward adventure-driven, accessible SF with strong world logic rather than hard science extrapolation. Speculative premises with grounded emotional cores are her sweet spot.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Rebecca
She is currently closed to queries (observed November 2025) — check her agency page before submitting anything.
Lead your query letter with the hook: she states explicitly that a strong hook will catch her attention above almost anything else.
If your book is a graphic novel, say so immediately and prominently — it is her most actively sought format.
Match her aesthetic in tone: grounded worldbuilding, believable characters, and good pacing are her non-negotiables regardless of genre; address all three briefly in your pitch.
Distinctive settings work in your favor — a story set in Alaska, the Victorian era, or a house with a life of its own will resonate with her taste profile.
She prefers low-to-no spice across all categories; if your manuscript has romantic elements, signal the heat level clearly.
YA standalones are her sweet spot — if your fantasy or horror manuscript is a standalone, say so; if it is a series opener, emphasize that Book One resolves its central conflict.
Avoid pitching retellings unless yours has a genuinely fresh angle; she signs them sparingly to avoid a redundant list.
Found family and adoption themes are a positive signal; weave them into your pitch summary if they are central to your story.
As a junior agent building her list, she is editorially engaged — a brief mention that you welcome editorial feedback can be a good fit signal.