Rebecca Matte is a Bradford Literary Agency agent and contracts lawyer-turned-editor who hunts for voice-first, character-driven adult and YA SFF and queer romance—especially stories rooted in non-European traditions, disabled/neurodiverse protagonists, and relationships that feel lived-in rather than performed.
In brief
Her agency page says 'closed to queries,' but her own submission form was directly observed open on 2026-05-31 — and a same-day public post confirmed a limited window specifically for queer romance with magic elements (first 100 queries only). Verify the live form before submitting.
Her wishlist is unusually specific: she names Artemis Fowl, Indiana Jones, Clive Cussler, Check Please, Hadestown, and The Pitt as touchstone vibes — writers should use these as a self-screening test before querying.
She comes to agenting from IP and contracts law plus editorial assistant experience, meaning she offers unusually deep contract literacy alongside developmental editorial support — a meaningful differentiator for rights-conscious authors.
Her wishlist is loudly character-first: she explicitly says she can work on plot and worldbuilding after an offer, but voice, POV, and character must land on page one. Opening pages are her make-or-break.
She is firm on hard no's: magical disability cures, grimdark, body horror/infestation content, and Nazi romances are absolute stops — not soft dislikes.
Lately
It took about a week to receive 100 queries - thank you to everyone who sent materials! I'm making my way through and hope to be able to open either in July or August to a new category!
Reminder that tomorrow, I will be open to queries for queer romance with magic elements until I reach 100 queries! Please do not send me other things, because I will not consider them at this time (unless you have a referral link). I will open again hopefully in August for something else!
I just *devoured* The Fake Divination Offensive by @sararaaschbooks.com & it's EXACTLY what I want in my query inbox June 1. Here's why romance with magic is fun: 1) Magic/fantasy elements are usually delightful to read about 2) Grounded magic allows smaller & sillier worldbuilding #amquerying
**I will be opening to queries on Monday, June 1 until I reach 100 queries** During this time, I will ONLY be accepting queries for queer romance with magical elements. Think Sangu Mandanna, Sara Raasch - romance + grounded/very low fantasy. Let magic enhance love, and make me swoon. #amquerying
I think I’m going to try something new with queries — I’ve learned that 500 queries take about 6 months, and I don’t like staying closed that long. So at a friends suggestion, I’ll be opening more often but for smaller numbers, looking for specific subjects, genres or authors. #amquerying
Announced a time-limited query window opening the following day, accepting only queer romance with magic elements, capped at 100 queries. Writers without referrals were asked to hold off on other submissions until she reopens — which she anticipated doing in August for a different category.
I'm a literary agent and contracts manager at Bradford Literary Agency. Before that I worked as assistant to an executive agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and before that I was an IP and contracts lawyer at several prominent law firms in New York City.
Representations and warranties are, in my opinion, the thing that is the least well understood and, as a lawyer, the most important thing for me to confirm with clients. They are promises you are making to the publisher — that you are the sole author, the book hasn't been published before, it doesn't infringe anyone's rights, all statements are accurate. If you cannot honestly make one of those promises, do not agree to that term. I'm currently in a dispute with a publisher over a self-published book, trying to remove the representation that the book hasn't been previously published, because you simply cannot promise something that isn't true.
There has to be language in every termination provision that states how you get your rights back. When termination happens, all rights granted to the publisher should revert to you — except the right to sell off existing stock. You can also sometimes negotiate earlier reversion for sub-rights like audio and foreign rights: if the publisher hasn't done anything with them after, say, three years, you get them back. That's something worth pushing for if those rights matter to you.
Don't get bogged down in the long lists of synonyms and 'including but not limited to' language. The most important things to identify are: throughout the world or a specific territory? In all media or specific formats? And for the full term of copyright or a defined period? Those are the pieces that determine how much you're giving away and for how long.
You need to know how much you're being paid and on what schedule — when can you expect money? If there are no timelines in the contract, there's nothing to hold the publisher to. You also need to know what happens if you aren't paid. A lot of times the only contractual remedy is termination, so make sure you have the explicit right to terminate the contract; otherwise they keep your rights and you get nothing.
Publishing contracts usually give the publisher the right to edit and revise, which is fair — that's what editors do. But look carefully at whether they can make material, substantive changes without your approval. This comes up a lot in picture books where a rhyme scheme needs to be preserved, or in books about specific cultures or religions where even spelling choices matter. Make sure you know what editing they're allowed to do and what happens if you disapprove of a change they want to make.
What Rebecca is looking for
This is her single most active current window. She wants romance that centers trans, ace, demi, bi, pan, and other underrepresented queer identities — and right now is specifically running a query window for queer romance with magic elements. She gravitates toward 'gayer, swoonier' stories: bigger feelings, louder colors, unabashedly themselves. She's especially drawn to romance set in niche communities or hobbies where specialist knowledge enriches the story, and to relationships involving interesting gender expression or non-traditional relationship structures. Chronic illness and disabled protagonists in romance are a high priority — she has named a disabled-MC romance as a direct wishlist comp.
SFF is the backbone of her list. She prizes wholly original fantasy worlds or those drawn from traditions outside medieval Europe — African and Caribbean-inspired, anti-colonial fantasy from authors with that ancestry is a top ask. She wants adventure-forward fantasy with swashbuckling energy (think Indiana Jones or Clive Cussler transposed to a fantasy setting), D&D-style whimsy and puzzle-solving, urban fantasy (magic tattoos, vampires next door, alt-history with magic), and magic schools reimagined for parents or teachers rather than students. She also wants fantasy romance and college-set fantasy. YA fantasy that uses magic as a direct proxy for big teenage emotions is a priority.
Fantasy romance sits at the intersection of her two core categories and gets its own emphasis. She wants it to carry all the tropes — but deployed in fresh, surprising ways. Claustrophobic or compressed settings (a single confined space, an intense compressed timeline) intrigue her. She has a specific interest in a D&D-framed second-chance romance where the in-game and out-of-game narratives are structurally inseparable. Reinterpretations of folklore, fairytales, or mythology that speak to the present moment are a strong draw.
Across all categories, she actively prioritizes books where disability, chronic illness, or neurodivergence is part of a character's identity — present and real, never fixed or cured by magic or narrative convenience. Deaf protagonists are also explicitly named. This is not a box to check: she wants the disability to be integral to who the character is, not a plot obstacle to be resolved.
She is open to YA with strong queer identity threads, particularly SFF that uses speculative elements to externalize the interior experience of adolescence. Stories of self-discovery and reinvention at any age matter to her, and college-set stories — whether romance or fantasy — occupy an interesting middle space she's drawn to. She wants voice that screams personality from the first page.
She has a clearly articulated gap on her wishlist: a female Dirk Pitt — science- or magic-forward, death-defying, billionaire-battling, full-throttle adventure. This is an adult category ask, distinct from her YA SFF interest. The tone she describes is propulsive and fun rather than grimdark. An Artemis Fowl equivalent for adults (heist-y, clever, morally complex protagonist) also fits here.
Not the right fit
On Rebecca's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Rebecca
Submit only during an open window — and check which category she has opened for: as of late May 2026, the active window was queer romance with magic elements only, capped at 100 queries. Sending something outside that scope wastes both your time and hers.
Lead with voice. She is explicit that character and voice must land before she cares about plot or worldbuilding. Your query letter and your opening pages need to make the protagonist's personality unmistakable — not described, but felt.
Name the specific identity, community, disability, or niche knowledge your book is rooted in. She wants the book only you can write, and that means showing her in the query why your particular POV shapes this particular story.
If your book fits one of her named super-specific wishlist items (D&D second-chance romance, Hadestown-style folklore reinterpretation, female Dirk Pitt adventure, queer BBC Merlin energy, etc.), say so directly — she listed them because she is actively waiting for them.
Do not pitch anything with a disability cure arc, even if it is framed sympathetically or metaphorically. This is a hard stop, not a soft preference.
Her legal and contracts background means she is unusually attuned to rights and deal structure — writers with complex IP situations (game tie-ins, multimedia projects, established fan communities) may find her especially receptive to those dimensions of a pitch.
She draws a clear line between 'anti' elements (soft dislikes she might work past) and absolute hard no's. Review both lists before querying — do not assume a soft avoid disqualifies you, but do assume a hard no does.