Shannon Powers is a junior agent at McIntosh and Otis actively building her own list across adult fiction and children's categories, with a particular appetite for mystery, horror, and voice-driven YA and middle grade.
In brief
Powers came up through the publishing industry via multiple internships (including at a major trade house) and bookselling — that on-the-ground retail background tends to produce agents with strong instincts for what readers actually buy.
Her wishlist spans both adult and children's markets, which is relatively broad for a junior agent — she appears to be casting a wide net as she builds her list, making her a viable target for projects that might be harder to place with more narrowly focused agents.
No confirmed sales record is available in the source material, so her deal relationships with publishers cannot be assessed at this time — writers should weigh that she is in a list-building phase, which means more availability and attention but less established placement history.
Her taste consistently orbits around high-concept hooks and voice — she flags these as non-negotiable across every category she pursues, which signals she'll pass on well-crafted but slow or premise-light manuscripts regardless of genre.
Query status is unverified — the McIntosh and Otis submission portal should be checked directly before submitting.
Lately
Powers joined McIntosh and Otis as a junior agent after earlier experience at the agency as an intern, complemented by stints at a major trade publisher and an independent book review network — and time working on the retail floor as a bookseller. She returned to M&O in 2014 to assist senior agents while developing her own client list.
What Shannon is looking for
High-stakes mysteries and thrillers for the young adult market are a clear priority. She wants the emotional ante raised — these aren't puzzle-box procedurals; she's after plots where the personal cost to the protagonist is as gripping as the central mystery.
Horror for teen readers, both literary and commercial. Her openness to both lighter and darker projects suggests she'll consider creepy-atmospheric as readily as outright scary — voice and premise are the differentiators.
Contemporary YA is welcome, but she requires a premise that genuinely stands apart. A well-executed coming-of-age story without a distinctive hook is unlikely to land. Romantic elements — whether breezy or emotionally bruising — are a plus.
She is open to YA speculative fiction on the lighter end of the spectrum — think accessible, concept-forward projects rather than dense world-building epics. Romance woven into the narrative is noted as appealing.
Middle grade mysteries and thrillers with genuine emotional stakes are a stated focus. The emotional weight requirement signals she wants more than clever plotting — the protagonist's inner life must be as compelling as the external threat.
Literary fiction for adult readers is part of her stated range. Strong hooks and distinctive voices are the baseline; she's not looking for quiet, plotless character studies.
Mystery for the adult market is explicitly welcomed. Given her parallel interest in YA mystery, this appears to be a genuine through-line in her taste rather than a perfunctory addition.
Horror for adult readers. Her interest in the genre spans both adult and YA, which suggests a deeper personal affinity rather than opportunistic category coverage.
Romance for adult readers is part of her list. The same standard applies: a strong hook and an addictive narrative voice will matter more than subgenre label.
Narrative popular history is the one nonfiction category she names. This is a narrow window — accessible, story-driven history rather than academic or reference work is the implied target.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Shannon
Confirm her current query status directly via the McIntosh and Otis website before submitting — no reliable open/closed signal is available from public sources.
Lead with your hook in the first sentence of your query letter. Powers has named 'strong hook' as her top filter across every category — if your premise isn't immediately legible and compelling, the rest of the letter won't recover it.
Name your genre and age category clearly and early. She works across a wide range of categories, so orientation helps her route your project correctly.
If your project has romantic elements — even as a subplot — mention them. She flags romance as an appealing thread in YA, middle grade, and adult alike.
For YA and MG submissions, articulate the emotional stakes explicitly, not just the plot stakes. She draws a distinction: what is the personal cost to the protagonist, not only what happens in the story.
For adult literary fiction, make clear why your premise is distinctive — she is not looking for quiet, introverted narratives and wants the hook to be as sharp as it would be in genre fiction.
If you are submitting horror at any age level, note that she has interest across both adult and YA — this appears to be a genuine taste affinity, and you can reference her cross-category enthusiasm for the genre when positioning your work.
For popular history nonfiction, frame your proposal around narrative and story structure rather than scholarly credentials alone — her interest is in the popular/accessible end of the category.