Submissions

Are you a querying author with a finished and polished manuscript?

If so, please consult my Manuscript Wish List, at the bottom of this page, and if you think your project may interest me (in a nutshell, I like beautiful grit), follow my submission instructions here: http://QueryMe.Online/colleenoefelein

I have over a decade of experience in the publishing industry, with seven years’ experience in literary management, having worked since 2007 at Adventure Write as an Associate Literary Agent with NY’s The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency and with Inklings Literary Agency as both a literary agent and a PR manager. I currently work alongside MacGregor and Luedeke.

I am proud to represent authors across the political and religious spectrums. I continue to guide and enthusiastically represent my clients with courage and kindness. I’ve partnered with several film and TV companies and producers as well as foreign rights co-agents in many countries. I’ve arranged appearances on 20/20, Inside Edition, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, Newmax, One America News, as well as on podcasts and local TV shows. I’ve also coordinated interviews with top publications like PEOPLE Magazine and Newsweek, among others.

I have a PHENOMENAL editorial assistant on staff, and two wonderful literary management mentors with a combined 35 years in the business, a thriving law firm, and a former career as a senior editor at a big publishing house.

I am currently accepting submissions, so get that manuscript and query polished! I’m open to submissions from established authors as well as new authors. I accept unsolicited submissions via Query Manager only. If I’ve requested your manuscript, you may send it to me via email: colleen (at) adventurewrite.com

MOST RECENT SALES/ FORTHCOMING BOOKS

JESTER by Brielle Porter (CamCat Books, Spring 2022) YA Fantasy: Magical obsession and romantic rivalry when a seventeen-year-old orphan, disgraced and powerless, must win a competition of real magic against her charming rival, even if winning will cost his life and corrupt her soul, to either become the Queen’s next Jester…or die trying.

 

DREAD WATCH by Jared Agard (Chicken Scratch Books, 1 September 2021) MG Fiction: In which the Great Train Wreck of 1856 spawns a cursed object and touches off a modern-day adventure…having a Stranger Things-like twist, when an eighth grader gets trapped inside an antique pocket watch and must outwit an evil ghost kidnapping the town’s kids and feeding off their fears.

Useful Links

I accept unsolicited submissions via Query Manager only (no snail mail, no email): http://QueryMe.Online/colleenoefelein

You can find my current Manuscript Wish List (#MSWL) at the bottom of this page.

Social media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colleenoefelein

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eerie_o

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eerie_o/

A JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION — An article with links to all things you need to know, like:

  • typical word count
  • manuscript formatting standards
  • genre definitions
  • pitch contests
  • how to write a query letter
  • how to write a synopsis

It’s all here: http://www.cmmccoy.com/blog/a-journey-to-publication/

My Manuscript Wish List (#MSWL)

I’m currently open to queries and actively building my list! I’m happiest when I’m helping an author strengthen and prepare their heart’s work for today’s market. My specialty lies in crafting killer pitches, finding a fresh spin for a tired premise, bringing the POV closer, and injecting tension into a scene. I often host “Pitch Perfect” and “Rejection Correction” workshops on Facebook to help querying authors identify and address common pitfalls in their submission. I’m also a published author and a former mentor for Pitch Wars.

I love plot-driven, commercial stories with unforgettable characters and gritty character dynamics. I adore writing that has a great cadence and natural rhythm, which like a dance flows and stutters in a gorgeous motion that worms into my brain and reverberates there for days.

In MG, I’m looking for mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, low fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal, all with a thread of subtle or not-so-subtle humor.

In YA/NA/Adult, I’m looking for ROMANCE. Also, re-tellings/heart-rending love stories, contemporary, mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, comedy, low fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, and anything  fast-paced.

I’m weary of politics, and I usually don’t enjoy high fantasy, sword and sorcery, lyrical tales, heavy/spacey scifi, literary fiction, or women’s fiction. I love a fresh premise (or a fresh twist on a familiar story line) coupled with a strong, genuine voice. Just plain weird is right up my alley, and dark, quirky characters , make me sit forward. Clean writing with plenty of white space and story telling full of subtle nuances that give my brain room to imagine will pique my interest.

I like a strong hook. Make me laugh, gasp, sigh, smile, sit forward, or read through my fingers on page one please. I also love a story with cliffy chapter endings and prefer characters who take a book by the balls and yank it forward. An antagonistic protagonist, an unreliably evil villain, flawed characters, and antiheroes are definitely my favorite, as is a high-adrenaline plot. I love anything unexpected, dark, edgy, weird, funny, or so wrong it’s right.

Lastly, I enjoy working with authors who show courage and kindness.

Fun facts about me: I’m a retired chemical engineer and disabled veteran who has worked 911 dispatch for Alaska State Troopers and currently teaches Irish Dance. I’m a homeschooling mom; I speak German, can fly a helicopter, net a salmon, navigate a river, and hem a pair of pants. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, I now live in Alaska, but still root for the Steelers and Penguins. I hold a BS in Chemical Engineering with a focus in Biotechnology, and a BS in German, both from Penn State University. I also have one pointed ear. 🙂

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be sent through: http://QueryMe.Online/colleenoefelein