Bethany Jett is a literary agent with CYLE Literary.
“I’m Bethany, a former youth minister’s wife and high school cheerleading coach turned author, speaker, and business owner. This year I graduated with my Masters of Fine Arts in Communication, where I concentrated on marketing and public relations. My goal is take those skills and apply them to writers, authors, and brands.
“I’m hooked on stories written in extremely deep POV and I appreciate writing that provides just enough information to the reader while letting their imagination take over…very ‘Master of Suggestion’ Alfred Hitchcock-esque, if you will …and I adore an unreliable narrator…or two.
I’m looking for adult fiction books within these genres:
- Commercial, Upmarket, and Literary Fiction.
- Historical.
- Time travel and time slip (but not sci-fi or time travel into the future). I loved the time travel element of 11/22/63 by Stephen King (probably the only book by him that I could handle).
- Romantic Comedies. Low spice. Slow burn. Sweet. HEA. (see Amazon categories like Clean & Wholesome Romance).
- Cozy Mysteries with depth.
Regarding cozies: please make sure that your cozy mystery is actually a cozy mystery before submitting it. If you’re not sure, please check out this article: “What is a Cozy Mystery?” to ensure you’re hitting the crucial elements that set cozies apart from other mysteries.
In fiction, I am NOT a good fit for vulgarity for vulgarity’s sake, grimdark, science fiction, erotica or sex “on the page,” extreme violence, or horror (with the exception of MG). I appreciate trigger warnings in the query for suicide. Manuscripts filled with the f-bomb are not my cup of tea.
In Picture Books, she seeks:
I’m open to both text-only manuscripts and author-illustrator. I’m open to PBs of all kinds but am specifically looking for: holiday, bilingual, Where the MC has a disability but it does not define who they are, books that provide back matter (like Stella’s Stellar Hair), and STEM, STEAM, SEL.
In middle grade and young adult, she seeks:
Everything listed in the adult fiction genres above, as well as:
- Horror (MG only) Think The Clackity by Lora Senf.
- Cozy Fantasy / Magical Realism.
- I love stories where magic and the supernatural permeate our own world.
- Within fantasy: Noblebright, Nobledark, Grimbright
In kidlit, she is NOT interested in: books where the comps are LOTR, ACOTR, or anything by Rick Riordan. I loved The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black, but it’s at the upper echelon of my comfortability level with teen “romance.” Not looking for Grimdark stories or any science fiction elements.
In Nonfiction, she seeks:
As a traditionally published nonfiction author, I know firsthand the weight of “platform-platform-platform.” And yet, here I am on the agent side, still saying, “Platform. Platform. Platform!” That said, I am looking for career-driven individuals who are living out their message and not waiting for the book to jumpstart their marketing efforts.
I’m looking for books within these categories:
- COOKBOOKS!!!!!
- How-to
- Self-help
- Christian Living
- Lifestyle
- Home & Garden
- Business
- Leadership
- Inspirational/Gift
- Devotionals
- Bible studies
In nonfiction, she is NOT interested in: memoir or narrative, devotionals that don’t have a strong thread running throughout, projects that don’t have a tie-in to the author’s credentials or platform, sports, science / technology, or politics.