Matthew Valdez is a literary agent with Megibow Literary Agency.
Matthew’s love of literature began as a teenager when his mom handed him a copy of TWILIGHT after years of being a reluctant reader. Then, in college he took a Young Adult Literature class and was immediately hooked on reading YA. In fact, it was that professor who encouraged him to attend YALLFest- that conference is what launched Matthew into the world of publishing. With over a decade of volunteering at conferences and interning at literary agencies, Matthew brings a very behind-the-scenes perspective to his job as agent.
Matthew holds a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is currently attending The University of Central Florida to obtain his Master’s in Educational Leadership. He lives in sunny Florida where he teaches High School English and hopes just a sliver of his passion for books rubs off on his students.
I am always looking to champion stories from writers of all marginalized backgrounds, especially voices from the LGBTQ+ community!
What I’m currently looking for:
Adult fiction:
Fantasy
Romantasy
High
Cozy
Dark
Folklore Retellings
Unique Dark Academia
Psychological Thriller
Horror
Would love to see some Horrormantasy!
Horror rooted in Folklore
Romance (Spice is okay!) *
Romantic Comedy (particularly LGBTQ+, but all welcome)
Commercial / Upmarket Literary Fiction
Young Adult fiction:
Fantasy
Unique Dark Academia
Contemporary
Paranormal
Thriller
Dystopian
RomCom (particularly LGBTQ+, but all welcome)
Oddly Specific things I’m looking for:
A unique combination of genres that take place in a fantasy world with the focus NOT being on the fantasy world. Think a murder mystery set in a city in the clouds or a horror story taking place in an undersea village.
I would LOVE to see dark academia that takes place in foreign lands. Surely there are cool colleges and universities across the globe? Japan? Zimbabwe? Australia? China?
Retellings: Give me all the retellings! From myth, to folktales, to Shakespeare; I want them all! I am particularly interested in myths and retellings from all parts of the world, especially ones we don’t normally see in media.
Using actual history in an alternate way is absolutely up my alley.
Baking! Particularly an LGBTQ+ Romance with Great British Bake Off vibes.
LGBTQ+ Sports Romance / RomComs, with a particular interest in Baseball.
Horror novels that feature dysfunctional families. Think Haunting of Hill House or DIAVOLA.
Horror similar to INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE by Josh Malerman, in that this book had me turning the lights on at night for weeks. If you have a manuscript that will freak me OUT… I want to see it.
LGBTQ+ Romance that features characters that are famous. IF THIS GETS OUT, KISS & TELL, DARK HEARTS, are all favorites! Would love to see some similar New Adult projects.
Historical novels: I am particularly interested in historical novels that center on a specific person’s history with alternating time lines. I’m looking for projects that make me forget these characters are fictional. I absolutely loved THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD, and DAISY JONES AND THE SIX.
Please note: I am closed to historical fiction at this time. However if your manuscript fits the above criteria, please submit!
I am not the best person for:
Manuscripts longer than 120,000 words or shorter than 50,000 words.
Stories told in verse
Superheroes
Zombies
Fae
Science-Fiction (I’m extremely picky with Sci-Fi, so I’m closing to it for now)
War / Military (I like wars as seen in The Lord of the Rings, not Black Hawk Down)
Politics
Urban Fantasy (I’m not particularly interested in magic in our real world at the current moment- this could change in the future!)
I am currently NOT accepting:
Nonfiction
Memoir
Middle Grade
Picture/Chapter
Poetry
Short Story
Screenplays
Material for the Inspirational / Religious Market