Editorial Insider, Cat Devotee and Hopeless Orienteer. Rachel Neely shares how she got into publishing and what she’s looking for in submissions.

How did you get into the publishing industry?

After finishing my Masters, and deciding I definitely wasn’t cut out for a career in academia after all, I was at a bit of a loss for what to do next. Fortuitously, just as I was packing up my room to move home, I came across a job advert for an Editorial Assistant. HarperCollins were looking for someone to work on their crime and thriller list, which sounded like my dream job. I interviewed, but ultimately lost out to someone moving laterally within the industry. I was, however, offered a six-month paid internship with the Avon team, who specialise in commercial fiction, working across multiple genres. During my time at HarperCollins, I fell in love with publishing.  

What was your route to becoming an Associate Agent?

After I finished my internship, I landed a job at Quercus in their fiction team, which gave me the incredible opportunity to work on both reading-group fiction and the crime/thriller list. I stayed at Quercus for over three years, before moving to Orion, where I was appointed as the Commissioning Editor for the Trapeze Fiction team.

As a Commissioning Editor, I absolutely loved reading submissions and building my own list for the first time. However, I found that I was at my happiest when working with my authors to perfect their manuscripts, and came to realise that what I was really wanted was to work more closely with authors: advising them, advocating for them and helping them to build long-lasting careers. When I saw that Juliet was looking for an Associate Agent, I knew immediately that it was the perfect job for me. Although it wasn’t the most straightforward route to becoming an Associate Agent, my five years at Hachette gave me an invaluable insight into how publishing houses operate and what gets Editors excited, as well as the editorial skills needed to make a manuscript shine.

What do you do outside of work for fun?

Unsurprisingly, I love stories, so I spend a lot of my time reading or curling up on the sofa to watch the latest Netflix shows, much to the delight of my cat, who is never happier than when she is sprawled across my lap. During lockdown, I spent a lot of time in my local area, exploring Crystal Palace Park with its dinosaurs, sphinxes and alpacas (it’s a strange but wonderful mix). Whilst at uni, I worked as an event photographer, so I still like to wander around with my camera, taking pictures and giving off strong tourist vibes (amplified by my shockingly bad sense of direction), despite having lived in London for over six years now.    

What’s one book you could read over and over, and one you have recently enjoyed?

I could read The Outcast by Sadie Jones endlessly. It is desperately sad, dealing with abuse, grief and depression, but it ends on a beautifully hopeful note. I don’t know how many times I have read it now, but it never fails to make me cry. 

Recently, I really enjoyed My Sister the Serial Killer – I love black comedies with sympathetic, albeit morally questionable, anti-heroes at the heart. The final twist took my breath away, and made me want to reread it immediately.

What is your submission wish-list at the moment?

First and foremost, I am looking for authors who can match a distinctive voice with an equally compelling plot. Generally speaking, I am drawn to darker stories. That darkness might be immediately apparent, if it is a murder mystery or a #metoo narrative for example, or it might be buried deep in a seemingly lighter novel, waiting to catch the reader off-guard. My favourite books often centre characters with tragic fates, dark pasts or buried trauma.

Although a handful of my most-loved books are historical, I also read a lot of contemporary stories, written by millennials and led by themes of identity, sexuality, coming-of-age and class. I would love to find one of those for my list, particularly one from a typically underrepresented viewpoint.

Also high on my wish-list, is a writer that does locked-room mysteries as well as Lucy Foley – I loved The Hunting Party and The Guest List. Finally, I have a real soft spot for campus novels, whether a thriller or issue-led reading group novel – almost every agent and editor I've ever met is still looking for something that can rival The Secret History!

You can read more about Rachel’s submission wishlist here, and follow her on Twitter @Rachel_Neely_.