One of the questions I’m asked by writers most often is ‘what are you looking for in a submission?’ My answer is always probably irritatingly vague – I like good writing with page-turning plots, and that can be anything from a gothic chiller like THE SILENT COMPANIONS by Laura Purcell to supernatural thriller NATURAL CAUSES by Sunday Times bestseller James Oswald.

Our business is very subjective, which I know feels irritating to many unpublished authors – there are always stories of books being rejected by numerous agents but eventually becoming huge bestsellers. And there are certainly books I have turned down which have gone on to become successes – equally there are books with lots of agents who competed for them, and major book deals, which ended up not performing very well commercially. I always say that there is no equation for success: art is subjective, and there are many times when a friend recommends a novel to me and I think it’s terrible, or I love something and press it on someone only for them not to finish it! 

However, there are some common themes which make a book stand out to me from my submissions pile. I love the excitement of reading my submissions and stumbling across a gem: whether that’s 1-million-copy bestseller THE MINIATURIST by Jessie Burton, or Sunday Times bestsellers THE FAMILIARS by Stacey Halls or THE BONES OF YOU by Debbie Howells. So here’s FIVE things I am drawn to, and by no means an exhaustive list, as some things certainly jump out in a very unexpected way!

• A ‘high concept’ hook. I like books with an intriguing elevator pitch at their heart. Good examples would be books like THE HUNGER GAMES or WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, or from my own list novels such as Sunday Times bestseller GOOD ME, BAD ME by Ali Land (a daughter of a serial killer testifying against her mother and trying to rebuild her life) or NYT bestseller SUMMONER: THE NOVICE by Taran Matharu (a humble blacksmith’s apprentice discovers the ability to summon demons, and must hone this power in a magical school).

• A page-turning plot. I like suspenseful novels which keep you guessing. We often think of suspense in terms of thrillers and crime novels, but I want there to be suspense in any narrative I read: will the main character find love? Will they save the empire from marauding forces? Will they discover the secrets of their past? 

• Twisty, turny books. I love novels which keep you wondering about the characters and whether you can trust them, and am drawn to a slowly and cleverly spooled out reveal. GONE GIRL is one of my favourite novels, and I am always blown away by how Lee Child slowly reveals his twists and turns.

• Characters with darkness in their past. Give me a troubled heroine who’s trying to conquer her demons any day! I love the mystery surrounding what happened to them (or what they did), and seeing how that shapes them in the present – like Lex in GIRL A by Abigail Dean trying to process the trauma of her childhood with religious fanatic parents, or Francesca in international bestseller LOCAL GIRL MISSING by Claire Douglas forced to revisit the disappearance of her best friend.

• A strong authorial voice. I’m not someone who loves or hates any particular perspective above others – I’m perspective agnostic. However, I am a fan of novels which create a strong and intriguing voice, such as THE ROSIE PROJECT, VERNON GOD LITTLE and MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER. THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman is a great example from my own list, of a dryly funny voice that immediately hooks you in.

So there you have it – a fast five things I love. But as I always say, I never know QUITE what I want to see until I see it… so don’t be disheartened if yours doesn’t feel like it fits perfectly in one of those boxes.

Good luck!