Mary Elizabeth
Literary Agent
Mary Elizabeth Colton joined Ami McConnell Literary Agency as the Agency Administrator in 2024. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University, she completed an International MBA program where she graduated with Distinction from St. Mary's University, Twickenham. After years working in Human Resources, she decided to pursue her passions and (to no one’s surprise) found herself drawn to the publishing industry.
Reworking a manuscript and problem-solving uses her creative mind to its fullest advantage. While writing is a solitary practice, getting a book out into the world is a collaborative one, and Mary Elizabeth enjoys working closely with her authors on edits in an effort to ensure the manuscript is as good as it possibly can be.
Mary Elizabeth is an aspiring writer who dreams of her books being on shelves one day. She is a native Nashvillian who is agog at the changes taking place in her hometown, and (despite perpetual fear of not finding a parking space) tries to take advantage of the new restaurants and shops popping up all over the city.
Find Mary Elizabeth on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Substack, Slush, where she shares personal projects as well as information, tips, and tricks about the publishing industry.
Here’s what I’m looking for:
Fiction:
I am looking to represent all kinds of commercial fiction, women’s fiction, book club and general fiction. In any genre, I am interested in stories that are character-driven.
I am interested in all things romance: romantic comedies, period romances, romantasy. I love all the tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, sunshine and grumpus, etc. Favorites are Ali Hazelwood, Abbi Waxman, Lyla Sage, Ruby Dixon, Emily Henry, Marianna Zapata (you get the gist!).
I also love all speculative fiction, but am specifically looking to represent something cozy or quirky. Something like Travis Baldree, Kimberly Lemming, Ruby Dixon, or Ali Hazelwood’s Bride series. And I love myth or fairy tale retellings. I do like sci-fi, but the science has to be secondary to the story. Please no manuscripts full of physics or space time continuums.
I’m a fan of historical fiction, especially love stories that bounce backward and forward in time. Some favorites are The Weight of Ink, People of the Book, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato-Peel Pie Society.
I am not interested in crime or psychological thrillers, mystery, or horror. I am happy to read new adult books, but am not interested in YA.
Nonfiction:
I am interested in women’s stories. Anything that might speak to the female experience today, or bring to light the story of an important woman of history. Books like: Burnout, Come As You Are, Eve Bites Back, All the Single Ladies.