New Deal Announcement
Ardyce Alspach at Union Square & Co. has acquired, in a two-book deal, the adult fantasy debut, AN EMBODIMENT OF SOULS, by author Julia Laurel, pitched as A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians meets Mortal Follies in a Handmaid's Tale society, in which a young woman from a culture of fundamentalist necromancers, who agrees to a marriage of convenience to magically inhabit her husband's body and save her father from a corrupt political conspiracy, is thrust headlong into a rebellion for bodily autonomy. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for World rights. Publication is scheduled for November 2026.
New Deal Announcement
Anum Shafqat at McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster has acquired, in a two-book deal, the young adult fantasy debut, BLOOD OF SILVER, by author Allie Nguyen, pitched as Spirited Away meets One Dark Window, in which a Vietnamese teen from London is thrust into a magical realm where she must learn to wield a rare magic and uncover dark secrets about her deceased mother's royal past, while ravenous monsters seek to find their way in and a charming prince might want more than just her heart. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for World English rights. Publication is scheduled for Fall 2026.
New Deal Announcement
Jendia Gammon & Gareth L. Powell at Stars and Sabers Publishing have acquired The Circus Infinite author Khan Wong's ELEGANT MANIFESTATIONS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE LOST, a cozy urban fantasy mystery novella pitched as The Accidental Alchemist meets New Girl in which an upscale spellcaster must draw on all her charms—both personal and magical—to solve the disappearance of her top client and angel investor in order to clear her name and save the boutique magical practice she'd give her soul to protect. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Publication is slated for January '27.
New Deal Announcement
Jendia Gammon & Gareth L. Powell at Stars and Sabers Publishing have acquired Climate of Chaos author Cassandra Newbould's WHEN THE FOREST CALLS, a dark fantasy horror novella pitched as Uprooted meets Winterwood, in which a logger’s daughter, transformed by a mysterious fog while protesting the planned felling of a forest’s last remaining heartwood tree, seeks the forest’s vengeance—and her own—leaving a trail of disappearing townsfolk in her wake. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Publication is slated for December '26.
New Deal Announcement
Jendia Gammon & Gareth L. Powell at Stars and Sabers Publishing have acquired Under Fortunate Stars author Ren Hutchings's THE LEGEND LIMINAL, a surreal upmarket speculative novella pitched as Donnie Darko meets Finna, in which a group of friends sets out on a cross-country road trip only to fall out of reality and into an empty world where they must navigate their relationships, miles of deserted highway, and the possibility they might never return home. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Publication is scheduled for September '25.
New Deal Announcement
Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen has acquired Things I'll Never Say author Cassandra Newbould's CLIMATE OF CHAOS, a post-apocalyptic YA novel set in a dystopic Seattle where healthcare is currency, the privileged live inside weatherproof domed cities, and Aegis Corp controls it all. Disabled medical mercenary Fox LaRosa fights for the right to health equity, but when her sister disappears and becomes a political pawn, Fox will stop at nothing to get her back, even if that means risking her life—and her heart. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Publication is scheduled for Summer '25.
New Deal Announcement
David Thomas Moore at Solaris has acquired, in a two-book deal, Under Fortunate Stars author Ren Hutchings's AN UNBREAKABLE WORLD, a space opera set in the same universe thirty years before the voyage of the Jonah – in which a petty thief and a bounty hunter are thrown together in an improbable scheme to get rich, but become embroiled in a centuries-long political intrigue that could change the galaxy's future – and an untitled second book in the series. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Publication is scheduled for Spring '25.
New Deal Announcement
Priyanka Krishnan at Orbit and Jenni Hill at Orbit UK have acquired, in a six-figure, three-book, pre-empt deal, TONIGHT, I BURN, the first in a trilogy by Katharine J. Adams, in which a thorn witch who burns each night to travel between the realms of life and death makes a desperate pact to try and save her sister’s life, while navigating a dangerous romance with an ethereal prophecy weaver in one realm and a mysterious lord in the other, and gets drawn into a magical rebellion that could destroy her coven and unravel her soul. Publication is set for November '23, '24, and '25. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights with ANZ rights going to Kate Stephenson at Moa Press New Zealand and Jeanmarie Morosin at Hachette Australia.
New Deal Announcement
Brendan Durkin at Gollancz has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, Aman J. Bedi's adult fantasy debut KAVITHRI, an action-packed epic inspired by post-colonial India which follows intractable protagonist Kavithri as she scraps her way out of the slums to gain acceptance into a school for mages, bonds with an all-powerful Jinn, and finds that what’s left of her once-proud people sparks something deep within her—a reason to rise up and fight. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Publication is scheduled for Spring '24.
New Deal Announcement
Amy Borsuk at Rebellion Publishing has acquired Meredith Mooring's adult science fantasy debut REDSIGHT, featuring positive blind and bisexual representation, which follows a blind priestess who powers warships for the galactic military by manipulating spacetime. When the captain of her ship is murdered by a pirate with a dark past, the priestess must choose between a painful life of service or a chance at freedom with the galaxy’s most wanted criminal. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Publication is scheduled for February '24.
New Deal Announcement
Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen has acquired Cassandra Newbould's YA contemporary debut THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY, for fans of Becky Albertalli and Julie Murphy, this cathartic epistolary YA follows bi, fat surfer girl Casey who, after her twin brother’s death, turns to journaling to navigate her grief and her crushes on the remaining members of their tight-knit friend group. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Publication is scheduled for Summer '23.
New Deal Announcement
Fabula (Ukraine) has acquired Ukrainian rights to R.R. Virdi's THE FIRST BINDING and THE DOORS OF MIDNIGHT.
New Deal Announcement
AST (Russia) has acquired Russian language rights to Katharine J. Adams's TONIGHT I BURN.
New Deal Announcement
Eksmo (Russia) has acquired Russian language rights to Aman J. Bedi's KAVITHRI.
New Deal Announcement
Armchair (Israel) has acquired Hebrew language rights to Katharine J. Adams's TONIGHT I BURN in a three-book deal.
New Deal Announcement
Bragelonne (France) has acquired French language rights to Katharine J. Adams's TONIGHT I BURN.
New Deal Announcement
Hidra (Spain) has acquired Spanish language rights to Katharine J. Adams's TONIGHT I BURN in a three-book deal.
KAVITHRI named a Finalist for the Aurealis Award for Best Novel
I'm excited to share that Aman J. Bedi's South Asian epic fantasy KAVITHRI was named a finalist for the Aurealis Award for Best novel.
Ernie's short story to join Oz Anthology
I'm so pleased to share that my short story, The Inn At The Edge Of Oz, will be included in the Oz anthology, Omniboz: Tales from the Land of Oz, from Stars and Sabers Publishing. Publication is set for May 2026.
REDSIGHT longlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Novel
I'm excited to share that Mererdith Mooring's gothic space opera REDSIGHT was longlisted for the BSFA Award for Best novel.
Ernie Welcomes New Client Khan Wong
I'm thrilled to share that Khan Wong has signed on with me as a client of Fuse Literary. Khan is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and was longlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Novel for his critically acclaimed debut space fantasy, The Circus Infinite.
Ernie Welcomes New Client R.R. Virdi
I'm thrilled to share that R.R. Virdi has signed on with me as a client of Fuse Literary. R.R. Virdi is a two-time Dragon Award finalist, a Nebula Award finalist, and the USA Today-bestselling author of The First Binding and The Doors of Midnight, the Silk Road-inspired epic fantasy series Tales of Tremaine from Tor Books. He is the author of two urban fantasy series, The Grave Report and The Books of Winter. The author of the LitRPG/portal fantasy series, Monster Slayer Online. And the author of a space western/sci fi series, Shepherd of Light.
Writers Digest Agent Spotlight
After being included in their Annual Agent Roundup last year, I'm so grateful to be featured in the Writer's Digest Agent Spotlight in their July/August issue this year. I hope the writers who read the interview find some helpful info in there to take away.
Writers Digest Annual Agent Roundup
I'm so grateful to have been included in the Writers Digest Annual Agent Roundup edition alongside an amazing group of agents for whom I have a ton of respect. “In this ever-popular feature, WD has done the work to find 20+ of the most sought-after and respected literary agents in the business who are currently open to receiving queries in a wide range of forms and genres.”
Before you query, check out Ernie's Manuscript Wish List