Megan Carroll graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2013 and joined the Watson, Little agency the following year. She’s particularly interested in romance, fantasy and romantasy, young adult and middle grade genres, and her clients include Pam Weaver, Sheila Norton, Ben Pechey, Rose Alexander, and Rosie Archer.
How did you become a literary agent? What do you enjoy about the job?
Working in an agency was my first publishing job, straight out of university. I didn’t know anything about the role of a literary agent (I was desperate for any way in to the industry I could find!) but once I figured out what they were all doing, I knew it was the job for me. I enjoy how each day is different—anything can come into your inbox; whether that’s a fire to put out, an author with a new submission, a client with an exciting new manuscript, or a publisher with news of an offer.
How would you define the romantasy genre?
Romantasy combines all or some of the hallmarks of straight fantasy—brilliant and intricate world building, fantastical creatures, unique magical systems, and so on—but with an intense and often trope-led romance driving the story forward. There’s plot (and often lots of it!) but it would fall apart without the romance at the heart of the story.
How has the genre has evolved in the last five years?
From a sales perspective, the genre has grown exponentially in the last five years—no other genre has seen the rise in sales that romantasy has. Publisher acquisitions are reaching much higher advance figures than they were before. The genre is continuing to expand—where fae stories dominated in previous years, other mythology, characters, and worlds have gained traction. The genre has also become darker and more dystopian, so it’s feeling less like escapist fiction and more like fantastical commentary on the real world.
What common mistakes do writers make in their romantasy submissions?
The biggest issue with the romantasy submissions I receive is that they’re too similar to other books in the area. It’s hard to sell a fae or dragon centric story (though not impossible) while Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros continue to sell in huge numbers. Another issue is where the romance and plot don’t feel as strongly connected as they need to be, or that the romance itself isn’t following the correct plot beats at the right time. Strong submissions in this area need a really clear hook and a concept that is easy to pitch forward to editors and beyond—and of course, brilliant writing.
What are publishers currently looking for from romantasy novels?
The genre is quite saturated, so publishers are keen to find new voices and unexplored stories in this space. Unique magic systems, new fresh takes on untold myths, settings and worlds that feel different, intricate plots and engaging romantic partnerships and relationships are going to win out here—as well as exceptionally strong writing.
In Romantasy, how important is world-building compared with character development and romance?
For romantasy to work, it’s essential that all those elements have relatively equal footing. Of course, the romance dominates the storyline and the plot but the world has to be engaging too. The reader has to want to spend time in this place you’ve built and with all these characters you’ve created, not just for this book but, if it’s a series you have in mind, for other books too.
How well does romantasy translate?
It depends on the country. Reading tastes are not universal across the world and where some countries have seen a boost in spicy romantic fiction and romantasy, others have not. Where it does work, it’s seeing the same boost as it has in the UK and US. Where it’s not as strong, international publishers are exploring the genre a lot more slowly and trying out bigger authors first to gauge interest.
What opportunities are there for television and film rights?
It’s always something that agents and publishers will be considering and hoping for but fantasy books, and therefore romantasy too, are expensive productions to make.
How has BookTok and affected how romantasy is acquired and marketed?
It cannot be overstated how much BookTok has changed the game for romantasy. Books can gain huge traction online and organic engaged readers can really make or break a book. It’s made reading those particular genres a social event on a huge global scale. Readers are driving what’s being acquired much more noticeably, where a publisher used to set trends, it feels as though now (in romantasy in particular) publishing is now having to catch up with readers.
Megan Carroll’s Top Tip
Read lots of it, and read romance and straight fantasy too. Get to know your reader. Readers of this type of fiction are savvy. They know exactly what they like and what they want—to surprise them with something new and exciting, but that still holds true to the genre, you have to know it inside and out.