Rebecca Saunders
Rebecca has built a successful list of commercial and upmarket fiction including crime-thriller, historical, uplit and reading-group. novels.
Her top 10 bestselling and award-winning authors include Shelley Burr (WAKE, RIPPER), Natasha Lester, Joanna Nell (Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year), J. P. Pomare (The Wrong Woman), Kelly Rimmer (The Warsaw Orphan) and Michael Robotham, who celebrates 20 years as a published author in 2024. Rebecca's ‘super-lead debut’ for this year is an uplifting (yes, it is!) historical cosy mystery, The Death of Dora Black ( A Petticoat Police Mystery), by Lainie Anderson, which features two pioneering policewomen: the conservative Miss Cocks and junior constable and jiu-jitsu expert, Ethel.
Three exciting recent acquisitions, all for publication in 2025, include a stunning Hong Kong-set historical novel by a Chinese-Australian author, a glossy psych-thriller debut set in the wealthy suburbs of Sydney, and a new novel by Joanna Nell.
Rebecca would love to find an unputdownable romantasy for the Hachette Australia list – please do think of her for your BookTok-inspired projects!
Rebecca is only available for virtual appointments
What is Rebecca looking for?
What is the minimum word-count your agency takes, or your publishing house requires?
Single title only (80k and upwards)
Other - I would say 70k+ words
What sub-genres or genres are you not looking for?
n/a
Is there a genre or sub-genre you’re particularly keen to see?
Romantasy!
Romantic comedy
Tragic love story
What genre is your personal favourite?
Epic love stories
What is your major turn-off in a book?
When there is no defined narrative arc
What is likely to really knock your socks off besides an engaging voice and well-written book?
A concept I can pitch in a single sentence
Any advice to your potential pitchers?
Treat it like you were simply recommending a book to a friend by saying, 'You must read this book because . . .'
Get to know Rebecca ...
All-time favourite book?
Current favourite book?
Favourite tropes?
Favourite movies?
Favourite TV shows?
Random fact about Rebecca:
The Brothers Karamazov
Yellowface
Second chance romance, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, forbidden love, popular guy meets quiet girl
Fat City, Nashville (Altman)
Succession, The Bear, One Day
I'm based in Queensland (the Gold Coast)
In the spirit of reconciliation, Romance Writers of Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia, and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.