Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips
Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

June queries are all answered. And I did a little (minor?) updating of my wish-list. #mswl
elana.me/wish-list

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

I'm notoriously bad at punch list #MSWL stuff. But I really do read for FUN. I like characters I can root for, surprising plots, fully-drawn worlds, humor and wit. I don't like depressing/disturbing stories, or issue-driven novels.

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

I updated my #MSWL listing now that I'm looking for adult fiction too. Nutshell: commercial, escapist, fun or thrilling reads in MG, YA and adult. manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/elan…

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

Elana Roth Parker @ElanaRoth

Making a rare Twitter appearance to say:
- I reopened to queries today.
- I am now open to adult contemporary, commercial fiction (romcom, romance, mystery/thriller, etc) 😬
- I am scared.

QueryManager.com/queryelana

As far as what I want in adult: Good hooks, gripping plots, strong characters. I either want light, funny & swoony for the romcom/romance, or layered, smart and edge-of-seat for the thrillers. Sticking with commercial, contemporary for adult for now. No SFF. #mswl #querytip

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

I only do MG and YA. My taste leans commercial and escapist and ultimately…fun. Big imaginations. Joy of adventure. Humor. Romance. Big feelings. I’ts okay if we’re not a match. There’s a bazillion agents these days. #MSWL

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

Elana Roth Parker @ElanaRoth

I just remembered I’m reopening to submissions tomorrow. I am mildly terrified. Go easy on me.

Sub guidelines are easy. I use Query Manager. You’ll need a query letter and 10 sample pages to paste into the form. I’m not uptight about query format as long as you have in there CONCISELY:
- the pitch
- a plot teaser
- a little bit about you

QueryManager.com/queryelana

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

For better reference, I'm not looking for Joy from INSIDE-OUT trying to force happiness on every memory. I'm looking for the team of emotions working together that creates something beautiful and moving. But I want to enjoy my read. Not feel despair. That help? #MSWL

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips
Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

I have more space for MG on my list than YA. My YA list is really healthy and active. In either case, I'm looking for people who complement it, but don't replicate it. (Does that make sense?)

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

YA:
- Would love some more big romance with a hook. Smart and swoony. If there's an irreverent quality to it (ala VIOLET MADE OF THORNS), all the better.
- Speculative twists and hooks. Splashes of magic or sci-fi.
- Books that feel like going on a vacation somewhere exciting.

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

MG:
- I like zany humor and mad-cap adventures. (See TIME VILLAINS and 7TH GRADE V. GALAXY on my list.)
- Epic fantasy is great—but the more original the world the better.
- A sense of FUN and POSSIBILITY and MAGIC (doesn't have to be literal magic, but it doesn't hurt).

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

Let's talk #MSWL! (Is this still a useful hashtag? I'm so rusty.) When I reopen on 3/1, I'll want...

MG/YA generally:
- I want books that make me happy. I do not want to be depressed.
- Things really need to stand out right now. BIG concepts. BIG feels. BIG twists.

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips
Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

Major emphasis on marginalized creators doing all of the above. Kids of all backgrounds and identities and abilities being KIDS. #MSWL

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

At the moment, I'd say I want to see YA and MG that leads with joy. Falling in love. Doing something exciting. Exploring new worlds. Kids with quirky passions. Humor. Families (of all configurations) that love each other. #MSWL

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

I call my taste "timeless meets timely" meaning I like books that lean into a genre or trope but spin it for a modern reader. Fairytales? Princesses? Magical creatures? Sci-fi adventures? Great! Update it. #MSWL

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

I like fantasy and fanciful books, but it has to offer something new. High-fantasy YA was my biggest query category in 2020 and had the highest rejection rate as a result. I'd prefer contemporary with a splash, or just something really fresh. #MSWL #querytip

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

Elana Roth Parker @ElanaRoth

I'm reopening to queries on Monday, January 11th. In advance of that: some #MSWL for the new year! Don't know how NEW any of this is, but...hey, fresh content for the timeline. pic.twitter.com/5BAqU4ZiFo

Forever and always: commercial, plot-driven fiction for MG and YA. I have more room for MG. I am flexible on genre, but don't love gore or problem novels. I'm more interested in kids going on adventures than Only Suffering With Issues. (obvs kids do have issues in life) #MSWL

Elana Roth Parker
@ElanaRoth
Literary Agent
Kidlit agent w/ @LDLiterary . @aalitagents communications committee. Avid quilter. Still not Elena. Open to queries. She/her.
103 MSWL
3 AskAgent
196 Tips

NYT Metro @NYTMetro

A century ago in New York, a very large wedding took place — not in spite of the Spanish flu epidemic ravaging the city but precisely because of it nyti.ms/2AxaMdp

This is the kind of obscure Eastern European Jewish superstition content I am here for. (Though this is pretty macabre.) And if you managed to weave it into a YA novel with the actual magical part? Yes. #mswl