Liesa Abrams
Editor
Random House
Batman-loving editor of MG and YA books. Editor-in-Chief at (new!) Labyrinth Road imprint @ Random House Children’s Books. (Tweets are my own.) She/her
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Liesa Abrams @BatgirlEditor
Among many worthy May awarenesses, are the personal ones for me of: Celiac, mental health, Jewish American heritage and international masturbation month. Time to be loud & proud of all of these & smash any stigma! I recommend “roses” for honoring one in particular. 😆 (IYKYK!)Coincidentally, these topics also represent my #mswl, ha!
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Liesa Abrams @BatgirlEditor
This morning I had my first meeting to present my goals and strategy for the Labyrinth Road imprint. So exciting! My acquisitions so far have lined up perfectly with those goals. And as a reminder to agents:My #mswl remains especially focused on epic, character-driven MG series w/ big stakes both personal and external; I’m still looking for more intersectional identity representation, particularly across race & ethnicity & sexuality & gender. Keep those submissions coming!
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An agent just told me “your reputation for taking editorial risks is legendary” and this really makes me so damn proud. YES BRING ME YOUR RISKS, please!! #MSWL
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Liesa Abrams @BatgirlEditor
As promised, here’s a little more info about my #mswl for Labyrinth Road! (Thread)Some additional more specific elements that often call to me within these below frameworks are Jewish representation, and themes of absent father/daughter angst or difficult mother/daughter dynamics. #mswl
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I remain committed to my platform of sex positivity in YA, de-stigmatization of desire & sex, & inclusive (& intersectional!) representation for diverse sexual & gender identities.
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On the YA side, whether fantastical or realistic, I gravitate toward books w/ high concept hooks and stories anchored in themes of identity, sexuality, & loss & grief. (Grief & sex can be complex labyrinths to navigate, as we know...).
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Graphic & hybrid novels & series are welcome too! Some examples there from my past titles would be DORK DIARIES and THE OKAY WITCH. Quintessential MG stories about finding your way through the labyrinth of family, school, & friendship twists and turns.
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Liesa Abrams @BatgirlEditor
As promised, here’s a little more info about my #mswl for Labyrinth Road! (Thread)First & foremost—epic, accessible, *character-driven* MG fantasy & adventure series! I’m excited to build series that could sit well alongside my previous projects like KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, STORY THIEVES, THE UNWANTEDS, FABLEHAVEN.
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So I've mentioned to a few people how lately instead of looking for escapism I gravitate more than ever toward books about loss & grief & suffering, in my need to feel less alone with the emotions. In thinking what this means for my worklife and my #mswl --
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In realizing that my last movie was “Pain and Glory” & I just ordered the book “Pain,” it occurs to me I sure have a brand. My #mswl is easy for agents to target via Mad Libs style mashup titles of language for sex, sadness, grief, or anguish!
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What’s on my #MSWL? More of THIS. More books that make me feel how I do about publishing this book, out today in paperback. Close friends of mine not in publishing called me after reading it to say “Liesa I need to talk to you about this book.” Because we are stronger together.
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On my mind this week for #mswl --stories about relationships that exist outside regular "categories." Not easy to define but life-changing.
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A #MSWL for me and @jennybent -- a book for TWEENS (not teens) on how to process society's messaging about women & sex.
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My new shorthand for #mswl between my middle grade fantasy taste and my realistic YA taste: "Dragons & sex." Not at the same time, though.