Christa Heschke

Of course, per previous MSWLs, I’m always interested in elevating underrepresented/diverse voices. In terms of writing, I always am drawn to literary, but am open to more commercial as long as it has strong characters—it’s all about the characters for me!

This year, I’ll be looking first for MG, then YA, then adult, then PB. My preference is for dark genre work (fantasy, horror, suspense) and rom-coms/lighter contemporary! I’m newly open to adult rom-coms after falling in love with a few last year. 😁

What we're NOT a fit for:

-Rhyming work

-Generally, we're not right for talking animals outside of PBs

-Heavily religious, preaching texts and parables

Thanks, everyone! We're excited to read your stories!

I'm not the right fit for hard sci-fi, but I'm open to it if it's lighter and accessible! For example, I'd be interested in a space opera.

MG/YA: Fantasy is another first love! Everything from contemporary fantasy to high fantasy & epic fantasy. I LOVE unique world-building!
I'd also like lighter, even funny fantasy where the stakes aren't about saving the world, but adventure & characters. More Hobbit than LOTR.

YA: I'd love more light, funny YA featuring diverse characters, including rom-coms. (Note though that a rom-com would need deeper threads, more to the plot than romance.) We'd also love more on the edges of YA--younger characters just entering HS, or older ones starting college.

MG/YA: Dark, gritty, issue-driven contemporary is another first love for @DanieleDHunter and me!

I also love paranormal elements like monsters and ghosts. And anything witchy! I love characters fighting their own "inner demons” too! I'm selectively open to elements like vampires.

Any atmospheric setting--e.g. an eerie seaside town might be cool!

I also LOVE horror in general! Horror with social commentary & twists on common tropes, like EAT YOUR HEART OUT & WHAT WE HARVEST. Atmospheric--all the dark, creepy vibes (strange small towns & dark forests never get old for me!). Beautiful literary writing is always a plus.

MG: I'm VERY open here, from contemporary to any genre you could think of, and the whole range from lower MG to upper! From light, funny, and whimsical, to darker and more serious. I'd also love an MG mystery or horror!

PB:

-The ocean (I love dolphins & beluga whales!)

-Climate change, recycling, etc.

-The outdoors (e.g. camping/hiking)

-Sharing experiences of kids from nonwhite/non-Western cultures and backgrounds

-Tackling serious topics like grief for young readers

I'm interested in a wide range of fiction & would love to add more nonfiction to my list. I prefer NF to be accessible & conversational (in the vein of Mary Roach for kids), & often like nonfiction lessons packaged in a fun fictional story (like my client @Stef_Wade's books!).

MG: This is the area I'd most like to expand!

YA: My first love! I'm always looking for YA that stands out.
Select adult SFF & horror.
Always open to author-illustrators & graphic novels. Plus @DanieleDHunter & I LOVE novels-in-verse! We tend toward lyrical writing generally.

PB: I'm looking for PB much more sparingly than before, as my list is very full in this area. I'm not looking for rhyming PB.

Chapter books/early readers: Not looking for new authors here, I already have amazing clients writing these!

First and foremost, across all categories & genres, @DanieleDHunter and I are looking to uplift BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and disabled/chronically ill experiences (though we would not force an author to publicly share their identity if they aren't comfortable doing so).

So I suppose this could be a #MSWL of sorts 🤷🏼‍♀️

Also, how is there not a cinnamon roll emoji?

I should probably add that I would really love to see all the heartwarming animal stories right now. All of them. #MSWL

This! 👇#MSWL

Same! #MSWL

I second this! #MSWL