Elana Roth Parker

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

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

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

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

I feel like I need to clarify what I mean about books that make me happy. I'm NOT looking for books that ARE HAPPY all the way through. That's nuts. Books need conflict and complications and ups and downs. I am looking for books that MAKE ME HAPPY. #MSWL

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?)

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.

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).

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.

Okee dokee. Queries are reopened. I see some of you are already on that! But here’s a re-up of last week’s #MSWL thread. #querytip

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

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

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

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

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

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

And not to conflate things, I have never stopped looking for Black voices to add to my list of authors. If you write fun, escapist stories for MG or YA, I'm here! Currently hungry for rom-coms and light fantasy, but open to an adventure. elana.me/wish-list #mswl

And I will most assuredly miss lots of pitches today (yay kids at home!). My queries are open regardless of today's event. I'm always looking for funny, madcap adventures in MG and big sweeping escapist stories in YA (all genres, but not the bloody ones). #DVpit #MSWL

In our constant struggle over car music, I introduced the 5yo to "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" today. And now I want that MG or YA graphic novel. #MSWL

Fantasy is a tough one right now for me. I think I'm more game for fantastical elements in MG/YA rather than "capital F Fantasy." Weave something speculative into something ordinary. Riff. Innovate. Iterate. #MSWL