Haley Casey
Literary Agent
Creative Media Agency
Associate Literary Agent at CMA. Feminist. Interested in watching TV shows I've already seen and owning ALL books. All opinions are my own. (she/her)
Literary Agent
For example:
EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER
GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN
THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU
PORTRAIT OF A THIEF
GRACELING
GHOST WOOD SONG
THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD
ILLUMINAE
A PHO LOVE STORY
PET
KING AND THE DRAGONFLIES
#MSWL
Literary Agent
Surprise me! Bring me twists and new tropes and unique takes on classic stories. Play with structure, whether it's verse or epistolary or a story in documents. Tell me something new about the world. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Bring me strong character relationships and lush world-building. I want adventure and multi-level plots and tension that keeps me on the edge of my seat. Leave me wishing I was still wrapped up in the pages when I’m finished! #MSWL
Literary Agent
I need some escapism this year, and I found a lot of it in romance, fantasy, and intriguing horror novels in 2022. I’d love to see more of that in my inbox! #MSWL
Literary Agent
I always ask for big emotions in MSs, and right now, I especially want joy. You can make it serious, but I want moments of levity too. Bring me laugh-out-loud humor, swoonworthy romance, delightful friendships, and lots of wonder. #MSWL
Literary Agent
… deep MG with a strong message; sweeping YA fantasy; women’s fiction with characters I’d kill for; banter-filled contemporary romance; and meaningful and well-written nonfiction for any age. They’ll fill in some gaps on my list! #MSWL
Literary Agent
Happy 2023! I can’t wait to dive back into queries now that the CMA inbox has officially reopened!
Everything on my MSWL, the CMA website, and my old tweets still stand. But as a quick update, this year I’m especially looking for… #MSWL
Literary Agent
Finally, I adore reading retellings of classics and fairytales, and I would love to rep them, too! Bring me your takes on Jane Austen, Hans Christian Andersen, Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and (need I say it) Wonderland. Anything you can think of! #MSWL
Literary Agent
Haley Casey @Haley_J_Casey
The next HELLO GIRLS remains on the top of my #MSWL, but as I consider endless, emotional, meaningful platonic love and the types of female friendships that are ride or die in the way my own have been—especially as teens, in high school, in YA—let's add BOOKSMART as an example.I cannot and do not have enough stories about tight-knit female friends. I don't care what they're doing or what genre they're in as long as they're together, rejecting all the expectations put on young women, and refusing to be separated. #MSWL
twitter.com/Haley_J_Casey/…
Literary Agent
Haley Casey @Haley_J_Casey
Today's #MSWL is a heist story. Young adult (like SIX OF CROWS) or adult (like MONEY HEIST), or even MG (for which I can't think of an example)—I want to see the mastermind behind the planning, the action, the drama, the romance that blossoms with danger around every turn!Please, somebody, send me a rollicking multi-POV adventure for YA and MG! I want a journey, a heist, a cast of characters who each bring a unique voice and talent to the table! Make it dark, or make it break conventional tropes, but send it my way! #MSWL
twitter.com/Haley_J_Casey/…
Literary Agent
Also, bring me the opposite: dark, suspenseful, unsettling, atmospheric (YA) mystery and horror. Make it creepy and intense and full of wonderful characterization, and keep me guessing. I'm talking HOUSE OF HOLLOW, ACE OF SPADES, TRULY DEVIOUS, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE... #MSWL
Literary Agent
Speaking of feels, I deeply want to rep a tropey, meaningful, nuanced, hilarious, and swoony contemporary romance. I don't have a single traditional romcom on my list at the moment, and it's a genre I love! Bring me WELL MET, THE KISS QUOTIENT, CHLOE BROWN, BEACH READ... #MSWL
Literary Agent
Specifically, across genres, I am ready for EMOTIONS. I want to laugh out loud, and ugly cry, and full-on swoon, and feel all sorts of secondhand embarrassment for characters if that's what it takes. Bring me all those feels we've been suppressing since 2020! #MSWL
Literary Agent
Haley Casey @Haley_J_Casey
As we all-too-rapidly approach the date that CMA reopens to queries, I think now is a good time for me to be extremely specific about the vibes and details I'm looking for in manuscripts for 2022! #WritingCommunity #AmQuerying #MSWLFirst, I'm going to focus a lot of my time and attention on submissions from minority voices. That's always a goal of mine, but as I grow as an agent, I'm also growing pickier about the projects I offer on. I'm striving to make sure those projects are diverse across genres. #MSWL
Literary Agent
I would do absolutely anything for a manuscript with a character who has exact OVER THE GARDEN WALL Greg energy. (Preferably MG, but all genres welcome to apply.) #MSWL #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity
Literary Agent
RN, I'm craving a YA/Adult romance with a male love interest who OOZES charm and charisma. Nothing else, just those vibes of being irresistible af and leaning into it. Please give me your Henry Montagues, Ian Flannerys, Jesper Faheys, and yes, even Jace Waylands. #MSWL
Literary Agent
The next HELLO GIRLS remains on the top of my #MSWL, but as I consider endless, emotional, meaningful platonic love and the types of female friendships that are ride or die in the way my own have been—especially as teens, in high school, in YA—let's add BOOKSMART as an example.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
And honestly, you all, I’m DYING for the next retelling of ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, so just keep that in mind.
Literary Agent
There’s not room to hype all of the interesting and underrated YA NF out there, but I’m open to anything. Comps include AMERICANIZED: REBEL WITHOUT A GREEN CARD; THE BELOVED WORLD OF SONIA SOTOMAYOR; BONNIE AND CLYDE: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND; GIRL CODE; #NOTYOURPRINCESS; and SHOUT