Haley Casey

I also want to build my list of exciting, meaningful, fun, and funny MG fiction! Again, I especially hope to see SFF and horror submissions with original premises and clear conflicts, but I'm also open to contemporary stories and mysteries. In everything, I hope to see strong messages! #MSWL

For adults, I'm on the hunt for hooky commercial fiction and women's fiction, especially with a focus on friendship; thoughtful speculative fiction; swoon-worthy romantic comedies and paranormal romance; and a few accessible, grounded fantasy, romantasy, horror, and science fiction novels. #MSWL

First: YA! Half of the projects that I fell in love with last year were YA fantasy, so I'm craving more! I'm also open to contemporary, romance, mystery, horror, and sci-fi.

I'm seeking unique world-building; relatable, messy, dynamic characters; twists and turns; and emotional depth. #MSWL

This Halloween, after all the spooky October books I read, I've found myself craving a YA or MG horror novel rooted in non-Western mythology in my QM. I would love to see under-explored creatures and folklore brought to life—and the more atmospheric, the better! #MSWL

However, I love psychological horror, unreliable narrators, creepy retellings (think Wonderland), supernatural stories, and books with a ton of atmosphere. Comps: THE HONEYS, MEXICAN GOTHIC, Erica Waters, SHE IS A HAUNTING, Simone St. James, SMALL SPACES, etc. #MSWL

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

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

Karen McManus is the current YA mystery gold standard, and I’d love a comp to any of her titles. But I’d also love a creepier THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE; a manuscript as twisty as DANGEROUS GIRLS; or a straight-up horror, like WILDER GIRLS. Give me tension and action!