Jim McCarthy

#MSWL: I love seeing so many YA submissions, but I’m especially hungry to see more middle grade—whether that’s comedy, horror, adventure, fantasy, historical, or just a sweet, quiet, lovely contemporary (I love a challenge).

I'm always open to queries, but note that I also have super colleagues who are also looking and may well have more space for new folks on their lists. Consider DGB's newest agent @mwhatnall: Mike is TERRIFIC! Here's their #MSWL! manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/mich…

Well...SOMEONE had been delinquent on their #mswl page. Updates: a picture of me taken after 2010 and some books and movies from within the past few years. Will tweak more soon, but for the time being, it's at least more up to date than it was! manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jim-…

Adding a #MSWL note. I've fallen in love with the Netflix children's series City of Ghosts and its gentle, gorgeous way of tackling big issues and big questions around community, home, and history. If you have anything that could comp to it, think of me. youtube.com/watch?v=NWjLex…

#MSWL A spurned 10-year-old takes to the streets Kill Bill-style to enact some serious ass-kicking revenge. 😂

I so loved The Forty-Year-Old Version on Netflix. A triumph of voice. It's bananas that it's a directorial debut, but who else could have done it so well? It also had serious #mswl vibes for me.

#MSWL

Have I talked about The Half of It yet? Because I LOVED that movie, and it gave me maaaaaaaajor #mswl vibes.

I loved I Am Not Okay with This. Please watch it so there can be a second season. And if you’re an author and share it’s sense of humor? #mswl

#MSWL 😉

#MSWL I adore YA and MG with well-rendered adult characters no matter how peripheral they are to the story.

"Make it gay," is essentially my entire #MSWL. 😋

I love books with elderly protagonists. Think THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR by Yewande Omotoso or OUR SOULS AT NIGHT by Kent Haruf. #MSWL

Oh, and if you're bringing back paranormal? Call me. #MSWL (Please don't literally call me--this is what email is for)

#MSWL can be so hard because on the one hand, I'm like, "Well, send me everything good." And on the other, I know that there are things I DON'T like (dragons, faeries, video games, time travel). And things I am especially called to--queer voices, theater anything, family stories

I also reallllllly want to see nonfiction. Again, MG to adult. I love memoir. I'm also into intriguing takes on history and science, anything to do with the arts or pop culture. #MSWL

On the adult side, I would loooooove some epic family stories across generations. Think PACHINKO or AMERICA IS NOT THE HEART or THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD. #MSWL

WHAT. ELSE. I want more MG and more adult. I'm hungriest in these areas because it's what I see less often than YA. In the MG space, I want stories I haven't heard before and voices I haven't seen before. Which is BROAD but basically means: I want all of it. #MSWL

Oh, hey #mswl! Let's see: on the YA side, I'm looking for romcoms, ghost stories, clever thrillers, fresh fantasy, and pretty much anything that can fall under the broad and general category of "literary."

It's thrilling to see that legends, icons, and heroes Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera will finally be receiving tribute statues in NYC. I've said it before, but I still #MSWL a vigorous, thoughtful book about their friendship and their power.