Rebecca Matte

Just a quick anti- #MSWL

No chosen ones - I want regular people being heroes, stepping up

Not really into fae - it's not an absolute no, but a general preference

Also not really into non humanoid aliens. This is off trend, I know, but it doesn't really hit for me.

#MSWL day

You might be noticing a trend - I want to feel things and process things through other worlds and magics. I like catharsis, but more than that I like people banding together to take on evil things and tear it down to *build something new*

The world may be broken, but hope is not crazy.

#MSWL day

6) This one is super specific - fantasy Dirk Pitt (by Clive Cussler) adventures (ideally feat. a female protagonist)

Science/magic forward, death defying, taking on billionaires, incredible adventure

(Please no military/colonial fantasies/exploitation/Islamaphobia - we know better)

#MSWL day

3) YA focused on BIG feelings, where magic serves as a proxy for those feelings

4) Something fun and escapist

5) Stuff that feels like being a 90s kid/early 2000s teen - bright colors, big personalities, chunky shoes, fewer screens, more optimism

#MSWL day

1) Gayer, swoonier romance (gay, here, meaning any LGBTQ+ pairing that leans into the queerness of it)

2) Small stories with BIG personal stakes (e.g. TJ Klune esque), preferably with magic but not required if romance

In honor of #MSWL day, seemed like a good time to share some things I'm especially excited about.

My clients are prepared to inundate me shortly with manuscripts, so not sure when I'll open, but I promise to keep you updated!

Please feel free to query me with anything on my broader wishlist, within SFF and romance for YA, NA and Adult.

But these are the books that I will be especially excited by right now, based on what I am missing in my list and/or what makes me clap my hands with glee!

I can't wait to dive back in!

AND FINALLY

8) College-based stories (especially romance, but possibly fantasy too)

9) Romances feat. ace, demi, & trans characters. I always like any flavor of queer, but right now those feel the most urgent stories for me to get into the world.

Think of it like the middle finger to JK.

#mswl

6) 5) Urban Fantasy - our world plus magic or magic creatures (the vampire nextdoor, magical tattoos, alt. history w/ magic)

7) Magic schools, but for the parents and teachers rather than the kids (think The Incadescent or Grimmoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association)

#mswl

3) Artemis Fowl, but for adults

4) Dungeons & Dragons inspired fantasy that has the adventure and whimsy and puzzles, and most importantly the absolute dumb-fuckery of any good D&D game

5) Stories that read like fanfic (complimentary)

#mswl

1) African and/or Caribbean inspired, anti-colonial fantasy (from someone of that background or ancestry)

2) A REALLY GOOD adventure - think Indiana Jones, Clive Cussler, Pirates of the Caribbean

Bonus points for swashbuckling and impossible escapes, but consistent rules/magic

#mswl

In advance of reopening to queries on *June 13* to marginalized creators, I have updated my Manuscript Wishlist on my website.

Most of my wishlist remains perennially true, but I wanted to pull out some things I'm especially excited to see right now:

#mswl #amquerying #amwriting #writingcommunity
rebeccamatte.com/manuscript-wish-list

My #mswl is evergreen, but I will follow up with some more specifics in the next few weeks.
rebeccamatte.com/manuscript-wish-list

What do I mean by marginalized background? BIPOC, indigenous, LGBTQ+, trans/nb, disabled, chronically ill, neurodiverse, religious minorities, immigrants.

If you're not sure if you qualify, you probably do.

This is not meant to limit, but to raise up voices of those with less access & opportunity.

2) I honestly and truly plan to open 1/month on a reliable schedule. I'm hoping to reduce pressure to submit during a narrow window by making it reliable.

For this particular time, I am only open to authors from marginalized backgrounds. *I will open again to everyone, even if the trial run fails*.

I am also making a few changes to my systems:

1) Initial query should include 1 chapter, or 10 pages. I will then ask for a partial (50 pages) and then a full. I'm hoping this will help me reduce review time to get back to you faster and open more often.

I will be on vacation from June 13-22, and so that makes sense to me as a trial run for this new method. I'll give as many reminders as I can in the meantime, and I will still only be open to Adult & YA, SFF & romance.

Important: Do not submit to me anything that contains generative AI material.

***I am reopening to queries***

Now that I am close to the bottom of my inbox, I will open to queries from June 13-June 22.

This seems random, but there is logic. I want to open more than once a year, & I want to do so sustainably, without absurdly long response times. So I am aiming for 1/month.

Happy #MSWL day all! Of course being the queen of good timing, I am in Rome with my partner, so I can’t participate the way I’d like. But my #mswl is evergreen: www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/re...

And I will do a longer post updating it when I am ready to reopen to queries.

#mswl Hells yeah me too