Beth Phelan

@beth_phelan

Literary Agent

Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency

she/her. mg & ya literary agent @galltzackerlit. founder 501c3 NPO @_DiverseVoices (#DVpit/#DVart, DVcon &more). closed to unsolicited submissions.

bethphelan.com/submissions

publishersmarketplace.com/members/bethphelan

querymanager.com/query/querybeth

querytracker.net/agent.php?agent=4479

manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/beth-phelan

· 30 Jul 2018

Kaye. Mostly Away. @gildedspine

More straight up Muslim rom-coms for couples of all backgrounds and identities. Meet cutes, parents arranged but it actually works out, dramatic scenes in the rain, as close as you can get to a musical dance number on a page! #MuslimSquadWL

*crying*
I WANT
#mswl

Romantic Comedy

· 30 Jul 2018

Kaye. Mostly Away. @gildedspine

Moody, 90s-esque YA with Muslim teens making questionable decisions, having high speed motorcycle chases (most of the men on my Desi side of the family have owned or rode one at some point) and having heady, heavy relationships. #MuslimSquadWL

yes okay please to my inbox you go #mswl

· 7 Jun 2018

Alison Weiss @alioop7

Still thinking about this article. How was this possible? And, more importantly, can I do this, too, without the jail thing?

How an Aspiring ‘It’ Girl Tricked New York’s Party People — and Its Banks buff.ly/2skNRdb

this story is so bizarre and i would be intrigued by a glitzy crossover YA novel about a grifter especially if it’s told in an unconventional way. #mswl

· 8 May 2018

BossLogic @Bosslogic

Let's do this right, #BestDressed #metgala @Zendaya 🗡️🗡️ pic.twitter.com/Jdj2mKCX0a

😵😵😵 #mswl omg

· 16 Apr 2018

If your work fits the above, just FYI I am open to queries! This and more of my #MSWL can be found at bethphelan.com/wishlist. I’ll also be on HIGH alert at #DVpit for some new stuff. Hope all the #querytip #amquerying followers are listening! Thanks! <3

· 16 Apr 2018

I would also like to see some heart-achey MG contemporary that doesn’t shy away from big issues. Socially and politically engaged, with humor and joy and hope but also courage and realness and empathy. #MSWL

· 16 Apr 2018

I want urban fantasy in MG too please! Series potential and big friend groups, family-focused, heartfelt—would love to fight some surprise tears reading a fun, sweeping adventure. #MSWL

· 16 Apr 2018

For my MG, right now I really want magical adventure! Send me something fantastical and fun, with a great hook, and friendships that shine. Especially if there are any non-human magical characters incorporated in a fresh way. #MSWL

· 16 Apr 2018

Also for YA contemporary realistic: high-concept, epic romances—especially anything with extras like compressed timelines and other ambitious narrative risks. Experiment, innovate! Been on my #MSWL forever. Inclusive and intersectional most of all.

· 16 Apr 2018

I love my YA contemporary list and still WANT MORE! Something a little offbeat, surreal, defffffinitely funny. Maybe surrounding a small thing/event that gets blown out of proportion/snowballs... Peculiar communities, histories... Maybe urban legends?? #MSWL

· 16 Apr 2018

I’m still looking for my fresh take on vampires in YA, whether grounded in this world or else reimagined and renamed in a fantasy one. I’d love to see more unexpected urban fantasy in general too, with characters I’d follow anywhere. #MSWL

· 16 Apr 2018

beth phelan @beth_phelan

Gonna drop a few #MSWL tweets as I’ve been going through my queries this weekend (sorry if you’re still waiting on a response—I’m getting there!) and trying to listen to what my gut is craving. I’m focusing on MG and YA, so let’s get started:

I would really love some character-driven YA fantasy that is both dark AND funny. Especially if there is a big eclectic cast and truly unique magic. Voicey characters but still high stakes and a world with details that awe, from city life to wildlife. #MSWL

· 31 Jan 2018

ICYMI, I’m open to queries! And last night, I requested my first full manuscript from slush at GZLA. These queries have been INCREDIBLE so far. Please keep them coming! For my #MSWL, check out this: bethphelan.com/wishlist

GIMME YOUR YA & MG!