Erin Clyburn

MG fiction favorites & comps I’d love to see: THE RIVERMAN, SMALL SPACES, GHOST (the TRACK series), HIDE AND SEEKER, GREENGLASS HOUSE, THE CANNING SEASON

Middle grade fiction: Horror, mystery, grounded stories with a speculative element, magical realism/fabulism, big-hearted contemporary, & adventure stories.

A specific thing! MG, YA, or adult fiction by & about Cajuns. Would love to hear from the Acadian writers out there!

MG across the board: Heartwarming & funny contemporary, mysteries, humor, horror, adventure, or some blend of all those. Touches of magic.

MG horror, too: Spooky stories, stories that are a little bit creepier than you feel like they should be for middle graders. (More HIDE AND SEEKER than DOLL BONES, if that makes sense? It makes sense to me.)

I’ve been in a bit of a reading funk for a while, but I just devoured half of @dakadh’s HIDE AND SEEKER, & y’all! This is what I mean when I say I want scary MG! It is not gently spooky; it is visceral! It’s scary! It’s the book my morbid childhood self would’ve loved! #MSWL

8. During quarantine I've played a lot of video games. I'd love some MG & YA fiction, or adult fiction & nonfiction about video games (Homages to games? Deep-dive histories? Esports stories?). I am a lifelong Zelda, Monkey Island, & Harvest Moon fanatic.

5. Still looking for my MG scavenger hunt/puzzle mystery—Greenglass House, The Parker Inheritance, The Westing Game, Winterhouse comps

2. Horror across the board: Spooky stories for MG, lyrical & atmospheric YA horror, adult horror that will surprise me—literary-leaning writing with propulsive plots. I am open to & love nearly all kinds of horror.

1. Food-centric fic & nonfic. I would love to see narrative nonfic deep dives into culinary history & people whose stories haven't been told. Essay collections about food intersecting with culture, politics, social justice. & in fic, MG, YA, & adult fic where food plays a role.

I'd love to see in my queries:

- Atmospheric, woodsy, lush horror like THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING (YA, A)
- Domestic/psychological thrillers by BIPOC authors (A)
- Scavenger hunts (MG, YA, A)
- Eerie spec fic in isolated settings (CATHERINE HOUSE, THE WATER CURE)

#MSWL

I’m always chasing the feeling some of those early Nick shows (Pete & Pete, Salute Your Shorts, Doug, Clarissa Explains It All—but mostly Pete & Pete) captured: of being a nerdy kid, pretty anxious, always on the fringes, but with those friends who totally got you.

Could you describe it as something like "upmarket fiction with a twist of weird"? That's my jam. Think NOTHING TO SEE HERE, CATHERINE HOUSE, THE AGE OF MIRACLES, THE RIVERMAN, THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER. Send me your weirds, please - MG, YA, adult!

Still looking for my puzzle/scavenger hunt MG. Think GREENGLASS HOUSE. Also spooky MG. Also all MG.

I'm closing to queries soon for a bit to catch up on subs.

Before I do, I'd love to see some literary-leaning horror (MG, YA, adult) in my inbox. Atmospheric horror, body horror, campy horror, autumnal horror, emotional horror—all of it.

#MSWL #amwriting #writingcommunity

I'm all caught up on queries. 🎉 If you haven't heard back, your query is in the maybe pile. & I have six full manuscripts to read, which I'll be doing very soon.

Also, y'all have been crushing my recent request for more MG. Please keep 'em comin'.

#amquerying #querytip #MSWL

I get woefully few middle grade submissions. Y'all, I want middle grade! Middle grade is my heart! Please send me your middle grade!!! #MSWL

I just saved a lot of these recs to my to-read list. & also, please send me your foodtastic books (MG, YA, & adult)! #MSWL

Morning, y'all! An update to my #MSWL:

I'm no longer accepting queries for picture books or chapter books. I'm going to focus on MG, YA, & adult fic & nonfic. Check out my fresh new list & see if we might be a match.

#writingcommunity #amquerying

manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/erin…

Soon, my clients will all either be writing or on sub, so I'm hungry to sign a new author. (Yes, I do have a few fulls to read; I'm getting to them!) I'd give my proverbial right arm for a big-hearted middle grade right now. Something a little magical, like HELLO, UNIVERSE. #MSWL