Erin Clyburn

I wanted to do a wishlist update for #MSWL day, but I am quite sick. Instead, please admire the lovely update to the site that @jsinsheim & team have done. My page is a bit musty, but all my old favorites are still favorites, & I'll update soon!

manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/erin…

My #MSWL is here: erinclyburn.com/queries--mswl.…. (Weird books! Spooky books! Southern authors!) Again, this is only for authors participating in #PitBLK this week! Thanks, y'all. ✨

I also need this! #MSWL

Hi #DVpit! As much as I'd love to spend all day scrolling through pitches, I'm just too swamped. But please do take a look at my #MSWL in my pinned tweet & feel free to query me if you think we might be a fit! I'm open to unsolicited queries through the end of August!

& something really specific I have on my forever wishlist that I can't stop thinking about is a YA novel set in the DIY punk scene. It's such a formative experience growing up as one of those kids & I'd love to see a coming-of-age or rom-com @ a punk venue! #PipelineAuthors #MSWL

Oh! One important note - I am now using an email system for queries; instructions are on the Howland website. I may go back to QueryManager; if so I will update.

Lastly, & importantly, it still rings very true what I say on my website: "Send me your weirds!" I prefer weird books. Bring me your CATHERINE HOUSE energy, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND energy, NOTHING TO SEE HERE energy, THE RIVERMAN energy. Send me your weirds.

Adult (& maybe YA?): Nature writing. I have been devouring nature books lately, especially those that blend science, culture, and spirituality, like ROOTED, BRAIDING SWEETGRASS, and FINDING THE MOTHER TREE.

Food books! All ages! Fiction or non! I've been working for Food & Wine mag for 6 years; I have a massive collection of weird old cookbooks; I am obsessed with culinary history & postwar cookery from an anthropological perspective, & I want to work on your food books.

& similarly, diverse Southern voices, always, for every audience/genre I represent. As an agent, I'd love to fill bookshelves about the breadth of the real South, not the stereotyped South.

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

Adult & YA: Mysteries & thrillers that unfold in isolated settings - a bed & breakfast, ski lodge, cruise ship, cabin in the woods, boarding school, etc.

I am not interested in, say, a straight-up travel log or "finding myself" memoir, but I am interested in intersectionality in all of these spaces.

Adult: Narrative nonfiction/memoir about food, Southern culture, adventure, extreme sports, journeys, science/medicine, from perspectives we have not seen before/enough of & whose narratives tackle bigger-picture subjects alongside personal narratives.

Adult & YA: Lush literary fiction with a speculative twist or a healthy dose of fabulism/magic realism.

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.)

Adult: Horror of all stripes - psychological, body horror, folk horror, gothic, occult, hauntings, genre blends: horror/mystery, horror/thriller, etc. I gravitate more toward literary & upmarket writing than commercial.

YA: Same as above, basically!

I'll start with horror, because it's what I'm thinking about most these days. I'm looking for horror for all audiences:

Some 🎉big news🎉 I'm thrilled to share this morning: I've joined the brilliant team at @HowlandLit! Watch for an updated #MSWL very soon, and thanks to everyone in advance for your patience as I get my footing!