Erin Clyburn

&/or: More broadly, a project about the weird culture/history of ultramarathons altogether! Would so love for a sports/outdoors writer to pitch me this. #MSWL

I've said this before, but I've been thinking about it a lot in light of the first woman finisher, #MSWL : A dream nonfiction project of mine is a book about the Barkley Marathons that is as Tennessee-spirited & compelling as the '14 "The Race That Eats Its Young" doc.

When I reopen to queries (I’m still not sure when that will be - I’m sorry! Hopefully soon!), I’d love to see more nonfiction at the intersection of food & culture in the vein of SMOTHERED & COVERED: WAFFLE HOUSE & THE SOUTHERN IMAGINARY. #mswl

Heard some fun pitches at the TN @writingdaywksp today, but I loved one writer's line - he was telling me why he pitched me & said he likes "using the disgusting to talk about something beautiful." Might have to add that to my #MSWL .

Surprise! I'm open to queries!

My #MSWL & QueryManager link are on the Howland website: howlandliterary.com/about-us.

Looking forward to reading your work! ✨

The housekeeping leading up to my reopening to queries on Monday continues: I blew the dust off my #MSWL page & updated it!

manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/erin…

That’s all my scribbles for tonight! I may have more to add tomorrow. If you have any questions about my #MSWL, feel free to drop them here. I’m really looking forward to reading your work very soon! ✨

I am no longer looking for memoir, fantasy, or sci-fi. I love fantastical or sci-fi elements but only when they are extremely grounded in our world. I always come back to Ishiguro & Karen Thompson Walker, & a bunch of the above-listed books like LONG DIVISION & NEVERWORLD WAKE.

A few random specifics I’m a sucker for: puzzles, locked-room stories, kitsch, & anything weird & genre-bendy. A very specific thing: I’d love to see a nonfiction project glorifying bad horror movies. A TACKY for bad horror, if you will.

Adult nonfiction I’d love to see projects in the vein of: RADIUM GIRLS, CULTISH, HURTS SO GOOD, TACKY, TASTE MAKERS, THE BOOK OF EELS, HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD, FINDING THE MOTHER TREE

Adult nonfiction: Deeply researched narrative nonfiction, intersectional perspectives, pop science, cookbooks/culinary history/food books, nature/environment, deep dives into weird topics, & pop culture, specifically video games, music, & TV/film

Also, looking for commercial psychological & domestic thrillers in the vein of Ruth Ware & Lisa Jewell.

Adult fiction favorites & comps I’d love to see: CATHERINE HOUSE, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND, LONG DIVISION, THE SCENT KEEPER, THE GIRL BEFORE, MEXICAN GOTHIC, WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, THE ELEMENTALS, THE AGE OF MIRACLES, BABY TEETH, EVERY BONE A PRAYER

Adult fiction: Literary and upmarket projects, speculative fiction, horror, mystery, psychological thrillers, domestic thrillers, magical realism/fabulism, Southern gothic, rom-coms

YA fiction favorites & comps I’d love to see: CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, NEVERWORLD WAKE, THE TAKING OF JAKE LIVINGSTON, ACE OF SPADES, THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER

YA fiction: Horror, mystery, thriller, grounded stories with a speculative element, magical realism/fabulism, Southern gothic, rom-coms (heavy on the com)

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.

I just breathlessly finished reading ORPHAN ISLAND by @LaurelSnyder & realized one of my favorite genres is “coming-of-age stories on isolated islands where things aren’t quite right.” See also THE SCENT KEEPER & BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA. (Also #MSWL: strangeness by the seaside.)

My #MSWL will be changing, too, so keep an eye out for that soon.