John Cusick

#MSWL What I'll call "Shiny Sci-Fi," a la The Thousandth Floor or Minority Report, with world-building that shows both the polished surface and the grimy world underneath. #YA #MG

#MSWL time! I'd love an #MG like The Hazel Wood: a fantasy grounded in a specific American city, where magic mixes with the every day.

Tomorrow is #MSWL day! And my wishlist is more of a wish-tome. As ever, my big focus is #MG and #YA, so if you've got something wonderful, weird, and/or exciting to share with kids and teens, watch this space!

Speaking of #MSWL, I would love something that combines espionage and WWI or WWII for the middle-grade audience. CODE NAME VERITY for younger readers? Show me whatcha got.

Hey gang I'm on the hunt for more amazing MG. Looking for touching and thoughtful stories a la @JoKnowles, @josephinewrites, and @kellyyanghk, as well as quirky and surprising a la @Qsosnaspear, @TraceyBaptiste and @mollybrooks. #MSWL

If you've been waiting on a response from me, thanks for your patience! I'm rolling myself back into the query pile this weekend, and seriously hungry for new stuff. #MSWL

#MSWL

I get a lot of great queries from marginalized voices (thank you, keep them coming!!), and one gap I've noticed is characters with disabilities. Define that however you choose, but I want to see more of this kind of representation in kidlit, and on my list specifically. #MSWL

I do a lot of fantasy, but I also do a ton of contemporary, and I'd love to see more big-hook stories set in our world. If you want a great example of hooky, high-concept contemporary YA I love that we rep here @FolioJr: DUMPLIN' and TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE. #MSWL

As a colleague pointed out to me, you can find truth in tragedy, but you can also find truth in joy. I'd love to see YA and MG that find truth in joy. Give me your funny books, effervescent love stories, your joyous and triumphant journeys, adventures, relationships. #MSWL

Aaand a #YA #KillingEve. #MSWL

Also, I would love to work with more graphic novels this year, so #graphicnovel authors and artists, hmu with your MG, YA, and even adult ideas. #MSWL

Secondly, YA: I love genre stuff, fantasy, sci-fi, even the right historical. I'd love to see some really high-concept stand alone, too. And in all things, diverse voices, diverse stories, under-represented points of view, ALWAYS. #MSWL

Firstly, middle-grade! Adventure, suspense, quirkiness, heart. @marinacohen, @Qsosnaspear, @anndeeellis, @cmheidicker, @josephinewrites, and @jerameykraatz are some of my MG people, and I'd love to work with more brilliant humans like them. #MSWL

#MSWL: any MG or YA set in "warehouseland."

And also YA that's a little quirky in ways comical, fantastical, and/or romantical, like A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE and THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE. #MSWL

As always, I'd love some heartfelt, tear-jerker MG like THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH and COUNTING BY 7'S #MSWL

Firstly, of course, I'd love some more #ownvoices, and specifically contemporary (rom-coms, perhaps?), like TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE and DUMPLIN' (can never get enough). #MSWL

It's #MSWL time! I'm on the hunt for contemporary middle-grade, and middle-grade with speculative or magical realism elements. Sound like your book? Hit me up.

In all seriousness, if you are working on a YA that has a fresh take on vampires, I am legitimately into that. #MSWL