Michelle Witte

Literary Agent

Mansion Street Literary Management

Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

For those querying me w/diverse ms that is #ownvoices, state that in subject or 1st para of query so I can see it immediately. #MSWL

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips
Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips
Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

It's a subtle but important difference. Adding diverse characters to ms is important, I want to see books from writers who've LIVED it #MSWL

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

I've said many times that I want diverse books in my #MSWL, but I want to adjust that slightly—what I *really* want is to find #ownvoices.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips
Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL #YA Unreliable narrators. Non-linear timelines. Complex relationships. Something *different*.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

I've got, oh, 8 minutes before my next panel, so maybe a few #MSWL tweets. Big one for me: JESSICA JONES for #YA, aka complex teen girls.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

I'll drop by #PitchMatch, #MSWL, #PBPitch later today (crap, I really am up late) but it'll be sporadic. 'Night. *passes out on keyboard*

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

In the meantime, stop by my personal website to see some rather detailed notes on the kinds of books I like: michellewittebooks.com/agent/query-gu… #MSWL

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL Basically, I want #YA/#MG that doesn't assume that only kids from middle class homes can be happy and healthy. SUBVERT THE TROPES.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL And stories about kids who come from poor homes—but aren't abused or abandoned or whatever. So many great people happen to be poor.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL Here, diverse can mean anything from ethnicity and culture to religion to sexual orientation to (dis)abilities to mental health.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot to mention I'm alwaysalwaysalways looking for books by diverse authors about diverse characters. #MSWL

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

As always, I'm dying for lush magical realism—#MG & #YA. If you're not familiar w/the (very specific) subgenre michellewittebooks.com/2015/07/what-i… #MSWL

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL I have some great author illustrators, but I'm always looking for more. Because I'm greedy. #AllTheIllustrators #mine

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL + Dysfunctional in their own special way, of course, but that's a given when it comes to family relationships. Each family is unique.

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

Even in #MG, kids can have parents at home and still go on adventures. GOONIES is epic adventure & the kids all had loving families. #MSWL

Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips
Michelle Witte
@michellewitte
Literary Agent
Publishing professional and mental health advocate. I write craptastic books. Some people think I'm funny. You should probably be worried about those people.
171 MSWL
18 Tips

#MSWL I'm not into "issue" books in YA as they're often preachy or melodramatic. But if I connect deeply & emotionally w/protagonist—SOLD