Susan Hawk
Literary Agent
Upstart Crow Literary
Children's and YA Book Agent at Upstart Crow Literary. Excited to read your query!
Literary Agent
AGREE, @marjorieingall! Query me if yr book reflects the rich diversity w/in Judaism, if you're writing about a "Black Orthodox Jewish kid who solves mysteries," or a "Jewish girl on a desert planet who rescues a fugitive droid and saves the galaxy"! #MSWL nyti.ms/3r0URd0
Literary Agent
Susan Hawk @susanhawk
- I don’t see many projects set in the Caribbean, Central and South America, South and Southeast Asia, or in African nations, and would love to.- I’m a big fan of historical mysteries, historical with a speculative or magical realism element, and alternate history.
If you’re writing about a time or place I haven’t mentioned, please try me anyway, there’s so much I’m fascinated by. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Susan Hawk @susanhawk
Thank you for the fabulous queries you've sent! Here's more about what I'm most drawn to:•Projects that are character-driven, tightly plotted, and have a singular, specific voice.
•Writing that’s confident, vivid, addictive; work that’s both ambitious and wise. #mswl
•Layered, flawed, completely human characters.
•Humor is important, even in a narrative that’s dark or sad or edgy.
•Sense of place matters—precise, expressive settings delight me. #mswl
Literary Agent
Thank you for the fabulous queries you've sent! Here's more about what I'm most drawn to:
•Projects that are character-driven, tightly plotted, and have a singular, specific voice.
•Writing that’s confident, vivid, addictive; work that’s both ambitious and wise. #mswl
Literary Agent
I want books that are a true pleasure to read – that are a hymn to the power of friendship, family and love; that look at the world with eyes wide-open, but are still big-hearted and optimistic. #MSWL
Literary Agent
What I look for in MG, regardless of genre: great storytelling; layered, appealing characters; literary quality writing, matched to a page-turning pace. #MSWL
Literary Agent
HUMOR, HUMOR, HUMOR. Smart and funny – I always want this, but especially in a MG novel. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Contemporary MG novels with a speculative element, or touch of magic – very much up my alley. #MSWL
Literary Agent
MG fantasy or sci-fi that’s gloriously imaginative, and introduces me to a world I want to dive right into. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Definitely want to see illustrated MG and novel-GN mash-ups. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Time for more #MSWL! In terms of categories, I am really hungry for MG. Stand-alone or series, classic-feeling or not, contemporary or historical, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure - I’d like to see more MG!
Literary Agent
I’m also very interested in stories that explore all the dimensions of gender and identity. #MSWL
Literary Agent
#OwnVoices writers and illustrators, especially POC creators, please send me your work! I’m very eager to see and would especially love to see stories, and writers, based in Africa. #MSWL
Literary Agent
My family is inter-faith, so this is another particular area of interest for me. #MSWL
Literary Agent
I’m fascinated by ritual & faith - how these intertwine to create belief - and don't see enough religious diversity in my queries. Especially books that explore what belief feels like and/or what it is to want to believe, but find you can't. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Susan Hawk @susanhawk
It's been a bit since I did some #MSWL tweets. Here's some information about what I'd love to see in my queries in-box these days. I'll be adding to this in the run-up to the @UpstartCrowLit #AskUpstart session coming up next Tuesday, so stay tuned!I'm really looking for stories -- for every age group -- that center marginalized voices and are intersectional. #MSWL
Literary Agent
Some favorites: Rita Williams-Garcia’s Gaither Sisters series, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Seeds of America, MT Anderson’s Octavian Nothing, or The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. #MSWL 3/3
Literary Agent
Especially interested in HistFic that takes place during the second half of the 20th C, in a non-Western setting, though I’m open to all places and periods…#MSWL 2/3
Literary Agent
Hi all! I’m open to queries after a break and would love to find gripping, immersive historical fiction that centers the experience of a marginalized person… #MSWL 1/3