Karen McManus is the current YA mystery gold standard, and I’d love a comp to any of her titles. But I’d also love a creepier THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE; a manuscript as twisty as DANGEROUS GIRLS; or a straight-up horror, like WILDER GIRLS. Give me tension and action!

When it comes to contemporary, I want something short and moving, like IF I STAY; or kickass and female-forward, like HELLO GIRLS; or romantic, hilarious, and tension-filled, like RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. I also love NOTEWORTHY, BEFORE I FALL, ON THE COME UP… I’ve got more.

My hands-down favorite YA dystopian is SCYTHE, so come at me with your clever takes on the future of death and society! I also want to see Gen-Z characters taking on a broken society in the way only they can. Give me the next CREWEL, THE GRACE YEAR, or ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA.

When I say I’m seeking “light” SF, I mean where the world fits the sci-fi genre, but the story is more about the conflict and characters. It’s why I like SNOWPIERCER (2013) as a comp—science fiction informs the setting and carries a message, but it's a backdrop to the rebellion.

For fantasy, I want purposeful world-building. I'm into standalone or loosely interconnected stories (think GRACELING or WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT), but I’ll never say no to a richly conceived series, especially one with a little darkness. Either way, characterization should be 🔥🔥

I remain open to everything that’s on my CMALit.com page, but I’m REALLY hoping to fall in love with a few YA manuscripts. I want to hear from authors with brand-new ideas for the market! Without being able to anticipate those myself, though, here are some thoughts:

“I am looking for nonfiction projects for readers of all ages. I expect a nonfiction book proposal to offer a new perspective on an entertaining topic.” @msmariavicente #MSWL mariavicente.com/representation

More info on our ABOUT US pages, but right now I'd specifically love to find comedy MG, whirlwind romances and tons of scares #MSWL

rewatched two of my favorite movies over the break & realized they are both set at convents (SISTER ACT & TROUBLE WITH ANGELS) so now I am VERY in the mood to read a nun novel. AGATHA OF LITTLE NEON looks amazing but not out til August! So... #MSWL pls send me your nuns 🙏

Give me the Winter Soldier or John Wick-type character on their journey of revenge and redemption. They do bad things to people who’ve hurt them or others. #mswl

Any horror that makes me yell, “Holy sheets!” because I did NOT see the twists coming. #mswl

Protagonists who struggle (and fail) on their way to being the hero (gender neutral as used here). #mswl

More space operas, more non-Milky Way planet colonies, more alien species POV in stories. I don’t want medieval Europe in space! #mswl

LGBTQ+ and BIPOC protagonists as lead characters in all my fave genres. #mswl

I will never get bored with enemies-to-lovers or forced proximity romance tropes. Conflict must be high stakes. I want the tension between the couple to be off the charts. #mswl

Bad ass single Dads (thank you, The Mandalorian). Does not have to be part of a romance, but the badassery and “I’ll kill you and your ghost if you hurt my kid” vibe must be strong. #mswl

I’d like to see more non-contemporary romance. Specifically, I’m interested in fresh takes in paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance. #mswl

What I'm looking for the most this New Year is rom-com ❤️ with relatable characters and a storyline that's hard to put down. #MSWL #Romance #romcom

I hope to continue to see excellent YA mysteries and thrillers, Romance and Big Friendship stories (or any intersection of the two that permeates high school!), MG adventure and sleuths, and historical fiction that tackles big issues in very personal and direct ways #mswl

I am also very interested in MG or YA Non-Fiction that delves into cultural movements led by and for teens #mswl