a moderate amount of heat is fabulous, but i’m also okay with little to no explicit scenes (and this includes any variation of asexual romances!!). i’m probably not the best fit for a high amount of explicit scenes or erotica

in romance, i really want examples of healthy romances! it’s completely okay for characters to make mistakes (please, have them make mistakes lol) but i do NOT want books that idealize (or even just accept) toxic, codependent, or abusive behaviors in romantic relationships

as always, i am prioritizing marginalized authors—disabled, BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent, etc. my main goal is to lift and champion authors from underrepresented communities!

overall, i will be accepting:

ADULT:
•fantasy
•horror
•contemporary
•romance
•novels-in-verse
•graphic novels

YA:
•fantasy
•horror
•sci-fi
•thriller
•contemporary
•novels-in-verse
•graphic novels

the other changes:

•i will NOT be accepting adult sci-fi during this period (this is NOT permanent and i will likely be open to adult sci-fi again in the future)

•i will actively be looking for adult romance (with caveats, see below!)

UPDATE: i’m opening to queries!

i’ll be open starting october 1st through november 30th

there will be a few changes in what i’m looking for, but the biggest is that i will be accepting graphic novels!! 🎉

#amquerying #amwriting #amediting #writingcommunity

On my #MSWL Any/all of the following:
1. Quirky/dark humor
2. Paranormal crime syndicate
3. Unusual fairy tale retellings with magic
ALWAYS high heat, HEA/HFN, Fast paced, romance in sci-fi or fantasy sub genre. Prefer under 75K words.

Tempted to change my entire #MSWL profile to just two words, DARK ACADEMIA.

With fall teasing the air, I'd love to settle down this weekend with a pumpkin latte and dark, angst-filled, #YA romance. #mswl

also to be clear! I do consider YA (preferably upper YA) but anything middle grade and younger is not for me, sorry!

I'll add on more to this thread whenever I can, but that should be a good start, hey? but tl;dr— I love stories that make us question the world and how we understand it. I love a frisson. I love the things that go bump in the night. I love writing that melts on the tongue.

#MSWL

- anything set in a part of the world different to the US, Canada, or the UK (or, if set in the UK, set in the north of England, northern Ireland, rural spaces, etc)

#MSWL

- neo-western
- unconventional, unreliable, unlikeable narrators and central characters
- trans and queer joy, but also trans and queer rage
- diverse perspectives

#MSWL

- suspense and psychological thrillers, but specifically with a textured, vibrant sense of setting (think Gillian Flynn’s SHARP OBJECTS)
- folklore and mythological retellings, particularly non-Eurocentric traditions
- magical realism

#MSWL

- speculative fiction
(I prefer grounded, literary sci-fi + fantasy. no secondary worlds, but rather our world steeped in liminal magic and/or technology. anything creepy, toothy, gritty, strange, something that sends a shiver down your spine.)

#MSWL

in terms of GENRES and NARRATIVES, I love:

- historical, particularly 19th and 20th century and particularly focused on international, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ stories
- alternate history
- dark academia
- horror and gothic
- character-led literary fiction

#MSWL

first, I'm someone who's always been gripped by VOICE, WRITING STYLE, and PROSE. so I'm looking for:

- anything in the book club, upmarket, literary spaces
- lush, poetic writing
- deep and intricate world/lore-building (when applicable)

#MSWL

Where are you #dystopian fiction writers? Bring me into a nightmarish world where extremist #political views go mainstream & metastasize into #authoritarianism. Know your #history #MSWL

Great #MSWL thread from James!

twitter.com/jmcgowanbks/st…

We're now open to queries! Check ashliterary.com/#submissions for our guidelines and wishlists.

Looking forward to reading!

#mswl #amwriting #amquerying