Finally caught up and responded to all the queries in my inbox from last year 😮‍💨. That means I'm opening back up to new queries!!! Start sending #opentoqueries #mswl

I am DYING to find a diverse ensemble cast series that could comp shows like One Tree Hill, The O.C., or 90210 in my inbox.

Super specific #MSWL I know, but damn I loved those shows with their gossip, romance, friendship, and family.

And while that's all what I'm looking for — I do love being surprised by things I didn't know I wanted. So if it falls anywhere under the genre tags I have on query manager... send it my way. Who knows, yours might be the next thing I fall in love with. querymanager.com/query/mferrara

> reality/competition shows (like Below Deck or Next Level Chef).

And did I mention Ted Lasso? (Sighing, where's my Season 4 announcement any day now please...)

Media I've been consuming lately (if you want a sense of storytelling and characters and things I love in my books):

Ted Lasso ⚽️, Only Murders in the Building, The Traitors (US and UK!), Ghosts (US and UK), Succession, White Lotus, The West Wing, Bob's Burgers >

📚 OGNs: I'm primarily looking for MG/YA graphic novels (preference for author/illustrator, but open to author-only!) As far as what I'm looking for, everything above applies here!

📚 YA: You'll steal my heart with unique magic systems. Creepy carnivals. Creepy abandoned buildings. New twists on the familiar.

And yes, I'll selectively be looking at queer rom-coms still (because reasons)!

📚 YA: I'm focusing more on genre fiction — namely fantasy and horror with an emphasis on works by authors from marginalized communities. I still have a soft spot for reimaginings (like...Count of Monte Cristo. Or if someone were to update Christopher Pike's The Midnight Club...)

📚 MG: I love kids getting into trouble and have to get out of said trouble before their parents get home!

Unless it's a madcap adventure novel *or* kids navigating their queerness, I'm really not looking for contemporary middle grade.

📚 MG: Three things I'll probably always be looking for:
1. Adventure novel with a humorous voice
2. creepy and lyrical horror a la coraline.
3. queer first crush (if it makes you think of the short 'in a heartbeat' I want to see it.)

📚 PB: Currently, my wants in the PB space are for author/illustrated manuscripts. Bonus points for humor. I *love* to laugh, especially now. I love the smart-but-side-splittingly-funny vein.

Am I open to queries in the first time in a couple of years? Yes, yes I am. What am I looking for? Glad you asked! Here's my updated #MSWL :

Overall — please don't send me books that deal heavily with parental death. I'm not at a place where I'm ready to delve into those yet.

Agents, I want a dinosaur horror book. Like give me Jurassic Park but REALLY SCARY #mswl

Also laugh-out-loud romcoms... ❣️ #mswl

Calling all authors 📢 if you're querying high-concept thrillers please send them my way, ESPECIALLY those with a speculative twist or horror element #mswl

Other specifics: friendship stories (or friendship breakup stories) and stories that bridge the gap between MG and YA. #mswl

I look forward to reading your submissions!

My top MG genres right now are contemporary, horror, historical fiction, and fantasy. Across all genres, I'm eager to see submissions by authors from underrepresented communities. #mswl

I'd love to see standalone stories that address difficult and/or weighty topics in age-appropriate, compassionate, and thoughtful ways, and that are ultimately hopeful, as well as stories that increase the diversity of experiences reflected in MG literature. #mswl

@JollyFishPress is now OPEN to submissions for the months of February/March. (We'll reopen later in the year as well.) Submission guidelines are here: shop.northstareditions.com/jolly-fish-press-submission-guidelines/

My full #mswl is here: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/meg-gaertner/

But here are some items I'd like to highlight:

would love to read a non fiction on the science of endorphins... and everyday ways to get them! #Mswl