Another #mswl I've been wanting to find forEVER is a genre-blended YA sci-fi/horror akin to Alien (or even The Thing I think would count). Atmospheric, not super tech heavy, isolated, far from home, trapped with an extraterrestrial horror. Those kinda vibes.

I would also love to find something that takes a big swing and lands it, especially in YA. Epic but accessible, character-driven but with lyrical or evocative writing. As an example,
@Tiff_Liao
told me that she would love to find a YA Cloud Atlas and my eyes went 😻🤩 #mswl

I consider queries the same way I do books in the store. If the pitch doesn't grab me, I pass and move on. And so much of what doesn't grab me feels like "more of the same." I always want to know what makes YOUR book feel special. Why am I excited to move to the writing?

One thing I'm realizing I really love is something that feels comforting and familiar but with an element that makes it feel unique and fresh. Retelling and reinterpretations but also tackling timeless themes from new angles. Taking something we know and changing it up.

I'm being more picky than usual about MG right now, but I'd especially love to see commercial genre stories w/ series potential a la Wings of Fire or PJO. I grew up reading Animorphs and Fear Street so I'd love to rep more (potential) series.

I'm always a fan of horror and/or spooky goth vibes. Some faves: Fear Street (books AND Netflix trilogy), Stephen King, The Addams Family, The Thief of Always by Clive Barker, Coraline (movie), early seasons of Supernatural, Final Destination, Anne Rice, Alexis Henderson, etc.

I'm also leaning more heavily into my love of genre fiction, especially fantasy and horror and books that genre-blend. I would love to find more epic fantasy with fantastic world-building, a la Tomi Adeyemi, Claire M. Andrews, Katy Rose Pool, Natasha Ngan, etc.

I'd really love to find more books that have strong commercial hooks (books that will appeal to a wide audience and can be pitched in 1-2 sentences) but that still have strong prose. I don't need literary writing but I've never been able to be a plot over prose kinda guy.

I said "check back on this thread later for some updates" and then never updated. But here's some areas I'm looking for in 2024 (YA and MG only for now)...

#MSWL for Harlequin Heartwarming, Special Edition or Love Inspired or something close. If I’m closed when you see this, DM me or reply in comments! Looking for Black authors writing cowboy or ranch romance who themselves are riding and ranching and rodeoing!

I would love to see more cross genre romance #mswl

who wants to send me a muay thai rom-com?! #mswl

Psychological thrillers in the vein of THE SILENT PATIENT

Psychological horror, haunted houses, setting as character

Dark academia

#MSWL

Total #mswl btw

#MSWL John Tucker Must Die-esque novel centered around a Andrew Huberman-y character

#mswl plz

#MSWL 🥰

my nonfiction #mswl : memoir, anthologies, and single narrative nonfiction about all facets of Southern culture / by writers who claim the South as home. Essay collections but need to truly sing (and be complete). Proposals and in-prog okay for longer narrative projects.

You have a few more days to submit to @HubCityPress 's nonfiction reading period! Good reasons to:

1) we love unagented work!
2) we still need a southern literary nonfiction title for 2026
3) we have good taste (imo) and love braided / lyric narratives

hubcity.submittable.com/submit

How to defend against an axe attack #mswl
tiktok.com/@nicole_coenen/video/7337275920866118918