Meg Gaertner

ICYMI, I have a profile on the #MSWL website with even more specifics of what I'm looking for: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/meg-…

If you think we might be a good fit, submit your query letter and your first three chapters as an attached Word document to submissions@northstareditions.com.

I can't wait to read your stories!
#mswl

I am NOT a good fit for:
-instalove
-straight-up romance (romance as a subplot is fine)
-Christian fiction
-elves, dragons, etc.
#mswl

In any YA genre:
-LGBTQIA+ representation
-neurodiversity
-racial or cultural diversity
-male lead characters who subvert toxic masculinity
-found families and diverse ensemble casts
-strong friendships / platonic love stories
-protagonists as changemakers and activists
#mswl

I accept all sub-genres of YA fantasy, but I’m really picky! I’m looking for unique magic systems that feel real and novel, stakes that haven’t been explored before in the genre, and a premise that is truly fresh. #mswl

-high-stakes YA sci-fi w/ strong themes + character development
-YA contemporary that addresses relevant/timely social themes
-YA thrillers/suspense
-YA horror, especially of the uncanny/unsettling kind
-YA historical that highlights excluded or underrepresented experiences #mswl

-“out-of-the-box” YA stories that combine social commentary with a killer voice and a fresh premise
-strong emotional arcs and themes—I want to see characters evolving in ways that feel earned
#mswl

@fluxbooks is now open to agented and unagented submissions, and I am eagerly seeking my next favorite novel! I’m looking for well-crafted YA fiction with engaging plots and one-of-a-kind characters. I accept all genres of YA. More specifics of what I’m looking for below. #mswl

At last, I have a profile on ManuscriptWishList.com. My current wish list is live, though I'll continue to tweet new and specific items as they come to me. #MSWL

manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/meg-…

-LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent narrators and stories are always welcome!

If your manuscript matches any of these items, I’d love to see your work! Submission guidelines can be found on the @fluxbooks and @JollyFishPress websites. 4/4

-contemporary fantasy in YA or MG
-MG whimsical fantasy a la Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli
-YA or MG high fantasy with a unique magic system / based on mythologies underrepresented In literature / that subverts the tropes of the genre

#mswl 3/4

-character-driven YA sci-fi, especially if it explores a theme such as our relationship to technology or what it means to be human
-YA sci-fi blended with any other genre—sci-fi horror, sci-fi fantasy (I’d die for a YA Gideon the Ninth!), sci-fi mystery/thriller, etc.

#mswl 2/4

I want a YA sci-if horror with this sound in it. #mswl

#mswl

Thinking of how much of my grandmother was the matriarch of my family, I’d love to see a sweet/funny middle grade novel (any genre) with a substantial grandparent-grandchild dynamic!

#mswl

A queer middle grade (any genre) with the big-hearted joy of @jhillmanbooks’s BIG WIG!

rollingstone.com/culture/cultur…

That's it for now!

For YA submissions, send a query letter + first 3 chapters to Flux at: submissions@northstareditions.com

For MG submissions, send a query letter + first 3 chapters to Jolly Fish Press at: submit@jollyfishpress.com

Can't wait to read your stories! #mswl

-Immersive YA high fantasy and sci-fi with well-defined rules (be it unique magic systems or technology)

-YA inspired by or reimagining folklore or mythology

-Humorous, voice-y MG, as well as MG that recognizes the harder truths of the world while being ultimately hopeful
#mswl

-YA stories featuring LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse main characters, as well as feminist, post-colonial, intersectional, and environmentally conscious themes.
Diverse ensemble casts welcome.
I also love my found families and strong friendships.
#mswl

-Similarly, YA stories with a point. I’m always asking myself, “What is this story trying to say?”

BONUS if that “point” is wrapped up in thrilling plot, sparkling dialogue, an emotional arc, and to-die-for characters.

#mswl

More specifically, I’m seeking:

-Engaging, escapist YA that also offers social commentary. Bonus for genre-blending. Do you have a sci-fi thriller that interrogates what it means to be human? A horror fantasy that comments on the immigrant experience? Send it my way!

#mswl