Meg Gaertner

Editor

Flux Books

Jolly Fish Press

Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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!

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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-…

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

-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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

Meg Gaertner @MEGaertner

Hey writers! I won’t be able to participate in #SFFpit for long today, but I’m always on the lookout for engaging SFF in the YA and MG spheres.

Here are some specific wish list items and how to reach me: 1/4

-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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 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

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

Generally, I’m looking for YA contemporary, thriller, mystery, horror, historical fiction, high fantasy, and sci-fi stories.

In MG, I’m looking for contemporary, action/adventure, mystery, fantasy, and sci-fi stories. #mswl

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

Heads up, writers and agents: @JollyFishPress and @fluxbooks are now OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS!!!

I'm so excited to dive in to your submissions and find my next favorite YA and MG! Here’s what’s on my #MSWL

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

YA stories that combine social commentary w/ a fresh premise + a killer voice are my sweet spot. Does your story have feminist, intersectional, post-colonial, or environmentally conscious themes? Does it challenge readers to look at the world in a new way? Submit! #mswl (3/7)

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

For YA, I’m pretty wide open in terms of genre:
contemporary
thriller
mystery
horror
high fantasy with a unique magic system
historical fiction about underrepresented experiences
science fiction
#mswl (2/7)

Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
33 MSWL

Now that I’m mostly settled in, I’m eager to find my next favorite read. Here are the types of YA and MG stories I’m interested in acquiring for @fluxbooks and @jollyfishpress.

#MSWL: A THREAD (1/7)