Rebecca Kuss

❤️ this 🧵. molly verbalizes something i've struggled to explain to ppl's satisfaction: why i no longer have, or will ever have again, an #mswl. while there are a few reasons, a biggest one is i like to be straightforward. 1/

a more complete 2022 #mswl is coming, but in the meantime here are some v specific things i am looking for in ✨YA✨this year:

-dark whimsy
-stories ft BIPOC on the aro/ace spectrum
-ballet stories from a non-cishet non-female POV
-anything inspired by THE MUMMY (and ft BIPOC)

& now some recently read favs:

💀CEMETERY BOYS by aiden thomas

🕸🙋🏼‍♂️A SHOW FOR TWO by tashie bhuiyan (not out yet--you're gonna love it!)

👸🏾YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN by leah johnson

👠CINDERELLA IS DEAD by kalynn bayron

🦩WHERE THE RHYTHM TAKES YOU by sarah dass

#mswl

& bc examples are always helpful, here are some of my all-time fav contemporary YAs:

⚽️FURIA by yamile saied méndez

💕THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL by maurene goo

😈SHADOWSHAPWER by djo

🐼AMERICAN PANDA by gloria chao

📚THE EDUCATION OF MARGOT SANCHEZ by lilliam rivera

#mswl

i want 📚 w unforgettable characters i'd follow to the ends of the 🌎; who make mistakes & are messy & we 💓 them thru all the ⬆️& ⬇️; who bring me back to those teen days when we felt like everything was on the line & one night of adventure could change our entire lives #mswl

i'm a sucker for: boarding school stories (the soapier the better); stories that take place over 24 hours; generational family stories; & stories that put BIPOC in places where we don't often get to see them (like boarding school, on vacation, the world of ballet, etc) #mswl

i love contemporary YA full of heart that plays with speculative elements in a way that hinges on the emotional connections between people.

i want stories that tackle weighty sociopolitical issues from an emotional, character-first POV, & with a thru-line of hope & joy #mswl

the best thing about YA is that high emotional stakes can come from something as simple as a first date, a text msg gone wrong, a misplaced love letter 💗--& i want to feel those stakes so much that they give me goosebumps & butterflies & tears #mswl

for disney-hyperion, give me ALL THE TROPES (seriously all of them) but make them feel ✨new✨ again

i want stories where BIPOC to take center stage when it comes to all the fake dating, graduation night, only one bed, epic road trip, one last summer, joy-filled tropes #mswl

im ALWAYS looking for ✨contemporary✨ stories that center BIPOC & lead w joy!!!!

for RRP i'd love stories w an emphasis on intersectionality, deeply tied to culture & identity--bonus points for stories that play with magic/supernatural/mythology in fresh, exciting ways #mswl

...but one thing i do accept is that theres much more i can do to work towards a better world for BIPOC creators & young readers.

authors of color are writing some of the most incredible books right now, & i can't wait to see even more of them in my inbox! now onto my #mswl ☺️

...& being more conscious, purposeful, & selective in how i spend my time as an editor & the voices & stories i choose to uplift.

it took me a long time to accept the fact that i have any kind of power to affect change in this world/industry (bc really who am i??)...

#mswl

...& my fear of turning off agents is why i've hesitated until now to state this outright. but publishing is broken, & that inequity disproportionately affects authors of color. so i'm doing what i can to work towards a more equitable system for BIPOC creators...

#mswl

first, i want to say that my lists at both RRP/disney-hyperion are focused on 📚 from BIPOC creators that center BIPOC voices--& these are the only stories i'll be acquiring. i'm very conscious of the fact that some may see this as me drawing an unfair line in the sand...

#mswl

agents! while my inbox is overflowing with amazing MG subs right now, my list is predominantly YA & i would love to see more of it! so here is an updated YA #mswl so you can PLZ SEND ME MORE YA💕📚

as a reminder i acquire YA for both disney-hyperion & #rickriordanpresents!

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