Rebecca Kuss

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)

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

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 ☺️

...& 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

for RRP MG, i want snarky, funny, action-adventure 📚 featuring young BIPOC & deeply rooted in ✨mythology & magic ✨

here too i'd love to see even more intersectional protagonists & stories that subvert the typical RRP formula, like the upcoming SERWA BOATENG! (4/6)

#mswl

#RickRiordanPresents does YA now! i'd love to see📚 that center BIPOC w/ an emphasis on intersectionality, & stories that feel deeply tied to culture & identity.

i want to explore genres outside of fantasy+cont. fantasy! i truly think this imprint can do it all ♥️ (2/6)

#mswl

i was an ecology major, but somehow i still reference the episode of the wild thornberrys where eliza ruins the galapagos ecosystem by giving a bird a needle more than anything i learned in college.

anyways, i acquire MG now & i would ❤️ a BIPOC eliza thornberry-esque mc! #mswl

i want stories with big hooks that are stuffed with YA tropes 🥰 and center BIPOC. i'm a big fan of stories about "lasts" (the last day of school, the last summer before college, the last dance, the last chance) #mswl

contemporary fantasy!! i want it!! ESPECIALLY (really only) if it draws from diverse folklore and/or reimagines evergreen fantasy elements (witches, vampires, chosen ones, etc) with BIPOC at the center of the story 👸🏽🧙🏽‍♀️🧜🏿‍♀️
#mswl