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)

& 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 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

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!

a YA #mswl in vibes only...

my world for a YA romance that is zendaya and zac efron in the greatest showman. and yes this is an #mswl but it's mostly a vibes wishlist 💖✨

for disney hyperion, i'm looking for YA by underrepresented creators ft. underrepresented characters, specifically commercial, contemporary 📚 that lead with joy

i love diverse romcoms & romdrams & anything soap-y, highly aspirational, & with high emotional stakes (5/6)

#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

ICYMI i'm now a senior editor at #RickRiordanPresents & disney hyperion...so its time for my 2021 #mswl! its a long one, but it covers what im looking for across RRP & disney hyperion, in both YA & MG

agents, i cant wait to see the stories you have for me ♥️📚 (1/6)

finally, i'm still looking for my ✨YA indiana jones✨ re-telling, with the mc taking cultural artifacts back from museums and returning them to their countries of origin. plz plz plz send this to me. #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

i'm desperate for diverse, commercial, soap-y, contemporary YA that is both highly aspirational and has high emotional stakes. basically, if it feels like a shonda rhimes show in book form, with teenagers, I MUST HAVE IT #mswl

first and forever(more), i am looking for YA by marginalized creators, featuring marginalized characters - especially contemporary fiction that leads with ✨joy✨ #mswl

i'm looking for a YA that gives me the same feeling i get when tom holland lifts up his arms and is drenched in water at the exact moment rihanna sings "gonna let the rain fall" (1:29 for reference). in other words, total joy.

https://t.co/dbbksAXxuX

where is my YA indiana jones re-telling that has our mc taking cultural artifacts back from museums and returning them to their countries of origin? minus nazis, plus more kissing #mswl

✨exactly✨ what my dream down-and-out YA heroine would do before her grand climactic moment #mswl

after a full week of being in bed with a fever, cough, body aches, and chest pains i'm finally coming out in the other side and ready to do something other than watch the office...

agents, check out my #mswl and ✨PLEASE✨send me those YA submissions. i am R E A D Y to read.

finally, gimme that YA with unicorns 🦄. just...gimme. #mswl

i'm desperate for commercial, soap-y, contemporary YA that is both highly aspirational and has high emotional stakes. think anything from casey mcquiston's RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE to jennifer lynn barnes' THE FIXER #mswl