Rachel Stark

⭐️And across the board, energetic, expressive, inventive, accessible, and commercial art (ideally full-color for middle grade, at least two-color for everything)

⭐️Middle grade humor with a big heart—I’d particularly like to explore careers outside of policing that nonetheless lend themselves to multiple adventures over the course of a series

⭐️YA contemp romance with substance, especially centering characters with marginalized identities (think Heartstopper, Pumpkinheads)

I'm pulling back a bit on graphic novels this year, but still open to GNs for 8-12-year-olds and teens. I can't accept author-only submissions at this time (but will consider agency-driven pairings!), GNs under 160 pages, or black and white middle grade. I'm hoping to see:

And finally, there's definitely crossover in the subject matter that interests me in graphic novels vs. novels! If you have an MG or YA novel that fits my GN wishlist, have your agent send it! If you have a GN for any age that fits my novel wishlist, same! #MSWL

GRAPHIC NOVEL GUIDELINES: I'm open to GNs for ages 5+ (inc. adult!). Sadly it's hard for me to consider scripts w/o artists attached at this time. Art should be energetic, expressive, inventive, accessible, & commercial—full-color for MG & younger, at least 2-color for YA #MSWL

🌟Grounded MG fantasy w real-world settings
▫️Think: the Stranger Things of graphic novels (but not necessarily horror!)
🌟Stories with creative, fresh ties to holidays/seasonal moments, esp cultural holidays & those outside of Xmas, V Day, & Halloween
▫️Think: Pumpkinheads #MSWL

(GNs) 🌟Middle grade humor with a big heart—I’d particularly like to explore careers outside of policing that nonetheless lend themselves to multiple adventures over the course of a series
▫️Think: Dog Man, InvestiGators #MSWL

That's the stuff that never changes! And here are the specifics about what I'm particularly looking for right now.

IN GRAPHIC NOVELS
🌟Young adult contemp romance w/ substance, especially centering characters w/ marginalized identities
▫️Think: Heartstopper, Pumpkinheads #MSWL

New year, new #MSWL! And my big 2022 news is that, in addition to being @DisneyBooks's resident graphic novel expert (send me all your future comics bestsellers!), I am opening to YA and MG novel submissions for the first time in ~5 years.

Here's what I'm looking for (thread)

This is a good question! At least for the time being, the acquisitions team does best with art attached to the script. I hope that will change as time goes on! #MSWL twitter.com/Natalie_Lakosi…

If you read this long thread, puppy high-five to you! Now send me those good good graphic novels! #MSWL 25/25

Again, I am ONLY open to graphic novel submissions. But I'd love to see comics that read like the following prose books:
YA
• Yamile Saied Méndez's Furia
• Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After
• Kristin Cashore's Graceling Realm series
• Courtney Summers's Sadie
#MSWL 21/?

MG
• Grace Ellis & Noelle Stevenson's Lumberjanes series
• Dav Pilkey's Dog Man series
• Ben Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl
• Cece Bell's El Deafo
• Jerry Craft's New Kid
• Jen Wang's Stargazing
• Mike Curato's Flamer

Chapter Book
• Luke Pearson's Hilda series
#MSWL 19/?

• Horror and supernatural fiction that radically represents and explores queer, female, and BIPOC rage
• Books that slide adeptly between humor and poignancy—if a book can make me laugh on one page and cry on the next, it wins my whole heart!
#MSWL 15/?

• Zany middle grade humor with a big heart, in the vein of Dog Man—I’d particularly like to explore careers outside of policing that nonetheless lend themselves to multiple adventures over the course of a series
#MSWL 10/?

• Fantasy and other speculative fiction that uses the conventions of its genre to critique, subvert, or illuminate a truth about our world
#MSWL 9/?

• Authentic, #ownvoices representations of characters with marginalized and intersectional identities, particularly in stories of adventure, romance, friendship, joy, and personal growth
#MSWL 8/?

• Original, unforgettable characters with the potential to become universally beloved household names
• Expansive, unique & cinematic worlds—whether fantastical or a part of the real world that’s been underrepresented or that feels fresh through the creator’s eyes
#MSWL 7/?

Broadly, I and my colleagues at Disney are looking for big bets with high-concept commercial hooks, expert plotting and pacing, and the potential to become lead titles. #MSWL 4/?