Rachel Stark

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

I also acquire young adult fiction (12+ or 14+) and the occasional crossover book that still suits YA. I'd love to see:
⭐️Comedic writing paired with a sticky concept that can be summed up in a single sentence (a la Me & Earl, Gentleman's Guide)

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

NOVEL GUIDELINES: I am open only to MG and YA novels. Sadly not open to nonfiction, picture book, chapter book, or adult novel submissions (though, send me all your YA readalikes to One Last Stop, Gideon the Ninth, and A Darker Shade of Magic!) #MSWL

🌟Upmarket contemporary YA romance with substance, centering characters of traditionally marginalized identities
▫️Think: Furia, Felix Ever After, The Music of What Happens #MSWL

🌟Fantasy set in non-European-inspired settings
▫️Think: Raybearer, Aru Shah and the End of Time
🌟Epic YA romance embedded within a larger story
▫️Think: King of Scars/Rule of Wolves, Raybearer #MSWL

🌟High-stakes competition w/ a radical, subversive bent & meaningful consequences for the characters
▫️Think: the Squid Game of YA (but note that sobs don't have to be violenct, & I am definitely not looking for violence that’s used for shock value or voyeuristic pleasure) #MSWL

🌟YA thrillers, psychological horror, supernatural, & speculative fiction that radically represents & explores queer, female, and BIPOC rage & revenge
▫️ Think: Iron Widow, Sadie, Nimona, or, for a film example, Jennifer’s Body #MSWL

Here's what I'm looking for in NOVELS:
🌟High-concept YA fantasy and speculative fiction, especially that which uses the conventions of its genre to critique, subvert, or illuminate a truth about our world
▫️Think: Raybearer, Graceling, Dread Nation, The Witch King #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

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)

YA cont.
• Mackenzi Lee's Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
• Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
• Justina Ireland's Dread Nation
• Dashka Slater's The 57 Bus
• A.S. King's Ask the Passengers
• Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi
#MSWL 22/?

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/?

Some books I think exemplify what I'm looking for in comics!
YA
• Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker
• Noelle Stevenson's Nimona
• Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks's Pumpkinheads
• Gene Luen Yang's Dragon Hoops
• Emily Carroll's Through the Woods
#MSWL 18/?

I'm primarily focused on MG & YA comics, but I'd love to find some early reader/chapter book-level comics that feel in line with these interests, and I selectively acquire graphic novels for adults, as well, for Disney's new adult imprint, Hyperion Avenue. #MSWL 3/?

Okay make it a YA contemp and #mswl

The wonderful @MissDahlELama reminded me that there are not enough queer witch books.
1) WHY NOT?
2) GIMME A FEMINIST QUEER WITCH YA! #mswl

Read this as #LiteraryYA at first & it reminded me of HOW INCREDIBLY BADLY I want a book that does for YA what Kindred did for adults #mswl

My favorite college course was my Poe seminar. YA writers, get the heck on this. #mswl