As far as what I want in adult: Good hooks, gripping plots, strong characters. I either want light, funny & swoony for the romcom/romance, or layered, smart and edge-of-seat for the thrillers. Sticking with commercial, contemporary for adult for now. No SFF. #mswl #querytip

#MSWL Some examples include:

Jennifer McMahon
Simone St. James
JACKAL
THE LOST VILLAGE
THE WIFE UPSTAIRS
THE HACIENDA
THE HISTORY OF WILD PLACES

I'm always looking to prioritize stories by marginalized voices in these spaces, as well as stories that focus on intersectionality

#MSWL I'm interested in more psychological reads in this realm and NOT as much paranormal monsters (zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc.), political thrillers, or police/detective/military stories.

#MSWL I’m getting a lot of great subs in since I opened up, but not a lot in what I’m REALLY hankering for right now: adult horror, thrillers, suspense whether they are grounded or have more of a supernatural element. I want to be unsettled and engrossed!

--Always and forever looking for a heist or a fantastic twisty plot with high stakes, great cast, and a surprise ending that feels wonderfully satisfying.

--A Rom-Com+. A great romance with high quality writing and a meaningful B-plot, like Joya Goffney's EXCUSE ME WHILE I UGLY CRY. (or the romance could be the B plot)
--Sweeping, cinematic adventures with a fun romance

For both #mg and #ya, would love historical fiction, especially stories not centered in Western history or culture.

#mswl for #ya:
--fresh "inspired by" takes on familiar tales, myths or classics, rather than retellings
--I'd love an historical novel based on the Trung Sisters.

My #mg Heart Book is a book like Gemeinhart's THE MIDNIGHT CHILDREN--fantastic writing, high stakes, dark and creepy yet funny and joyful (all the feels), with character's I want to root for and know.

-- Action-packed adventure works with series potential
-- A younger school-based story, think Andrew Clements' work
--A story dealing with first crushes and heart breaks
--Stories featuring good kids making bad choices and taking accountability for their actions

It's #MSWL day at @TheTobiasAgency! When I reopen to queries, shortly, here are some things I will be looking for: in #MG, I'm still on the hunt for an atmospheric ghost story with universal character themes. Think DOLL BONES or Linda Urban's ALMOST THERE AND ALMOST NOT

#mswl Just a reminder I'm opening to queries again on 1/20.

Oy. Forgot the #mswl

#MSWL I'm also looking for unique and unusual NF pieces; craft and recipe books aren't the best fits for me, but other kinds of "how to" that are more out of the mainstream could be of interest. I'm not specifically looking for memoir or personal essay unless it's really unique.

So I just saw that there’s a train stuck in rural SC for like 29hrs & the passengers are all stuck & this is terrible & tragic & also would make a great backdrop to a thriller/horror novel 😬 #MSWL (of course I hope it ends happily for the real life folks it’s happening to ❤️)

Stefanie Rossitto #MSWL: always like to see dynamic, feminist and complex heroines that can tackle any challenge and change the way we think about society and community (rom-com, romance, women's fiction)

"I want adult fiction with a fresh angle and/or twist on the social climber trope."
@ceciliaclyra #MSWL

psliterary.com/submissions/

Stefanie Rossitto #MSWL: I would like to see a re-telling of HOLIDAY INN with modern-day, diverse characters!

WHITE HORSE? Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis. Awful father disappears his own daughter and no bothers to investigate. Not even her friends or family. The monster? The crisis itself.

Okay, that’s it for horror. Hope it’s help.

Now onto nonfiction!

THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS? No monster without those kids breaking, forgetting, discarding their tribe’s tradition. It’s modern day people scoffing at what their ancestors held holy.

Sure, there were monsters but only monsters driven by humanity’s own misdeeds. There would be no horror in ALL THE WHITE SPACES without the sins and guilt those explorers brought with them. Even the fact they traveled there showed their dark desires.