#AgentUpdate: On February 1, 2023, I will again close to queries so that I can catch up with the wonderful things in my inbox. To find out what I am seeking, please check out my most current #mswl: manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/susa…

"I love diverse and inclusive young adult novels that reflect the world, and what the world could be."
@ericsmithrocks #MSWL

psliterary.com/submissions/

Anything comparable to WEDNESDAY, SCREAM, or FEAR STREET #MSWL

#MSWL Time dlvr.it/Shb9Dy

I love nonfiction but have very little of it on my list! Let's fix that, eh? I'm looking for high concept projects with a fun, commercial bent supported by your fantastic platform. Teach me something—hobbies, cooking, gardening. I want an adventure! #MSWL
QueryManager.com/Stacey3Seas

Boosting the #MSWL tonight!

Romance writers, I want to meet you! Please send me your erotic romances, your historicals, your romcoms, your villain and monster romances, your romantasies!

NOT a fit for:

-Time travel, portals

-Insects

-Prehistoric settings

-Assassins, organized crime

-Animal narrators or talking-animal characters, outside PBs

-Supernatural/fantastical characters other than ghosts, like faeries, vampires, werewolves, elves, dragons, mermaids

NOT a fit for:

-Art-only subs

-Graphic novels or comics (but I enjoy hybrid/illustrated novels—A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness!)

-Christian religious themes (except for stories about leaving the religion) or parables

-Pirates

-Court fantasy

-Sci-fi (esp. aliens, space)

Generally NOT a fit for third-person. I’d work on some third-person books (esp. PBs!), but strongly prefer first-person, as I often find it easier to connect with a character’s voice & interiority in first-person.

I have nothing against third-person; this is just my own taste!

I am NOT a fit for:

-Racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, xenophobic, misogynist, or otherwise discriminatory content

-Rhyming picture books (unless the author mainly writes free verse or prose)

-Early readers, chapter books, lower MG

-Adult books

Specific Interests continued (II):

-Beach settings

-Knitting

-Gymnastics (BREAK THE FALL by Jennifer Iacopelli)

-Holidays (any holidays, especially underrepresented ones! I’m a huge holiday person. Super excited for 8 DATES AND NIGHTS by Betsy Aldredge)

Specific Interests continued:

-Singers, music, musical theatre

-Pets (cats!!), esp. if the owner was hesitant at first

-Retellings (not necessarily of popular fairytales—love DON’T LOOK BACK by Lilliam Rivera)

-Characters who don’t want kids

Random/specific topics of interest:

-Death/grief, specifically loss of parent or friend

-Endometriosis, adenomyosis, hearing loss, brain tumors, trouble walking/balance disorders

-Fat characters who are *NOT* interested in weight loss

-Asexual characters

PB Nonfiction:

-I'm open to bios; I prefer women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and/or otherwise underrepresented subjects (POLIO PIONEER by Linda Elovitz Marshall, NIKI NAKAYMA: A CHEF’S TALE IN 13 BITES by Debbi Michiko Florence)

-Informative with some wit, like Mary Roach for kids

PB: Author-illustrators or teams!

For some styles I like, check out the M&O team of picture book illustrators: Stacey Byer, Maribel Castells, Rachel Más Davidson, Tiffany Golden, Skylar Hogan, Dawn Masi, Sue Safianoff

-Disability, in both fiction and nonfiction

-Diverse cultures, holidays, traditions, identities (THE PROUDEST BLUE by Ibtihaj Muhammad)

For both—again, open to any format/premise here!

-Grief – hopeful but not saccharine; honest about the heavy parts. (THE HOLE by Lindsay Bonilla)

-LGBTQIA+ – Anything from celebratory, to informative, to issue-based (WHAT ARE YOUR WORDS? by Katherine Locke)

Picture book: As I work on so many great ones with my boss @ChristaHeschke, this is likely to be the smallest area of my solo acquisitions! Topics I’m interested in:

Anthology pitches: The industry remains divided on them, so my consideration may be a bit narrower than novels, but I’m interested, for both fiction and nonfiction. (THIS IS OUR RAINBOW was a favorite!)

Thriller/mystery/suspense: Murder mysteries, especially with dual timelines (WHERE SECRETS LIE by Eva V. Gibson). I like more focus on character than is typical for these areas (Maureen Johnson’s TRULY DEVIOUS series) and very literary writing (I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU again).