All right, it's a new year, and I am ready to do some new reading! Acquiring romance novels for Carina Press, Carina Adores, and the occasional Harlequin project. Here are a few things I'd LOVE to see in my inbox in the next few months #mswl 🧵

I mean….#mswl

¡Feliz día de Reyes! speaking of which, don’t suppose any picture book authors out there have a fiction pb manuscript sitting in a drawer that touches on Epiphany traditions in Latine families/communities? #mswl

Desperately in need of a submission that feels like swinging in a hammock with a paperback on a warm June day. Please fuel my gemini soul with all the summer reads (both bright & quirky and swoony & raw pls do apply) #MSWL

Agents!! I would love to kick off 2023 by acquiring some YA high fantasy— if you have any, please send it my way!! #MSWL

this is maybe a little specific but i'd really love to find some historical fiction or nonfiction about the AIDS epidemic and the activism / community care / political radicalism that organized around it/as a result of it #mswl

Sort of sucks that I have the day this every time I share an #MSWL, but writers, I am not allowed to read your unsolicited query! It will be deleted unread. A Twitter thread is not a request and no, you’re not going to fool me by saying it is.

I ALSO can't wait to announce a ton of projects I've been working on very secretly for years! Keep an eye on @PWKidsBookshelf and @PublishersLunch this year to see what's been grabbing my attention—and add them all to your TBR because I have great taste imho.

Alas, I can't accept unagented submissions unless I've invited you to submit at a convention or conference, so nab an agent first, and then have them share your awesome work with me! I can't wait to see all the treasures about to land in my inbox. #MSWL

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

⭐️Contemp stories with a creative, fresh link to holidays or seasonal moments, especially holidays other than Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween, and particularly holidays celebrated in the author’s culture

⭐️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:

⭐️Upmarket contemporary romance with substance, centering characters of traditionally marginalized identities (think Furia, Felix Ever After)

⭐️High-stakes competition with a subversive bent and meaningful consequences for the characters (What's the next Squid Game? Must be just as political, need not be just as gory.)
⭐️Epic romance embedded within a larger story (a la Raybearer)

⭐️Thrillers, psychological horror, supernatural, mystery, and speculative fiction that radically represents and explores queer, female, and BIPOC rage, revenge, and reclamation of power (think Elatsoe, Iron Widow, Sadie)

⭐️High-concept fantasy & contemporary fantasy that uses the conventions of its genre to critique, subvert, or illuminate a truth about our world (PLEASE send me the next Raybearer, Graceling, Witch King)
⭐️Fantasy/contemporary fantasy set in non-European-inspired settings

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)

⭐️Contemporary fantasy set in non-European-inspired settings. Every Rick Riordan Presents book is a fantastic example, but note I am not acquiring for that imprint, and anything I do snag will have to feel distinct from what RRP has published.