MIDDLE GRADE:
- contemporary, joyful, humorous slice-of-life stories about marginalized characters and their middle school problems
- commercial light fantasy adventures with extraordinary heart
- sister stories, competitor-turned-friend narratives, first crushes

#mswl

High on my #MSWL list:
Contemporary Southern Gothic
Creepy Historical Gothic
Give me haunted manors, haunted woods, haunted histories
Add a dash of magic, even better!!
Fantasy RomCom
More YA urban fantasy
MG adventure and mystery and puzzles to solve
GN for MG and YA

I’m on the hunt for well-crafted YA and MG! Here’s some things I like/am looking for:
- “Out of the box”/quirky narratives
- YA contemporary
- Stories with feminist themes (esp an intersectional framework. Bonus points for teen activism!) (2/6)

Romance: I'm looking for contemporary romance and rom-coms with a fresh hook and voice, high concept, as well as clear chemistry. I don't currently have a favorite trope, but I always love tension of all sorts and lots of humor :)

#MSWL Desperately looking for a YA contemporary with royalty in my query inbox #amagenting #amquerying

Briefly popping back in to say that I'm still looking for contemporary w/LGBTQIA+ characters! Same goes for the rest of the list, but I'm especially in the mood for contemporary right now. Really looking for strong voice w/a compelling internal conflict. #MSWL

(Agented only.)

The continuing US-Canada border closure has me feeling wicked homesick -- especially in the summer. If you have contemporary #YA or #MG set on the Cape, Nantucket (though Martha's Vineyard is good too! #nottakingsides), or even the South Shore of MA, pls send to me! #MSWL

7. Funny contemporary YA—I know I tend toward dark stuff, but I also adore comedy, & I would love some super-voicy YA that makes me laugh out loud. Rom-coms included. Ditto adult for fresh & funny book club/contemporary fiction.

My #MSWL these days: Fiction: Adult Suspense, YA contemporary (any subgenre), YA and MG Graphic Novels.
Nonfiction: Pop Culture, or Narrative Nonfiction that reads like a novel, but is 100% researched. I remain open to other stuff, but the above is what I really want.

#MSWL
C’mon, yall! Where are my #Romance authors?? I’m dying for more contemporary romance.

One #MSWL item I really hope someone picks up on is a Black version of UTOPIA AVENUE feat. Magical Realism in Motown or the golden age of Rap. MR/Fabulist or Contemporary Fantasy stories based in historical music scenes like UTOPIA AVENUE shouldn't be limited to white writers.

⟡ #MSWL Contemporary fantasy or magical realism that comps ADDIE LARUE or THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY from a BIPOC perspective

⟡ #MSWL Anything that blends the genres of Speculative Sci-Fi with Contemporary Fantasy/Magical Realism

⟡ Anything that comps THE MURDERBOT DIARIES by Martha Wells

"If you have a contemporary family drama set in the Midwest (especially in my home state of Wisconsin), please send it my way." @claire_m_harris #MSWL psliterary.com/submissions/

Some #MSWL things:

1) MG fantasy, please! Especially myth-based, w/a strong focus on character, & a beautiful world/setting.

2) Contemporary MG/YA with LGBTQ+ characters.

3) MG graphic novels!

4) Underrepresented voices.

5) YA or MG that deals w/grief and/or mental health.

Think THE NIX with a more reasonable word count, J. Ryan Stradal-type regional flavor but by/from/reflecting a wide array of people and communities. I gravitate strongly to contemporary over historical but do love a good multigenerational tale. #MSWL

Dear #amwriting, please, please consider including this in your contemporary #romance #mystery #thriller or..? #MSWL

As in adult fiction, my YA interests are broad, so please feel encouraged to try me with anything contemporary for teen readers, including rom-coms. Select works of MG fiction will also be considered. #MSWL

I usually prefer contemporary or near-historical realism, but will sometimes consider speculative fiction, fantasy, psych thrillers, lite dystopian, literary horror, and paranormal (especially dealing with ghosts). #MSWL

“Did you elevate the Jane Austen retelling? Plots with new twists, takes, and contemporary relevance are the stories I want to see.” @readbystephanie #MSWL psliterary.com/submissions/