Meg Gaertner
@MEGaertner
Editor
Senior editor @fluxbooks + @jollyfishpress . YA fantasy/sci-fi writer. Swing dancer. Music lover. Philosophizer. Tweets are my own. she/her. meggaertner.com
34 MSWL

-Immersive YA high fantasy and sci-fi with well-defined rules (be it unique magic systems or technology)

-YA inspired by or reimagining folklore or mythology

-Humorous, voice-y MG, as well as MG that recognizes the harder truths of the world while being ultimately hopeful
#mswl

Rachel Stark
@syntactics
Editor
Editor of graphic novels, novels & IP @DisneyBooks ▫️ House Stark; more of an Arya than a Tony ▫️ Opinions my own; pic @JarrettWilliams 's ▫️ gender’s a lie🤷‍♀️
147 MSWL
6 Tips

(GNs) 🌟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
▫️Think: Dog Man, InvestiGators #MSWL

Rachel Stark
@syntactics
Editor
Editor of graphic novels, novels & IP @DisneyBooks ▫️ House Stark; more of an Arya than a Tony ▫️ Opinions my own; pic @JarrettWilliams 's ▫️ gender’s a lie🤷‍♀️
147 MSWL
6 Tips

🌟Sharp & original humor that shows a deep understanding of its readers—whether goofy, over-the-top humor for middle graders or well-observed sarcasm for teens
🌟Books that slide adeptly between humor & poignancy, that make me laugh on one page & cry on the next #MSWL

Alex Arnold
@alexyarnold
Editor
Senior Editor of fiction & nonfiction for small kids, big kids, & teens @quirkbooks . Former child who hasn't forgotten a thing.
46 MSWL

MG nonfiction that uses humor and playful formats to bring readers to both evergreen & rapidly evolving topics; in particular, I'd love to learn about civics, media literacy, mental health, body positivity, and food in fresh ways

Kim Lindman
@kim_lindman
Literary Agent
lit agent + smm @StonesongNYC repping cookbooks, nonfiction + select fiction! (send me yours ⬇️) tweets about books/food/life/#adopteevoices *opinions mine*
60 MSWL
9 Tips

I do love: fables, gallows humor, absurdism, unsettling atmospheres, unreliable narrators, sympathetic villains, anti-heroes, adventures, revenge-plots, twists that make the reader say "it all makes sense now!"

Bibi Lewis
@Bibi_Lewis
Literary Agent
Agent at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Lifelong New Yorker and forever bookworm. she/her
82 MSWL
10 Tips

On the book club side, I love stories about toxic female friendships, family sagas with the layers and humor of a prestige soap opera, and novels that skirt the line between commercial WF and thrillers. #MSWL

Carolina Ortiz
@pushthepanorama
Editor
🇨🇱❤️💜💙 Editor @ Harper Children's | @PocPub Co-Director | @LatinxinPub Mentorship Co-Director | Lover of bookstores y tequila| She/Her| Avi @emcorm
42 MSWL
5 AskAgent

✨A Black marching band drama
✨A humorous take on puberty for girls
✨Subversive Catholic school stories
✨If something has "already been done” but it's never been done with characters who hail from marginalized backgrounds, I want to read it...

Kari Sutherland
@KariSutherland
Literary Agent
Agent at KT Literary; Book Lover; Parent; Co-author of The Menagerie series; (Former) Traveler. Jigsaw Puzzler. Veronica Mars extra. She/her
4 MSWL
17 AskAgent

Genres I'm on the hunt for:
MG fantasy, MG literary contemporary, YA humor, YA fantasy, YA rom-com, Upmarket Women's fiction.
#MSWL - international settings, folktale re-imaginings, funny friendship banter, twisty YA thrillers, multiple POV, found family.

Stephanie Stein
@stephlystein
Editor
Senior Editor @HarperChildrens & @HarperTeen , she/her, 47% caffeine by volume. Opinions my own, and I do have a lot of them. 🌈
213 MSWL
34 AskAgent

😂 Make me laugh! Note I am not one for super zany young MG or grossout humor, but I love self-aware wryness or a bit of quirk
😭 & make me cry, especially with contemporary MG about family, friendship, & kids figuring out their place in the world #MSWL

Stephanie Stein
@stephlystein
Editor
Senior Editor @HarperChildrens & @HarperTeen , she/her, 47% caffeine by volume. Opinions my own, and I do have a lot of them. 🌈
213 MSWL
34 AskAgent

... a broad range of MG & YA fiction and graphic novels--fantasy (my first & greatest love as a reader), historical, romance, some great humor, and high-concept contemporary (especially with a framing device such as epistolary elements, then-and-now timelines, etc.) #MSWL

Lisa Green
@LisaGreenEdito2
Editor
She/Her Editor for the Mystic Owl line & City Owl Press. Adult only F/SF R querymanager.com/query/lisagree…
72 MSWL
17 Tips

Since I'm open to queries again:
MUST HAVE: Adult romance only. NO YA. Fantasy or sci-fi sub-genre ONLY.
Prefer: High heat level
#MSWL list:
1. Vampires or witches (still looking for something different)
2. mystery & humor even if dark
3. Bridgerton w/PR element
4. Surprise me

Ramona Pina
@PinaRamona
Literary Agent
She/Her🇨🇻🇯🇲🌟Book Hoarder 🌟host @podcasthollow 🌟DIY enthusiast 🌟Writer 🌟Literary Agent @bookendslit 🌟 QueryManager.com/rpina
13 MSWL

•Think high concept sci-fi like Dreamfall Chapters (video game), where people are addicted to virtual reality and can't funciton in society.
•Dark fantasy themes with equally dark humor like Sweeney Todd and Dark Shadows. Tim Burton is a vibe.

Claire Harris
@claire_m_harris
Literary Agent
thriller fanatic, rom com addict, acquiring literary agent @psliterary - she/her
53 MSWL
24 AskAgent

Humorous essay collections, especially if they have some sort of bigger picture social commentary tying the essays together. #MSWL

James McGowan
@jmcgowanbks
Literary Agent
Literary agent, author, sitcom enthusiast, professional snacker... @bookendslit (he/him)
115 MSWL
18 AskAgent
7 Tips

I like sarcasm and humor. I like nonfiction narratives that read like fiction. I like books that deal with current issues, but that teach you the history of a thing. Have you read IMMUNE by Phillipp Dettmer? Fascinating!

In nonfiction, when in doubt, try me. #MSWL

Trisha de Guzman
@trishadeg
Editor
🇵🇭 Filipino immigrant ✨ Editor at Farrar Straus Giroux Books For Young Readers ✨ wannabe outdoorsman @mackidsbooks @fiercereads #WNDB #POCinPub
36 MSWL

I have a soft spot for grounded stories with touches of speculative fiction, cheeky, self-aware humor, and elevated horror.

I am *not* the right editor for mss that contain sexual violence, stalking, or predatory behavior, or picture books with animal characters.

Trisha de Guzman
@trishadeg
Editor
🇵🇭 Filipino immigrant ✨ Editor at Farrar Straus Giroux Books For Young Readers ✨ wannabe outdoorsman @mackidsbooks @fiercereads #WNDB #POCinPub
36 MSWL

PICTURE BOOK:
--Offbeat humor and cheeky, adventurous characters
--Thoughtful, emotional stories with unusually beautiful art

Sam B. Farkas
@SamBFarkas
Literary Agent
Foreign Rights & Agent at Jill Grinberg Literary. History dork. Gritty fanatic. Licorice connoisseur. She/her. Writer rep’d by @patricianels
40 MSWL

I'm also hungry for ROMANCE. Especially contemporary, but also historical.

Again, I'm looking for a really strong hook in this category. Humor is a plus! #MSWL

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

I enjoy provocative humor—humor that challenges the intellect. I am open to comedy of manners, satires, surrealist stories, dark comedies, etc. Humor that’s also a little sad is my sweet spot. MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close is a great example of a wickedly witty story.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

Speaking of humor… I’m looking for anything with a darkly funny sensibility. Ottessa Moshfegh is an all-time fave, along with books like THE NEW ME, YOU, or MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER, and TV shows like White Lotus.

Claire Friedman
@clairefriedman8
Literary Agent
Lit Agent @inkwellmgmt // claire@inkwellmanagement.com// Doesn't fully understand how to operate the Tweeter
23 MSWL

I’m beyond OBSESSED with the TV show Yellowjackets -- would love love love to find something that brings the scares alongside a wicked sense of humor! This goes for thrillers, too -- I’d love to find the next Lucy Foley, Megan Abbott, or Jessica Knoll.