-- THE GREAT NORTH -- I'd love to see a novel or book club adult fic about characters out in Alaska or similarly remote landscape. This one I'm genre agnostic on, I'll take humor, horror, thriller, romance, across all age groups (nothing younger than MG).

My son has asked me to "make more books with talking animals" so, here's my official request to agents on his behalf. I'm interested in picture books with strong SEL hooks and would love to see more humor too. Must connect to our mission of helping kids thrive. #MSWL

Stories that center nuanced + dynamic characters. I think of work that has a combination of humor + heart (like Insecure or Abbot Elementary) and uses stylistic elements (like voice, POV, structure) to create a compelling narrative (2/8)

In MG…
- MAGIC!!!
- Percy Jackson-esque adventure
- Humor and warmth
- Complex family dynamics/ sibling relationships

I only do MG and YA. My taste leans commercial and escapist and ultimately…fun. Big imaginations. Joy of adventure. Humor. Romance. Big feelings. I’ts okay if we’re not a match. There’s a bazillion agents these days. #MSWL

#MSWL Still (forever) seeking voicey female-fronted thrillers. Less domestic/psych suspense fiction (unless they've got a killer Gone Girl-style twist), more heists, fights, action/adventure goodness. Would love a female Reacher equivalent. Humor also much appreciated.

#MSWL time! I REALLY want something for Mystic Owl. Which means: 75K or under, HOT adult PNR or UF romance or Sci-fi romance. Heavy on the romance in any sub-genre of Fantasy, but with action as well. I love at least a touch of humor, especially dark. @ me w/any questions!

Just read an article in the NYT about humor and Judaism and it made me think about how badly I'd like to see a Jewish Rom Com in the vein of My Big Fat Greek Wedding with a big Jewish family, lots of humor, and the concept of welcoming an outsider into a new culture. #MSWL

MG:
- I like zany humor and mad-cap adventures. (See TIME VILLAINS and 7TH GRADE V. GALAXY on my list.)
- Epic fantasy is great—but the more original the world the better.
- A sense of FUN and POSSIBILITY and MAGIC (doesn't have to be literal magic, but it doesn't hurt).

Some things I am currently looking for across age groups:
✨More humor—we could all use more laughter right now, right?!
✨Kids falling in love with the outdoors—camping, urban gardens, farms, really anything to do with nature.
✨ Girls who do martial arts!

Putting out a call for humor like this amazing book I read recently… until 5:30am. 🙃
#mswl

I’ve opened to picture books. I’ve missed my PB community. (Go easy on me.)

I’ll be prioritizing authors and/or illustrators from marginalized communities, books with side-splitting humor, and fascinating nonfiction (that’s not a bio).

Querymanager.com/jmcgowan - #MSWL

ALWAYS want #YA whodunnits/mysteries that are puzzle-y or riddle-strewn and have touches of humor and lively characters in the spirit of Agatha Christie, like #TrulyDevious or the Inheritance Games series. #MSWL #amquerying

-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

(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

🌟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

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

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!"

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

✨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...