Pop science in the vein of Mary Roach & Oliver Sacks, & science-adjacent histories like RADIUM GIRLS & HENRIETTA LACKS.

Literary-leaning horror in YA & adult.

I am still on the hunt for the book I’ve been dreaming about since I became an agent: a multigenerational family saga with spec elements set in the South, a Southern 100 Years of Solitude. Dream big, right?

Still looking for my puzzle/scavenger hunt MG. Think GREENGLASS HOUSE. Also spooky MG. Also all MG.

I’d love to see dark & twisty domestic thrillers by BIPOC authors.

Adult upmarket fiction - women’s fic, spec fic, mystery. Looking for beautiful literary writing with a great hook. Would love to see more with older women protags.

A riveting YA or adult adventure novel featuring outdoor sports - a hiker, a climber, an ultramarathoner? A YA about teens hiking the Appalachian Trail or the PCT?!

#MSWL

#MSWL Fandom books and other illustrated, geeky/pop culture non-fiction for YA and MG (maybe even PB?) readers.

#MSWL Middle grade takes on video games (fiction and non-fiction) that go beyond the "fell into the game" trope.

#MSWL Queer rom coms that represent not just the L and the G in LGBTQQIP2SAA.

#MSWL this YA rom-com these four sound hilarious

And TBH these are all tipping points when I'm reading a manuscript that hits squarely in my #MSWL Yesses.

Ready to query? Contact info here!
dystel.com/sharon-pelleti…

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…your project has its best shot at being my next big Nah-to-Yes surprise if it: has strong crossover appeal beyond its genre; hits that upmarket sweetspot where craft, plot, and character meet; evocative (but not purple) setting-as-character; has a grabby pitchable hook #MSWL

#MSWL DISCLAIMER probably most of the Nahs here, you could point to a book I already represent that fits them. One fun thing as an agent is to fall in love with something you never thought you were looking for, even when it makes you look like an idiot in your #MSWL! Sooooo…

#MSWL: SF/F is not my thing. Open to grounded speculative with strong crossover appeal—ordinary with one small or bizarre twist vs. magical/fabulist. NOTHING TO SEE HERE more than NIGHT CIRCUS, THE CITY WE BECAME more than BLACK LEOPARD RED WOLF. No dystopian or time travel.

#MSWL Suspense Nah: crabby alcoholic detectives, LE or PI. Military or political thrillers mimicking current/recent events. Ghosts, dreams, mental institutions don’t work for me. Feeling ODed on Karens with shady husbands and vice versa

#MSWL Suspense YES: setting-as-character in a location we haven’t seen before. A civilian in a career with an intriguing vantage point on people’s habits and motivations. Light grounded horror. Surprise me with something wild like SA Cosby, Rachel Harrison

#MSWL suspense: I'm extra good at this and have a list full of rockstars, so you really gotta knock it out of the park. Upmarket: big on voice/setting, starting a conversation about issues of justice, equality, class, etc., character-driven storytelling, a truly FRESH twist

#MSWL I'd love to see a MG or YA spin doctor. Think the energy of #ShirleyandJamilaSaveTheirSummer meets the Good Wife's Eli Gold.