I feel like I need to clarify what I mean about books that make me happy. I'm NOT looking for books that ARE HAPPY all the way through. That's nuts. Books need conflict and complications and ups and downs. I am looking for books that MAKE ME HAPPY. #MSWL

I have more space for MG on my list than YA. My YA list is really healthy and active. In either case, I'm looking for people who complement it, but don't replicate it. (Does that make sense?)

YA:
- Would love some more big romance with a hook. Smart and swoony. If there's an irreverent quality to it (ala VIOLET MADE OF THORNS), all the better.
- Speculative twists and hooks. Splashes of magic or sci-fi.
- Books that feel like going on a vacation somewhere exciting.

Let's talk #MSWL! (Is this still a useful hashtag? I'm so rusty.) When I reopen on 3/1, I'll want...

MG/YA generally:
- I want books that make me happy. I do not want to be depressed.
- Things really need to stand out right now. BIG concepts. BIG feels. BIG twists.

For YA manuscripts, follow the submission guidelines for @fluxbooks and mention my name!

For MG manuscripts, follow the guidelines for @JollyFishPress and mention my name!

#MSWL #YA #MG

Querying authors, we're looking for #YA and #YAFantasy, including fairytale retellings w/ a unique approach. Must be tailored for the Christian market and you need a strong platform. No DMs. See submission guidelines here: rachellegardner.com/submissions #MSWL #InspyBooks #ChristFic

“But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” Aldous Huxley just about sums up my #MSWL this week. Send me your beautiful, challenging #YA fiction at vulpine-press.com/submissions-1

#MSWL. Would love to see some historical fiction set in the 1950s. I am also a fan of most New York City history and stories about hidden figures who played a key role in the city's culture and arts. Continuing to look for YA and adult rom coms, especially with diverse casts.

I want "American Unearthed" but in a MG or YA series, with an odd mix of characters who don't normally hang out together but search for the truth while they discover they aren't so different after all. Diverse charcters will get precedence in slush pile! #MSWL #query

So this is really specific, but if anyone has a project they'd pitch as Jurassic Park but in Space (MG or YA), I MUST HAVE IT. It'd be sweet if they're actually dinos, (WHY are their dinos in space? I don't know) but I'd take aliens or something else. #MSWL

Querying authors, I’m pumped to share that I’ll be open to queries from February 15-April 15! I’m looking for YA and MG in all genres. Bring on all the plot twists, vibes, beautiful writing, and underrepresented voices! #MSWL

querymanager.com/DanielleBurby

I know it’s not a kidlit book, but THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA cured my reading rut and was a hug I desperately needed. I would love to see something like this but for MG/YA with truly wholesome, chaotic, and lovable characters. #MSWL

For YA, I want first job stories, gap year journeys, rom-coms with a big hook, and literally anything that could be comp'd to Sex Education or Never Have I Ever. #MSWL

I'm always looking for MG & YA fiction; graphic novels (early reader - YA); nonfiction for all ages (STEM, social justice, little known history); author-illustrated PBs; projects by BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse & disabled creators. #MSWL

The pitch: YA mystery anthology narrated by the witnesses/suspects written by all different authors in different styles. BLACKOUT meets “The Afterparty.” #MSWL

As far as my #mswl goes, right now I’m looking for mostly character-driven YA with a killer voice featuring one or more of these things:

-intersectional feminist and environmentally conscious themes
-activism
-LGBTQIA+ characters (esp. trans, bisexual, and asexual youth)
(3/5)

Really want to see more YA thrillers #mswl

I will also add there is a tendency when looking at YA fantasy to over-simplify with "This fairy tale/classic re-telling is overdone" but when you look at it, it's all white/western retellings. I am 100% open to retellings from new perspectives. #MSWL #AskECLA

Yes same!! And survival + horror! I am dying for something that meshes those in interesting ways like #WilderGirls or #Yellowjackets circa 1996. More for #YAlit. #askECLA #MSWL

I will forever want more survival stories-- Hatchet was one of my faves growing up, I loved THE RAFT, OBLIVION ROAD, FIVE TOTAL STRANGERS, etc. If they're snowed in, stranded at sea, stuck in a desert, I want to read it. MG & YA. #MSWL #AskECLA