instead, i'd love to see speculative YA set in our world, particularly stories that are or play with horror, and fabulist fiction. some books in those spaces that i've enjoyed recently are: DELICIOUS MONSTERS by liselle sambury and HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY by safia elhillo
#mswl

starting w the 1 exception (things i used to want that no longer fit my #mswl & what i'm looking for instead): i've been thinking a lot about what i'd like to see more of in YA, and while it saddens me a bit, i'm not the right person for YA sci fi + 2nd world fantasy anymore 😔

Someone must've boosted the literary agents starter pack again because my follows are blowing up, so here's my
#MSWL : www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/ro...

TL;DR: Send me literary & upmarket adult fiction and narrative nonfiction; closed to kidlit (inc YA) and unlikely to sign SFF right now

Here is my updated #MSWL for winter 2025. I will be opening back up to unsolicited queries at the end of the month. If I’ve requested materials from you please send me a DM for my query link.

Now that I’m more situated in 2025, just thought I’d re-share what I’m looking for at my #MSWL link below!

www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/re...

Some very specific wants for the new year in ya & mg - bubblegum horror w/ romance | deaf/hoh rep | celiac disease rep | ensemble casts | queernormative | jewish rep | contemporary gothic | diverse characters | paranormal #MSWL

#Agents As the year opens, I'm excited to highlight a few
#MSWL submissions, I'd love to see in my inbox. I'm open to children's (esp YA) and adult submissions, so assume the below refers to either!

Something I can’t get enough of is REALITY TV with a SFF, horror, or thriller/mystery element. #mswl

Think The Selection, Hunger Games, though doesn’t have to be YA.

Not a fit for contemporary romance reality TV. It needs a genre element to really pique my interest.

Also, I need a lady knight book. Maybe in a contemporary? #MSWL #YA

Also, I really like unlikable characters. They have to be relatable, and morally grey, but wow are they complex. #MSWL #YA

Mermaids.

Predators of the deep. Soft mermaids who never go in the water.

Give me mermaids, please! #MSWL #YA #MG

On the older side for nonfiction, I'd love nonfiction that was more than just what we currently have. I just read ATTACHED (so good) and I am thinking, wow if only I had read this as a kid. Where is the hip #YA NF that makes it cool to know about marketing, psychology, history of tattoos, etc #MSWL

As any good fantasy nerd, I love fantasy. In MG and YA, but I am picky nowadays. So it has to feel different. But give me high concept stories. Give me beautiful writing. Give me morally complex characters. #MSWL

YA: thrillers and suspense, I especially like unreliable narrators, locked room settings and time clocks. Fast paced action is a little more my vibe than slow burn mystery.

YA: fantasy/speculative with easy entry/accessible worldbuilding, or contemporary settings with magical elements like monsters or witchcraft. Either propulsive like a VE Schwab or cozy like the Spellshop or Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Open to crossover but has to have that teen voice.

YA: Romance! I love forbidden/star crossed lovers, forced proximity, enemies/rivals to lovers and low stakes feel-good love stories including queer stories! Open to both contemporary, romantasy, fantasy subplots, the works!

It’s feeling like a good time to update my #mswl with what I’m interested in this year! As always I’m acquiring PB, MG, and YA, and can only accept agented submissions. 👇

What I'm specifically looking for atm:

High heat romantasy
Non-western fantasy
YA + MG horror/horror romance
YA + MG mystery
Stories that read like Fright Krewe & Blood At The Root (I beg)
Stories that read like Mexican Gothic & The Hacienda
House of the Beast comps

#mswl

In kid lit... I’d really love to grow my young adult & middle-grade list with...
✅ voicey friendships with sleuth mystery
✅ lush worlds with trustworthy companions
✅ humorous self-love navigating identity

#MSWL

2025 is here and I'm so excited to see what this year has in store for my #mswl ✨

I'm actively continuing to grow my adult and #kidlit lists this year and I'm also looking to expand into #nonfiction . Here's what I'm on the lookout for in these categories 🧵⬇️