YA and MG – Contemporary This is my top priority. My favorite published books I’ve worked on are TOGETHER WE CAUGHT FIRE by Eva V. Gibson (YA) and THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE by Chad Lucas (MG). Literary, lyrical writing. Prose or novels-in-verse welcome! “Dark and gritty”, “issue-driven” I also always appreciate moments of triumph and joy, especially for marginalized characters! Slice-of-life and coming-of-age Protagonist ages: 11-12 and upward (love college-aged protagonists, on the opposite end!) Voice-driven, character-focused BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ experiences Chronic illness and/or disability Mental health, neurodivergence Multiple POV or mixed-perspective Mixed media or multiple timelines Romance as a subplot Non-romantic relationship focus—friendship and found family, “friend break-up”, complicated family dynamics YA and MG – Genre
Fantasy/speculative
Foremost, contemporary fantasy with lyrical writing and character focus. I’m open to near-future dystopian (but not post-apocalyptic) involving social critique and/or magic. Sparingly open to higher fantasy, if the world-building is detailed, atmospheric, and accessible. And though I’m not a fit for most supernatural or fantastical characters, I love ghost stories!
Historical
Sparingly open; I prefer stories set in the nearer-past. Lesser-told times in history, with a human-interest element alongside the historical education.
Thriller/suspense
Must be character- and voice-driven–I like more focus on character and lyricism than is most common for these genres. I like murder mysteries, especially with unconventional formats.
Anthology
Sparingly interested, for both fiction and nonfiction. Picture books This will be the smallest part of my list. My favorite (soon-t0-be) published picture book I’ve worked on is THE HOLE by Lindsay Bonilla. Grief – Honest about the heavy parts; hopeful but not saccharine BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ – Anything from slice-of-life, to celebratory, to informative, to issue-based! Disability, in both fiction and nonfiction Diverse cultures, holidays, traditions, identities Sparingly open to bios; women, LGBTQIA+, and/or BIPOC subjects preferred Author-illustrators/teams! I prefer human narrators over animal narrators, but I’m not totally closed to the latter. Random/specific topics of interest—many of these asks are inspired by my own identities and experiences!: Death/grief, specifically loss of parent or friend Endometriosis, adenomyosis, hearing loss, brain tumors, trouble walking/balance disorders Fat characters who are *not* interested in weight loss Asexual characters Pets, especially cats, and especially if the owner was hesitant at first Beach settings Retellings (but not necessarily of popular fairy tales) Singers, music, musical theatre Characters who don’t want kids Knitting Gymnastics Holidays
I am *not* a fit for
Racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, xenophobic, misogynist, or otherwise discriminatory content Rhyming picture books (unless the author mainly writes free verse or prose) Early readers, chapter books, lower MG Adult books (unless the author mainly writes, and is querying me with, kidlit) Third-person. I’d work on occasional third-person books (especially picture books!), but have a strong preference for first-person, as I personally often find it easier to connect with a character’s voice and interiority in first-person. To be clear, I have nothing against third-person; this is just my own taste! Art-only submissions Graphic novels or comics (but I enjoy hybrid/illustrated novels!) Christian religious themes (except for stories about leaving the religion) or parables Pirates Court fantasy Sci-fi (especially aliens, space) Time travel or portals Insects Prehistoric settings Assassins, the mafia, organized crime, etc. Animal narrators or talking-animal characters, outside PBs Supernatural/fantastical characters other than ghosts, including faeries, vampires, werewolves, elves