Erica Bauman is a New York-based Aevitas Creative Management agent who specializes in middle grade, young adult, and select adult fiction, with a deep appetite for genre-bending stories, misfit protagonists, eerie atmospheres, and mythology-infused narratives across all age categories.
In brief
Erica Bauman's wishlist is notably genre-fluid — they want books that resist easy categorization, cross genre lines, and play with form, making them an ideal match for writers whose work is hard to shelve in a single place.
Their stated taste skews strongly toward middle grade and young adult, with adult fiction treated as a selective, narrower lane — writers in adult should ensure their project fits the specific commercial/upmarket + witty or speculative sweet spot before querying.
Recurring taste signals across the wishlist — Coraline-style eerie MG, mythology-woven YA, Practical Magic-adjacent adult — suggest Erica is drawn to stories that feel emotionally atmospheric and slightly uncanny, even within otherwise light or comedic premises.
Erica explicitly welcomes MG and YA graphic novels, both fiction and nonfiction — an underserved lane that many agents skip, making this a strategic opportunity for author-illustrators or writer/artist teams in those categories.
They have stated a firm policy against submissions that use AI-generated content in any form — this is a hard disqualifier and should be treated as a dealbreaker, not a soft preference.
Lately
Hi Bluesky, and happy #MSWL Day! My up-to-date #MSWL can always be found on Instagram (www.instagram.com/p/DS2tRNrjmx...), but here are some specifics…
Erica posted a detailed, up-to-date wishlist update to their Instagram account (@ericabaumanbooks), noting that their current submission interests are maintained there and encouraging writers to check for the most current specifics before querying.
I'm an agent at ACS Creative Management and I've been with them since around 2015, so coming up on ten years now, which is wild to think about.
I really love horror that is very personal — maybe not vast and epic, but with very personal stakes to the characters, and that explores the horrors of existence in a relatable way. And maybe not super gory, because I am sensitive.
I think the horror that's really having a moment is what's being referred to as socially conscious horror — where it's either inspired by a certain aspect of life or a certain aspect of identity, takes what's going on in the world, and gives it a twist that heightens the unreality or the horror of it in a very specific way.
Something like The Babadook is a great example — it takes grief and creates a physical manifestation of grief and depression, and has that haunt the character. That's a very pointed way of exploring something deeply relatable through a lens that creates just enough distance, while still connecting on a deeply emotional level. Jordan Peele does it so well at the top of the genre.
I'm the biggest scaredy cat even though I love horror. I can't handle the gore in movies — my brain can't process it visually — but I love jump scares and really weird creature or supernatural stuff. That translates to my reading taste too.
What Erica is looking for
Erica wants the full spectrum of MG genres, with a pronounced lean toward eerie, atmospheric horror (think Coraline-level unsettling rather than gory), and magic systems that feel genuinely original. They're drawn to misfit protagonists — kids who are odd, proud of it, and funny. Big adventure stories, epic best-friend dynamics, and girl-genius characters are all on the radar. Humor and quirk are strong plusses throughout.
Erica is actively seeking graphic novels at both the MG and YA level, covering fiction and nonfiction alike. Standout subjects include found-family stories, biographies of historically overlooked figures, and deep-dives into lesser-known historical moments. This is a priority lane that many agents don't flag explicitly, making it worth targeting if the work fits.
Genre fiction is Erica's YA home territory, and they want it cross-pollinated: a historical mystery with an unreliable narrator, a mythology retelling that also works as a thriller, a fairy tale that doubles as horror. They're especially excited about stories rooted in mythology, folklore, and obscure fairy tales, as well as retellings of classic literature, ballet, or opera. Structural experimentation — nonlinear timelines, epistolary formats, nested narratives — is genuinely welcome, not just tolerated. Modern noir and Nick-and-Nora-style witty romantic tension are also on the list.
Erica wants horror that is rooted in real-life issues and emotional truth — not slasher or gratuitously gory work, but the kind of dread that comes from something psychologically or socially recognizable. It Follows-style creeping menace is the benchmark. Moody, haunting, and eerie are the adjectives to keep in mind.
In adult fiction, Erica gravitates toward voice-driven, witty romcoms with strong commercial hooks and genuinely beautiful prose. Meg Cabot-level voice — fast, funny, self-aware — is the target register. Stories starring self-described nerds or characters who are enthusiastically, earnestly uncool are a particular draw.
Erica is open to adult speculative fiction as long as it stays in the dreamy, intimate, emotionally grounded register — think found-family magical dynamics, romantic fabulism, and mythology transplanted into unexpected historical eras. This is not the lane for hard-magic systems or epic world-building; the emphasis is on atmosphere, character, and feeling.
Erica is interested in science fiction set in the near future where the emotional and character arcs drive the story. This is explicitly not the lane for space opera, intergalactic war, or alien invasions — the science fictional premise should be a lens for human experience, not the main event.
Retellings surface as a recurring priority across all age ranges. Erica's key requirement: the retelling must be able to stand entirely on its own — readers with no knowledge of the source material should be fully satisfied. Genre-crossing is strongly encouraged. Specific named touchstones include an Edgar Allan Poe retelling, a Peter Pan retelling, a Cupid/Psyche retelling, and a Hadestown-style classical mythology mashup set in a different historical era.
Not the right fit
On Erica's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Erica
Use the live submission form linked from Erica's agency page — it is the only accepted submission method, and Erica has noted their current interests are updated on their Instagram (@ericabaumanbooks), so cross-check both before submitting.
Lead with genre-crossing in your query letter: if your book is a mythology-infused historical mystery with an unreliable narrator, say all of that — Erica specifically wants stories that resist single-genre labels.
If your protagonist is a misfit, a nerd, an enthusiastic failure, or someone who tries hard despite being outgunned, say so explicitly in the first paragraph — this character archetype appears repeatedly across Erica's stated interests.
For MG submissions, name the emotional register (eerie, funny, quirky, cozy) upfront; Erica is sorting for atmosphere as much as plot.
For retellings, demonstrate in the query that your book works as a standalone — Erica's stated requirement is that no prior knowledge of the source text should be needed, so show that independence in your pitch.
Adult fiction writers should establish commercial stakes and distinctive voice in the opening lines; Erica frames adult as a narrower lane and will be assessing whether the project has clear market positioning alongside literary merit.
Do not submit any project that has used AI-generated text or AI-assisted writing in any form — Erica has stated this as a hard disqualifier and it is non-negotiable.
Graphic novel submissions (MG or YA, fiction or nonfiction) are explicitly welcome — if you are an author-illustrator or a writer/artist team, flag that clearly in your query.