Masha Gunic is an Associate Agent at Azantian Literary Agency who exclusively seeks middle grade and young adult fiction, with a particular appetite for high-concept, voice-driven stories that blend commercial appeal with emotional depth.
In brief
Masha works exclusively in children's fiction — middle grade and YA only; no picture books, no adult, no nonfiction.
Her wishlist skews heavily commercial and voice-led: she wants books she cannot put down, with unforgettable characters and vivid worlds.
Her personal biography — emigrating from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s — directly shapes her stated affinity for immigrant experience narratives, a meaningful signal for writers working in that space.
Her professional background spans both editorial (Abrams Books, children's division) and agenting, giving her an unusually hands-on, manuscript-level perspective compared to agents who came up purely on the deal side.
As of May 2024, her submissions are closed — confirm live status before querying.
Lately
Her agency page now lists her query status as closed, and her fun-facts section has been meaningfully updated — she now describes mountain biking on trails and taekwondo as her current interests, replacing the older gym-and-barre-class version of herself. This signals an actively maintained profile, not an abandoned one.
What Masha is looking for
Brave, whimsical adventure stories are her stated sweet spot. She loves underdogs and antiheroes, and responds strongly to fantasy with genuine imaginative scope. The tone can run wide — from laugh-out-loud funny to creepy and spine-chilling — but the voice must be relatable and the character work must earn its emotional moments. Strong friendship and family dynamics are recurring requirements, not optional flourishes.
She welcomes heartbreaking contemporary MG that leans into exceptional character development, as well as historical fiction with a vivid sense of time and place. The bar is high on voice: relatable, distinct, and emotionally resonant. Historical MG in the vein of richly detailed period narratives holds clear appeal.
She actively hunts for page-turning YA contemporaries and mysteries with twists that actually land. The pacing must be propulsive — she describes wanting to read straight through without stopping. Voice is non-negotiable; masterful prose sets the ceiling. Her love of true crime and investigative storytelling in her personal life maps directly onto this category.
Beautiful world-building with a vivid, immersive setting is a firm prerequisite here. She gravitates toward complex, unforgettable characters and is drawn to both sweeping historical fantasy and quieter magical realism. High-concept execution matters: the premise should be immediately distinctive, and the writing must be able to hold up the ambition of the concept.
She has a specific vision here: smart, emotionally grounded science fiction rather than action-heavy genre spectacle. A space opera needs intellectual weight; a near-future story needs human stakes at its core. Her personal fascination with astrophysics is genuine and informs what she considers 'grounded.' This is a narrower lane than her fantasy appetite — the concept and execution both need to be exceptional.
Not the right fit
On Masha's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Masha
Confirm she has reopened before submitting — she was closed as of May 2024 and no reopening date has been announced.
Lead with voice. Across every category she mentions, a strong, distinctive narrative voice is the first filter. Your query letter should demonstrate voice, not just summarize plot.
Name the category and age group explicitly and early. She only works in MG and YA — make it immediately clear which you are submitting.
If your story involves the immigrant experience, especially layered or emotionally complex portrayals, call that out. Her own biography makes this a genuine area of personal connection.
For YA sci-fi, anchor your pitch to emotional or philosophical stakes rather than worldbuilding mechanics. Films like Arrival and Interstellar are her benchmarks — think character interiority over action sequences.
For MG, underdog and antihero protagonists are an explicit sweet spot. If your protagonist fits that mold, say so directly.
Avoid vague genre blends without a clear primary category. She distinguishes clearly between types of books within MG and YA — be precise.
Research current submission guidelines on the Azantian Literary Agency website before querying; her requirements may have updated since the last known snapshot.