Michaela Whatnall is a New York-based Dystel, Goderich & Bourret agent who leads with character-driven YA and upmarket adult fiction, with a clear editorial eye for stories powered by complex relationships and underrepresented perspectives.
In brief
Their sales record skews heavily YA — multiple titles sold for Kika Hatzopoulou, Jenna Miller, and Anna Mercier — making YA their most demonstrated strength despite adult fiction being the area they're loudest about wanting to build.
Repeat-client depth is real: Hatzopoulou has two YA deals, Wan has two adult fiction deals, and Mercier has both a YA novel and a picture book — suggesting Whatnall actively builds author careers across a body of work, not just one book.
Sophie Wan's Women of Good Fortune demonstrates Whatnall's adult commercial appetite: the book functions as a friendship/women's-pressures novel disguised as a heist caper — upmarket literary themes wrapped in a propulsive, high-concept plot.
Their romantasy and adult fantasy interests come with explicit gatekeepers: romantasy must center queer, BIPOC, or otherwise underrepresented protagonists; adult fantasy must be grounded (our world or close to it) — not epic or high fantasy.
Queer representation runs through virtually every confirmed sale (Miller's two queer YA novels, Hatzopoulou's mythology-drenched YA, Wan's women-centric adult fiction), signaling this is a core editorial value, not just a stated preference.
Lately
Whatnall publicly called out contemporary middle grade as an active priority, particularly stories with a distinctive hook that spotlight experiences seldom seen on the page.
I work on everything from children's to adult. In picture books, chapter books, and middle grade I do all genres but have a specific soft spot for contemporary — I love those layered, thematic, school-set stories. In YA I love absolutely all of it as long as it has some kind of story hook. On the adult side I love fantasy, mostly grounded fantasy — whether that's set in our world with a touch of magic or in another world that feels familiar. I also do upmarket adult fiction, mostly contemporary but could be historical or speculative, that combines a propulsive plot with themes you can really dig into. And I do a touch of queer romance, mostly with historically underrepresented characters, plus a dash of graphic novel and non-fiction, mostly on the children's side.
If I could wave a magic wand and have anything in my inbox it would be the perfect comp to Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies — that adult low-fantasy series. I love it because it's brilliantly character-driven, grounded in our world but lets you access the fantastic, and has an incredible romance you're rooting for so hard. I'd love to find accessible adult fantasy that cares about its characters more than anything else — it has those cozy vibes but the stakes genuinely escalate by the end. Something that meets in the middle.
Contemporary can be a hard sell, especially in middle grade and YA right now — we're being told it's quiet — but I'm still having success selling it when it has a specific voice and a specific experience. Contemporary that works needs some kind of hook, even if it's a quiet hook. And stakes don't have to mean saving the world; they just have to feel like the end of the world to the character. That can be literally saving the world, or it can be passing a math test — as long as you make the reader understand what the impact is on that character, even a quiet story can feel incredibly high stakes.
The tip I come back to most for writers is to lean into specificity — in your queries and in your manuscripts. Look at what makes your story unique and turn up the dial on those elements. Think about where your own expertise, personality, and experiences can inform the manuscript. What are the stories only you can tell, and how can you lean into that harder than you already are? Usually when I sign something, my main notes are: here's what's working — let's do more of that.
A book I recently sold came about because my client got really into baking — it became a hobby of hers — and she realized she could infuse that into a story she was already passionate about. The food comes alive in that book in a way that it simply wouldn't if someone without that passion had written it. She found a window into something she cared about deeply, and it makes the whole book better. So really look for what's specific in your writing and how you can dial that up.
What Michaela is looking for
This is Whatnall's most prolific sales category and their self-described 'anything goes' space. Across genres — fantasy, speculative, contemporary, genre-blended — strong concept and sharp character dynamics are the non-negotiables. They have a particular pull toward hooky YA fantasy with a grounded setting, high stakes, and rich ensemble or duo dynamics. Speculative and genre-blended YA are also firmly on their radar.
Whatnall is actively seeking layered, heartfelt contemporary MG — or contemporary lightly inflected with magic — that centers experiences and backgrounds rarely given page space. The hook needs to feel distinctive, and emotional depth is essential. Open to other MG genres, but contemporary is the clear priority.
One of the areas Whatnall is most deliberately building. They want novels that move at pace (propulsive plotting) while carrying thematic weight underneath — think a book with a crowd-pleasing surface concept that hides something genuinely meaningful about human experience. Speculative, contemporary, and historical registers are all welcomed within this category. Sophie Wan's work is the template: commercial-feeling premise, literary-feeling core.
Whatnall is specifically interested in fantasy set in our world or a world that reads as close to our own — not epic or high fantasy. Character must lead; the worldbuilding hook should be expressible in a single sentence. This is a selective lane with a real gate: if your world requires extensive lore-building to describe, it is likely not the right fit.
Whatnall is open to romantasy but has a clear and firm filter: the protagonist must be queer, BIPOC, or otherwise underrepresented. This is not a category they're pursuing broadly — the gate matters.
Whatnall is enthusiastic about what they see as a reemergence of dystopian fiction, including romance-forward dystopian novels. They're looking for the book that speaks to readers who grew up on classic YA dystopia and are now adults looking for something with similar energy and stakes.
High concept is the operative phrase here — Whatnall wants romance that does something fresh, whether that means subverting familiar tropes or using them in a genuinely unexpected way. An action/adventure element or a touch of magic or the paranormal is particularly appealing, though high-concept contemporary romance is also on the table.
Whatnall will consider MG and YA graphic novel proposals, but only complete proposals that include both script and finished art. Adult graphic novels are not being considered at this time.
Open to picture books — text only or text-and-art — but only those that do something genuinely new: an unexplored topic, a fresh lens on a universal childhood experience, or a formally inventive approach. Standard concept or execution is unlikely to interest them.
A narrow lane: Whatnall is seeking narrative nonfiction in the areas of pop culture and cultural criticism, and sports books that foreground women or queer athletes. Other nonfiction categories are not currently a focus.
Not the right fit
On Michaela's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Michaela
Lead with the relationship at the heart of your book — Whatnall's wishlist and sales record both confirm that character dynamics (slow-burn romance, complicated friendships, sibling tension) are the emotional core they respond to most. Name yours explicitly in your query letter.
If you're querying YA, lean into concept clarity: Whatnall describes wanting a 'strong concept' — your query should make the hook unmistakable in the first few sentences.
For adult upmarket fiction, make the surface premise and the underlying thematic layer both visible in your pitch. They explicitly want to feel both the plot momentum and the emotional or social stakes underneath.
If your adult fantasy has any world-building complexity, distill it ruthlessly: Whatnall has stated the world-building hook must be expressible in one sentence. Test yourself before you query.
Representation of queer, trans, nonbinary, asexual, or BIPOC characters is not just welcomed — it recurs across Whatnall's entire client list. If your book centers these experiences, say so clearly and early.
Avoid querying adult romantasy unless your protagonist is explicitly queer, BIPOC, or otherwise underrepresented — this gate is stated plainly and should be taken literally.
For MG graphic novels, do not query without completed art. Whatnall's wishlist specifies proposals that include both text and art; a script alone will not qualify.
Mention relevant comps, especially if your book inhabits the same space as their existing clients' work — e.g., mythology-inflected YA fantasy, queer contemporary YA, or heist-adjacent upmarket adult fiction.