Natascha Morris is a commercially minded, editorially sharp agent at The Tobias Literary Agency who specializes in voice-driven fiction for children and young adults, with a quietly robust picture book illustration list and a growing appetite for adult fiction with crossover heart.
In brief
Her deal record tells a story her wishlist undersells: picture books—especially illustrated titles—dominate her recent output, with illustrator Raissa Figueroa alone accounting for five confirmed forthcoming titles (Spring 2026). Writers should treat her as a dual-threat agent with equal muscle in YA and illustrated picture books.
Her YA anchor is Laura Taylor Namey, a repeat client whose work has hit the New York Times bestseller list and earned a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick—evidence of real commercial range at the top tier.
She has a second Reese Witherspoon Book Club LitUp Pick (TIME AND TIME AGAIN by Chatham Greenfield, also a Stonewall Honor Book), plus a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and an APALA Award winner among her picture book clients—suggesting consistent awards-track taste alongside commercial instincts.
Despite listing romance, fantasy/sci-fi, and speculative genres in her specialties, she explicitly does NOT want science fiction in any category—a meaningful qualifier to heed.
Her submissions are currently CLOSED as of May 2026; writers should monitor her form directly before querying.
Lately
Morris describes her editorial philosophy as rooted in the belief that all books should be both well-written and entertaining, and that every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the stories they read—a principle that shapes her across-the-board preference for diverse, authentic voices.
I'm on the kidlit side with Natasha. I represent picture books through YA, including illustrators. I cover all genres, and middle grade tends to be my sweet spot, but I'm also looking for picture book author-illustrators and would love to grow my YA list.
What I'm hearing for the picture book market right now is strong narrative arcs and character-driven stories. A lot of editors would love to see a character that could be developed into a series. For nonfiction picture books, they want interesting, lesser-covered bits of history — undiscovered stories rather than the standard biography, though bios will always be around. If you're going to do a bio, it needs to be a unique take — perhaps a person set around a specific event rather than a birth-to-grave biography.
I think angels in YA are played out, especially in the current climate. Natasha always says everything in YA is phoenixes, fae, and death angels. I don't want to say they're completely dead, because you might be the one who writes the most brilliant angel YA book we've ever seen — but that's what it would take to bring them back.
For a dummy, I like to see at least a couple of finished spreads so you can get a sense of the color, palette, and overall feel of the art. The rest can be sketches and can be pretty rough, but you need to be able to tell who the characters are, see the emotions, and understand what's happening in each scene. A PDF is usually better than just thumbnails, and more true to size.
If you're sending out queries and not getting any requests at all, something likely isn't working in your query letter or in those opening pages. If you're getting requests but then rejections after the request, it's most likely your murky middle — something in the middle of the manuscript isn't working. Those are your hot quick tips on rejections.
I'm fine with resubmitting after a major revision, but it is helpful if you let me know what changed — there are a lot of people who resubmit without realizing it, and I want to make sure that's not the situation.
What Natascha is looking for
Morris is actively building her YA list and wants high-concept, emotionally resonant stories with unforgettable, authentic characters and genuine commercial appeal. She's drawn to genre mashups—mystery threaded through a rom-com, fantasy with workplace-drama energy, comedic fantasy with a grounded contemporary voice. Specific items on her radar: atmospheric or fun mermaid narratives, Ren Fair settings, sweeping epic romances, secret advice columns, and stories where teens organize underground resistance—think censorship protests or side hustles. The tonal sweet spot she describes lands somewhere between sharp, witty city-girl comedy and Regency-inflected social intrigue. Diverse and intersectional voices are a priority; authors with disabilities or chronic illnesses are explicitly welcomed.
Despite calling herself picky here, her recent deal record is picture-book-heavy—this is where she is most active right now. She responds to gut instinct over formula, and her taste runs from lyrical and literary to high-energy and concept-driven. A slightly spooky or whimsical tilt is welcome; she references 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends' vibes and poison gardens as flavor signals. Both author-illustrators and standalone authors are welcome, though her confirmed sales skew heavily toward illustrated works. She does NOT seek picture book authors who are not illustrating their own work as a blanket rule—read her current guidelines carefully, as picture books are the area where her stated selectivity is highest.
Listed as a represented category. Her taste signals—diverse voices, hooky concepts, strong emotional cores—translate directly to MG. Genre-blending (mystery, fantasy, light horror, speculative) and joyful intersectional storytelling are the through-lines to emphasize in a query.
A newer and growing area for Morris. She leans toward cozy, comedic, and high-concept commercial projects—grounded fantasy, whimsical British-style narration, and stories with a coming-of-age adult sensibility or strong crossover appeal. Emotionally resonant humor and genre play are key. She is not seeking hard science fiction here or elsewhere.
She represents graphic novels and her client list includes award-recognized graphic novel work for young readers. Diverse perspectives and strong visual storytelling concepts are the draw. Science fiction is excluded here as in all categories.
Not the right fit
On Natascha's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Natascha
Her form is CLOSED as of May 2026—check her agency page before doing anything else. Querying a closed form wastes your submission.
Lead with concept and hook, not biography. Her wishlist repeatedly emphasizes 'high concept' and 'hooky'—your query's opening line should do exactly that work.
If your story blends genres, name the blend explicitly and confidently. She gravitates toward mashups ('mystery meets rom-com,' 'fantasy meets workplace drama'), so calling yours out is a feature, not a hedge.
Do NOT submit science fiction. This is a hard exclusion across every category she represents—even if your book leans SF-adjacent, the label alone may disqualify it.
Diverse and intersectional voices, including authors with disabilities or chronic illnesses, are explicitly invited—if that describes you, it is worth mentioning in your query bio.
For picture books: clarify immediately whether you are an author-illustrator or author only. She distinguishes between the two, and this determines whether she can even consider your project.
She responds to all queries but asks that nudges come through the form—not by email—if you have not heard back within 90 days.
Her YA anchor clients have earned Reese Witherspoon picks and NYT bestseller status: she is actively commercial. Frame your YA pitch in terms of readership, market position, and emotional stakes—not just theme.