Manuscript Wishlist

Please note I only accept agented submissions.
updated August 2024

What I’m Looking for Right Now

  • Younger YA/upper MG not entirely focused on romance

  • Cozy MG and YA mysteries

  • Stories from disabled writers

  • Examinations of the intersection of culture, family, and sense of self

  • Loners finding their people

  • Messy main characters you can’t help but root for, even if it’s against your better judgment

  • Small-town settings with a colorful, quirky cast of characters

  • Contemporary, literary YA comparable to Jason Reynolds, Elizabeth Acevedo, and my longtime fave John Green

  • Anything that can be comped to a Taylor Swift song

Across the Board

  • High-concept plot with high-concept thought. This is how I describe my taste overall: A strong commercial hook paired with more literary writing.

  • Contemporary stories are my bread and butter. I love a good dash of magical realism, speculative elements, and horror, but generally am not a good fit for SFF. I do not have the brain to edit entirely new worlds, and am a much better editor when stories are primarily set in reality!

  • Disability representation. I have a younger sister with Down Syndrome, so this is a topic near and dear to my heart. I am specifically looking for projects written by disabled authors.

  • Latine representation. My father was born in Cuba, and my grandparents moved the whole family to the United States shortly after Castro came into power.

  • Make me laugh! My sense of humor extends from the driest, darkest, most British humor to the completely absurd.

  • Psychological. This includes psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, and stories that cover mental illness.

  • Unique storytelling structures. I love anything that plays with structure; I’m probably the only person who actually enjoyed having to read Catch-22 in AP English. I love books with unusual timelines, multiple character perspectives, etc. Surprise me!

Young Adult

For YA, I love thoughtful projects. Some fluff is good, but it should be there to dry your tears or soften the blow of deeper storylines. Give me a strong voice with something to say along the lines of Jason Reynolds and Elizabeth Acevedo. My taste also tends to veer a little darker, even a little weird; think Akwaeke Emezi and Laura Ruby. 

Middle Grade

For middle grade, I like a lighter voice with a story that has some emotional heft—hijinks and heart, I call it. Think Kelly Yang, Rebecca Stead, Kate DiCamillo, and Kathi Appelt. I also love a good Scooby gang and Hocus Pocus-level spookiness.

Picture Books

For picture books, I am looking for both sentimental and funny texts. I love stories about family, emotions, and discoveries about the world and one’s self; however, I don’t like anything too heavy handed or overly message driven. For humorous stories, cleverness is key! 

I Am Not a Good Match For

  • Sci-fi

  • High fantasy

  • Heavy historical fiction

  • Sports stories

  • Books where the dog dies