Manuscript Wishlist

I’m particularly interested in stories that center marginalized communities and prose that is cinematic and atmospheric with good rhythm. In both fiction and nonfiction, I’m drawn towards compelling, fresh voices that make me feel as though the writer is in the room with me, telling me their story with intimacy as if we were already acquainted. Regardless of how plot-driven a story is, characters with rich inner worlds and emotional depth are a must for me.

I’m interested in literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction across adult, MG, and YA and select nonfiction. I am also looking for graphic novels/nonfiction.

I’m not the right person for prescriptive nonfiction, self-help, religion/spirituality nonfiction, romance (see “what I’m NOT seeking” section for exceptions), law enforcement/military/intelligence mysteries or thrillers, hard sci-fi, novels in verse, novellas, poetry, essay collections, short story collections, picture books, board books, chapter books, or screenplays.

What I'm seeking:

The search for, dismantling, and/or rebuilding of identity. For example, a story about a character who is first/1.5/second gen and in between cultures, is queer and discovering they’re queer, has lost who they used to be due to disillusionment or conflict and is figuring out who they are now, is juggling different personas/masks, is changing because of shifts in their social or physical environment, etc.
Diaspora and displacement—in particular, stories beyond the usual narratives we tend to see for immigrants and children of immigrants. Those are important, but I would love for the range of stories we have to broaden in narrative, thematic, historical, and geographical scope
Coming-of-age stories
Family and community including found family/community
Friendships that are tested and long-broken friendships that are mended
Examinations of power in relationships
Stories that deal with challenging topics but avoid being didactic or exploitative
Emotional heaviness balanced with some measure of levity is a plus though not a requirement. Dark stories that have bits of silliness or absurdity like Parasite delight me
Headstrong women! I don’t care how that willfulness manifests (though I’m uninterested in girlbosses unless you have a searing, critical look at the damage they cause or they’re cringe flops like Shiv Roy). They can be anything: competent, conniving, immature, quietly fierce, loud and brash, etc. Prissy, pampered girls who need to loosen up, brawlers with a temper, goofy women, and more. They don’t necessarily have to be outspoken or assured, but they know what they want and are firm about it
Characters who don’t fit gender or heterosexual norms and either grapple with or defy societal expectations of gender/sexuality
Decisions by past generations affecting present and future ones and parallels between generations
Buried secrets coming to light
Repression, imposed by oneself or externally inflicted
Stories that play with memory, both individual and collective
“Your [insert person/group here] were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”
In YA and adult, characters, relationships, and situations that make me go "I want to study them under a microscope" or be the sickos "Yes... ha ha ha... YES!" meme
Rotten institutions at the height of their power or in their twilight years
Things are not what they seem and the discovery—or discoveries—reconfigures past moments in the book
Little-known rituals or traditions specific to a certain location or culture
I like serious, sad, and/or dark works, but I don't want just that. I'm looking for spirited, fun adventures and sweeping, heartwarming sagas too!

What I'm NOT seeking:

While I don’t represent romance novels, I’m open to romance graphic novels and select romantic literary fiction. Outside of those exceptions, I’m okay with romance as a minor element or subplot that’s very much in the background. I prefer romance as a vehicle to explore bigger themes
Animal protagonists
Adaptations, reimaginings, and retellings
Plots focusing on writers, artists, and musicians and their work (open to this in graphic novels, though!)
Marginalized characters reduced to their identity; identity shapes who you are and informs the way you interact with and are seen by the world, but that doesn’t define all of you
Narratives about marginalized characters teaching white/cishet/able-bodied/neurotypical protagonists to confront their privilege, ignorance, or bigotry
Complex parent/child issues that are neatly resolved with a big heart-to-heart at the end
“I fell in love with my oppressor/I, an oppressor, fell in love with one of the oppressed” narratives
White POV characters in Africa, Asia, Central or South America, or indigenous lands unless you’re a writer of color viewing these characters through a critical lens and the character is just one of the characters, not the sole main POV

Submission guidelines

Please send the following through Query Manager. If you are having difficulty using Query Manager, you can query me by email. Please do NOT submit your query through both methods; the duplicate query will not be answered. Queries sent by any other method will be deleted unread.

For email queries, include the book title, category/genre, word count (or estimated page count for graphic novels or graphic nonfiction), and your author bio.

Fiction: a brief introduction, a synopsis, and the first ten pages. For email queries, please include all text in the body of the email, not as an attachment
Nonfiction: a brief introduction, a full outline, and the first ten pages of the manuscript. For email queries, please include all text in the body of the email, not as an attachment
Graphic novels/nonfiction: a brief introduction, a synopsis/outline, and at least five illustrated pages with text. If you do not have five pages, you can send ten script pages and some sample art instead. For email queries, please attach the sample pages/art as a PDF or include a link to view the material online