In all areas I’m looking for lyrical prose, voice that comes off the page, intricate plots, complex emotional arcs, and immersive worlds. I’d love to see some ambitious works that play with form and narration as well as works that blend genre, aren’t afraid to get a little weird, and surprise me. The bolder the better. I’m also eager to find authors who write across multiple genres and age categories, so if you have ambitions to write beyond the project you’re currently querying, take a look at other areas of my wishlist and see if we may be a good fit for future works of yours, too. Please be mindful of the section of things I am not looking for at the bottom of this page as submissions like these will be automatically passed on. You may view submission guidelines for myself and kt literary here. Picture Books I am finally, finally open to picture book submissions! I am looking for author/illustrators at this time and am especially interested in author/illustrators who are looking to do illustrator-only work in publishing like covers, interiors, and illustrations for works authored by others both in the kids space and adult. Illustration wise I’m drawn to a variety of art styles, but some of my favorites are Julie Morstad, Yoshi Yoshitani, Jessie Sima, Ryan T. Higgins, the Fan Brothers, Vashti Harrison, LeUyen Pham, Corey Brickley, and Melissa Castrillion. I’d love to see picture books with some potential new classic characters of all kinds. I like sweet animal characters but would also like to see contemporary, human characters on adventures. In books featuring human characters, I am very, very partial to these characters being BIPOC. As far as text, I like the lyrical and poetic as well as the fun and funny, and while I enjoy a gentle and affirming ode, I’m moreso geared toward stories with a strong narrative. I’m also open to picture book biographies, particularly those of lesser discussed and contemporary figures. Think: Ryan T. Higgins’ Mother Bruce, We Do Not Eat Our Classmates and Be Quiet, Suzanne Lang’s Grumpy Monkey, Jessie Sima’s Harriet Gets Carried Away, Vashti Harrison’s Big, Kyo Maclear’s and Julie Morstad’s Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli and Joanna Ho’s and Teresa Martinez’s Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma. Middle Grade Mystery I’m hungry for fun mysteries and inventive capers that have a good sense of humor (though I’m not one for gross-out humor) and plucky protagonists. I’d love to see some interesting settings and things that delve into history or mythology or any other curious realms of knowledge. Think: Brianna Mcdonald’s Pepper’s Rules for Secret Sleuthing, Varian Johnson’s The Parker Inheritance Fantasy/Sci-Fi I’m looking for immersive, magical fantasy packed with adventure, rich worldbuilding, and determined protagonists. I love things that have a classic feel and a modern voice, reads that would make perfect readalouds for kids and their parents. I love clever, quirky plots, and would love to see potential series as well as sweeping standalones. Think: Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Erin Entrada Kelly’s Lalani and the Distant Se a, B.B Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers Young Adult Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense I’m very eager to build up this part of my list and am looking for layered, tricky stories loaded with twists, turns, and red herrings. I’d love to see some confident projects with intense protagonists who aren’t very concerned with being liked, and mysteries that could become series. I love stories with complicated teenage girls, revenge arcs, puzzles, and games. Think: Jumata Emill’s The Black Queen, Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Inheritance Games, Brittany Cavallaro’s Charlotte Holmes series, Holly Jackson, Courtney Summers, Showtime’s Yellowjackets Horror I prefer suspenseful, atmospheric horror to jump scares, but I’d love to see some things that evoke the teen slasher trend (I’d love a project with a great POC Final Girl