What am I looking for? For all projects, I seek stories with accessible, authentic, and unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience.
Across the board, I’m seeking
voice and character driven stories demonstrate a deep trust and respect for their readers fresh approaches to story structure; genre mash-ups magical realism, fabulism, and folklore historical and fantasy stories that hold a light up to contemporary issues themes of family and found family regional settings and voices authentic, diverse voices socio-economic diversity nonfiction that taps into contemporary conversation Young Adult / New Adult / Crossover markets contemporary stories that flip conventional scripts and disrupt entrenched notions genre-bending writing grounded fantasy, folklore, magical realism, dystopian endearing meet-cute stories projects across genres with literary/commercial crossover appeal New adult books that also appeal to a YA audience (think Alex Award titles) romantasy, romance with a light heart (ie. vein of Emily Henry) gripping historical fiction with unique perspectives we haven’t seen before contemporary stories that tap into zeitgeists relevant to this market non-fiction from writers who have a platform/expertise in subject relevant to teens Middle Grade contemporary coming-of-age accessible historical fiction, particularly non-western propelling adventure stories younger MG that bridges the gap between chapter book and MG illustrative potential (think spot art, or heavily Illo’d novels) fantasy with unexpected world-building, fresh approaches, and kid-friendly themes Graphic Novels considering chapter books, MG, and YA author-illustrators with strong foundation in comic creation fiction and nonfiction unique perspectives and pallets sorry, not looking for scripts only Picture Books by Author/Illustrators stories crafted with spare text and rich art creators who play with structure and utilize collusion to engage participation whimsy with intention subversive, humorous, and quirky tales cleverly conceived and STEAM-centered nonfiction projects
Illustrators
unique aesthetics that embrace classic sensibilities with a fresh perspective strong narrative storytelling that utilizes unexpected and evocative moments range of human and animal characters and their emotions school/library and commercial crossover appeal for both US and int’l market
I’m not the right agent for
YA Horror (open to MG horror) Hard sci-fi and space operas Didactic, overly sentimental, and lesson-driven books Board books, early readers, and chapter books Vampires, werewolves, zombies Rhyming PBs in the vein of Seuss or Silverstein
Fun facts about me
Vinyl records were my first stories and I wore out the grooves in “Magic Man.” If it has wheels and/or goes fast, my answer is yes! I was first in my family to go to college. Trifecta of awesomeness = baking, beer, and books. I’ve called Appalachia, Washington DC, and Oxford, UK home. I’m the only one in my immediate family not a dual national. Submission Guidelines Most queries are through conferences, referrals, or other submission opportunities, but I do occasionally open to unsolicited manuscripts. Please check my page or SWL’s website and instagram page ( @SteelWorksLiterary ) for more information on when I may be open. Thank you for your interest! Guidelines & Details Vital Info @steelworksliterary..app Website Agent
Favorite sub-genres
#wndb, Children's, Children's Nonfiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, Clever picture book, Cross-genre, Fabulism, Fantasy Grounded in Reality, Fantasy YA, Feminist, Found Families, Graphic Novels (for all ages), High-concept YA/MG, Historical Fiction YA, Illustrators, Illustrators and Author/Illustrators, Immigrant Voices, LGBTQIA, Literary YA/MG, MG Action Adventure, MG Fantasy, MG adventure, Magical Realism, Multiple POV, Picture Boo