Submission Guidelines
We ask that you only query one agent at a time, as MWLA is a highly collaborative agency and we often share submissions with one another. ​
We respond to every query we receive so please be patient with us as we review your materials! Our current response time is approximately eight weeks.
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See below for further submission instructions and information about what our agents are looking for.
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Alex's Wishlist:
Adult, YA, and MG
Final Girls who are also monsters, diaspora stories, horror of any kind, stories that will make her laugh/cry/wonder if something is lurking in the darkness, anything that hints at what might be hiding in the ocean, witches, rom coms, witchy rom coms, women/enby/POC-lead thrillers that leave her on the edge of her seat, queer horror, queer rom coms, queer anything, stories written by and for folks from underrepresented/marginalized identities, ghost stories, weird stories, weird ghost stories, time loops, heists, the sensibilities of Grady Hendrix, and anything speculative/fabulist.​
Some favorite titles in each age category:
Adult: Fantasticland (if you have anything like this book, I’d like it immediately!!!), Vampires of El Norte, The Only Good Indians, The Luminous Dead, Sundial, The Rehearsals, Portrait of a Thief, Yellowface​
Young Adult: Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything, She is a Haunting, The Valley and the Flood, There’s No Way I’d Die First, The Memory Eater, A Thousand Steps into Night, Violet Made of Thorns, The Getaway, Midnight Strikes, Graceling, Midnights with You, Inheritance of Scars, Together We Rot​
Middle Grade: The Otherwoods, Ravenous Things, Hide and Seeker, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, Freddie vs. The Family Curse
Danielle's Wishlist:
YA and Adult​
Narratives about complex female characters, seaside novels, girls with swords, fantasy, LGBTQ+ love, sister stories, toxic friendships, feminist fairytales, social justice themes, folklore, creepy forests, complicated family dynamics, quirky adventures, protagonists who change systems and break rules, heartwarming love stories, and whimsy.​
Chelsea's Wishlist:
PB, MG, YA and Adult
Lyrical prose, voice that comes off the page, intricate plots, complex emotional arcs, and immersive worlds. 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 her. The bolder the better. In all areas, Chelsea is very interested in works that feature BIPOC characters and are written by BIPOC authors. Both fiction and nonfiction picture books from author/illustrators with potential new classic characters and strong narratives and middle grade novels featuring fun mysteries, inventive capers or creepy horror. In YA and adult, Chelsea’s looking for smart, twisty mysteries and thrillers, arresting horror, and fresh fantasy and sci-fi. She is looking for select nonfiction in the area of women’s sports.
You can see a long-form MSWL on her website.
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