I work on books that model honest and open-hearted ways of existing in the world—books that provide hope and comfort, that challenge and inspire.
I am committed to championing voice-driven stories by, about, and for people from marginalized communities. Whether fiction or nonfiction, I’m drawn to stories that depict the beauty and diversity of the human experience: the humor, the complexity, the curiosity, the magic. Clever books, thoughtful books, fast-paced books, gentle books—anything and everything that encourages young readers (especially queer readers and readers of color) to be more fully and unapologetically themselves, I want to see it.
This wish list is updated concurrently with my MSWL website profile. Feel free to reference whichever format you find more easily accessible.
General Interests and Formats
I edit both fiction and nonfiction projects for the following audiences:
– Picture book (ages 4-9)
– Middle grade
– Young adult
– Graphic novel (all ages)
In nonfiction and history, I gravitate to stories about art and science, the natural world, and the experiences of people of marginalized identities. Narrative and visual nonfiction projects (including compendiums and collections with gift appeal) tend to resonate with me the strongest. In fiction, I look for stories with a compelling voice and a solid command of the reader’s emotional response, with any topic welcome.
My biggest considerations across the board are:
– Emotionality (Does it make my heart hurt/soar/sing?)
– Instinct for rhythm, pacing, and momentum
– Voice and character (Are these consistent/considered/dynamic?)
– Premise and world-building (Are these distinct/immersive/exciting?)
– Potential as a vehicle for illustration and/or strong visual narrative
Not for me
I am generally not the right editor for books in the following genres, or that center the following content:
– Thrillers / suspense
– Horror
– Dystopian
– Alternate history
– Military / war history
– Picture books motivated by “lessons” or morals
– Purely educational or purely humorous (slapstick, punny) picture books
– Picture books where straightforward early concepts (counting, colors, shapes, etc.) are the core hook
– Abuse or assault, particularly as a central plot point
– Disordered eating as a central plot point
– Drug use as a central plot point
Favorite Elements and Themes
- Loving but complicated family dynamics
- Celebration of anything special to a story’s characters (identity, choices, memories, individuality, you name it)
- Heritage, family history, and cultural traditions—and all the feelings that come with them
- Food in absolutely any form: Cooking and baking! Gardening and farming! Explorations of food justice, community, and cultural ties to cuisine
- Multicultural casts of three-dimensional, fully realized characters (especially Black and Brown characters written by Black and Brown creators)
- Explorations of the in-between: literal, metaphorical, and internal (Love me a liminal space! Love me a blend of experiences and cultures! Love me some ongoing self-discovery and meditation on belonging!)
- Healthy, empowering relationships of all kinds
- Clever and unexpected humor (I’m a huge fan of irony)
- Supportive communities, friends, and found family
- Inclusive world-building, especially in fantasy and science fiction (More anti-colonialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-war themes! More lore that challenges tired tropes, biases, and lack of representation down to its core!)
- Realistic and person-first depictions of trauma, disability, and mental health conditions that don’t center an impulse to “fix” (Acceptance! Normalization! Self-compassion!)
- Radical empowerment, however the characters themselves understand it—developments that feel natural and right for them in the context of their story
Stories I’m Specifically Seeking
Because of my own background and identities, I am always especially excited to acquire queer stories, stories from the Latine diaspora, and stories that feature characters with invisible illnesses.
- Mixed-race perspectives (always and forever)
- Interconnected anthologies in the vein of Blackout
- Queer joy!!! Broadly, stories that create space for LGBTQIAP+ people to exist, rest, heal, and celebrate
- Mythology, fairy tales, and folklore (particularly from non-European cultures)
- Romances (either incidental or core to plot) between two or more characters of color
- Novels in verse, novels told through letters/emails/lists, from alternating perspectives, or across different time periods—any approach that plays with narrative or visual form
- Contemporary and historical fiction set outside North America (the more global perspectives, the better)
- Witchery, magical realism, and magic rooted in nature (unsurprisingly, I especially love healing and food magic)
- Atmospheric, gentle fantasy graphic novels in the vein of Studio Ghibli
- Stories that explore language—and its limitations—with an emphasis on connection (think Drawn Together or Himawari House)
- People of marginalized genders exploring (and ultimately delighting in!) the outdoors
- Narratives, whether fictional or memoir, that center around the protagonist’s experience of returning to an ancestral home
- History and historical fiction, whether well- or little-known, that centers marginalized perspectives (especially those most impacted by settler-colonialism)
- Stories with “unlikeable” characters (and/or characters who handle their situations poorly) who are impossible not to root for anyway
- Something with a lakeside setting—summer or otherwise—that’s central to plot, but not grounded in affluent experiences
- Anything with the energy of my favorites (below)
- Multigenerational family stories
- Bucket-list conceits with a fresh twist
- Fun, frivolous, whimsical romps and adventures
- Cozy, comforting stories—like warm hugs for the soul
- Stories that explore the impact of immigration (in any and every context)
- Narratives rooted in fat activism and body liberation (more joyful stories with fat protagonists please!)
- Graphic novel travel memoirs and stories in the vein of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but starring protagonists of color
- Agatha Christie-esque mysteries (murder or otherwise) with charm and intricate, well-plotted twists
- Both fiction and nonfiction narratives with food central to the premise (Restaurant! Bakery! Cookbook! Food truck! Tea shop! Please note that I see so many submissions organized around a cooking competition, and I’m likely to go in skeptical—but I’d be glad to be proved wrong!)
- Indigenous perspectives on knowledge, legacy, and land stewardship, in any genre
- Stories in which puzzles/games (especially D&D-style roleplaying games) are significant to world-building or plot
- Novels or graphic stories with strong seasonal settings as a core part of the concept: soft spring, scorching summer, crisp autumn, or warm winter aesthetics
- Friendship stories with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants energy and a fresh conceit, starring queer characters and characters of color
- Activism that is meaningful and personal to the story’s characters and/or creators (I have a soft spot for community activism and organizing in particular)
- Voice- and character-driven stories that expertly blur, combine, and reimagine the boundaries of genre
I’d Like The Next
Picture Books
- Saturday by Oge Mora
- This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
- Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
- Islandborn by Junot Díaz & Leo Espinosa
- My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano & Jillian Tamaki
- My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero & Zeke Peña
- Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham & C. G. Esperanza
- If You’re a Kid Like Gavin by Gavin Grimm, Kyle Lukoff, & J Yang
- And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, & Henry Cole
- Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho & Teresa Martinez
- Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes
- Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brogsol
- This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe
- Windows by Julia Denos & E. B. Goodale
- Watercress by Andrea Wang & Jason Chin
- A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall & Vera Brogsol
- The Katha Chest by Radhiah Chowdhury & Lavanya Naidu
- Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang & Hyewon Yum
- Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez & Felicita Sala
- The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson & Leo Espinosa
Chapter Books & Middle Grade
- Front Desk by Kelly Yang
- Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy
- Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriano
- The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
- The Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine
- May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson
- Judy Moody (if she’s Latina, even better!) by Megan McDonald
- Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville (but starring a protagonist of color)
- Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
- Any Day With You by Mae Respicio
- Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit
- The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
- How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery
- Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
- To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer
Young Adult
- Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
- Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
- A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell
- The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
- A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
- The Grimoire of Grave Fates, edited by Margaret Owen & Hanna Alkaf
- Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
- The Heartbreak Bakery by A. R. Capetta
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
- Summer Days and Summer Nights, edited by Stephanie Perkins
- A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, edited by Ellen Oh & Elise Chapman
Graphics: Novels, Memoirs, & Nonfiction
- Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
- Be Prepared by Vera Brogsol
- On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
- Himawari House by Harmony Becker
- The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
- Moonstruck by Grace Ellis & Shae Beagle
- Beetle & The Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
- Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks (but queer)
- *A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (but YA)
- *The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (but YA)
- Mamo by Sas Milledge
- Messy Roots by Laura Gao
- Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
- Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
- Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen
- This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
- Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
- Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega & Rose Bousamra
- Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable & Stephanie Yue
- *Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (but YA)
* not a graphic novel, but boy would I be excited to edit something similar that is
More of My Favorites
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MSWL last updated: October 2022