Manuscript Wishlist
Last Updated: March 2025
Please note, for submission guidelines, please visit the Neighborhood Literary website.
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Remember, just because an agent says they’re looking for something specific, it doesn’t mean they aren’t looking for something else. These are a few big wishlist items:
Stories that celebrate neurodiversity, from authors who are themselves neurodivergent, both in fiction and non-fiction.
Joyful novels and memoirs about the adoptee experience, written by adoptees.
Genre-blending upmarket and literary fiction! This is a sweet spot for me in my agent life, so keep sending it to me.
High concept rom-coms! I read a lot of romantic comedy, and I’m eager to find more projects that go a bit out of the box! Tiana Smith’s The Spy and I and M.K. England’s All Fired Up are great examples.
To get an idea of what I like to read, my ten favorite books in 2023 were Olivia A. Cole’s Where the Lockwood Grows, Tehlor Kay Meija’s Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review, Carlyn Greenwald’s Sizzle Reel, Ashley Poston’s The Seven Year Slip, Jiordan Castle’s Disappearing Act, Wendy Xu’s The Infinity Particle, Jennifer Herrera’s The Hunter, Chloe Gong’s Immortal Longings, and Alix E. Harrow’s Starling House. I should really update this to 2024, but this is still a good picture.
And of course, the books I’ve worked on in my agent life, which you can check out here.
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Genre Blending Literary & Adult Commercial Fiction
I'm looking for genre-blending fiction... books that pull a bit of genre into the literary. This is an evergreen request. Some of my favorites in that space include Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Last One by Alexandra Olivia.
I’m also really hungry to find some great rom-coms. A few of my clients are working on them, and I’d just love to find some unique, high-concept romances, like I said above.
So… give me literary fiction that genre blends, commercial fiction that takes me somewhere unknown, and rom-coms that make me laugh and swoon.
Accessible Fiction & Fantasy
I'm a bit picky when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy novels. I love them. I read a ton of them. But they have to be accessible. What does that mean? It means that readers who don't traditionally pick up much sci-fi or fantasy, can pick up one of these novels, and enjoy it.
Some of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy reads include The Book of M by Peng Shepherd and Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. I also love anything Chuck Wendig, Kat Howard, Fran Wilde, and Delilah S. Dawson writes. I’m not the right person for epic fantasy, military sci-fi, or doorstoppers.
All Kinds of Non-Fiction
I’m a little all over the place in non-fiction, but specifically I’m trying to find more memoirs, essay collections, pop history, and wellness books. Please note, I’m not really looking for cookbooks anymore. With memoir, I’m best suited for projects that read like a collection of essays.
When it comes to wellness, I’m looking for platformed writers who are experts in their respective topics, writing books in that space.
Very Select Young Adult + MG Fiction + Non-Fiction
I read widely in YA, and enjoy just about every genre in it. And while my client list is a bit full when it comes to kid-lit projects, the right standout book will absolutely still grab me. I love moving contemporary reads, thrilling sci-fi, and lush fantasy. I love diverse and inclusive Young Adult novels that reflect the world, and what the world could be.
My favorite YA novel of all time is a toss up between Hero by Perry Moore and The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.
When it comes to my favorite YA authors, I've read every book by Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, Nova Ren Suma, Mindy McGinnis, Jeff Zentner, Brandy Colbert, Meg Medina, Bryan Bliss, Lamar Giles, Ashley Poston, and Nina LaCour.
I'd also love to see more MG + YA non-fiction hit my inbox. Memoir, essay collections, you name it.
What I'm Not Looking For
And now, a quick rundown of what I'm not looking for, to save everyone's time. This isn’t meant to be harsh, just a list of what I don’t really enjoy, and would be a bad fit for.
Picture Books
Angel & demon love stories, Heaven / Hell stories.
Adult epic fantasy or sci-fi. I’m not right for doorstoppers.
Military sci-fi.
Non-fiction about sports or politics.
Novels about suicide. It’s a TW for me.
Your thriller about some white guy fighting terrorists. It’s bad. I’m gonna hate it.
Portals.
Main character is Death.
Novellas.
Main character is a bigot and learns a lesson at the expense of marginalized people.
Redemptive story arcs for abusers.
Anything comped as "Lovecraftian.” Not a fan.
Commercial fiction about sports (exceptions made for sports YA, I love sports YA!)
And that’s about it!
I hope this breakdown was helpful, and I wish you best of luck in your querying. Hopefully I’m a good fit!