Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #mswl
Most recents (10)
Okay buckle up friends I’m feeling spicy. What the FUCK is this nonsense? Let us count the 🚩
1) listing cumulative degrees in the signature instead of having actual real bios on their website OR (1.5) any evidence of previous mentorship or sales
2) gaslighting writers into thinking they aren’t the ones who have the power in an author/agent relationship
✨In the generes I rep, I'd love to see more projects by writers from Black, Indigenous, Latine/x, Asian, AAPI, Middle Eastern, and African communities and their far-reaching diasporas, as well as the LGBTQIA+, trans and nonbinary, and disabled and neurodiverse communities. #MSWL
✨Aro-ace rep and meaningful platonic relationships
✨Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror with non-western settings and cultures
✨Anti-colonialist, -caste, -patriarchy, -establishment, etc. with driving plots and strong characters
#MSWL
✨Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror with non-western settings and cultures
✨Anti-colonialist, -caste, -patriarchy, -establishment, etc. with driving plots and strong characters
#MSWL
✨Dark academia w/ high personal stakes and rich settings
✨Asian-inspired SF/tech-fantasy crossover in the vein of Xiran Jay Zhao.
✨South Asian, SWANA, and Middle Eastern voices in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror
#MSWL
✨Asian-inspired SF/tech-fantasy crossover in the vein of Xiran Jay Zhao.
✨South Asian, SWANA, and Middle Eastern voices in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror
#MSWL
⚠️ HOW TO FIND A POTENTIAL BOOK PUBLISHER (and other resources) 🔥❤️ An extremely valuable thread—save this one for future reference. (Thread 1/9)
> 1st Resource: If you’re looking for a reputable publisher, Reedsy has a list of 489 publishing companies their editors vetted: blog.reedsy.com/publishers/
It's a great place to start! (Thread 2/9)
It's a great place to start! (Thread 2/9)
> 2nd Resource: Here’s a list of some of the big 5 imprints (it’s from 2016, but still very relevant and helpful even though it is slightly outdated).
almossawi.com/big-five-publi…
(Thread 3/9)
almossawi.com/big-five-publi…
(Thread 3/9)
Many writers ask me if I can "find them an agent." But I'm not a matchmaker and it's really best to undertake this research yourself. It's about more than just who represents work like yours. It's about personality, fit, and what you're looking for in the relationship.
IMHO, the best agents are akin to career managers and often take on the role of informal therapist as well, helping you through the highs and lows of your book's lifespan. This is someone you should be able to trust—they are a fiduciary.
While you may end up changing agents over the duration of your career (there are many reasons this might happen, and not all of them bad), the agent who sells your books will typically remain tied to those deals until the contract terminates with the publisher.
Okay, after a lot of thinking (and drafting in my notes app), I’ve put together a list of what I’m hoping to see in my query inbox in 2022.
So, without further ado, my #MSWL (just in time, since I’m reopening my inbox at midnight):
So, without further ado, my #MSWL (just in time, since I’m reopening my inbox at midnight):
To start, at the moment I am only looking for MG, YA, and adult commercial and upmarket fiction. I’ll list the genres for each in the thread below. Unfortunately, I’m not the right person for adult literary fiction or nonfic, and (for now) I’m not actively looking for PBs.
Across the board (MG, YA, and adult), I’m drawn to:
-stories with a strong family element, whether that’s biological or found family
-protagonists who aren’t the best at whatever they do or The Chosen One, but who try really *really* hard, even when they screw up
#MSWL
-stories with a strong family element, whether that’s biological or found family
-protagonists who aren’t the best at whatever they do or The Chosen One, but who try really *really* hard, even when they screw up
#MSWL
All right, #amquerying writers—let’s talk #MSWL because it’s a new year! What follows is what I’m looking for as an agent, i.e., my tastes, opinions, and impressions, as well as examples of some of my favorite books. It’s all subjective, of course. (A 🧵) #WritingCommunity
I rep adult fiction & nonfiction. For both, I am on the hunt for stories that explore *power* (imbalance, struggle, rise & fall), *identity* (perception, exploration, intersectionality) & *dysfunction* (familial, societal, cultural) told with originality, nuance, & authenticity.
For nonfiction, I am open to most categories, across the spectrum, including psychology, history, current affairs, science, politics, narrative journalism, nature & the environment, wellness, spirituality, business & economics, mathematics, parenting, lifestyle, and pop culture.
How to find literary agents to query (a string):
I was just talking about this in my writing group and thought I'd share with the #writingcommunity #amquerying #amwriting #amediting crowd:
1. Search Twitter for #mswl + (something in your book/comp)
ex: #mswl ya soulmates
I was just talking about this in my writing group and thought I'd share with the #writingcommunity #amquerying #amwriting #amediting crowd:
1. Search Twitter for #mswl + (something in your book/comp)
ex: #mswl ya soulmates
2. Search manuscriptwishlist.com for facets of your book, but also comps, including movies, TV shows, and bestsellers you would comp your book to if they weren't so famous (your query comps should be recent, but use the others to find agents!)
3. Get a PublishersMarketplace ($25/m) subscription, then:
-go to the top dealmakers in your genre (agents & agencies) & check out their sites to see if they're a good fit
-If you find an editor who might be a good fit (on MSWL), look up who's selling to that editor.
-go to the top dealmakers in your genre (agents & agencies) & check out their sites to see if they're a good fit
-If you find an editor who might be a good fit (on MSWL), look up who's selling to that editor.
The fourth panel I attended at #ConZealand this year was “What to Expect When You’re Ready to Query”, with @Ellethevillain, @CaseyLucasQuaid, and @englishmace, moderated by @MorganHzlwood.
The panelists shared some useful tips and information about querying.
The panelists shared some useful tips and information about querying.
This thread will include many of the things the panelists said. I’m copying this over from my handwritten notes, so assume I’ve paraphrased unless I put something in quotes.
First, @MorganHzlwood began with some definitions:
Querying is when you send your work to an agent.
Sumission is when you send your work to a publisher.
This panel focuses on querying.
Querying is when you send your work to an agent.
Sumission is when you send your work to a publisher.
This panel focuses on querying.
Welcome to 2020, publishing! Agent friends, here’s a #mswl thread for pinning and perusing and adding to all year.
Forever, I’m looking for PB, MG, and YA, especially by underrepresented creators, especially contemporary fiction that leads with joy.
Forever, I’m looking for PB, MG, and YA, especially by underrepresented creators, especially contemporary fiction that leads with joy.
YA about moving on from high school! Anything about college admissions, the summer after senior year, freshman year of college (or of life) #mswl
Novels that address religion for MG and YA, because both religion and books for kids and teens are about finding your place in a big world #mswl
Hello my nonfiction writing friends! I have a TON of #mswl tweets for you this morning, so buckle up.
First up, FOOD, because we've established how much I want to both eat it and read about it. I love food books that explore forgotten histories, take deep dives into one particular aspect, or that look at how food cultures intermingle and change one another. #mswl
So, if you have a project like Michael Twitty's THE COOKING GENE, John T. Edge's POTLIKKER PAPERS, Ronni Lundy's VICTUALS, Edward Lee's BUTTERMILK GRAFFITI, or Asha Gomez's MY TWO SOUTHS, send it! #mswl
