Michelle Witte

@paulandstorm.bsky.social

I’ll be opening up to queries for a week, from Sun. Nov 29 – Sat. Dec 5. Hopefully that will be enough time to (mostly) miss any major holidays. Based on past experience and what other agents have recently been reporting, I anticipate getting 500–1000 queries in that week.

Michelle Witte reposted

Paul and Storm

15h

[P] The Montresor at the End of This Book

Jason Takes Man-Adams@jamnpp.bsky.social

Why does this Sesame Street toy look like Grover is reenacting Poe's The Cask of Amontillado

Does anyone want a cat who does not seem to understand that working on a computer is not a job that requires a cat?

I do love a good MG horror, but they are a bit tricky to sell right now. I'd be willing to risk it for the right one, though. The perfect combination of sinister and spooky and kids figuring out how to save the day. What I'm hearing from editors is they have to stand out—in a good way. #kidlitchat

A note about #MSWL: When an agent or editor posts a manuscript wishlist request, we’re not saying we only want stories exactly like that and nothing else. It’s a hint about the kinds of books we like and tone/vibes for mss we could be interested in.

I’ve seen writers who are too strict in who they query. If the MSWL doesn’t mention their specific subgenre, they self-select to not query at all. Unless an agent says they don’t work with that genre or it’s a topic they actively don’t like, go ahead and query if they otherwise seem like a good fit.

I’ve seen writers lament that their ms perfectly matches a MSWL but still got rejected. That is possible and doesn’t mean the agent lied. I’m very much about the writing and language, so even if the subject is exactly what I want, if the execution isn’t working for me, I’ll still pass on it.

It doesn’t mean we won’t like a book if it’s not mentioned, or that we’ll automatically want your story if it fits the MSWL (writing and execution are huge for me). It’s a guide to our tastes so we can find better matches and help writers find us.

I would absolutely love to see a query when I open in Nov/Dec for an adult (or even YA) horror story where someone has to figure out how to appease the fae coming after them. Or any type of story with similar vibes. #MSWL

I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to this gentleman for the utter gall I had to sneeze and scare him awake. I will say, in my defense, that were he not spreading his dander everywhere, I would not have sneezed.

Authors and illustrators, it seems that scammers are escalating their publishing-related scams. Someone messaged me earlier today asking if I had been on a Zoom call with them an hour before. That was a shock, because it definitely wasn't me.

Also, I hold myself to stricter guardrails than the AALA guidelines regarding freelance work. I'm not doing any freelance editorial work right now, but if I do again, I don't ever consider any project for representation if I've ever worked with the author in a paid capacity.

I should clarify, paid for freelance editorial work. Some conferences offer pitch sessions or paid critiques from agents or editors through the conference, but that’s different than if you hire an agent or editor as a freelance editor.

So if someone does ever approach you asking for money saying they're me, they're not. But you're always welcome to ask me if you're not sure.

Another red flag is that the messages came from a Gmail account, so still watch for that telltale sign.

No one from Mansion Street will ask for money from authors. We receive our compensation in commission from work we sell. I do message authors & illustrators if I see their work online and am interested, but it will come from one of my official social media accounts or my @ mansionstreet.com email.

Apparently the scammer had their video switched off the whole time, which was the biggest red flag to that author. (I had asked if the author had taken a screenshot so I could see how they were trying to impersonate me, whether it was AI or something else.)

Periodic reminder to check the settings in every account you own because they keep trying to shove AI crap down our throats. I just went through and updated all of the AI settings in Zoom that were added or turned on since I last checked it a few months ago. There were so many. ONE IS TOO MANY.

Darn you, @Libro.fm for including so many great audiobooks on your BOGO sale that I’ve been wanting to read for ages: Someone to Build a Nest In, Assistant to the Villain, All the Birds in the Sky, The Last Cuentista, Their Eyes Were Watching God. You’re trying to drain my bank account, aren’t you.

I think I need to take a break from Threads for a bit. Algorithms that are built to feed constant rage bait do their job much too well. Especially when they keep feeding me posts from people who blame the problems of the world on book publishing, and professionals in particular.

I think I'll just edit a manuscript tonight and forget the world instead. Tralalalala . . .

My cat seems to have finally accepted whenever I force kisses upon without protest. 😈

Making a tomato and red pepper soup with most of it from the garden. We had a bunch of orange peppers and Roma tomatoes left, so it’s all getting roasted with garlic and onions from the store, but oh man it’s already smelling fantastic even before I stick it in the oven.

instagram.cominstagram.com

Here’s a link to the recipe on Instagram if you’d like to make it as well: www.instagram.com/reel/DeCU78_...

Here are the genres and age groups I’ll be accepting queries for this time. CHILDREN’S (any genre): Chapter book/early reader Middle grade Young adult Children’s graphic novel from author-illustrators only. Preference for marginalized authors. NO picture or board books this time.

NEW ADULT & ADULT: Cozy Fantasy Light Fantasy Magical Realism Fabulism Speculative Fiction Light Sci-Fi Some Romantasy (Keep in mind I don’t work in genre Romance and don’t have those editorial contacts) I’ll only consider off-world fantasy based in a non-European world written by BIPOC author.

There’s probably two good meals out of this haul, maybe more if we toss them in soup. Considering we just planted a few russets, golden, and red potatoes that were starting to go bad from the pantry, I’d say we came out ahead in this deal.

I need recommendations for books where time is constantly moving backward and forward, or even skipping. I've heard that Cloud Atlas is a great example. What others would you suggest?

Michelle Witte reposted

KidLitGN

@kidlitgn.bsky.social

Thank you, Michelle Witte @michellewitte.bsky.social for visiting #KIDLITGN ! We appreciate you!

In my case, the course correction took me in a complete circle and brought me back to where I left. I call it my sabbatical now, but I wasn't sure during the worst of my health issues if I'd come back to publishing. Sometimes we need to step away from something to see it clearly. #kidlitchat

Now I'm back and doing so much better than when I left. I think sometimes we don't realize how burned out we are until we look behind us. But I love books and publishing again, when if I'd powered through and forced myself, I'd probably be a mess right now and not thriving. #kidlitchat

So that's my story in a nutshell. And it's one reason why I tell everyone that publishing (and life in general) is all about timing. Patience and perseverence are key, though they may seem overwhelming in the moment. Flexibility is key, too, like the ability to pivot when needed. #kidlitchat

Granted, it was in the middle of a pandemic and the world was chaos, so stepping away from publishing completely for a few years was the best thing I could have done. I needed a break and to figure out some health stuff so I'd have the energy to come back later. #kidlitchat

boydsmills.orgPublishing Trends, Market Shifts, and Opportunities - Boyds MillsLearn more about publishing trends in children's literature by veteran editor Harold Underdown, from market shifts, to new opportunities!

Okay, kidlit friends, I need to get some emails scheduled and I think body doubling with #kidlitchat will help to start the butt-in-chair process. (Plus I've got some frozen pizza in the oven and a bottle of cream soda calling my name, so it's gonna be a GREAT night.)

Michelle Witte reposted

Harold Underdown

@hunderdown.bsky.social

I'm excited, if a bit late, to announce my workshop, "Publishing Trends, Market Shifts, and Opportunities," coming up October 27 and 29 via Boyds Mills. $59. There will be handouts and a recording. Details and registration here: boydsmills.org/workshop/pub...

I'll be there tonight. See you in 10!

Greg Pincus@gregpincus.bsky.social

Wanna come join us #kidlit loving folk today at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific for #kidlitchat here on Bluesky? I think it’ll be fun if you do. Hope to see you then!

One reason book editors are so nitpicky about details is because they are trying to save you the grief of receiving 50 bajillion emails if you get a very minor detail wrong about a classic car, or an old gun, or a character in a very obscure fandom, or . . .

People who know those details have a radar that they can zero in on any media where a detail isn’t 1000% accurate, and they’re a lot less nice when letting you know about it than your editor is. Believe me.

This thought brought to you by several books recently that I’ve seen incorrectly identifying grotesques as gargoyles, and I just say a prayer for the authors’ inboxes each time.

I just got sucked into reading some blog posts I wrote from the early 2010s and . . . we were really out here posting our 🤦‍♀diary pages on the internet for the world to see, weren't we?

I will say that, although I was an excellent writer even back then, those inner thoughts need to go back into the vault and be downloaded somewhere secure, not out flashing my innermost feelings on the interwebs for all to see.

Every couple of years I make vanilla extract to give out as friend and neighbor gifts for the holidays. It’s really easy and very popular, as it tastes so much better than most of the extracts you can buy at the store. This year I made a little tutorial of the process to show you how easy it is.

I have seen so many bad takes lately about unreliable narrators (from people who completely misunderstand the concept), but the moment someone on Threads tried to argue that EVERY narrator is unreliable in some way, I knew it was time to log off for the day.