Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Agentopia: John M. Cusick

We're super excited to have literary agent John M. Cusick back at YAtopia - this time for Agentopia, our monthly feature that gives you insight into a literary agent's wishlist. So, without further ado...

Bio
John M. Cusick is a literary agent with S©ott Treimel NY, representing authors of middle grade and young adult fiction. He is the author of Girl Parts (Candlewick Press, 2010), and the forthcoming Cherry Money Baby. He is also a managing editor and co-founder of Armchair/Shotgun, a Brooklyn-based literary magazine. A bon vivant and general ne'er do well.

Blog: www.johnmcusick.wordpress.com  
Twitter: @johnmcusick
Websites: www.scotttreimelny.com & www.armchairshotgun.com
 
Wishlist

I’m looking for strong contemporary young adult stories with a romantic twist, middle grade adventure for boys, historicals incorporating sci-fi elements, narrators who aren’t snarky, heroes who aren’t reluctant, parents who aren’t dead or alcoholics, bad decisions with good intentions, villains with vulnerability, boldly imagined worlds, striking imagery, finely composed and choreographed scenes, characters with history, best friends who aren’t destined to fall in love, stories about siblings, stories about middle America, and did I mention middle grade adventure for boys? No angels, devils, Greek or Norse gods, no “Chosen Ones’ or “Dark Lords,” no vampires, premonitions, or ponies.

How to query

Our agency considers all queries exclusively via our handy-dandy, paper-free, online form at www.ScottTreimelNY.com


Thanks so much for stopping by again, Scott!

7 comments:

  1. Hhmmm, what about a dark and gritty YA memoir with an anti-hero who is full of mischief, until she is kidnapped and realizes how fragile life is...?

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    1. Okay, somehow I missed the mg and ya fiction mentioned above....drats :)

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  2. Oh I didn't know he was an agent! I loved Girl Parts so freaking much (even though I only picked it up because the girl on the cover looks like Amy Pond) and I've been keeping an eye out for another Cusick book.

    http://blamethegoat.tumblr.com/

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  3. No Ponies?!! What the hell? LOL, he sounds great.

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  4. This is, hands down, my favorite agent wish list.

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  5. What? A male agent? Do they let men be literary agents?

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