Michelle Hauck is opening to queries on February 7, 2025 at 9 am EST. When she reopens, please use her Query Manager: https://QueryManager.com/MichelleHauck. Queries sent by email will not be considered.
This time, Michelle will be accepting contemporary romance, romantasy, cozy fantasy, dystopian, and horror in Young Adult. In Adult, she is looking for science fiction, horror, romantasy, and fantasy as well as mystery. She does not accept Adult romance, though she does love a romance sub-plot or romantasy.
In Adult mystery, she is not the best fit for true crime focused or police procedurals and legal mysteries. She prefers amateur sleuths and no PIs or police main characters.
Do not send queries for nonfiction, chapter books, early readers, short story collections, novellas, graphic novels, middle grade, or picture books at this time. Do not send queries for other genres of Young Adult beyond contemporary romance, romantasy, cozy fantasy, or horror.
Overall, Michelle likes positive, upbeat characters, quirky humor (or really any humor) and is always excited to see stories with diverse underrepresented voices (including and not limited to LGBTQA+, neurodiversity, BIPOC, Latinx, Indigenous People, and disability). Also she likes: Characters with deep character arcs, villains with complex motivations and layers, and stories set on secondary worlds or settings that are other than American or European.
She worked with neurodiverse students for many years and has a special place in her heart for stories in that area.
She tries to respond to requested material within three months, but you are welcome to nudge if she goes over four months.
You may submit to more than one agent at Storm, but only one at a time.
Michelle’s special wish list needs include:
-self-published creators of Adult fantasy, romantasy, or horror who want help exploiting their retained sub-rights.
-any speculative fiction with a murder mystery
-cozy fantasy or science fiction with romance
-Anything Queer and Trans in the genres she’s open to as well as any BIPOC
-romantasy with some spice, or that is more longing and angst than heat.
-YA sports romances
-horror with social commentary, rather than a slasher plot
-horror with romance
-Adult mystery set outside the U.S.
-Adult mystery with younger protagonists
-Dystopian in YA and Adult.
Please do not submit material that has been AI generated or assisted.
Michelle lives in northern Indiana with her hubby and dogs. She was a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat, Nightmare on Query Street, Picture Book Party, and Sun versus Snow and a six-time Pitchwars adult mentor.
She is a literary agent for Storm Literary Agency. Michelle represents all genres of young adult and middle grade, and some select adult genres. In adult, she has a particular love of science fiction and fantasy as well as lighter mystery. Please check out her full wishlist and submission directions at Storm Literary Agency. Or see more about her wishlist at MSWL.
Some things that she is not a huge fan of:
-circus settings
-zombies (unless really unique)
-vampires (unless really unique)
-time travel stories (especially if the time travel solves the obstacle)
Some books I’ve read recently and enjoyed are:
Where Darkness Blooms, The Space Between Worlds, The Once and Future Witches, Station Eternity, The Swifts, Tilly in Technicolor, Where Darkness Blooms, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Space Between Worlds, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, This Time It’s Real, Legends and Lattes, The Seventh Bride, There Goes the Neighborhood, The Locked Tomb series, the Murderbot series, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Wings of Ebony, Mexican Gothic, Cemetery Boys, Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, How to Trap a Tiger, New Kid, Project Hail Mary, and The City We Became.
Old favorites include The Hunger Games series, The Wheel of Time Series, Anne of Green Gables series, The Legend of Eli Monpress, Ready Player One, and The Questionable Behavior of Dalia Moss.
FAQ:
Can I resubmit a query after revisions? Yes, if the manuscript has been significantly revised you may requery.
Can I query more than one agent at Storm? Yes, but only one at a time.
Do I need to notify you if another agent requests a full or partial? No, but please let me know if you receive an offer.
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