Michelle Hauck is open to queries only for Adult Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Romantasy, and Science Fiction; and Young Adult Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Romantasy and Romance. Sorry no Middle Grade this time or Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction. When she reopens, please use her Query Manager. Queries sent by email will not be considered.
She’ll be closing to queries on April 8, 2024.
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.
Her Birth of Saints trilogy from Harper Voyager includes Grudging, Faithful and Steadfast.
She is a literary agent for Storm Literary Agency. Michelle is currently accepting 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 cozy mystery, and does not accept adult romance, though she does love a romance sub-plot. Please check out her full wishlist and submission directions at Storm Literary Agency. Or see more about her wishlist at MSWL.
New: She is now looking for graphic novels for all age groups. Please include a link to your portfolio in your query letter for graphic novel artwork.
She is also now open to all subgenres of Adult Mystery, though she is not the best fit for crime focused or more thriller mysteries.
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 lots of backstory that is revealed slowly, 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.
Michelle uses Query Manager and responds to all queries, usually in under six to eight weeks. 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.
Do not send queries for nonfiction, chapter books, early readers, short story collections, novellas, or picture books at this time.
Adult: She represents fantasy, science fiction, horror (all types of speculative fiction), romantasy, and mystery.
YA and MG: All genres.
Some of her favorite genres in YA and MG are fantasy, mystery, historical fiction that relates back to today’s kids, MG adventure/humor, and sweet romance in YA.
Some things on my current wishlist are vegan characters, stories involving camping, a humorous and fun middle grade romp, and YA or MG sport stories, YA or MG historical fiction with lots of heart, YA romcoms (especially LGBTQ+), adult cozy fantasy, romantasy, cozy mystery with a younger main character, cozy mysteries set in locations outside the US, and diversity in all forms.
Some books I’ve read recently and enjoyed are:
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.
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