June Slush Pile Recap

11:07 pm - by anitamumm

I thought it might be fun to start offering a monthly snapshot of the Nelson Literary Agency slush pile. So, based on the queries we received, here’s a list of the topics and sub genres that really caught our eye and resulted in a sample page (partial manuscript) request in the month of June. To give you an idea of what’s hot on the market, I’ll mainly share things that are not based on the particular tastes of our agents but that are being widely sought by other agents as well.

JUNE SNAPSHOT:

Partial manuscripts (30 pages) read:  69

Full manuscripts requested:  5 

Hot Topics:

• Contemporary YA stories with a LGBT component (examples we saw: teen coming out in a conservative small town, girl with two dads—one has been accused of a serious crime)

• Middle Grade boy stories (fantasy or contemporary)—editors are still clamoring for these so agents are on the hunt

• New Adult with a pithy story (one example was a realistic and darkly humorous portrayal of a young man battling cancer)

• Contemporary romances with a sassy voice