For fiction, Jo is seeking books that subvert genre expectations or combine genres in innovative ways, as well as stories with dark humor and absurdist elements. They crave shocking ideas and twists that make readers leap to text their friends about or jump on to social media to engage in conversation. They are also seeking … Read more
Across the board, I am currently focused on finding stories with strong diverse and multi-cultural voices. I am drawn to picture books filled with humor, whimsy, heartfelt, make-me-giggle storytelling, and fun, SEL concepts. In Middle-Grade fiction, YA fiction, graphic novels, I’m eagerly seeking strong, distinct voices, multi-dimensional characters, compelling stories of friendships, coming-of-age stories, emotional … Read more
Esty Loveing-Downes holds a BFA in creative writing from Ringling College of Art + Design and an MFA in fiction from Queens University of Charlotte. Aside from serving as a daily editor for the Southern Review of Books, she was first mentored by the teams at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc. and Tobias Literary … Read more