I’m Kade (he/they), an editorial assistant at Holiday House. A graduate of The New School’s Writing for Children & Young adults graduate program, I previously interned at P.S. Literary, TriadaUS, and McIntosh & Otis, Inc. I’m seeking children’s books of all ages with a focus on MG and YA fiction, including graphic novels. I’m looking for contemporary, horror, thrillers, historical fiction, grounded contemporary fantasy, and anything with a speculative twist. My tastes tend to skew darker tonally, and while I respond to both literary and commercial writing, I can’t resist gorgeous line-level prose. But above all else, I gravitate to stories with deeply-realized emotional interiority and a compelling sense of internal conflict.
My ultimate wishlist item is any story that uses a speculative and/or genre twist to hone in on a deeper theme or personal conflict. Other, more specific wishlist items include:
Disaster characters, the messier the better—give me protagonists who reflect all the (sometimes funny, sometimes heavy) chaos inherent in coming-of-age.
Settings that feel specific, atmospheric, and integral to the story. I particularly love anything that could be described as “Americana,” but I’m here for it all!
Stories that incorporate difficult topics without defining the characters by the “issues” discussed. I am especially interested in protagonists dealing with mental health themes that reflect young people’s lived realities, including more stigmatized experiences such as substance abuse. While portrayals of characters struggling with these issues can be complex, they should also ultimately be sympathetic.
Stories that dig into intense but tangled relationships: ex friends; complicated breakups; estranged family; messy, all-or-nothing friendship love stories.
Ghosts, haunted houses, and all things spooky—whether the project terrifies me or makes me sob!
Anything unapologetically weird or off the beaten path (think A.S. King’s unique story structures/POVs or the premise of Andrew Smith’s Grasshopper Jungle)
LGBTQIA+ stories across genres, particularly from trans/nonbinary creators. As much as I love queer joy and the found family of queer friendships, I am also here for stories that reflect the challenges specific to this community.
Authentically told stories from voices underrepresented in publishing.
I am not the best fit for:
Medieval fantasy or court fantasy
Books set in outer space
Superhero stories
Stories with animal protagonists
Girl-dresses-as-boy trope, unless it's queer (in which case, give it to me!)
Stories in which a secondary character’s neurodivergence, mental health condition, or physical disability is the primary conflict/obstacle for the protagonist.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to kdishmon@holidayhouse.com
Submissions should be emailed to kdishmon@holidayhouse.com
I accept agented and unagented submissions. Please email queries to kdishmon@holidayhouse.com and include #MSWL in the subject line. I prefer to see full manuscripts (fiction) / full proposals (graphic novels).
Fiction: Children's, Graphic Novel, Horror, LGBTQ, Middle Grade, Young Adult
Favorite sub-genres:
I'd like the next...
My favorites include...
MG: Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu, The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff YA: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, Please Ignore Vera Dietz & Dig by A.S. King, Man-o-War by Cory McCarthy, White Smoke & The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass, Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar GN: Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Blackwater by Jeanette Arroyo, Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden, Constellations by Kate Glasheen Podcasts: Alice Isn’t Dead,The Magnus Archives
TV: Feel Good, Russian Doll, The Haunting of Hill House
