Kate McKean
Howard Morhaim Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
I am hungry for:
Non-fiction for kids. Please send me your biography, history, science, technology, creativity, memoir, or narrative non-fiction for middle grade or YA readers. Please, no gross-out middle grade (i.e. The Best Farts in History, or the like).
Graphic Novels: Anything and everything, all ages, adult and children’s
Middle grade of all stripes, except wacky, zany, gross out middle grade. If you’re writing the MG version of Rick & Morty or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy I DO NOT want it.
In all genres, I’m looking for authors from under-represented groups.
In general, I represent authors writing for children in the areas of horror, romance, LGBTQ issues, contemporary fiction, magical realism, fantasy, and science fiction. In non-fiction, for adults or children/teens, I represent books by authors with demonstrable platforms in the areas of pop-culture, memoir, sports, food writing, humor, design, creativity, and craft.
For adults I am primarily interested in contemporary romance, contemporary women’s fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction set in the 20th Century, fantasy, magical realism, science fiction. I love books about space.
I DO NOT represent thrillers or mysteries for adults. I do not gravitate to stories that feature dragons, angels/demons, cops, lawyers, FBI agents, or amateur sleuths.
I don’t like farce or satire in fiction. Give me sincerity over sarcasm.
Check out my newsletter at katemckean.substack.com to learn more about me and my tastes–and publishing, too!
Fun facts about me:
Contrary to popular misconception, I’m not from Mississippi. I just went to school there for 18 months. I’m from Florida-ish. (We moved around a lot as a kid.)
I love competitive cheerleading.
Submission Guidelines
***CURRENTLY CLOSED TO NEW SUBMISSIONS***
Please email your query letter and the first three chapters of your novel or your full non-fiction book proposal. Email attachments are acceptable. No snail mail submissions will be considered. You may only query one agent at our agency per project, and please only query one project at a time. Our response time to most queries is 8-12 weeks.
Vital Info
I’d like the next…
…beautiful illustrated book like All My Friends are Dead or I Think I’m in Friend-Love With You.
…E. Lockhart.
…King Baby picture book.
…historical novel that is not about World War II. Tell me more about an unexplored part of modern American History (1890-1970), especially as it involves women in the workforce.
My favorites include…
Feed, by M.T. Anderson
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart
The Women, by Mary McCarthy
The Best of Everything, by Rona Jaffe
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon
Careers for Women, by Joanna Scott
Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time, by Brigid Schulte
What we Talk About When We Talk About Love, by Raymond Carver
Dare Me, by Megan Abbott
Girls of Fire, by Robin Wasserman
Marlena, by Julie Buntin
