Katie Ferriello
Mansion Street Literary Management
My Manuscript Wish List®
Hi there.
I represent picture books through adult fiction (not graphic novels) and am in the process of building my list. I will periodically update this page to let you know my current wishlist focus. My website lists the genres I like in general, but my MSWL page will let you know what I am currently looking for.
At the moment, I am prioritizing young adult, new adult, and adult. KidLit does have my heart and I plan to sign mg/pb authors in the future, so check back later for an update on those genres.
My tastes skew speculative and commercial, but I do like upmarket and literary at times.
Current Wishlist:
- I’m looking for Romantasy, but blended with another genre—something unique! I am comfortable with all spice levels.
- I’d like a commercial RomCom. Bonus points if it is blended with another genre. Perhaps a RomCom Mystery or a RomCom Horror blend? While I do read contemporary at times, I’m more interested in genre blends in this space. Get creative here!
- I loved the YA dystopian era of the 2010s. I’d love to see a fresh dystopian in the NA space, with or without some romance sprinkled in.
- Dark academia AND/OR whimsical stories. I don’t shy away from dark stories, but I also like light, playful books as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is: lean in here. Get real dark or, alternatively, bring the whimsy. I like both extremes.
- Cozy fantasy. Or cozy anything really.
- Folk horror/romance blend- I lean less gore and more into the atmospheric/psychological side of horror.
- BookTok- Not a genre, but if you think BookTok would rave about your story, share it with me.
- Very random, but I once heard about two elderly people who broke out of a nursing home to head to a rock concert and ever since then, I’ve wanted to read a book focused on that demographic. That could be an adventure (like The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper), a fantasy (maybe someone developing their magic in an old age), or a romance.
- I am open to sci-fi, but my tastes are narrower here. I don’t like space opera (never say never?) or sci-fi that feels extremely techy, but if your sci-fi reads like a fantasy, I’m open to it.
Don’t hesitate to query me with another genre in the YA-NA-Adult space. Those are the genres I’m most specifically wanting right now, but I’m open to being surprised by something you’ve written.
KidLit writers- Please follow me on socials because I will be open to you at some point!
Thanks for considering me!
Fun facts about me:
About Me As An Agent:
I interned for nearly a year with Kaitlyn Sanchez of Bradford Literary and then for a few months with Michelle Witte of Mansion Street. Both are amazing, so if you’re a KidLit writer- check them out!
I have a background as both an English teacher and a realtor, and both are applicable to literary agenting. In other words, I am well versed in providing feedback, explaining processes, and negotiating contracts.
My communication style is transparent and open. I want clients to feel comfortable throughout their publishing careers and I believe knowledge is key. I’m also a hyper-responsible person and see myself as an advocate and guide for my clients. I love providing editorial feedback and helping clients enhance their manuscripts for submission.
I am strategically building my list very slowly.
Fun Facts About Me:
- I was born and raised in New York, but now live in Utah
- I am a USA-Weightlifting National Level coach and coached my husband at Nationals in 2015 and 2016. We previously owned a CrossFit/strength and conditioning gym together.
- I was a teacher for 16 years. I taught English and physical education- middle and high school.
- I have been fortunate to visit more than 30 countries around the globe. Traveling will always have my heart!
- I am a childfree adult, but I am obsessed with my nieces and nephews.
- I have 3 sisters.
- In my free time, I love to mountain bike, ski, swim, and camp.
- I have a great handle on contract negotiations from selling real estate. It definitely carries over into the world of literary agenting!
- I am a firm believer that you’re never too old to try something new/life is about exploring.
- I have season major league soccer tickets.
- I ran track and cross-country in high school.
- I am a dual citizen of the US and Italy.
Submission Guidelines
How to Query Me:
Please use my Query Tracker form: https://querytracker.net/query/katieferriello/
For middle grade through adult manuscripts, please include a query letter, synopsis, and first 10 pages. For picture books, please include a query letter and 3 complete picture books in one query.
I do not accept/respond to queries via email.
How to Know When I’m Open to Queries:
Follow me on Instagram (@katieferriebooks), BlueSky (@katieferrie1), or Twitter (@katieferrie1) to learn when I am open to queries. Whenever I am open, I plan to only open to the first 500 queries I get and then shut again.
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
#Dis, #ownvoices, Adult Romantasy, Adult SFF, Children's, Classic retellings with BIPOC characters, Commercial MG, Commercial YA, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy mysteries, Crime Fiction, Cross-genre, Dark Humor, Dark topics with a light touch, Detective, Dystopian, East Asian Literature, Fairytale Retellings, Fantasy, Fantasy Grounded in Reality, Fantasy Romance, Fantasy YA, Feminism, Gothic Fantasy, Gothic Horror, Grounded fantasy, Health and Wellness, High Concept, High-concept YA/MG, Historical (as long as the period is of consequence), Historical Fantasy; Fantasy Grounded In Reality, Historical Fiction, Historical RomCom, Immigrant Voices, LGBTQ+, Literary YA & MG, Literary YA/MG, MG Sci-Fi, MG/YA, Marginalized Voices, Middle Grade Adventure, Middle Grade Contemporary, Middle Grade Fantasy, Middle Grade Horror, Middle Grade Humor, Middle Grade Mystery, Middle grade magical realism, Minority Voices, Modern Retellings of Fairy Tales, Monsters, Multicultural Romance, Multigenerational, Multiple POV, Multiple Timelines, Mystery / Crime, Mythology, Neurodiversity, New Adult, Paranormal Romance, Portal fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Regency Romance, Retellings, RomCom, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thriller, SciFi Romance, Scottish, Series Romance, Shakespeare Retellings, Speculative Fiction, Speculative Middle Grade, Strong Females, Time Travel Romance, Underrepresented Voices, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Upmarket YA, Urban Fantasy, classic retellings, coming of age, court intrigue, dark academia, dark fantasy, enemies to lovers, epistolary novels, found family, friendship, fun SF/F, ghost story, gothic romance, health and fitness, historical mystery, historical romance, horror, invisible disability, just... all the tropes, light Sci-Fi, picture books, quirky, rivals to lovers, romantasy, romantic New Adult, romantic fantasy, romantic suspense/mystery, slow burn, slow burn romance, stories that don't fit neatly into a genre, traditional fantasy, tropes tropes tropes, upmarket genre fiction, upmarket/book club with female protagonist, whimsical, whodunnit
I’d like the next…
My favorites include…
Books: Fourth Wing, Outlander, The Hunger Games, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The House on the Cerulean Sea, Pride and Prejudice, The Mistress of Rome, Divine Rivals, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, Mornings with Rosemary, Eight Hundred Grapes, Amari and The Night Brothers, Nevermoor, Pages and Co, The Book of Stolen Dreams, Sky In The Deep, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, The Book Thief, In the Time of the Butterflies, Manacled, The Handmaid’s Tale.
TV Shows: Outlander, Game of Thrones, The Parisian Agency, Mad Men, Poldark, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Ted Lasso, Great British Baking Show, Wednesday, Stranger Things, Arrested Development, Sopranos, Ghosts, Younger, Emily In Paris, Bridgerton, Blood of My Blood, Seinfeld.
Movies: Almost Famous, 10 Things I Hate About You, Dirty Dancing, Legally Blonde, Kill Bill, While You Were Sleeping, Knives Out, The Parent Trap, The Little Mermaid
