Amanda Carbonell
Belcastro Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
I’m really looking to be immersed in an author’s story. I want to be deeply connected to your character’s thoughts, feelings, reactions, and movements. I’m looking for strong worldbuilding and solid pacing throughout.
Above all else, I am looking to have a diverse list. My goal is to uplift marginalized voices allowing for children, teens, and adults to see themselves within the pages of your stories. ALL marginalized communities, especially Latinx are highly encouraged to submit!
Middle Grade
I’m fairly open when it comes to MG. This is such an important age category that I would love to see more stories in.
Contemporary: I would love to see the humor, hijinx, as well as stress that comes along with being in middle school. I would like to see/experience school dances, first crushes, friendships, friendship breakups, and all the other ups and downs of tween-hood. I would also like to see any sort of clubs or competitions in school. I’m thinking the vein of a more modern Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, etc.
Horror: I’m always excited to see kids facing off against the forces of evil and would love to be swept up in the journey of stopping the big bad.
Fantasy: I’m open to any sort of fantasy in the middle grade realm. I would also love to see any sort of twisted fairytales or cool mythology in this category. I’m also a big fan of witches and other sorts of magic in this category.
Adventure: I love adventure stories with a lot of movement and quests. I would love something focusing around outsmarting an all powerful creature and finding ways to destroy them.
Young Adult
Thrillers – I really want to be immersed in your story, unable to put this book down. I would love to find a sort of dark thriller that has a touch of commercial edge to it. Some examples would include: One of Us is Lying, How to Find a Missing Girl, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Ace of Spades, and so on.
Contemporary: I would love a standard teen in high school working a part time and experiencing the throws of this while maybe trying to win the girl in the end. Something like a modern-day version of the movies Waiting or Clerks but for teens! Also, any sort of clubs or competitions in high school I would love to take a look at!
Horror – send me all the horror! I am fine with body horror but appreciate a warning! Within these Wicked Walls, The Spirit Bares its Teeth, White Smoke, You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight, The Forest, Your Lonely Nights Are Over
Fantasy – I’m not really looking for heavy fantasy with kingdoms, kings, and queens, but I love fantastical elements!
Literary Fiction: I am open to any sort of literary fiction – especially ones that focus on modern issues.
Genre mashups/blending with horror, romance, light fantasy, etc.
New Adult
Contemporary: I would love to see stories focusing on high school graduates. Some that maybe don’t go the traditional college route and decide to focus on a trade or go straight into working.
Romance: I’m pretty open when it comes to this genre. Send something I can swoon over – something that’s going to melt my heart.
Genre mashups/blending with horror, romance, light fantasy, romantasy, etc.
Thriller: I am open to any thriller within this age group.
Horror: I am very open to anything horror! I am fine with body horror but appreciate a warning!
Adult
In adult, I’m looking for a good time with millennials! I would love to see a lot of humor-driven novels that focus on mid-thirty-year-old’s existing and trying to survive in this world while going through their mental struggles.
Commercial: I really want to find something that takes place within a school that’s very commercial with hints of rom-com. Something in the vein of Bad Teacher or even something focused around a PTA meeting/council. On the flipside of that, I would also love something like Bad Moms.
Thriller is another big one for me in this department and I’m open to anything…especially a killer PTA club!
Rom-com’s – anything swoon-worthy that has a healthy dose of comedy.
Horror – all the scares are welcome. I am fine with body horror but appreciate a warning!
Please do NOT send me:
- Picture books, chapter books, or graphic novels at this time.
- Anything revolving around child abuse/endangerment of a child
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Stories that include: on-page (reader is witness to) suicide, on-page (reader is witness to) rape, sexual abuse – (if your story has mentions to this like a character dealing with a trauma, battling depression and suicide ideation, or these topics being mentioned in passing – that is okay)
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Stories where any main character animals die (I am fine if there is a mention of a sacrifice or there is just a dead animal on the road – I just don’t want an earth shattering moment of an animal dying on page)
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Stories that are told from the perspective of an animal (these are adorable but just not for me at this time)
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Vampires or any sort of Paranormal/Spec-Fic
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Eroticas
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Novellas, screenplays, short story collections.
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Previously self-published stories
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Sci-Fi
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Heavy fantasy – kings, queens, elves, dragons etc.
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Historical
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Mafia
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Cop focused stories
Fun facts about me:
I’ve seen Gilmore Girls at least 60 times, all 153 of them.
I have two dogs – one English yellow lab and one German Shepherd mix I rescued from a kill shelter in New Mexico.
I am also an author.
I’m married and we have a son that my husband named after a Viking king.
I’m terrible at Math 🙂
Submission Guidelines
Please send any queries to my query link: https://QueryManager.com/3570
I ask for your query letter, synopsis, and first chapter.
Please do not query multiple agents at Belcastro Literary Agency, when one of our agents pass, please feel free to query another you feel may be a good fit!
Wishing you SO much luck!
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
#Dis, #ownvoices, Adult Horror, Adult Rom Com, Adult Romantasy, BIPOC, BIPOC Fantasy, BIPOC Horror, Chick Lit, Commercial MG, Commercial YA, Commercial adult fiction, Commercial and Literary, Contemporary Fantasy, Contemporary YA, Contemporary Young Adult, Cozy Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Fantasy YA, Found Families, Funny MG, Gothic Fantasy, Gothic Horror, Horror Comedy, Humor, Humor YA, LGBT YA, LGBTQ Contemporary, LGBTQ Romance, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ Fantasy, LGBTQ+ rom coms, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIAP, Latinx Fantasy, Latinx Horror, Latinx stories, Literary Crossover, Literary Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Literary Horror, Literary MG, Literary Middle Grade, Literary YA, Literary YA & MG, Literary YA/MG, Low Fantasy, MG Fantasy, MG Horror, MG adventure, MG contemporary, MG/YA, Magic, Romantic Comedy, YA Contemporary, YA Contemporary Romance, YA Contemporary Romance with layers, YA Crossover, YA Fantasy, YA Rom-Coms, YA Romance, YA Romantasy, YA fantasy/light sci-fi, YA horror, coming of age, commercial, commercial middle grade, contemporary MG, contemporary middle grade, crossover adult, dark academia, diverse and own voices, friendship, romantasy, romantic New Adult
I’d like the next…
My favorites include…
Gilmore Girls
Buffy
Shameless
Cobra Kai
Real Housewives
Wanda Vision
Twilight Zone (old & new)
Books:
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
I Feed Her to the Beast & the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea
Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton
Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
My list is very long so I’ll keep it to this for now
Movies:
The Outsiders
Stand By Me
Queen of the Damned
In the Army Now
Hunger Games series
All Marvel
