Anum Shafqat

Hi! I’m an assistant editor with McElderry and Atheneum Books for Young Readers at Simon & Schuster. I am primarily interested in young adult fiction but sometimes dip into middle grade and some picture books (4-8).

Across the Board:

• Diversity in every sense of the word (BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent, etc.)
• Strong voices that instantly draw readers into the story
• All kinds of family dynamics (found family, dysfunctional families, joyous families)
• Stories that tackle heavy topics in an almost-sneaky way…books that make you question society, authority, and the norm
• Muslim characters experiencing all facets of life, not just tragedy and identity

Young Adult:

• Intricate, unique worlds featuring characters of color
• Dark fantasies that are truly, brutally dark (paired with some rare silly moments, of course)
• Get-Out-type disturbing horror as well as silly, dark comedy slasher horror or creepy whodunnits
• Feel-good rom coms featuring characters of color falling in love <3
• Sci-fi with a unique commercial hook
• All things romantic, as long as it’s weirdly intense—give me a slow burn, a complicated soul-mate story, love at first sight
• Messy queer characters (too flirty, too selfish, objectively make bad decisions)
• Stories that lean New Adult (e.g. protagonist is a freshman in college)

Middle Grade:

• Adventure! Swords! Magic!
• Mystery, riddles, and puzzles are very welcome
• Quirky first crushes, and the anxiety that ensues
• High-concept upper middle grade (think spies and heists and kids too smart for their own good)

Picture Books:

• Anything exploring and introducing kids to unique parts of different cultures and identities
• Characters with big personalities and even bigger imaginations
• And, of course, giggles galore!

What I’m NOT Looking For:

• Issue- or message-driven stories across the board
• Board books
• Books where technology is a large aspect of the story (e.g. the characters have social media accounts and that is the only way they communicate)
• Fairy tale retellings, unless it’s hyper-specific and/or non-western

Submission Guidelines

Unfortunately, I can only accept agented submissions. Please submit to my Simon & Schuster email address with a pitch and sample/manuscript.