Daniel Niv

Olswanger Literary

My Manuscript Wish List®

My Manuscript Wish List® Items

wishlist
Overall, I love stories with a compelling hook, an emphasis on character development, high stakes, and lush writing. The most important thing for me when reading a manuscript is to connect to the characters, and I often connect to vulnerable protagonists who discover their strengths. 
I enjoy reading stories with diverse voices from all backgrounds. I am always intrigued by historical or unique settings. I prefer a dark atmosphere over cozy, but I still enjoy both!

In romance, my favorite tropes are slow-burn, witty banter, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers (to enemies), love triangles, and forbidden love. I don’t mind the level of spice as long as the tension is high. I also enjoy plot twists, secrets, and betrayals. I am very captivated by morally gray or flawed characters, and I love a good villain. 

I’m less likely to enjoy extreme gore, the miscommunication trope, or stories that rely heavily on advanced or speculative technology.

Please don’t self-reject if your manuscript falls outside my MSWL—it’s just a glimpse of my main interests, and I’m happy to find something I didn’t even know I wanted!

Adult Fiction:

  • Fantasy 

  • Magical Realism

  • Retellings

  • Dark Academia

  • Gothic

  • Family Saga

  • Historical

  • Upmarket

  • Romance (Dark, horrormance, Romantasy)

 

Non-Fiction:

  • Historical narratives with compelling storytelling (preferably related to wartime).
  • Body, Mind & Spirit (New Age, Esotericism, Mysticism, Occult, Witchcraft, Astrology, Mindfulness, Oracle & Tarot Decks, surprise me!)

Fun facts about me:

I majored in Literature and Creative Writing and have worked as a librarian and a manuscript reader for numerous publishing houses.
I am the co-founder and editor of Spell Jar Press, which publishes print anthologies.

Fun facts: I make witchy candles & I have a crazy ginger cat.

Submission Guidelines

I’m open to adult fiction and non-fiction queries.

Keep in mind that I take an editorial approach, so if you become a client, there might be rounds of revisions.

Please use my Query Manager link to fill out the query form and attach the first ten pages of your manuscript.
​I respond to all queries.

Guidelines & Details

Vital Info

daniel@olswangerliterary.com

@@_DanielNiv

Website

Associate Literary Agent

Fiction:

Fantasy, Gothic, Historical, Magical Realism, New Adult, Romance

Non-Fiction:

Spiritual, Tarot/Astrology, Wellness, Witches/Witchcraft

Favorite sub-genres:

BIPOC, Dark Female Friendships, Fantasy, Gothic, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Magical Realism, Retellings, WWII, dark academia, dark fantasy, romantasy

I’d like the next…

My favorites include…

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, Rebecca Yarros, Sara J Mass, S. E. Hinton, W. Somerset Maugham, Elizabeth Gilbert.

TV: Outlander, My Lady Jane, Dickinson, The Queen’s Gambit, Gilmore Girls, Derry Girls, Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders.

Movies: Frances Ha, Adult World, Spirited Away, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.