Ellen Cormier
Dial Books for Young Readers
My Manuscript Wish List®
What I’m Looking for: I acquire a mix of genres and formats, with a particular focus on LGBTQIA+ stories. My favorite projects explore universal themes through the lens of hyper-specific experiences and are voiced by flawed, complex characters that stick with you long after the final page. Across all genres and categories, I gravitate towards literary writing, humor, and books that make me see the world around me in a different light.
Here’s a bit more about what I’m after in each category:
Picture books: sly & subversive texts that make me laugh out loud; every-kid stories told through an LGBTQ lens
Middle Grade: authentically voiced found family or complicated sibling stories, plots tinged with mystery or (thematically relevant!) magic, unexpected retellings and coming-of-age narratives that capture the raw, exquisite pains of middle school life. Anything that can be reasonably comped to Karen Cushman
Young Adult: Contemporary or speculative fiction that perfectly marries literary writing and hefty themes with a propulsive, unputdownable plot; impeccably researched absorbing historical fiction; literary psychological horror in the vein of Yellowjackets where readers have to decide for themselves what’s real and what’s imagined
Graphic Novels: Poignant slice-of-life stories; funny & authentically voiced romps; quirky and genre-bending projects are a plus
Don’t send: animal POV novels, stories where the plot hinges on suicide/suicidal ideation, sick lit (especially cancer stories) or dead parent books; paranormal romance; cis-het romance
Fun facts about me:
- My favorite animal is the black bear. I even have a black bear tattoo!
- I run a ~300-mile relay race in Northern Michigan every summer
- I’m a novice beekeeper
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to ecormier@prh.com
Agented submissions only
Consultations
As a new addition from The Manuscript Academy, #MSWL’s sister company, we are now offering e-meeting consultations with a select group of our agents and editors to go over your query letter or first page, get professional feedback, and learn more about the reactions you’re getting (or not getting…) from agents. You’ll be able to pick from Skype, Hangouts, or a phone call–and, yes, this works internationally. Please see our FAQ, our list of participating agents and editors–and consider joining our Facebook group, a free, friendly community of writers cheering each other on through this process. You can also learn more via the free MSWL podcast, with agent interviews, tips and tricks for giving your work its best possible chance.
Please note: Meetings are posted once monthly, and then often sell out. If there are meetings available, you’ll see them bolded on the calendar below. Want an email when new meetings go up? Click here.
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Vital Info
I’d like the next…
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson; illustrated by Dan Santat
Big by Vashti Harrison
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
