Ivan Taurisano
ABRAMS Children's Books
My Manuscript Wish List®
I’m an Associate Editor for Entertainment Publishing and Content Development at ABRAMS Children’s Books. I work on board books, novelty books, picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, and MG and YA titles. Note: I’m focusing more on licensing and IP.
Above all, I look for a strong commercial hook, craveable content, compelling characters, and series potential. My MSWL is intentionally broad, so please do not hesitate to share a project with me.
BOARD BOOKS & PICTURE BOOKS: I’m interested in kid-centric, interactive, laugh-out-loud, and character-driven titles with series potential and a strong hook. I like fun read-aloud and great rhymes, bold, playful, imaginative stories, books that break the fourth wall and invite reader participation, and seasonal stories like Christmas and Halloween. I’d love to see content with broad appeal that kids will come back to over and over again.
CHAPTER BOOKS: I’m interested in character/plot-driven, action-packed, cozy/funny adventures, mysteries, and quests with series potential. All genres.
MIDDLE GRADE: I’m interested in plot-driven, action-packed adventures with a strong commercial hook, compelling characters, magic, quests/competitions, and high stakes.
GRAPHIC NOVELS: Anything like Pizza and Taco, Narwhal and Jelly, Investigators. I am looking for funny, silly, action-packed, laugh-out-loud stories with quirky characters.
YOUNG ADULT: Strong commercial hook, well-plotted, character-driven, atmospheric, and series potential. I prefer fantasy and romantasy at this time and love magic and quests/competitions, but I’m happy to read all genres. I like unique, morally grey characters, memorable villains, and propulsive, cinematic writing.
I am not the best fit for: nonfiction, biographies, and novels in verse.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to itaurisano@abramsbooks.com
For unagented authors: I am always open to unagented submissions, but I, unfortunately, cannot reply to all emails. Please consider it a pass if you don’t hear from me in 4-6 weeks. You are always welcome to send another project. Thank you.
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
Adventure, BIPOC Fantasy, BIPOC Horror, BIPOC Mystery, BIPOC Sci-Fi, Books about books, Character-Driven Horror, Character-driven SciFi, Children's, Children's and Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, Commercial MG, Commercial YA, Contemporary YA, Contemporary Young Adult, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy YA, Fiction Picture Books, Funny MG, High Fantasy, High-concept YA, High-concept YA/MG, Humor, Humor YA, Illustrator, Illustrators, LGBT YA, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ Fantasy, LGBTQ+ Sci-Fi, MG Action Adventure, MG Fantasy, MG Horror, MG Sci-Fi, MG adventure, MG mystery, MG/YA, Magic Realism, Magical Realism, Magical Realism YA, Middle Grade, Middle Grade Adventure, Middle Grade Contemporary, Middle Grade Fantasy, Middle Grade Graphic Novels, Middle Grade Horror, Middle Grade Humor, Middle Grade Mystery, Monsters, Multiple POV, Multiple Timelines, Mysteries, Mystery / Crime, POC, Picture Book, Science Fiction YA, Upmarket YA, Urban Fantasy, YA, YA Contemporary, YA Crossover, YA Fantasy, YA Mystery, YA Rom-Coms, YA RomCom, YA Romance, YA Romantasy, YA SF/F, YA Sci-fi, YA Science Fiction, YA Thrillers, YA fantasy/light sci-fi, YA horror, YA rom com, YA thriller/mystery, YA/MG graphic novel, Young Adult, bilingual, board books, chapter books, children's graphic novels, comics, coming of age, commercial, commercial middle grade, contemporary MG, dark academia, dark fantasy, picture books, queer, queer horror, read-alouds, witchcraft, witches
I’d like the next…
I’d love to work on the next Grumpy Monkey; The Last Kids on Earth; Skandar and the Unicorn Thief; Children of Blood and Bone.
My favorites include…
Favorite picture books: 5 More Sleeps ’til Christmas by Jimmy Fallon; The Pigeon series by Mo Willems; Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang.
Favorite middle-grade novel: Greenglass House by Kate Milford.
Favorite middle-grade series: Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend.
Favorite graphic novel: Flamer by Mike Curato
Favorite YA novel: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
