In terms of age groups, I’m mostly working in the upper YA space, and am primarily looking for contemporary fantasy and horror. However, these are not dealbreakers, and I’m willing to expand genres if your story contains any of the following:

• Intense, personal relationships, whether it be romantic or platonic — I want to come away from a book kicking my heels about the friendship or relationships on the page. 

• Myth retellings, especially of the BIPOC kind (bonus if it’s Southeast Asian!)

• Diaspora stories, especially stories rooted in folks from the diaspora returning to their homeland and grappling with their new identity

• Cinematic writing / scene-setting

• Friends to lovers OR star-crossed lovers

• Interesting worldbuilding systems or settings—while this is likely primarily in the realm of sci-fi or fantasy, I could make an exception for a romcom set in an unusual location, for example.

• A deft balance of both action and emotion—think The Brothers Sun. 

• Ghosts that serve as metaphors of everything a character can’t afford to lose. 

• Loyal, supportive female friendships (bonus if it’s an ensemble)

• Quips that will make me laugh out loud (bonus if there are artful puns)

These are elements I am not a great fit for: 

• WWI // WWII fiction from a Western standpoint — while war stories are hard for me in general, I may reconsider if it’s from an area of the world that typically isn’t featured in discussions of the era. 

• Stories that graphically feature sexual assault 

• Elements including terrorists of any kind

• Dystopias / post-apocalyptic settings

• Dark academia 

• Zombies/vampires/werewolves

Books/Movies/TV I’ve loved:

TV/Movies

• The Untamed

• The Good Place

• Our Beloved Summer 

• Space Sweepers 

• First Love 

• The Summer Hikaru Dies

Books

• I’m Not Done With You Yet 

• Taiwan Travelogue

• Monsters We Defy 

• Black Water Sister 

• Poet Empress

• The Weight Of Our Sky

Bonus video games: 

• Tears of the Kingdom 

• Spiritfarer