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Kristie Choi
Atheneum Books for Young Readers (S&S)
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Currently Looking For
I’m a children’s book editor with Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that is known for publishing award-winners and commercial books with outstanding literary merit. I’m looking to acquire fiction and non-fiction for young adult, middle grade, picture book (4-8), and graphic novels. My Mission: I’m seeking the sort of books that can stand the test of time where readers can get lost and immersed in a refuge, see themselves, be transformed and healed, and experience the world with a new perspective. I’m especially looking to highlight intersectional, marginalized, and traditionally underrepresented voices (BIPOC, queer, disabled, neurodivergent, body type, etc). My taste in short: high-concept, layered, character-driven, literary and/or upmarket stories that play with genre or highlight the magic within the mundane; evocative stories that are creatively ambitious, have high-stakes (or feel high stakes), inspire emotion and wonder, and provoke discussion and thought; and on the younger end, pure silliness/humor and absurdity galore with plenty of kid-appeal Broad strokes: Ranging from light and humorous to gritty, edgy, and thought-provoking, the stories I tend to be drawn to are creatively ambitious and can straddle both the commercial and literary line (“upmarket”) or have a literary timeless feel. For novels and graphic novels, I’m seeking voice-driven coming-of-age or genre fiction with a character-focus written with captivating prose; for picture books and early readers, I’m looking for outrageously funny, silly, absurd stories or those that are gorgeous and lyrical and touch upon universal themes like love and family. Regardless of genre or format, I’m drawn to voice-y, cinematic, character-driven stories with a high-concept hook that are immersive, compulsive readable, and evocative–those that can get me invested in the characters and make me laugh or cry (or both at the same time). I enjoy high stakes and stories of young people confronting a little more than the ordinary, anything from dealing with financial insecurity, grief/loss, family dysfunction, to battling political corruption or literal demons. I also love slice-of-life that highlights the beauty and humor within the mundane. Even with my favorite cozy stories, though, I enjoy having some weightier threads woven in (think any Hayao Miyazaki film or Howl’s Moving Castle where the wizards turning into monsters is a metaphor for the horrors of war). I have a particular soft spot for offbeat threads and misfits on the fringes of society, nerds, autistic/neurodivergent folks, and the cerebral types thinking big questions about life, relationships, and philosophy from a young age. Specifically, in picture books, I love: Early Readers: In MG, I’m looking for: In YA, I love: I am a bit genre-blind when it comes to fantasy/speculative, contemporary, historical, and whatnot, but.. I am NOT the best fit for: Fun facts about me:
Submission Guidelines
To agents: please submit to my Simon & Schuster email address with the full pitch and manuscript. You are welcome to submit to more than one editor at S&S; however, we ask agents not to submit simultaneously to editors within the same imprint or publisher. S&S BFYR, Atheneum, McElderry, Salaam Reads, and Denene Millner all fall under the same publisher. To authors and illustrators: Unfortunately I can only accept agented submissions. If I’ve expressed interest in your MS, please have your agent forward it to me! Vital Info @@kristiechoi.bsky.social Website
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