Calling YA Authors

I'm going to begin taking a look at the YA market. Please make sure to note the SPECIFIC guidelines that I am going to be focusing on. This is not an all call for any type of YA!

I am looking for stories that are specifically targeted to the Harlequin TEEN market.


Length: 50,000–100,000 words

Harlequin Teen is…
Fresh, authentic teen fiction featuring extraordinary characters and extraordinary stories set in contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, science-fiction and historical worlds.
We’re looking for commercial, high-concept stories that capture the teen experience and will speak to readers with power and authenticity. All subgenres are welcome, so long as the book delivers a relevant reading experience that will resonate long after the book’s covers are closed. We expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element.
Harlequin Teen is a single-title program dedicated to building authors and publishing unique, memorable young-adult fiction. Stories with the unforgettable romance, characters and atmosphere of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, the witty humor of Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries novels, the edgy emotion of Jay Asher’s Th1rteen R3asons Why, the thrilling danger of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games, the futuristic world-building of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, and the power of Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief are examples of the range and depth of projects that we’re seeking. (As printed from the eharlequin.com website)

But here are the specifics I am looking for here at Greyhaus.'

• I want stories that are about real girls in real situations. Think Women's Fiction at a younger level. While I very much like stories that are cute and over the top, I am looking for stories that tend to connect with the everyday girl.
• Multi-cultural? Would love to see stories that address cultural diversity. I am intersted in seeing the cultural influence shaping how the heroine learns about herself and the world around here.
• Historical? I would love to see stories set in historical settings that provide an avenue for teaching about that time. I do not want to see stories just plopped in the middle of a historical setting but those that really represent historical fiction. In this case, the heroine is the central focus and the readers get to see how the heroine understands what it is to be a growing female in this time period.
• Fantasies? Paranormal? Futuristic? At this time I am not interested in these. I would like to see authors focus on the young female journey more than the world building and magic that surrounds the stories.
• Insprirationals? No. I want stories that tend to be more universal.

I guess the easiest way to think about this is that I want those stories that we see lasting the test of time. Katherine Patterson, Avi, Scott O'Dell are great examples. Titles include, Witch of Blackbird Pond, Across Two Aprils, Lyddie, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

When you do submit your proposals (see the guidelines at www.greyhausagency.com) please treat this like a CATEGORY submission. This means that I would love to see other ideas that would go along with that story that show you understand the actual line.

See what you can do.

Scott