My Submissions Wishlist: Liza DeBlock

Since Mushens Entertainment is open to submissions and actively looking to sign new clients, we’ve asked our agents to sit down and tell us all about what’s on their wishlist. Today’s guest: foreign rights aficionado, literary superstar, and editing queen Liza DeBlock…

What do you like to read outside of work?

I have actually been listening to a lot of audiobooks recently! I just finished The Poppy War by RF Kuang, The Daughter and Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex, and Notes On An Execution by Danya Kukafka.

What was your taste like growing up, and how has this changed now you are seeking clients?

Growing up, I latched on to any book that presented a different world from my own. I used books to explore the world, whether it was our own in another time, or a different universe altogether. I loved historical fiction – I devoured all the titles in The Royal Diaries Series from Scholastic as a kid. Fantasy was also another genre I loved. Tamora Pierce is single-handedly to blame for my love of badass heroines in fantasy series. To this day, I still love these genres and am starting to draw in clients that seem to blend these. THE REVELS by Stacey Thomas is a historical fiction novel set during the English Civil War with the fantastical twist of witches, and Pim Wangtechawat’s debut literary novel, THE MOON REPRESENTS MY HEART, is a brilliant story about families, love, and loss over multiple generations with the added element of time travel. I continue to look for the genres I love, but in new, unique and fun ways!

Are there any genres that are off-limits for you, or that you’ll only accept elements of?

I have found that I am drawn to the story rather than genre. However, I do tend to stay away from high fantasy because I find it hard to immerse myself in other worlds recently. I do accepted grounded fantasy – stories that keep one foot in this world – and urban fantasy too. For example, I love Sarah J Maas’s Crescent City Series. I don’t accept erotica, picture books, YA, romance, middle-grade, and sci-fi.

What direction are you hoping to build your list in?

I am building my list at the moment and represent a brilliant group of authors across multiple genres. I represent thriller, historical, speculative fiction, literary, cookbook, biography, and much more. This may seem quite broad, but at its core, my authors write strong characters that sit with you for ages, and they present topics or knowledge in a new, transformative light. I am looking for things that teach me something new and transport me to another world just like I did when I was a kid. My books are distinctive in that, after you read them, you absolutely want to talk about it with someone. I am looking for books that give me an intense emotional charge until I have to shout about them from rooftops and shove the book into another reader’s hands.

What do you look for in a client?

As much as I need to love the story, when I am looking out for new clients, I need to also want to work with the author too! For me, agenting is very personal as well as professional. I always meet with potential clients so we can get a sense of each other and make sure there is a strong foundation to build our professional relationship upon. We need to trust each other and then work together to create the best literature possible – whether that’s the first book they have written, or their tenth!

Interested in submitting your novel to Liza? You can find our guidelines and more information here.