ERICA MCGRATH – WRITERS HOUSE
Erica McGrath is a junior agent actively growing my list of adult and children’s books at Writers House. She started working at Writer’s House as an intern in 2018. Since then, she’s worked closely with the contracts department, and has supported Senior Agents Stephen Barr and Susan Cohen. Under their mentorship, Erica has had the opportunity to work closely with a range of award-winning authors and illustrators including Maggie Thrash, Anna Walker, Mark Leiknes, Jared Dillian, F.C. Yee, Jeanette Winter, Stacy Innerst, and Emily Hughes.
Before joining Writers House, she studied Visual Arts and English at SUNY New Paltz and interned at not-for-profit art organizations like The Center for Photography at Woodstock and Musee Magazine. Now, she combines her literary and artistic passions with her business sensibilities, and she is dying to read your work! As a Cancer sun, Virgo rising, and the eldest daughter of four siblings, she comes well-equipped as an intuitive, organized, and dedicated advocate. Erica is a passionate collaborator eager to support authors on this emotional journey to create lasting and inspiring projects.
Fiction:
Children’s, Contemporary, Family Saga, General, Gothic, Graphic Novel, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary, Middle Grade, Mystery, Picture Books, Young Adult
She is looking to work with authors and illustrators across all age ranges, in genres ranging from picture books to middle grade and YA, to adult literary fiction and nonfiction. Her tastes are wide-ranging but below you’ll find some specifics from Erica.
Middle Grade
Growing up, I must have read INKHEART by Cornelia Funke cover to cover no less than fifty times. I’m seeking stories that inspire a similar insatiable, unputdownable, desire. And I want books that grow up with their readers, that they can return to even in adulthood – I’ll never forget that gut-punch feeling of reading LOVE THAT DOG as a kid; the brilliance of Sharon Creech’s verse, and the story returning in on itself. Most recently, I loved Daniel Nayeri’s EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE and KING AND THE DRAGONFLIES by Kacen Callender . My taste here ranges from contemporary to fantastical to mysterious, to anywhere in between . I love writing with a ton of humor and heart (like the QUEST KIDS series by Mark Leiknes). Unforgettable characters are a must (the inimitable Clover Elkin in Eli Brown’s ODDITY), and I’m a sucker for unconventional friendships (PAX by Sara Pennypacker). Highly illustrated and inventive hybrid styles are most welcome.
Young Adult
I’m picky when it comes to Young Adult and tend to favor literary and voice-driven fiction. (Or more to the point, when I was in high school, I named our family cat Holden Caulfield.) I’m interested in contemporary stories that reflect the emotional complexities and thorny realities of adolescence. I want to fall in love with a character and be put through the wringer via the depths of their emotional despair but feel reassured that there’s a light at the end. Note: I am highly selective about YA speculative or supernatural texts.
Select favorites: I AM THE MESSENGER by Markus Zuzak, BABY & SOLO by Lisabeth Posthuma, ARISTOTLE AND DANTE by Benjamin Alire Saenz, DIG by A.S. King, FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley, WE ARE OKAY by Nina LaCour, anything by Laurie Halse Anderson, WILDER GILRS by Rory Powers.
Graphic Novels
I have a soft spot for graphic memoirs. In graphic novels (in everything from adult to highly illustrated MG, and YA), I’m looking for inventive storytelling and meta depictions of how reality is often stranger than fiction.
Select favorites: HONOR GIRL by Maggie Thrash; LAURA DEAN KEEPS BREAKING UP WITH ME by Mariko Tamaki; HEY, KIDDO by Jarrett J. Krosoczka; DUCKS by Kate Beaton; IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE by Julia Wertz; NEW KID by Jerry Craft; THIS WAS OUR PACT by Ryan Andrews.
Picture Books
I’m seeking picture books that overfloweth with wonderment, curiosity, and humor. Memorable characters, visually expansive art, and smart and humorous writing. In this space, I want a book that demands to be read over and over and one where readers can spend hours (days, years!) poring over the artwork. Keywords: transformative, bold, heartfelt, and hilarious. I am open to fiction and nonfiction, text-only, and author/illustrator submissions.
Dreaming of working with the next: Eliza Kinkz, Emily Hughes, M.B. Goffstein, Monica Arnaldo, Rilla Alexander, Zachariah O’Hara, Balint Zsako, Ruth Chan, Matthew Forsythe, Brendan Wenzel, Carson Ellis, Shawn Harris, Kevin Henkes, and Mariachiara Di Giorgio.
Adult Fiction
I gravitate toward ambitious voice-driven literary novels. Stark and straightforward prose, and anything that dips into a territory that could be labeled subversive, strange, out-there, darkly humorous, disquieting, or Lynchian. Despite the darkness—or because of it—I’m also seeking writing that makes me laugh. More specifically…
-Genre bending horror and folklore (WHITE TEARS by Hari Kunzru, A CHILDREN’S BIBLE by Lydia Millet, PATRICIA WANTS TO CUDDLE by Samantha Allen, OUR SHARE OF NIGHT by Mariana Enríquez)
-Propulsive stories about family, gender, and complex friendships and relationships (MARLENA by Julie Buntin, DETRANSITION BABY by Torrey Peters)
-Explorations of how structural violence breeds interpersonal violence (RAINBOW BLACK by Maggie Thrash, THE RABBIT HUTCH by Tess Gunty)
-Subversive and experimental literary mysteries (THE LIKENESS by Tana French)
-Character studies where the writing feels cerebral and interior (THE SARAH BOOK by Scott McClanahan, STEPHEN FLORIDA by Gabe Habash, CHEMISTRY by Weike Wang, THE IDIOT by Elif Bautman)
-Explorations of desire and obsession (LUSTER by Raven Lelani, I’M A FAN by Sheena Patel, BIG SWISS by Jen Beagin)
-Cultural critiques wrapped up in vivid storytelling (FRIDAY BLACK by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, THE MARS ROOM by Rachel Kushner, THE SWALLOWS by Lisa Lutz)
-Interconnected stories with ambitiously cast characters, where lives unexpectedly collide (SKIPPY DIES by Paul Murray, THE GLASS HOTEL by Emily St. John Mandel, A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan )
Adult Nonfiction
Overall, I’d love to work with passionate writers and journalists who aren’t afraid to stir the pot. I’m looking for narrative non-fiction (SAY NOTHING by Patrick Radden Keffee), microhistories about cultural histories (OUR BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE by Michael Azerrad), issue-driven hybrid-memoirs (MONSTERS by Claire Dederer), and obsessive and honest essay collections (GO AHEAD IN THE RAIN & A LITTLE DEVIL IN AMERICA by Hanif Abdurraqib). I’m especially interested in working with multidisciplinary creators, subculture-history buffs, and those with uncommon voices explaining important or untold events. I’m also seeking original investigative pieces on humble subjects (RAW DOG: THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT HOT DOGS by Jamie Loftus), and any topic that explores the gray areas where finance and artistry collide (SELLOUT by Dan Ozzi ).
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BELOW ARE THE FOUR FIRST-PAGE RESULTS:
THE SIX-MINUTE CON by Jay Lehmann YA
Tony pretended to work on his honors accounting project while Frank pleaded with his girlfriend on the phone, arguing why they should stay together. But love was deaf to logic. Love was messy. Love lied. If only it had the computational power, tidiness, and transparency of a spreadsheet.
“Hello? Hello?” Frank tossed the phone on his messy bed, the headboard plastered with Powerpuff-Girls decals. “I think it’s over.”
“Damn, really?” Tony refrained from doing a happy dance.
Frank paced back and forth, knocking over the Minnie Mouse trash can. “I’m worried about her. Ever since she met that so-called guru online, she’s been saying all this weird stuff, like The Gift this and The Gift that.”
A typical day in the life of Jazreen. “Huh.”
Frank tapped his phone and put it up to his ear.
“That’s probably not a good idea. Give her some time.” Tony pried himself free of the desk and put Frank’s energy-drink empties back in the can.
“Jaz, I’m worried about you. You don’t sound like yourself. Call me.” Frank slapped his phone on the pink dresser. Then yanked open his drawer, rifled through his clothes, and changed into a blue T-shirt and beige cargo shorts. “Let’s go out.” His dilated pupils pleaded.
Putting on the exact same outfit as Tony meant only one thing: He’d come up with a con. There was no point in asking for details. Tony clawed at his own shaggy mop so their hair parts matched, but left the rest of his hair alone, preserving Frank’s I-could-care-less look.
Frank punched the air. “Yes! This is gonna be awesome. Just you and me.”
Tony was drawn to give him one helluva hug, until he remembered Frank always knew what others wanted to hear, except for Jazreen.
This is a genuinely funny and intriguing opening, and I love stories that explore and center male friendships. You do a great job of quickly immersing the reader in the story, I really feel like I’m in the cramped bedroom with Frank and Tony, teeming with anxiety and anticipation as they deal with their current frustrations. I already sense some strong dynamics at play between Tony and Frank (Tony being attuned to Frank’s personhood, “he remembered Frank always knew what others wanted to hear”), it feels authentic to an adolescent friendship and how they’re united via their similar slacker mentality (“Tony pretended to work on his honors accounting project while Frank pleaded with his girlfriend on the phone”) yet they both have a shared desire in wanting for something bigger than what life is currently offering them (homework and failed relationships!)
Frank and Tony teaming up to “con” right at the jump makes for a strong hook. With that said, I would encourage you to slow down a bit so that we have time to get to know Frank and Tony better before they dive into their con. A con itself can be inherently intriguing, (and I want to know what the con actually is and why they need to dress identically!) though my curiosity mainly lies with how Frank and Tony found themselves teaming up as consters. I also wonder if some lines stray too much away from Frank and Tony’s own thoughts, consequently distracting from the plot and characters at hand. For example, in the first paragraph, “But love was deaf to logic. Love was messy. Love lied.” These lines feel more like general musings on the state of love rather than thoughts tied directly to either Frank or Tony, and we really want to stay with their thoughts right at the beginning.
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UNDER THE FIG TREE by Cecile Mazzucco YA
Cecile Mazzucco-Than UNDER THE FIG TREE YA novel historical fiction
Prologue Stai Attento
September 14, 1942 the worst day of Frankie’s life
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a long-time and loyal employee of Porter Tube, Bronx, New York. I am writing to make you aware of the presence of a man I believe to be a dangerous enemy alien whose father-in-law was awarded a military medal by the Italian government and who might be a spy for Mussolini.
The floor trembled under Frankie’s resoled saddle shoes, a shiver at first, then a high-fever shudder that traveled up her legs, wobbled her knees, and swayed her hips. Frankie threw open the window, rested her forearms on the sill, and leaned out a nose-length over the fire escape. In seconds, the Third Avenue Elevated Train would come roaring by the kitchen window rattling the eight drinking glasses in the cupboard.
She gathered saliva at the tip of her tongue behind her pursed lips. She was going to tell the engineer exactly what she thought of the train that wound through the South Bronx umpteen times a day shaking every building like a baby rattle. She knew that if she screamed at the exact second the engineer’s car passed her window, the force would rip her voice right out of her throat and throw it past 175th Street, but today she’d find out what would happen if she spit.
Ever since first grade, she told her best friend Sophie Goodman she could probably hit the engineer right in the eye without even aiming. He’d be so disgusted he’d quit, and nobody would want to take his job after hearing what happened. Then, they’d have peace and quiet. Maybe even hear Mayor LaGuardia’s air raid sirens and get out before a bomb hit. Sophie insisted that the spit would whip right back into her own eye.
“Francesca!” Frankie’s mother exclaimed.
HERE ARE ERICA’S COMMENTS:
UNDER THE FIG TREE by Cecile Mazzucco YA
Frankie seems like a real force to be reckoned with! The writing feels lived in with a strong sense of place, from Frankie throwing open the window above the fire escape, to the description of the Third Avenue train roaring by the apartment, I feel like I can almost hear the train’s screeching as I type this!
One thing that jumped out to me is your choice in style to write this from the third person. I do wonder if the third person narration tends to make Frankie feel a bit younger than she probably is (as this is a YA novel) since we’re removed from the immediacy of Frankie’s voice. Perhaps in considering Frankie’s actions in this scene, you might see opportunities that might help age her up, so to speak! Frankie wanting to spit on the train feels like a powerful instinct given her frustration, and tells us that she’s a bit fearless, though the action itself does feel a bit childlike for a teenager. Not to say teens never spit nor cause chaos : ) though I wonder how Frankie might prioritize the idea and action of leaving home first (or turn to a friend for help) before we see her act out against the train so that we better understand what her are in this story.
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WHERE ARE WE GOING by Debbie Vilardi PB
Where Are We Going? Debbie Vilardi Picture Book
Child: Where are we going?
Guardian: You’ll see.
Child: How do we get there?
Guardian: We get there by train.
Guardian: You should rest. We have a long trip.
Child: Are we there yet?
Guardian: Not yet.
Child: But where are we going?
Guardian: You’ll see.
Child: Then how do we get there?
Guardian: By airplane.
Guardian: Why don’t you rest?
Child: I’m not sleepy. Not one little bit.
Guardian: Are you sure?
Child: I’m sure.
Child: Are we there yet?
Guardian: Not yet.
Child: Now how do we get there?
Guardian: By taxi.
Child: Are we there yet?
Guardian: Almost. This is your last chance to close your eyes before we arrive.
HERE ARE ERICA’S COMMENTS:
WHERE ARE WE GOING by Debbie Vilardi PB
The idea behind this picture book feels very honest and true-to-form! I sense that you’re likely drawing from experience, and wonder if there’s a curious child (or children!) in your life, who often repeats their questions as part of their engagement with the world : ) It’s very relatable!
Some suggestions! While the authenticity of the writing is a strength, I wonder if how you might develop this text beyond the seed of the idea! By that I mean giving more dimensions to the child character and their guardian—who is the child character? Who are they traveling with? Why is it important for the child to ask these specific questions and what do they reveal about the unfolding narrative? (Now I sound like the child, haha!) Do their questions ever turn ridiculous? Does their guardian keep a sense of cool the entire time? Is the Guardian happy to answer the questions? Or do they ever grow annoyed by the repetition? How might we see them be wowed by the child’s curiosity? So, questions naturally lead to more questions…and it feels like there are so many roads you might take to evolve the text!
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If Miss Minkon were a dog, she’d be a bloodhound, old but with a sharp sense of smell. That sniffer of hers could detect chocolate from the floor below. Or for that matter, from wherever I was hiding in her house, trying to enjoy my chocolate in peace. It was the only way to get through reading Mama’s letters.
Mama’s latest letter had arrived two days ago, but I hadn’t yet found the courage to read it. Now the unopened letter rested on the folds of my stomach from where I sat in my closet. This envelope was different. It was thicker, and she’d drawn hearts on the back. Which wasn’t like Mama at all. I just knew I wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say.
I reached into my Saltie’s Gourmet Chocolates bag for a piece of coping chocolate: milk chocolate with gooey caramel, roasted almonds, and all of it coated in sea salt. Soon as I took that first bite, it was like an alarm bell rang throughout Miss Minkon’s house, starting from the kitchen that was directly beneath my bedroom.
“WYNOOOONAAAA!” called Miss Minkon, accompanied by the clatter of pots and pans from below. “DO YOU WANT TO OUTGROW YOUR PUMPKIN COSTUME BEFORE THE ANNUAL PARADE?” Technically, Miss Minkon is my gram. But we don’t have that kind of relationship. The kind I always dreamed of having when I was younger.
I stuffed another piece of chocolate in my mouth and pretended that I couldn’t hear a word she was saying. None of which I wanted to hear.
First, old people have no business having both extraordinary sniffers and super-sonic hearing. Second, they especially have no business volunteering their granddaughter to spend the last day of summer vacation dressed like a ginormous pumpkin. Third, how in the heck does someone even outgrow a pumpkin costume when the dang thing swallows you whole?
WEDNESDAY WYNONA by Betsy Devany MG
I love the way this kicks off, the voice here is so strong, playful, and pointed! (And I relate to Wynona sneaking chocolate : ) ) Not only are you starting with a strong description of another character (as seen through your protagonist’s eyes) but you’re weaving tension and minor stakes into the story (which all help point to the larger conflict at hand—Wynona’s relationship with her mother). While I feel worried about Wynona potentially getting caught by Miss Minkon, I can sense that she’s a savvy child who probably outsmarts most of the adults in her life.
I also think you do an excellent job of balancing a playful tone with more serious subject matter. You hint that Mama isn’t present in Wynona’s life (instead, she sends her letters), which keeps the reader invested in her story. One thing you might consider is living more in those select serious moments and expanding on Wynona’s desires, to help deepen her character. For example, “Miss Minkon is my gram. But we don’t have that kind of relationship. The kind I always dreamed of having…”, clearly some very important people and key figures are missing from Wynona’s life (either physically or emotionally), and I’d like to know more about how these losses affect and complicate her own goals. (Goals of which, I imagine, have little to do with being a pumpkin in a parade!)
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Erica,
Thank you for sharing your time and expertise with us. This was a great way for everyone to get to know you. We appreciated your comments and I am sure it will help many writers.
I look forward to seeing you at the Spring Virtual Writer’s Retreat on May 5th.
Talk Tomorrow,
Kathy
Writing and Illustrating 
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