August 2025 MSWL Roundup: What Literary Agents Want in Sci-Fi & Fantasy

/ RG Newhouse
Storybook-style illustration of an overwhelmed blonde writer surrounded by floating manuscript pages, stacks of books, glowing post-it notes, and teacups, with a chalkboard reading “MSWL” in the background, capturing the chaos of preparing queries.
Querying season is upon us. If your manuscript is chaos and your vibe is ✨panicked hope✨, welcome…. you’re in the right place.

If you thought July’s MSWL rundown had some juicy tidbits, wait ‘til you see what agents are craving this month. Diversity? Yes. Emotionally resonant speculative fiction? Double yes. Manuscripts that won’t break their inboxes with 180K word counts? Be still my querying heart.

I’ve combed through the latest wishlists and agent updates to bring you the highlights from August 2025 aka what literary agents want in August 2025. Whether you’re writing for middle graders, emotionally feral teens, or jaded adults trying to cram a trilogy into one cursed Google Doc, here’s what literary agents are thirsting after in sci-fi and fantasy this month:

Storybook-style illustration of a brooding sorcerer and a fierce woman standing back-to-back in a glowing enchanted forest, both holding swords, surrounded by magical light and blooming flowers—capturing the romantic tension and fantasy drama of the romantasy genre.
If your story has swords, longing, and one morally gray love interest with a tragic past… you’re in peak romantasy territory.

Middle Grade (MG)

1. Miriam Cortinovis (KI Agency)

Miriam is open to upper MG speculative fiction and especially loves stories with small-town magic, multiverse adventures, fairy-tale echoes, and emotionally rich storytelling. She’s actively seeking BIPOC, LGBTQAI+, and disabled voices in both fantasy and sci-fi.

Trend Watch:

Genre-blended MG is hot, think magical realism mysteries, environmental fantasy, and character-driven quests

High-concept? Check. Emotionally devastating? Double check. Inclusive speculative fiction is here to rule your TBR and your feels.

Young Adult (YA)

1. Miriam Cortinovis (KI Agency)

Miriam is seeking YA speculative fiction with gothic quests, queer fairy-tale retellings, and romantic multiverse drama that packs emotional depth. She loves stories that blend genres and center inclusive, emotionally driven narratives.

2. Amanda Elliott (P.S. Literary)

Amanda wants romantasy dripping in chemistry and immersive worldbuilding. She’s also on the lookout for speculative romance that leans into genre structure, as well as horror with polish and a strong emotional undercurrent.

Trend Watch:

Emotional inclusivity and big-hearted fantasy are still reigning. YA readers want swoon, stakes, and depth… not necessarily in that order, but ideally all at once.

Storybook-style illustration of a cloaked figure standing in the ruins of a futuristic, collapsing city at sunset, with glowing green tech and a mysterious orb in the sky—capturing the emotional and intellectual tone of future-forward science fiction.
Near-future. Slightly broken. Emotionally devastating. Welcome to the golden age of smart sci-fi.

New Adult / Adult

1. Miriam Cortinovis (KI Agency)

Miriam is open to high-concept sci-fi and fantasy that spans romantic, historical, urban, and speculative subgenres. She’s particularly excited about space heists, AI drama, and dystopias with soul… especially if they bend genres and break hearts.

2. Amanda Elliott (P.S. Literary)

Amanda continues her reign as queen of emotional genre fiction. She’s looking for romantasy with swoon-worthy characters and detailed worldbuilding, speculative romance that punches hard, and grounded sci-fi that still delivers on emotional impact.

3. Samantha Wekstein (TL Agency)

Samantha is seeking concise, standalone adult sci-fi and fantasy under 100K words. If it’s sharp, emotionally impactful, and doesn’t demand a five-book commitment, she wants to see it.

4. Rebecca Matte (Bradford Literary)

Rebecca is craving Afro-Caribbean and anti-colonial fantasy that centers cultural richness and mythic weight. She’s also drawn to D&D-style epic quests and urban fantasy grounded in modern real-world settings.

5. Diana M. Pho (Erewhon Books)

Diana is scouting near-future sci-fi, Afrofuturism, climate collapse narratives, cyberpunk angst, and time travel stories. She’s especially interested in big-concept speculative fiction where the setting, especially a city, functions like a character in its own right.

Trend Watch:

Agents want emotional resonance and intellectual depth. Diverse perspectives, tight plots, and self-contained arcs are hot and your sprawling 3-book arc might want to consider a prequel novella first.

Before we dive into dragon kisses and post-apocalyptic despair, here’s what’s dominating the sci-fi and fantasy manuscript wish list right now:

Top 3 Genres Trending This Month

1. Romantasy

Fantasy with emotional and romantic stakes (plus probably one morally gray love interest with a tragic backstory). Agents want chemistry, magic, and immersive worlds that hurt so good and possibly ruin your sleep schedule.

2. Inclusive Speculative Fiction

BIPOC, queer, aro/ace, and disabled protagonists navigating magical chaos and space capitalism. The more emotional damage and identity vibes, the better… trauma arcs welcome.

3. Future-Forward Sci-Fi

Climate collapse, cyberpunk dystopias, and time-loop nightmares (bonus if it makes the reader question their existence). Must balance intellect with heart… smart and devastating is the new black.

Storybook-style illustration of a smiling writer in a pink hoodie holding a “Query!” flag, surrounded by cheerful gremlin-like creatures climbing stacks of books and flinging manuscript pages into the air—symbolizing encouragement and querying chaos.
Your manuscript’s weird. Your word count is bold. It’s your turn to query — gremlins and all.

Final Thoughts from a SFF Chaos Gremlin

Let’s be real: August’s wishlist isn’t asking for easy genre tropes. These agents want bold, diverse, and intentionally crafted stories that don’t just entertain… they mean something.

So whether you’re conjuring cities-as-characters or penning queer starship mutinies, don’t be afraid to write weird, write tight, and write with your whole unhinged heart. Especially if you’re querying agents for sci-fi and fantasy this fall.

When in doubt? Space heist. Or cursed library. Or emotionally compromised assassin with a pet crow. Look, we don’t make the rules, we just write like gremlins with deadlines.

Agree with the trends? Have a spicy take on what should be on this month’s MSWL? Drop your thoughts, your favorites, or your chaos-fueled pitches in the comments… because we’re all in this querying mess together.

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