iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Sandra Proudman @sandraproudman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#AskDV I always recommend focusing on the character arc in your pitch and query, covering your character’s turning points that take them from who they were at the beginning to who they’ve become by the end.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

There is truly nothing like walking a dog to force you to meet neighbors that you never, in seven years, knew existed on your block. Dodger is BELOVED. Highly recommend.

A photo of a happy dog looking up at the camera. He's mostly black, with thick fur, but has a white chest and paws. He's on a thin black leash leading from the bottom of the image. He's standing on a wooden bridge over a creek in the sunshine, and there are shadows of trees all around.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I'm forever seeking romance that fills the hole their unfulfilled relationship left behind 😭

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

It's #MSWL Day, which means that it's the perfect day to remind querying writers that if your story reads like a show that would air on the CW, I might be the agent for you! The paranormal action and dramatic brotherhood SPN? The Klaus/Caroline relationship of TVD? The insane mystery of RIVERDALE?

media.tenor.com

a man sitting in front of a microphone with the word gimme on the screen

ALT: a man sitting in front of a microphone with the word gimme on the screen

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Agents LOVE vibes! But we don't love when they keep us from a story's stakes. If you're having trouble explaining the vibes of your MS without paragraphs of description, look at your plot summary and ask yourself whether the characters' internal conflicts are just as present as the external action.

A graphic with a pale green background an a variety of white, brown, and green scraps of paper layered in the center. On top is a white strip of paper with torn top and bottom edges, and inside is the title "Query Tip" and the note: "Anchor your query in the emotional stakes of your book. Not vibes. What will the direct consequence be if the main characters don’t succeed?"

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We Need Diverse Books @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

📖 Welcome to The Unbanned Book Network! This is a new program from WNDB designed to break the mold on what children are reading in classrooms while also combatting censorship, which disproportionately targets both diverse books and marginalized authors. 📖 bit.ly/UBNapplication

Dark blue graphic with a white spotlight emerging from an illustration of an open book towards the bottom. Within the spotlight is the title “Introducing The Unbanned Book Network”. Beneath the book illustration is a bright yellow bubble that says, “Applications Now Open”, followed by a computer mouse, angled as if clicking on the bubble.

Dark blue graphic with a white spotlight emerging from an illustration of an open book towards the bottom. The slide is titled “About the Unbanned Book Network” and contains the following description: “The Unbanned Book Network is a new program from WNDB designed to break the mold on what children are reading in classrooms while combatting censorship, which has risen sharply since 2021 — and disproportionately targets diverse books.” Beneath the description is a search bar graphic containing the URL “bit.ly/UBNapplication”. A tagline just above the search bar says “Learn more & apply at the form below”.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Truly OBSESSED with the women bringing blankets and neck pillows into the theater to watch the extended RETURN OF THE KING. Icons, all of them.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

While I'm thrilled to hear that my feedback resonated, given my workload, I'm really only able to consider R&Rs that I've specifically requested. I'm always happy to see new projects from authors who have submitted in the past, though!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

High, high, HIGH on my 2026 wish list is YA SFF, a cast of characters with distinct personalities, mayhem, pirates, humor, and protagonists with hearts of gold who are also a little too clever for their own good. You know what I'm seeking? TREASURE PLANET. Please send me anything that comps! #MSWL

media.tenor.com

a cartoon character says " you got the makings of greatness in you " to another character

ALT: a cartoon character says " you got the makings of greatness in you " to another character

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#SEAsianPit @seasianpit.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

SAVE THE DATE: #SEAsianPit is back again 🎉 This time as an official pitch event ‼️ May 30, 2026 Check out the list of participating agents and amendments in the event rules in the 🔗 or 🧵

Save the date announcement with flowing blue waves and seaweed design. Text on parchment background reads: "Save the Date, May 30, 2026." Calm, coastal theme.

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Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Remember: Many agents are away from their desks in December. I'm trying to stay on top of the queries and materials landing in my inbox this month, so while I don't like sending bad news, apologies if you receive a rejection before the end of the year. I hope you're enjoying some time off, too!

Picture of a black smartphone on a gray background, with an abstract pink and gray lock screen. On the screen is the time 12:19, the date "Friday, December 19," and a pop-up notification that says, "Reminder! Many agents are OOO through the end of the year, so consider holding off on that new batch of queries until January." There are two buttons at the bottom of the pop-up: "Okay" and "I Got It".

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

#QueryTip: "What makes your story distinct must leap off the page before your credentials do." Even if your bio includes a long list of writing credits, make sure your query letter hooks us through the protagonists' GMCs, the details of the setting, the intriguing conflicts, and your strong voice!

A variety of torn paper scraps on a green background, with a white piece of paper at the front labeled "Query Tip" and followed by the tip, "If your query isn't snagging attention, remember this: What makes your story distinct must leap off the page before your credentials do."

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Once you answer those questions, you can dig into your characters' motivations, the external forces involved in the plot, and what's hindering your characters' goals. Those details make the journey interesting, but you have to have the right building blocks in place before the rest will come!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

This #WritersWednesday, remember: Stories are built around conflict, which (at its most basic) arises from where your characters start their journey, where they need to be by the end, and what actions get them to that conclusion.

A graphic that depicts a cream-colored piece of notebook paper with gray scribbles around the edges. The text in the middle says:

""Most, if not all, stories answer three common questions:
Where are your characters now?
Where do they need to be?
What needs to happen to get them there?"

Underneath, #WritersWednesday is highlighted in yellow.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

#QueryTip: "Connect us to your characters as soon as you can!" When you bring a character's GMCs into your query's plot summary, you're giving an agent a reason to connect to the stakes and make them feel immediate, important, and personal. That's what makes your story intriguing from the start!

Graphic of scraps of paper on a green background. The top paper is white, has the headline "Query Tip," and says "Connect us to your characters as soon as you can! Flat characters can ruin a wonderfully written story."

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Eric Smith @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

At a conference today, so my annual reminder… If you’ve booked time to chat with agents or editors, keep your pitch quick. You want to leave a lot of that time for asking questions, getting information, gathering recommendations. Make sure it’s a conversation. You’ll get way more out of it.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Given my workload, I don't usually recommend that authors query me the same project more than once unless I've specifically requested a revision. Ultimately, however, it's your decision whether to try again or to submit to someone else at CMA.

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Starbucks Workers United @sbworkersunited.org · 05/11/2025

BREAKING: After months of stonewalling by Starbucks, unionized baristas just voted 92% to authorize a ULP strike unless Starbucks finalizes fair contracts & stops union busting. If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.

cbsnews.com

Starbucks unionized workers say they'll strike on Nov. 13 if coffee giant doesn't finalize contract

Union members say they are ready to strike on the chain's Red Cup Day if Starbucks doesn't finalize a contract with their union by then.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

#QueryTip: Your query isn’t a summary—it’s a sales pitch. If you only had 30 seconds to pitch your MS, what would you highlight? Who are your characters? What's their predicament? What incident propels the conflict forward? Your premise is what hooks an agent, and your writing will do the rest!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Not my mom calling at 7:00 PM to ask whether FRANKENSTEIN really starts with letters from a ship in the Arctic, or whether the library sent her the wrong audiobook... 😅

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

You're always welcome to submit to other agents at CMA should one pass, so if you feel the manuscript is a good fit for what I'm seeking, feel free to query me!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

I do love TANGLED, so if you think the overall manuscript matches what I'm seeking, you're always welcome to query me!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

It's impossible to know without knowing anything about the project, but you can check the CMA website and my MSWL to see whether you believe it would be a good fit for what I'm seeking!

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American Library Association @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Censorship is so 1984. Read for your rights. Today kicks off #BannedBooksWeek, and this year's theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights. www.ala.org/bbooks.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK Oct. 5-11, 2025. Censorship is so 1984 - Read for Your Rights. ala.org/bbooks. American Library Association

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

And third, while I'm craving autumn vibes, I would love to see more banter-filled romance for any season, from rom-coms to paranormal! ❤️ As long as it's voicey and full of tension, I'm in!

Graphic of orange bulletin board labeled "SFF MSWL" with ten images of book and TV show covers in two rows. Top row: Halfway to the Grave, The Nightmare Before Kissmas, Gilmore Girls, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Something Wild and Wonderful. Bottom row: The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy, Dakrfever, Well Met, You Again, My Roommate is a Vampire.

Graphic of an orange bulletin board with a piece of paper tacked to it that says, "Some Specifics: banter that makes me kick my feet, purposeful and distinct settings, strong internal conflict, fun romps and capers, grumpy/sunshine, rivals to lovers, make it spooky, slow-burn tension, morally grey men, opposites attract, 'oh my god, I
think I like you'."

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Second, I'm in dire need of more SFF across age groups. Please send me your ✨️ magical ✨️ manuscripts!

Graphic of orange bulletin board labeled "SFF MSWL" with ten images of book and TV show covers in two rows. Top row: Little Thieves, Hammajang Luck, Iron Widow, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Sense8. Bottom row: Until We Shatter, Amari and the Night Brothers, The Young Elites, Strange the Dreamer, Welcome to Night Vale.

Graphic of orange bulletin board with a piece of paper tacked to it that says, "Some Specifics: any age group, magical creatures, plant magic, richly built worlds, a little bit of mayhem or a lot of hijinks, urban fantasy, a dark edge, feminist and friendship themes, strong character development, 'things are a little bit weird,' Mulan retelllings."

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

First and perhaps most notably: I'm ready for an October full of spooky stories! 👻 From the weird to the haunted to the monstrous, I'm looking to be unsettled!

Graphic of bulletin board with the label "Spooky MSWL" and ten images of book and TV show covers in two rows. Top row: Over the Garden Wall, Hide, The Haunting of Hill House, Welcome to Night Vale, The Sun Down Motel. Bottom row: Supernatural, House of Hollow, The Screaming Staircase, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dead Silence.

Graphic of orange bulletin board with a piece of paper tacked to it that says, "Some Specifics: haunted houses, amusement parks, deep and dark and unsettling forests, modernizations of the Pied Piper, Edgar Allan Poe retellings, Hansel & Gretel retellings, monster hunting, eerie atmospheres, 'they came back wrong,' horromance."

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

With only a few months left in the year, I thought it was time to update my #MSWL! I'm not closing to any genres, but I'm eager to acquire more romance and genre fiction. It's where I've been drawn in my personal reading, and I would love my agent list to reflect those books that have drawn me in!

Graphic of paper on a bulletin board that says: End-of-Year MSWL. Accessible genre fiction—fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. Supernatural or paranormal romance. Banter-filled adult rom-coms.

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GINA NÄUMAN • جینا نعمان @entertheunseen.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

How evil must one be to intercept a benign aid ship on its way to innocents gripped by famine & bombs? It should be extremely clear to the world that these genocidaires are very intentional in their aim to starve Palestinians. Solidarity with the flotilla. They’re the best of us.

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

"I just want to say, go birds, fuck ICE and free Palestine," "Hacks" star Hannah Einbinder at the #Emmys

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

I know that paying for feedback isn't a possibility for everyone, but for those who are interested, I'm on Reedsy offering query critiques for authors and editorial assessments for full manuscripts! Reach out if you're interested in working together: reedsy.com/haley-casey

reedsy.com

Haley Casey - Editor | Reedsy

Kansas City, KS, USA Editor: My name is Haley, a freelance editor and associate literary agent who has worked in publishing since 2016.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I took pitches at the online New England Writing Workshop today, and they were OUTSTANDING. Truly, there are so many stories in this batch that I'm excited to see, and they're already rolling in! Thanks to all of the authors who chose to chat with me for trusting me with your work!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Freedom Reads is transforming prison life by creating mini libraries inside cells, offering incarcerated individuals access to hundreds of books and fostering hope through literature: www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/... This is amazing! I can't believe it took me so long to learn about it.

nbcnews.com

Inside prison walls, here's how a book program is changing lives

Accessing reading material in prisons is hard, but Freedom Reads co-founder Reginald Betts, a former inmate, went beyond books, creating libraries made by former prisoners.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Y'all, I just heard the auditions for the UNWED & UNBOTHERED audiobook... 👀 You are not ready for how this will sound! No choice that Emma and the team make will be a miss!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Other CMA agents will probably be participating across platforms, as well, so if more than one of us requests materials from you, please do only submit to one of us at a time. We don't like to compete for projects, but any of us would be happy to consider your materials should another agent pass!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

I'm so excited to participate in #SEAsianPit tomorrow! I'll only be looking at pitches here, not 🐦, and I can't wait to see everyone's projects! If I ❤️ your pitch and you feel we'd be a good fit, please send your first three chapters to me at QueryTracker.net/Query/HCasey/SEAsianPit_25.

querytracker.net

Query Haley Casey at Creative Media Agency

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

I'm thrilled to say that I'll be taking one-on-one pitches at the California Writing Workshop, June 13-14. Registration is open, and attendance is virtual, so if you have the time, the means, and are interested in some fabulous panels and opportunities, take a look! californiawritingworkshop.com

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Scott Lynch @scottlynch78.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Happy Murderbot day to all who celebrate.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

This wasn't really about genre, just vibes, but you can check it against our bios online and see if anyone feels like a match: cmalit.com.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Creative Media Agency just played an inter-office game of #MSWL Edition "This or That?" If you're curious about the vibes I'm seeking in manuscripts right now, this is it!

Title says "This or That: Haley Casey" at the top, followed by a list of questions such as "Spicy or Sweet" and "Humor or Heartbreak" with one answer in bold for each. Black text against a cream background with pale green shapes.

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

You can find submission information on our website, but we share internally in rare cases. Typically, we leave it up to the author. Once you hear back from one CMA agent considering your project, though, you're always free to query another!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

The author, illustrator, researcher, and all-around wonderful Emma Duval officially has a cover we can share! UNWED & UNBOTHERED: THE DEFIANT LIVES OF SINGLE WOMEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY is coming on September 16! Happy Singles Awareness Day! #SinglesAwareness #UnwedAndUnbothered #EmmaDuval

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

It's hard to say without seeing the project, so if you feel it's an overall fit for my wish list, please feel welcome to query me!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I'm certainly open to crossover manuscripts!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I'm pretty picky about romantic fantasy, so it depends. I usually say it's a better fit for another CMA agent, but it's up to you and how well you think your book fits my overall wish list!

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Haley Casey @haley-j-casey.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Dark romance is a pretty tricky category for me. I usually say it's a better fit for another CMA agent, but it's up to you and how well you think your book fits my overall wish list!

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