Michelle Witte
@michellewitte.bsky.social
Children’s literary agent with Mansion Street Literary (open to queries first 10 days each month, starting in June) and mental health advocate. I also write craptastic books. She/her.
www.michellewitteliterary.com
www.michellewitteliterary.com
Pinned
My Bluesky philosophy: I’m here to build community, esp with book lovers, particularly kidlit. I block liberally anyone who is being a jerk, whether to myself or others. I want an uplifting space filled with books, cute animals, and random nerdery. Anyone who doesn’t like that, feel free to block.
You need this in your life. I know you do.
November 19, 2025 at 12:49 AM
You need this in your life. I know you do.
Now commences the time of year when I try desperately to figure out when to email people so they're actually in the office and not just add to my collection of auto-responses.
Next week: bad for Americans
1st week of Dec: maybe okay?
2nd week of Dec: getting iffy
Rest of Dec: don't even bother
Next week: bad for Americans
1st week of Dec: maybe okay?
2nd week of Dec: getting iffy
Rest of Dec: don't even bother
November 18, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Now commences the time of year when I try desperately to figure out when to email people so they're actually in the office and not just add to my collection of auto-responses.
Next week: bad for Americans
1st week of Dec: maybe okay?
2nd week of Dec: getting iffy
Rest of Dec: don't even bother
Next week: bad for Americans
1st week of Dec: maybe okay?
2nd week of Dec: getting iffy
Rest of Dec: don't even bother
Last night I posted this very random, extremely bizarre story I wrote during the pandemic while—I swear this is true—reporting my hours worked for payroll. I needed a creative outlet, and this is what my weird brain produced.
Several years ago during the pandemic I took a sabbatical to focus on my health. At the company where I worked, if I missed punching in or out (which was frequent, let's be honest) I had to write a reason for it. Well, I quickly got bored of that and started writing a rather bizarre story. 1/?
November 18, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Last night I posted this very random, extremely bizarre story I wrote during the pandemic while—I swear this is true—reporting my hours worked for payroll. I needed a creative outlet, and this is what my weird brain produced.
I love that they're bringing back The Far Side desk calendar. We used to get one every year when I was a teenager. So many lols to be had. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/2026-far-s...
2026 Far Side Off-the-Wall Day-to-Day Calendar
For those who may have missed out the first time (or even those who didn’t), we’re breaking open the time capsule and revisiting the calendar that started it all!In 1986, the first The Far...
www.barnesandnoble.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:17 AM
I love that they're bringing back The Far Side desk calendar. We used to get one every year when I was a teenager. So many lols to be had. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/2026-far-s...
Several years ago during the pandemic I took a sabbatical to focus on my health. At the company where I worked, if I missed punching in or out (which was frequent, let's be honest) I had to write a reason for it. Well, I quickly got bored of that and started writing a rather bizarre story. 1/?
November 18, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Several years ago during the pandemic I took a sabbatical to focus on my health. At the company where I worked, if I missed punching in or out (which was frequent, let's be honest) I had to write a reason for it. Well, I quickly got bored of that and started writing a rather bizarre story. 1/?
I’m amazed that some of these wildflowers are still holding on despite the below freezing temperatures lately. Stay strong, little flowers.
November 17, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I’m amazed that some of these wildflowers are still holding on despite the below freezing temperatures lately. Stay strong, little flowers.
It's Monday, so of course I have emails coming out my ears as I respond to ALL THE THINGS. Yes, all of them.
November 17, 2025 at 7:19 PM
It's Monday, so of course I have emails coming out my ears as I respond to ALL THE THINGS. Yes, all of them.
To anyone feeling this dreary, rainy Monday morning especially hard as you are forced leave the warmth of your bed and deal with reality:
dory and clown fish from the movie finding nemo
Alt: Dory and clown fish from the movie Finding Nemo saying “Just keep swimming.”
media.tenor.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
To anyone feeling this dreary, rainy Monday morning especially hard as you are forced leave the warmth of your bed and deal with reality:
I have a monster. It demands cuddles at the worst times, like when I’m trying to sleep, or when I’m eating. But sometimes my monster wants to cuddle at the perfect moment.
November 16, 2025 at 8:05 AM
I have a monster. It demands cuddles at the worst times, like when I’m trying to sleep, or when I’m eating. But sometimes my monster wants to cuddle at the perfect moment.
Oh boy. I just got to the time travel episodes in Star Trek DS9 where they go back to 2024, and I don’t know if I’m ready for how prescient it is about the current state of the world. Though honestly it fits 2025 better than 2024. It’s hitting a bit too close already.
November 16, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Oh boy. I just got to the time travel episodes in Star Trek DS9 where they go back to 2024, and I don’t know if I’m ready for how prescient it is about the current state of the world. Though honestly it fits 2025 better than 2024. It’s hitting a bit too close already.
Netflix is adding a bunch of classic Kdramas from the 2010s on Monday. Lots of good romcoms and fun shows in the mix. Master’s Sun and My Love From the Star are great ones to start with, for those new to Kdramas. Suspicious Partner, Pinnochio, Doctor Romantic series are fun. Lots of great stuff.
November 16, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Netflix is adding a bunch of classic Kdramas from the 2010s on Monday. Lots of good romcoms and fun shows in the mix. Master’s Sun and My Love From the Star are great ones to start with, for those new to Kdramas. Suspicious Partner, Pinnochio, Doctor Romantic series are fun. Lots of great stuff.
Reposted by Michelle Witte
Grizzly reminds - one must STRETCH
further wellness checks:
did you hydrate?
take meds?
had a food?
paused in doomscrolling to attempt to tickle a stretching cat's belly on your screen?
squee at something cute?
found a smidge of joy in our current hellscape?
further wellness checks:
did you hydrate?
take meds?
had a food?
paused in doomscrolling to attempt to tickle a stretching cat's belly on your screen?
squee at something cute?
found a smidge of joy in our current hellscape?
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Grizzly reminds - one must STRETCH
further wellness checks:
did you hydrate?
take meds?
had a food?
paused in doomscrolling to attempt to tickle a stretching cat's belly on your screen?
squee at something cute?
found a smidge of joy in our current hellscape?
further wellness checks:
did you hydrate?
take meds?
had a food?
paused in doomscrolling to attempt to tickle a stretching cat's belly on your screen?
squee at something cute?
found a smidge of joy in our current hellscape?
Reposted by Michelle Witte
This afternoon! If you've ever wondered about how the business side of book publishing works, I'm doing a workshop explaining it this afternoon!
Sign up at www.eventbrite.com/e/1926481781...
Sign up at www.eventbrite.com/e/1926481781...
November 15, 2025 at 4:09 PM
This afternoon! If you've ever wondered about how the business side of book publishing works, I'm doing a workshop explaining it this afternoon!
Sign up at www.eventbrite.com/e/1926481781...
Sign up at www.eventbrite.com/e/1926481781...
There’s a Chinese historical fantasy drama that I had to take a break from watching because I knew it was going to rip my heart out and leave me an inconsolable mess, but it’s SOOOOO GOOOD and I want to finish, but even almost a year later I don’t think my heart is ready for that devastation yet.
November 15, 2025 at 2:13 AM
There’s a Chinese historical fantasy drama that I had to take a break from watching because I knew it was going to rip my heart out and leave me an inconsolable mess, but it’s SOOOOO GOOOD and I want to finish, but even almost a year later I don’t think my heart is ready for that devastation yet.
Beautiful fall foliage from a tree I took a photo of the other day but then forgot to post.
November 15, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Beautiful fall foliage from a tree I took a photo of the other day but then forgot to post.
I hadn’t realized I’d been so quiet online until someone just checked in on me. I’ve been super busy the last few weeks with some great things I can’t talk about yet. Except one that’s still in progress: We finally finished painting my office and I’m in the process of putting it back together.
November 14, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I hadn’t realized I’d been so quiet online until someone just checked in on me. I’ve been super busy the last few weeks with some great things I can’t talk about yet. Except one that’s still in progress: We finally finished painting my office and I’m in the process of putting it back together.
Got a small tub of Nutella as my emergency chocolate and, whelp, after just checking Bluesky looks like I shoulda got the big tub. Sigh.
November 10, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Got a small tub of Nutella as my emergency chocolate and, whelp, after just checking Bluesky looks like I shoulda got the big tub. Sigh.
Well, there's a water main break in my neighborhood, so I'm off to the store to take care of business and buy some bottled water and other essentials (i.e. chocolate) in case it takes longer to fix than the 5 hours they estimate, because it always takes longer than they say, esp on a Sunday night.
November 10, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Well, there's a water main break in my neighborhood, so I'm off to the store to take care of business and buy some bottled water and other essentials (i.e. chocolate) in case it takes longer to fix than the 5 hours they estimate, because it always takes longer than they say, esp on a Sunday night.
When I get queries from writers, I prefer to see pitching comps to give me an idea about the book they’re pitching and get me excited to request it.
Pitching comps are what you’d use to get an agent or consumer interested in your work—“FROZEN meets HATCHET,” say, about two feuding sisters lost in the wild, or “WHEN AIDAN BECAME A BROTHER x ON THE DAY YOU BEGIN.” Ideally one gives a sense of plot/genre and the other of culture/theme/character.
November 9, 2025 at 12:58 AM
When I get queries from writers, I prefer to see pitching comps to give me an idea about the book they’re pitching and get me excited to request it.
Reposted by Michelle Witte
For querying writers: I did a critiques today for an SCBWI conf & got questions about what kind of books you can cite as comps, & I think it’s worth distinguishing between *pitching* comps and *selling* comps. A brief 🧵:
November 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
For querying writers: I did a critiques today for an SCBWI conf & got questions about what kind of books you can cite as comps, & I think it’s worth distinguishing between *pitching* comps and *selling* comps. A brief 🧵:
Reposted by Michelle Witte
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.
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.
November 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
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.
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.
Reposted by Michelle Witte
Today I went to throw a dead spider in the garbage because it had been curled up in a corner for days,* but when I used a piece of paper to pick it up, IT STARTED RUNNING AROUND. Why am I sharing this? Because nope, no, no way in hell am I going anywhere near this place with many living spiders.
This ‘arachnid megacity’ may be largest spider’s web ever found
This ‘arachnid megacity’ may be largest spider’s web ever found
This ‘arachnid megacity’ may be largest spider’s web ever found
www.independent.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Today I went to throw a dead spider in the garbage because it had been curled up in a corner for days,* but when I used a piece of paper to pick it up, IT STARTED RUNNING AROUND. Why am I sharing this? Because nope, no, no way in hell am I going anywhere near this place with many living spiders.
Nah. If OpenAI goes down it’ll be due to the courage of authors and publishers for holding law breakers responsible for their illegal actions.
I'm already seeing people saying that if OpenAI goes down it'll be the fault of authors and publishers, as opposed to actually blaming Sam Altman and OpenAI for BREAKING THE DANG LAW!
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
November 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Nah. If OpenAI goes down it’ll be due to the courage of authors and publishers for holding law breakers responsible for their illegal actions.
My Bluesky philosophy: I’m here to build community, esp with book lovers, particularly kidlit. I block liberally anyone who is being a jerk, whether to myself or others. I want an uplifting space filled with books, cute animals, and random nerdery. Anyone who doesn’t like that, feel free to block.
November 3, 2025 at 9:05 PM
My Bluesky philosophy: I’m here to build community, esp with book lovers, particularly kidlit. I block liberally anyone who is being a jerk, whether to myself or others. I want an uplifting space filled with books, cute animals, and random nerdery. Anyone who doesn’t like that, feel free to block.