Trick or Treat with Agent Ashlee MacCallum! HUGE Submission Opportunity Inside!

Hi, readers, writers, and querying creators of all kinds! Today is #SeasonsOfKidLit’s last day of our 2025 Trick-or-Treat Event, and we’re closing it out in an extremely BIG way!

We’re thrilled to welcome Ashlee MacCallum, literary agent with Howland Literary. Ashlee is here to tell us all about herself, what she loves about being an agent, and what kinds of books she’s looking for, PLUS, she’s offering an amazing treat for all the #amquerying creators out there. Want to know more about Ashlee and what Treat she has in store? Read on if you dare... 🎃👻

Q: Thanks for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit for our Annual Trick-or-Treat Event! We’re thrilled to have you and hear all about your wishlist. It’s perfect for the spooky season! You are looking for twisted tales with layered storytelling as well as many horror subgenres! Please share some favorite reads that accomplish this. Also, please explain the maximum level of horror that should be achieved for the kidlit subgenres (YA, MG, CB and PB). 

A: Sure! I really enjoy books with ghosts and paranormal elements like Gustavo the Shy Ghost (PB), Hardly Haunted (PB), City of Ghosts (MG), It Found Us (MG), The Taking of Jake Livingston (YA), and The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s (YA). I’m also drawn to a variety of horror, whether it be rooted in folklore, gothic, psychological, or even lighter bubble gum horror. Some titles I’ve enjoyed like this are The Clackity (MG), Don’t Let the Forest In (YA), How to Survive Your Murder (YA), and The Dark We Know (YA). I think the level of horror, specifically gore and psychological aspects, can be elevated as you age up in the space, but ultimately it depends on how the author executes their vision and how they incorporate those elements.

Q: Where did you cultivate your love of horror? Spooky stories? Myths? Monsters?

A: I was born and raised in Scotland and we are VERY superstitious people. I grew up listening to all sorts of folklore and scary stories and I’ve been hooked ever since. My mum’s mum, my Nana, is the matriarch of our family and the ultimate storyteller so I guess she is the main origin point!

Q: Please give some examples of dark fairy tales that you love and why you love them?   

A: I absolutely adore Hansel and Gretel. That is probably my favorite dark fairy tale. I also like the Scottish legend of the blue men of the minch because I grew up hearing about how they would sink ships and lure sailors to their watery graves. Morbid but interesting! 

Q: What’s the most challenging part about being a #kidlit agent? How about the most rewarding part?

A: The most challenging thing is definitely sending passes to authors, especially on full requests. It just breaks my heart because I’ve been there, and I know how it feels. The best part is celebrating wins with my clients, no matter how small! 

Q: How do you get into the Halloween spirit?

A: We go ALL out at my house for Halloween. We decorate inside embarrassingly early, and then my husband is such a good sport and decks out outside for us, too. That’s my favorite way to get into the Halloween spirit!

Love it! Also, there's no such thing as embarrassingly early in our book. 👻

BONUS: What’s both your favorite and least favorite candy? What would you be thrilled to receive in your candy bag, and what would you desperately try to trade?

A: I love Kit Kat bars and Hershey's cookies and cream chocolate. For some reason, I’m not a huge fan of snickers so I usually end up trading those.

Would you like to leave a Trick or a Treat for our readers?

Both!

Trick: I find myself focusing a lot on the one-sentence pitch section on my query form because it gives me a quick preview of your query, synopsis, and sample. Don’t neglect this important part of your query package! 

Treat: I’m offering a Skip-the-Slush Pass for the entire month of November for anyone who mentions Trick or Treat with #SeasonsOfKidLit. I will accept PB-YA regardless of what categories I am open to at that time. All you have to do is 1) share this post on social media and 2) use this special query link: https://QueryTracker.net/query/queryashlee/trickortreat 

What a seriously SPOOKTACULAR treat! Thanks SO much for joining us Ashlee - it was a pleasure getting to know you more.

Giveaway Details: Readers, to submit to Ashlee, share this post on social media and use the link provided. Make sure to leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by, too!

*Special Reminder: Those who like, leave a comment on, and share all posts will be eligible to win:

• One (1) of five (5) Rate Your Story Speed Passes perfect for quick MS feedback, provided by Editor Lynne Marie & Author Heather Macht and/or

• A Query Critique from Agent  Lynnette Novak with The Seymour Agency 

• Please Note: Books/giveaways will be shipped in the U.S. only.

Winners will be drawn and announced on or about 10/22. 

About Ashlee MacCallum:

Ashlee MacCallum joined Howland Literary after interning at Triada US. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies and a master’s in Education. 

Ashlee lives in Nevada with her husband and two children. By day, she’s a high school English teacher who assigns cool books, reads powerful essays, and makes her students dramatically reenact Macbeth. Outside the classroom, Ashlee writes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels. She is represented by Amanda Carbonell at Belcastro Agency.

Ashlee represents picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult fiction.

For more about Ashlee, you can follow here at:

X: @_ashleedani

Insta: @_ashleedani

Bluesky: @ashleedani

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