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Another St. Patrick’s day has come and gone, but I really want some more corned beef. I think I’m going to go eat some leftovers right now. This week we feature some newly minted agents, a humorous poem contest (a contest for humorous poems, not a poetry contest that is humorous; I feel like all poetry contests are probably humorous on some level), and just a touch of news at the end.
We’d love to hear your feedback. Please let us know what you think in the comments and if there are certain types of information you would like to see in the Roundup. Also feel free to tweet at us (@freelancingrads) with any ideas or questions. Have a great writing week!
This week, we're spotlighting two young agents working their way up at Donald Maass Literary and The Seymour Agency
Kiana Nguyen has been promoted from Agent’s Assistant to Agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Seeking:
Fiction: YA fiction across genres; Adult Romance and Thrillers
“Give me the girls with skinned knees and boys weak with jealousy and queer kids who couldn’t be good if they tried. All the gray morality and friendships they would kill to keep. Nothing cookie-cutter for me!”
Kiana is accepting submissions via email at query.knguyen@maassagency.com. See here for more information on the agency’s submission guidelines.
Lesley Sabga has been promoted from Intern to Associate Agent at the Seymour Agency.
Seeking:
Fiction: YA and Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy; Action/Suspense/Thriller; Romance
Nonfiction: Memoir; How-To; “Gift”/Coffee Table books; Lifestyle; Travel; Cookbooks
“Lesley loves intricate and vivid world-building and character driven plots.”
Lesley is accepting queries via email at lesley@theseymouragency.com. More information on submission guidelines may be found here.
A great opportunity for international community-building in the writing world and a call for the next Jabberwocky
Elizabeth Kostova Foundation Sozopol Seminars Scholarships—Submissions due by March 28th, 2018 (fiction contest, residency + travel expenses)
Who: Fiction writers from Bulgaria and fiction writers from English-speaking countries, including but not limited to Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. English speakers need not be fluent in Bulgarian, or vice versa.
What: Application materials include a professional biography, statement of purpose, and a 10-20 page fiction writing sample. A total number of ten applicants (five writing in English and five in Bulgarian) will be admitted to the seminar as participants and appointed fellows of the program. The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation will cover their room, board, and in-country transportation. The five English-language fellows traveling to Bulgaria will be reimbursed for 50% of their international travel expenses.
Cost: Free
To Submit: More information on the contest as well as a link to the online submission form may be found here.
Winning Writers Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest—Submissions due by April 1st, 2018 (poetry contest, $$$ prizes + online publication)
What: One humorous poem up to 250 lines in length. Work may be published or unpublished, and may contain “inspired gibberish.” First prize is $1,000, second prize is $250, and ten Honorable Mentions will receive $100 each. The top 12 entries will be published online.
Cost: Free
To Submit: Contest details and a link to an online submission form may be found here.
This week's #MSWL highlights: Platonic love and fossil forests
Jess Dallow, Associate Agent at Brower Literary
Jess retweets herself: “This thread is still my #MSWL. Platonic, loving, weird relationships.” Source Tweet
Seeking:
Fiction: YA Contemporary; Adult Commercial Fiction
“She loves family stories (in the vein of This is Where I Leave You), thrillers (serial killers; child psychopaths; and the things that keep you up at night), mysteries, and strong women’s fiction that delves into the complexities of our world today as well as supportive female friendships. She loves original voices and stories that are impossible to put down.”
How to submit: Jess is accepting queries via email at jess@browerliterary.com. Click here for all submission info on the agency’s website. Follow her on Twitter @jldallow.
Chris Kepner, Agent at The Kepner Agency
Chris is looking for this National Geographic headline in book form: “Five New Fossil Forests Found in Antarctica.” Source Tweet
Seeking:
Fiction: Any genre
Nonfiction: Any genre
How to submit: Chris is accepting queries via email at chris@kepneragency.com. Click here for more information on the agency’s submission policies. You can follow him on Twitter @chriskepner.
Ejusdem Generis
A few weeks ago we linked to a piece that explored the idea that writing romance can be a political act. Well, the struggle continues, as the Guardian reports today about the publisher Riptide, which has come under fire for its, well, racist perspectives and actions. Last week, romance author Cole McCade detailed an exchange he had with one of Riptide’s editors in which he was told that they were unwilling to put a person of color on a book cover because it would hurt sales. The Guardian ties this to the larger issue of the lack of support for authors of color on the part of romance publishers generally. Check it out here.