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Best. Defense. Ever. Last week we were a little, uh, skimpy with the Roundup, but it paid off. I witnessed the dissertation defense to end all dissertation defenses. The mother-in-law was pleased and entertained. All is well. This week we've got a bunch of new agents, a poetry contest that pays some serious cash, new MSWL entries, and a little on lending at the end. I told you we'd be better this week!
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!
Agent and Agency News
New agents: you want 'em, we got 'em.
Ann Rose has joined the Prospect Agency.
Seeking:
Fiction: MG; YA; (light) Sci-fi/Fantasy; Romance; Commercial; Contemporary
Nonfiction: Nada
"My clients know I'm ready to roll up my sleeves to help create the best books possible, from brainstorming at the idea stage all the way through submissions and beyond. I love attending conferences, and sharing my knowledge of the publishing industry."
Ann is accepting submissions via online form here.
David Laurell has joined the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.
Seeking:
Fiction: Sounds like upmarket to me, but you should come to your own conclusions.
Nonfiction: Celebrity Biography/Autobiography; Pop Culture; Sports; Broadcasting; Politics
"David joyously embraces the writers he works with as partners. More than just a literary agent, he is a mentor, sounding board, advocate, cheerleader, and fiduciary."
David is accepting queries via email, at dclaurell@gmail.com.
Cara Bellucci is now an agent at Don Congdon Associates.
Seeking:
Fiction: Women's; Literary; domestic Thriller; Historical
Nonfiction: Nope
"Regardless of genre, any stories that have a hint of magic, families that are big, happy, and complicated, or female characters with jobs we see on the page always find a way to the top of her reading pile."
Cara is accepting queries via email, at dca@doncongdon.com. She is also accepting queries via post; if you really want to spend fifty cents on a stamp, use the address on the agency submissions page, here.
Alyssa Taylor has joined Fletcher & Company.
Seeking:
Fiction: Totally
Nonfiction: Psychology; Sociology; Health/Fitness; Natural World
"I love getting lost in a narrative that has strong observational insights and vivid sense of character and setting. I especially appreciate a voice that can bring humor and satire to overarching social and cultural ideas and issues."
Alyssa is accepting queries via email, at info@fletcherandco.com. See submissions guidelines here.
Submission Deadlines
You can write 1,000 words in two days, right? Also, use your poetry to buy a new car!
True North 2018 Short Story Contest—Submissions due by April 25th, 2018 (Writing contest, $$$)
What: Short stories of under 1,000 words about how technology will affect humanity in the near future. The winner will receive $1,000 CAD, while two runners up will receive $250 CAD.
Cost: Free
To Submit: Submission by email and online form (one of each). Submission form here, and email to truenorthcontest@communitech.ca. Rules and submission information may be found here.
The Poetry Foundation Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships—Submissions due by April 30th, 2018 (Serious $$$)
What: No more than ten pages of poems by poets 21-31 years of age. Five winners receive $25,800 fellowships.
Cost: Free
"Established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly, the fellowships are intended to encourage the further study and writing of poetry."
To Submit: Online submission through Submittable, here. You can find rules and guidelines here.
What Agents Want
A reopening and a desire for bitey things
Bryony Woods, Agent at Diamond Kahn & Woods
Bryony is our favorite kind of agent—one who's open to queries: "I’m excited to be reopening to submissions today – so send me your magical middle-grade, your groundbreaking YA, your rich, imaginative fiction for adults or non-fiction that shows me the world from a new and eye-opening perspective. Writers from all backgrounds welcome!" Source Tweet
Seeking:
Fiction: Everything
Nonfiction: Everything
"Hufflepuff. Cheshire girl in London. Bold and bookish. Falls over a lot."
How to submit: Bryony is accepting queries email at submissions.bryony@dkwlitagency.co.uk. See guidelines here, and follow her on Twitter @BryonyWoods.
John Cusick, Agent at Folio Literary Management
I'm 100%, definitely, absolutely sure that the operative word is "fresh": "In all seriousness, if you are working on a YA that has a fresh take on vampires, I am legitimately into that." Source Tweet
Seeking:
Fiction: Young Adult; Middle Grade; Picture Books
Nonfiction: Not so much
How to submit: John is accepting queries via email at john@foliolit.com. You can follow him on Twitter @johnmcusick.
Kelly Peterson, Junior Agent at Corvisiero Literary
John may be ready to get back on that horse, but Kelly has something more lupine in mind: "Though I may not be ready for vampires (unless they're really quite terrifying, have a twist, and a different name?), you know what I am ready for? *leans closer, pausing for dramatic effect* Wolves... And I'll just leave this here for everyone to freak out or agree..." Source Tweet
Seeking:
Fiction: Middle Grade; Young Adult; New Adult; Fantasy; Romance
Nonfiction: Negatory
How to submit: Kelly is accepting queries via online form, here. You can follow her on Twitter @YAFantasyFan.
Ejusdem Generis
When I was eighteen years old and as foolish as only a newly liberated-from-his-parents eighteen-year-old can be, I loaned my roommates a substantial amount of money to cover our move-in expenses (I had received the money as part of a student loan, natch). I learned an important lesson from this ill-advised foray into microlending. After watching my friends eating out and going to movies (all the while "unable" to pay me back) while I ate ramen noodles and cheese sandwiches at home (this was the mid-'90s in what snobby coastal people call a "flyover state," so this meant $.20 packages of noodles, not tonkatsu broth that takes days to produce, and Wonder Bread with processed cheese product, not Gruyère on artisan whole grain), I realized that I would never again lend money to a friend that I could not simply consider a gift. I feel the same way about books. Over at Electric Lit they asked a number of librarians about their personal policies governing the lending of their own books. All the responses were measured and thoughtful, but one of them mirrored my own practices. Tyler Wolfe, a librarian from Maryland, loans books to friends without expectation of the books ever being returned; he also keeps multiple copies of books he likes to lend on hand for just this purpose. What a kindred spirit I have in some library in Maryland! I have long purchased used copies of books simply to be able to give them out —Dune, Watership Down, and The Chosen are probably the top three on this list. Being on the receiving end of such a loan is a delight on its own; sometimes you can almost feel the people who pored over the same pages months or years before. This presents us with yet another good reason for the continued life of the printed book: you can't lend an Ebook (okay, I know you can, but not forever, and not multiple times, and not, not, not). Check it out here.