Tag Archives: Kelly Peterson

Get Published Weekly Roundup: April 23rd, 2018

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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.

Grad Student Freelancers (GSF) is dedicated to helping authors take care of the details of the publication process. Part of the process includes sifting through huge amounts of information to find important news, events, and tips that can give you an edge in the publication process. Every week GSF will provide three lists of curated information focused on helping writers get published. Our goal is to gather what's important from the web in the past week, so you can focus more on your writing.  

Get Published Weekly Roundup: November 27, 2017

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After all the tryptophan we can barely wake up enough to get out a Roundup this week (yes, we know that it doesn't really make you sleepy, we don't care). We managed it, nonetheless. This week we've got a big-money contest, some stuff agents are looking for, and then a bit about good and bad proposals 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!

Agent and Agency News

Two new agents

Taylor Curtin has joined Union Literary as an Agent and is actively working to build her client list. 

Seeking:

Fiction: Upmarket and Literary Fiction, Young and New-Adult Fiction (especially Science-Fiction and Fantasy)

Nonfiction: True Crime

“For true crime she is looking for compelling stories that bring the drama and incorporate aspects of psychology, forensics, and/or the litigation process. Regarding fiction, she is a sucker for snappy, sarcastic characters with stories that ring (painfully) true while making the reader laugh, or even cry. Taylor is passionate about narratives that are diverse, culturally conscious, and socially aware (particularly for younger readers). She has an appetite for high-quality and evocative writing that transports the reader to unfamiliar places, or lends fresh eyes to a familiar place. She’s not afraid of edgier, grittier, or darker voices and stories and prefers the kid-gloves are off when handling young readers.”

Taylor is accepting queries via email at taylor@unionliterary.com. More information about submissions may be found here.

Jennifer Haskin has joined Corvisiero Agency as a Literary Agent Apprentice.

Seeking:

Fiction: Young adult literature, fantasy, science fiction, dystopian fiction, and romance

Nonfiction: Not interested

“She is drawn to faulty heroines with strong voices, real friendships, and super skills with a weapon. As well as a hunky love interest with a tangled plot of his own.”

To query Jennifer, use the online form on the agency website, which can be found here. You can email her at jenn@corvisieroagency.com with any questions.

Submission Deadlines

This week, a great opportunity for young writers and a chance for recently published authors who focus on race, culture, and diversity to shine

Anisfield-Wolf 82nd Annual Book Awards—Submissions due December 31st (Published fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—BIG $$ Prize)

What: Works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry published and copyrighted in 2017. $10,000 will be awarded to two winners—one for a work of fiction or poetry and one for a work of nonfiction, biography, or scholarly research.

“The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize books that have made important contributions to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf established the book prizes in 1935, in honor of her father, John Anisfield, and husband, Eugene Wolf, to reflect her family’s passion for issues of social justice. Today it remains the only American book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity. Past winners have presented the extraordinary art and culture of peoples around the world, explored human-rights violations, exposed the effects of racism on children, reflected on growing up biracial, and illuminated the dignity of people as they search for justice.”

To Submit: Contest guidelines and a submission form may be found here.

BookLogix Young Writer’s Competition—Submissions due December 31st (Youth Contest—Publication)

Who: Writers aged 10-18

What: Book-length prose fiction (up to 200 8.5” x 11” pages) by previously unpublished authors. Two winners will be awarded full publication of their book.

“The Young Writers Contest seeks to encourage young people to express themselves and their thoughts through writing and literacy skills. The contest encourages entrants, age 10-18, to consider the ability to become a published author at any age, and to learn about the process of publishing their work. Winners will be selected based on originality, creativity, and writing skill.”

To Submit: Entries are accepted by mail or online form. Detailed instructions may be found here. Questions should be directed to contest@BookLogix.com.

What Agents Want

#MSWL highlights: fantasy, space camp, and hauntings, oh my! Also, fantasy.

Laura Crockett, Associate Literary Agent at TriadaUS 
Even the holidays can’t slow down intrepid Associate Literary Agents like Laura, who is on the hunt for “contemporary, fantasy, & historical in YA/Adult, select MG mystery & fantasy.” Source Tweet 

Seeking:

Fiction: YA realistic fiction featuring diverse characters and narratives, and fairytale/mythology-inspired fantasy for the 21st century that focuses on inventive worlds and characters with depth. In adult fiction, she is interested in contemporary women’s fiction featuring juicy moral dilemmas, millennial-driven “chick-lit,” and more fantasy.

Nonfiction: is getting dusty on Laura’s shelf.

“In YA, she is interested in contemporary realistic fiction (such as study abroad experiences, strong female friendships, falling in love, mental health, diversity, LGBTQ) and fantasy (particularly with excellent world-building, authentic characterization, fantasy inspired by fairytales and other cultures' mythology, and historical fantasy). In adult fiction, she is interested in contemporary women's fiction (heartfelt, juicy moral dilemmas, historical bends with parallel narratives), humorous chick-lit (especially if it's millennial-driven), and fantasy (excellent world-building, authentic characterization, fantasy inspired by fairytales and other cultures' mythology, and historical fantasy).”

How to Submit: Email your query, including the first ten pages of your manuscript, to laura@triadaus.com. More information on submission guidelines may be found here. 

Follow Laura on Twitter @LECrockett.

Kelly Peterson, Junior Agent at Corvisiero Agency and noted freelance Zombie/Apocalypse Survival Specialist 
Kelly knows exactly what she wants, we’re just here to pass it on: 1) A story of two dancers and the friendship that sustains them in the world of competitive ballet, 2) fiction and non-fiction from Native American authors, 3) a work of Middle Grade fiction with a female protagonist attending space camp (because she wants to be an astronaut and her idol is Sally Ride, obvs... she “learns to read the stars, understand horoscopes, and uses it all to navigate friendships”), 4) works of realistic fiction featuring diverse characters, 5) YA historical fiction—picture “Ruby from Cold Mountain with a shotgun in her hand” 6) fictional tales of online dating gone horribly awry, 7) and finally… well, we think it’s best if she explains it to you: “A hilarious haunting! A ghost with a sense of humor, waking people up, making weird sculptures with random objects around the house, telling the living people that they should GET IT, etc. Make me die laughing.” Source Tweet 

Seeking:

Fiction: Middle Grades Fantasy, Paranormal, and Sci-fi; Young Adult Fantasy (“all sub genres of fantasy accepted”), Steampunk, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Historical (“19th century and earlier with strong heroines”), Dystopian (“hold the cyborgs, the scorch, and diseases, please”), Sword and Sorcery, and select Contemporary Romance or any combination of the above with strong female main characters; New Adult Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance (“Cowboys, anyone? Sexy and somewhat geeky entrepreneur? Celebrity? Yes?”), Historical Romance, or any combination of the above; Adult Fantasy, Romance.

Nonfiction: Non-Fiction, along with Emotional Turmoil, Mystery/Crime, or Children's Picture Books might be your thing, but they sure aren’t Kelly’s.

“With books, there's just something about strong female main characters holding their own against the world, in an environment that Kelly could never, in her wildest dreams, find herself living within. It tears at her heart and pulls at her soul, especially when the main character finds that she never needed another to complete her in the first place.”

How to Submit: Fill out the online form found here. More information on the agency's submission policies here. Please note that all agents at Corvisiero Agency will be taking a well-deserved holiday break from December 1st,  2017 until January 2nd,  2018 and will be closed to queries during this time.

Follow Kelly on Twitter @YAFantasyFan.

Ejusdem Generis

This week, Business Insider reported that former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci had been unsuccessfully trying to pitch a book about his days in the Trump administration. Represented by the formidable Trident Media Group, Scaramucci's proposed book failed to elicit the interest of publishers, and he told Business Insider that he no longer wanted to publish a book. The news site obtained a copy of one of the versions of his proposal (apparently not the final version), and it is not pretty. Imagine a three-page hagiography whose intended audience is people who think tough-talking financiers are the real modern-day saints (take that, Mother Teresa!). In spite of his fame, and our never-ending fascination with all things Trump, Scaramucci follows Sean Spicer into the ranks of would-be authors thwarted by an industry that is intensely interested in what will sell, and what won't. And TPTB have determined that a memoir written by a mouthy blowhard who literally claims that his book may save the country won't.

Fantastic proposals aren't always enough, though, either. About six months ago, author Michael Hingston wrote a piece for Medium which offers his non-fiction proposal for a book on teeth as an example for other authors preparing to write their own proposals. An agent at a top agency signed him immediately after reading his unsolicited pitch, telling him that it was one of the best she'd ever seen. As we know already, though, the publishing gods are fickle (or maybe just good at their jobs), and the excellent proposal for Quite a Mouthful: A Cultural History of Teeth was not enough to coax the book into print. Check it out here.

For other concrete information on how to craft a proposal we recommend (as always) Jane Friedman's blog and services. If anyone knows the Mooch, send him the link. She might be able to help. Check it out here.

Grad Student Freelancers (GSF) is dedicated to helping authors take care of the details of the publication process. Part of the process includes sifting through huge amounts of information to find important news, events, and tips that can give you an edge in the publication process. Every week GSF will provide three lists of curated information focused on helping writers get published. Our goal is to gather what's important from the web in the past week, so you can focus more on your writing.  

Get Published Weekly Roundup: September 4, 2017

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Happy Labor Day! As we celebrate the American Labor Movement today, we also remember that it was only 60 years ago today, by orders of Governor Orval Faubus, 289 soldiers of the Arkansas National Guard prevented 9 African-American students, Elizabeth Eckford, Minnijean Brown, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrance Roberts, Jefferson Thomas and Carlotta Walls, from entering Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. It took almost three weeks before the students were protected by federal troops and could enter the school. For these heroes, high school was not a safe place, but a hostile environment where they took a stand and did what was right not just for their own advancement but for the betterment of our society. We give thanks for their sacrifice today.
 
In this week's GSF Roundup we highlight agent news (specifically agents that recently opened up to submissions), notices of approaching writing and submission deadlines, highlights from the past week's Manuscript Wishlist, and a few more tidbits 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!

Agent and Agency News

Open again, Open again, jiggety jig.

Jessica Watterson, Agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, is back open to queries.

Jessica is seeking:

Fiction: Romance (all genres); Women's Fiction; YA

Nonfiction: Nope.

"Jessica is always on the hunt for new and diverse voices."

Jessica is accepting queries via online form,  here.  Click here for the agency's submissions guidelines.

Kelly Peterson, Junior Agent at the Corvisiero Literary Agency, is open to queries.

Kelly is seeking:

Fiction: Fantasy for MG, YA, NA, and Adult; add Romance for YA, NA, and Adult; and Science Fiction for MG and YA

Nonfiction: Nah.

"With books, there's just something about strong female main characters holding their own against the world, in an environment that Kelly could never, in her wildest dreams, find herself living within. It tears at her heart and pulls at her soul, especially when the main character finds that she never needed another to complete her in the first place."

Kelly is accepting queries via email at query@corvisieroagency.com. See submission guidelines here.

Courtney Miller-Callihan, Founder and Agent at Handspun Literary Agency, is open again to queries (well, to be fair, she has been since July, but we just picked up on it now).

Courtney is seeking:

Fiction: General; Historical; Women's; Romance; Mystery

Nonfiction: Most everything except Religion and Spirituality

Courtney is accepting queries via email at query@handspunlit.com. For more information and submission guidelines, click here.

Submission Deadlines

Writers, you have between six and ten days:

World in Focus In Focus Art & Essay Contest—Submissions due Sunday, September 10th (Art and Writing Contest—$$ Prize)

Who: Ages 10-18

What: Art or essay. 1,000-word maximum. $100 CAD Prize

"To promote awareness of the vision problems individuals in third-world countries may face on a daily basis, due to their difficulty in accessing resources and care; To promote outreach in the youth community by allowing them to reflect on the topic of sight and its importance; To encourage youth to express their creativity, individuality and talents on a global stage" 

To Submit: Submit via the online form, here. For guidelines and more information, click here.

Operation Awesome Pass or Pages Contest—Submission Window: September 11th-13th (Query Contest—Agent Evaluation)

What: Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy, query and first 250 words. Five randomly selected entries will be evaluated by an agent, with feedback given about why they're passing, or why they're requesting pages.

"Querying authors get a peek into agents' minds as they go through their slush piles."

To Submit: Submission online (once the submission window is open), here or here. For guidelines, prompts, and other information, click here.

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award—Submissions due Thursday, September 14th (Annual Award, $$ Prize)

Who: Authors with a first novel, published between January and June 2017

What: Must be a first novel, published originally in the US, no YA/Middle Grade. Winner receives $5,000.

"The VCU Cabell First Novelist Award honors an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. Symbolized by a three-dimensional compass, the award is a tribute to writers who have navigated their way through the maze of imagination and delivered a great read, taking the reader someplace new."

To Submit: For complete submission details, click here. For more information and other guidelines, click here.

What Agents Want

Highlights from this week's #MSWL tweets...

Meg LaTorre-Snyder, Agent Apprentice at the Corivisiero Literary Agency
Meg wants some Disney by way of Burning Man: "I'd love a steampunk Beauty & the Beast retelling. (Bonus points for M/M or F/F romance.)"  Source Tweet

Seeking: 

Fiction: Fantasy; Historical fiction; Romance (with magical elements); Space opera; Steam punk; Thrillers (with magical elements)

Nonfiction: Negative, Ghostrider. The pattern is full.

"She loves books written in third-person with multiple POVs, quirky, realistic characters, rich descriptions, and a unique inclusion of mythologies. (However, Meg does love first-person stories with a single POV as well, or any combination thereof!)"

How to submit: Meg is accepting submissions via email at query@corvisieroagency.com. Click here to read the full submissions guidelines on her profile at the company website.

Follow Meg on Twitter @MegLaTorre.

Lauren Spieller, Agent Assistant at TriadaUS
Lauren is looking for The Slammin' Salmon cum Le Morte d'Arthur: "funny YA set in a Medieval Times-like restaurant. Give me performer hierarchy drama, kitchen secrets, and a love story to swoon over." Source Tweet

Seeking:

Fiction: Middle Grade; YA; Select Adult

Select Nonfiction

"She's particularly hungry for counter culture books, cocktail books with a twist/theme, or narrative nonfiction with a unique hook." 

How to submit: Lauren is accepting submissions via email at lauren@triadaus.com. Click here for submission guidelines and more info on what she's looking for. 

Follow Lauren on Twitter @laurenspieller

Leon Husock, Agent at the L. Perkins Agency
No, Leon, I'm sorry, I don't: "You know that Shanghai/Hong Kong/British Raj aesthetic that's a mash-up of Asian/South-Asian and Western culture? I love that." Source Tweet  Oh, good, I must not be alone: "For reference, see (among many other things) The Age of Shadows, a Korean spy drama set during the Japanese occupation of Korea." Source Tweet

Seeking:

Fiction: Science Fiction; Fantasy; YA; Upper Middle Grade; Genre Mashups

Non-fiction: No, nah, man, this is not a good idea!

"...especially fantasy with non-Western European inspired settings and cultures."

How to submit: Leon is accepting queries via email at leon@lperkinsagency.com. Click here for submissions guidelines on the company website.
 
Follow Leon on Twitter .

Ejusdem Generis

So writers, here's the thing. The first line of your manuscript is super important. Check out this insight #StraightFromAnAgent in Literary Agent Mary C. Moore's post, "Do Literary Agents Reject Your Submission After Reading One Line?"

Yes, I have rejected a submission based on the first sentence and yes, it happens more often than I’d like. But how could you possibly know from the first line? you ask.

Because it’s our job to know.

Sounds arrogant, sure. Believe me, I’ve been there on the other side, thinking it wasn’t fair that agents claimed they rejected a sub based on that first line. But after years of reading the slushpile, editing manuscripts, shopping clients, etc., I’ve been trained to see the level of prose based off that first line. Other agents will tell you the same.

Mary offers 10 things she determines about an author's manuscript from its first line. Read the full article by clicking here.

Popular on the GSF Twitter Feed @freelancingrads:

We just stumbled upon J.P. Beaubien's YouTube Channel Terrible Writing Advice. The writing and the publication process is a tough one and sometimes we just need a good laugh. Check it out... but, please, please don't follow his advice, especially on marketing your book:

Grad Student Freelancers (GSF) is dedicated to helping authors take care of the details of the publication process. Part of the process includes sifting through huge amounts of information to find important news, events, and tips that can give you an edge in the publication process. Every week GSF will provide three lists of curated information focused on helping writers get published. Our goal is to gather what's important from the web in the past week, so you can focus more on your writing.