Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 67

2 New Literary Agents Seeking Clients

These two agents are actively seeking clients. Vanessa Robins (Corvisiero Literary) is seeking NA—all, especially humor; YA—gritty plots with diverse characters; Fiction—thought out thrillers, romance with strong female leads, heavily based science sci-fi, and sports-centric plots; Nonfiction—memoirs including coming of age, cultural/ethnic/sexuality, survivor, and humor themed. Bonus points for Medical Narratives (characters with medical illnesses and chronic diseases, or MS told through a medical professional’s view point). Amelia Appel (McIntosh & Otis, Inc.) is most interested in literary fiction, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, and horror.

Note: For a comprehensive list of new and established agents actively seeking new clients see: Agents Seeking Clients

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Vanessa Robins of Corvisiero Literary

Vanessa is a writer, reader, and lover of food. From Lancaster, Pennsylvania—no, she’s not Amish— she graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in May of 2015 with a degree in English literary studies and a minor in professional writing. Vanessa was Managing Editor of her college’s undergraduate literary magazine for two years, where her love of literature thrived, and her passion for the publishing world was created. When she isn’t reading or working, Vanessa can be found playing rec league softball (her team is called “Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Batman *and Women*,” in case you were wondering), experimenting in the kitchen, knitting, or screaming at her favorite sports teams (go Eagles and Phillies!).

What she is seeking: NA—all, especially humor; YA—gritty plots with diverse characters; Fiction—thought out thrillers, romance with strong female leads, heavily based science sci-fi, and sports-centric plots; Nonfiction—memoirs including coming of age, cultural/ethnic/sexuality, survivor, and humor themed. Bonus points for Medical Narratives (characters with medical illnesses and chronic diseases, or MS told through a medical professional’s view point). See our monthly MSWL blog post for more detailed requests.

Will not represent: PB, MG, Screenplays, and Erotica.

How to Submit: Please query Vanessa Robins by emailing query@corvisieroagency.com and putting “ATTN: Vanessa Robins-Query [Book Title]” in the subject line. Vanessa prefers if you write a brief query letter in the body of your email and attach a 1-2 page synopsis and the first five pages of your manuscript to the email in separate Word .doc files. Your query letter should include links to any social media or author websites.
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Amelia Appel of McIntosh & Otis, Inc.

Amelia Appel is a graduate of Hamilton College. Prior to joining the McIntosh & Otis team, Amelia interned at HSG Agency and Writers House, where she was later an assistant. She joined M&O in 2014 as Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein’s assistant and is currently seeking to build her own list as a junior agent. Twitter: @AmeliaLAppel

What she is seeking: Amelia is looking to represent primarily adult fiction with some YA. For adult, she is most interested in literary fiction, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, and horror. Projects with a smart, distinct voice, a fantastic setting to jump into, and/or a witty protagonist are all up her alley. For YA in particular she’s interested in stories with a savvy protagonist and a slightly dark tone that deals with serious coming-of-age issues well.

How to Submit: To query Amelia Appel please emailAAquery@mcintoshandotis.com. To submit, please email our agents at the email addresses listed below. To find out more about our agents and their interests please visit our Agents page. We ask that all text be pasted in the body of the email as outlined in the submission guidelines. Emails containing attachments will not be opened and will be automatically deleted due to security reasons.

8 Literary Agents Seeking Horror NOW

These eight agents are seeking horror right now. All are from established agencies with solid track records.

For more literary agents seeking horror see: 9 Agents Looking for Horror Writers

Note: You can find dozens of agents seeking writers here: Agents Seeking Clients

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Ginger Clark (Curtis Brown)

Ginger Clark has been a literary agent with Curtis Brown LTD (New York) since 2005. On the adult side of her list she represents science fiction, fantasy and horror. On the children’s side she represents middle grade and young adult fiction and non-fiction. In addition to representing her own clients, she also handles British Commonwealth rights for the agency’s children’s list. She attends the Bologna Book Fair every year on behalf of her agency, and visits London annually as well. Previously, she worked at Writers House for six years as an assistant literary agent. Her first job in publishing was as an editorial assistant at Tor Books. She is the Chair of the Contracts Committee of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, and a member of its International Committee.

What she is seeking: Open to adult, YA, and middle grade horror.

How to Submit: Send query letter and contact information to gc [@] cbltd.com.

You can also submit via an online form.

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Connor Goldsmith (Fuse Literary)

Connor began his career in publishing in 2012 at Lowenstein Associates, where he was promoted to Associate Agent in March 2013. He joined Fuse in early 2014 and was promoted to Agent in November 2015. Prior to transitioning into the world of books, he spent a year as a full-time intern and relief assistant in the commercial film and television department at Abrams Artists Agency.

Born and raised in New York, Connor lived for a brief stint in the Midwest studying English and the Classics at Oberlin College in Ohio. He is passionate about narrative fiction across all media as a vehicle for social progress, and received a Master’s Degree in Media Studies from The New School for Public Engagement.
How to Submit: Send your query letter, a 1-2 page full plot synopsis, and the first ten pages of your manuscript to queryconnor [@] fuseliterary.com.

Please paste all content into the body of the email; attachments will not be opened.

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Amelia Appel (McIntosh & Otis)

Amelia is a graduate of Hamilton College. Prior to joining the McIntosh & Otis team, Amelia interned at HSG Agency and Writers House, where she was later an assistant. She joined M&O in 2014 as Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein's assistant and is currently seeking to build her own list as a junior agent

How to Submit: Send query letters to AAquery [@] mcintoshandotis.com.

Include a synopsis, author bio, and the first three consecutive chapters (no more than 30 pages) of your novel. No attachments. If querying Amelia, do not query Shannon, also on this list.

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Shannon Powers (McIntosh & Otis)

Shannon is a graduate of New York University. She began her career in publishing at McIntosh and Otis as an intern in 2011, and then went on to intern at The Book Report Network and W.W. Norton & Company. She has also worked as a bookseller. She returned to M&O in 2014, where she assists Shira Hoffman and Christa Heschke and is also looking to build her own list as a junior agent.

What she is seeking: Open to YA, middle grade, and adult horror.

How to Submit: Send query letters to SPquery [@] mcintoshandotis.com. For adult horror, include a synopsis, author bio, and the first three consecutive chapters (no more than 30 pages) of your novel. For YA or MG horror, include a synopsis and the first three consecutive chapters (not to exceed 25 pages) of the manuscript with your query letter. No attachments. If querying Shannon, do not query Amelia, also on this list.

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Elizabeth Copps (Maria Carvainis Agency, Inc.)

Elizabeth migrated from Florida to start her career with Maria Carvainis Agency as an intern in 2010. In 2011 she signed on with the agency as a full-time assistant, and two years later was promoted to Associate Agent. She represents a wide range of genres from MG and YA, to adult contemporary literary fiction, mystery, psychological thriller, women’s fiction, historical fiction, horror, and select nonfiction projects.

What she is seeking: “I prefer psychological horror over the slasher-type violence.”

How to Submit: Send a query letter, a synopsis of the work, first 5-10 pages, and note of any writing credentials. Send queries to mca [at] mariacarvainisagency.com. Attachments must be either Word documents or PDFs.

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Becky LeJeune (Bond Literary Agency)

After graduating from the Denver Publishing Institute, Becky worked for two years as managing editor for a cookbook imprint and another five as a commissioning editor for a local interest and regional history publisher.

What she is seeking: Open to adult, YA, and middle grade horror.

How to Submit: Please send a query letter via email to: queries [@]bondliteraryagency.com.

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Michelle Johnson (Inklings Literary Agency)

After a life long obsession with books, a career in business management/ownership including bookstores and community writing centers, and a few years with small presses in an editorial capacity, Michelle Johnson is now in her fourth year as a literary agent, where she represents many NYT Bestsellers, debut authors, and indie authors alike.

What she is seeking: Open to YA and adult horror. “I prefer psychological horror to gory horror.”

How to Submit: To query, type “Query (Agent Name)” plus the title of your novel in the subject line, then please send the following pasted into the body of the e-mail to query [@] inklingsliterary.com. Include a synopsis and the first ten pages of your manuscript. No attachments.

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Maximilian Ximenez (L. Perkins Agency)

Maximilian Ximenez grew up within the New York publishing industry. Prior to joining the L. Perkins Agency, he worked at Blizzard Entertainment, creators of the popular Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo video game franchises. He is a strong believer in publishing and narrative as a central pillar of franchise and transmedia development.

What he is seeking: “I’m specifically reading for ‘Women and children who kill.'”

How to Submit: Send query letter to submissions [@] lperkinsagency.com. Include the first five pages of your novel with your query letter. No attachments.

2 New Agents Actively Seeking Writers

Here are two new agents seeking clients. Anna Worrall of The Gernert Company is looking to represent smart women’s literary and commercial fiction, psychological thrillers, and narrative nonfiction. Tracy Marchini of BookEnds is seeking picture book, middle grade and young adult manuscripts across most genres, including contemporary, mysteries, thrillers, magical realism, historical fiction, and non-fiction.

Note: You can find dozens of new and established literary agents looking for clients here: Agents Seeking Clients
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Anna Worrall of The Gernert Company

Anna is the Director of Marketing and Social Media and a literary agent at The Gernert Company, which she joined in 2010. After graduating from NYU with a degree in history, she worked in the marketing department at an academic publisher in her native Philadelphia before moving to Hungary, where she taught conversational English and traveled extensively. Twitter: @annaworrall

What she is seeking: She’s looking to represent smart women’s literary and commercial fiction, psychological thrillers, and narrative nonfiction.

How to submit: Queries by e-mail should be directed to: info@thegernertco.com. Please indicate in your letter which agent you are querying. You can visit the OUR TEAM section of the website to get a sense of who might be a good fit for your work. If you have previously corresponded with one of their agents and choose to query another, please let them know of any communication history in your letter. Please do not send e-mails directly to individual agents, even if their email addresses are available elsewhere online. The agency asks that you do not phone the office regarding unsolicited manuscripts for any reason.

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Tracy Marchini of BookEnds

After four years as a Literary Agents Assistant at Curtis Brown, Tracy Marchini left to pursue her own editorial business and to earn her MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons College. Her editorial clients have gone on to secure representation, sell books to traditional publishers, win awards and become bestsellers in the UK. She’s looking forward to being able to work with her BookEnds clients throughout their careers and to (hopefully!) see them grow as authors in the same way.

What she is seeking: Tracy Marchini is looking for picture book, middle grade and young adult manuscripts across most genres, including contemporary, mysteries, thrillers, magical realism, historical fiction, and non-fiction. For picture book fiction, she’s particularly interested in manuscripts that are laugh out loud funny or deliciously dark. For middle grade and young adult, she’s interested in underdogs, strong female characters and/or unreliable narrators. She believes that it’s important for readers of all backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the media they consume, and is looking to bring that diversity to her list.

How to submit: Submissions to Tracy can be sent to TMSubmissions@bookendsliterary.com.

12 Literary Agents Seeking Picture Books NOW

These twelve agents are seeking picture books. For as long as people have children, picture books will never go out of style. (They are even quite entertaining for adults.)

Note: You can find dozens of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients

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Jill Corcoran (Jill Corcoran Literary Agency)

Jill Corcoran is President and Founder of Jill Corcoran Literary Agency and an Executive Partner, Branding & Licensing for EverWitt Productions, a film and television content developer. Jill opened the West Coast arm of Herman Agency in 2009, then launched JCLA in 2014. Jill represents many award-winning authors and illustrators, including New York Times Bestsellers, the former US Children’s Poet Laureate, and Famous Monsters of Filmland/American Gothic Press.

What she is seeking: Seeks submissions from author-illustrators only.

How to submit: query [at] jillcorcoranliteraryagency.com. Illustrators should query with a link to your portfolio and the entire PB manuscript in the e-mail body.

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Emily Van Beek (Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management)

"Representing an author or artist, whether aspiring or established, is an honor and a commitment I take very seriously. I am passionate about children’s and young adult books. I am passionate about negotiating the best deal possible. I am passionate about working together with our experienced and esteemed subsidiary rights and contracts teams to squeeze as much juice out of a single property as it will yield. I find it incredibly rewarding to work with new voices (and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve discovered several irresistible projects by debut authors and artists in the submissions pile). I’m also committed to helping established authors and artists continue to grow their careers. I am an “editorial” agent, in that I’ll work through as many drafts over the course of as many years as it takes to polish a manuscript I believe in to a high shine prior to submission. My goal is to build long-term relationships with authors and artists and to help them publish books that will stand the test of time."

What she is looking for: Author-illustrator submissions only please. No submissions that are text-only.

How to submit: emily [at] foliolitmanagement.com. “To submit a picture book, please attach a PDF of your dummy. Links to online portfolios are always welcome. I would very much like to be able to respond to every query, but unfortunately time doesn’t allow for it. Please be sure to write ‘QUERY’ in the subject line as this will ensure I do not miss your letter. If you haven’t heard back from me within six weeks, I’m sorry to say I’ve decided I’m not the ideal match for your project.”

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Jennifer Flannery (Flannery Literary)

Jennifer Flannery founded Flannery Literary in 1992 in New York after working at a literary agency in her hometown of Minneapolis and then in the trade department at HarperCollins. Flannery moved her offices to the Chicago area in 1997.

What she is looking for: Flannery Literary is looking for strong writing, a unique viewpoint, a memorable story, an intriguing character, and a thought-provoking dilemma a young reader is eager to see resolved.

How to submit: flanneryliterary [at] icloud.com. “I request e-mail queries only with the entire picture book embedded in an e-mail.”

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John Rudolph (Dystel & Goderich)

"After twelve years as an editor, I’m excited to wear a new hat in the publishing industry and discover fresh voices and talent, both in children’s books and on the adult side as well. For middle-grade and YA fiction, I’m on the lookout for authentic kids’ voices and rousing, high concept stories—I love a good “what-if” scenario."

What he is looking for: "I’m eager to find the next great author/illustrator."

How to submit: E-query jrudolph [at] dystel.com.

Will not open attachments if they come with a blank e-mail.

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Victoria Selvaggio (Jennifer De Chiara Literary)

Business owner turned Associate Agent, Victoria A. Selvaggio comes to The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as a prior Regional Advisor for SCBWI: Northern Ohio, with over 9 years of actively working on the executive board. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author, with her most recent publication in the 2015 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency. Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done

What she is looking for: Lyrical picture books.

How to submit: Please email a query to vselvaggio [at] windstream.net and put “Query” in the subject line of your email. Include the entire picture book text in your email after the query letter.

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Mary Cummings (Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises)

Mary served for fourteen years as education director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she organized an annual festival of children’s literature and selected judges for the prestigious McKnight Award in Children’s Literature. She represents both career writers and newcomers.

What she is looking for: Adorable, cute, sweet as well as contemporary, quirky books. Strong central character(s) preferred.”

How to submit: Queries for children’s and YA titles should be addressed to b.amster.kidsbooks [at] gmail.com. For picture books, please embed the entire text in the body of your e-mail. “We do not open attachments unless we have requested them. Nor do we respond to phone queries. Please understand that owing to the number of queries we receive, we are able to respond only to those that interest us.

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Wendi Gu (Greenburger Associates)

What she is looking for: “I seek author-illustrators only.”

How to submit: “E-mail me dummies as PDFs or through FTP sites at wgu [at] sjga.com.

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Laura Biagi (Jean V. Naggar Literary)

Laura Biagi joined JVNLA in 2009. She is actively building her own client list, seeking adult literary fiction and young readers books. She also handles the sale of UK and Australian/New Zealand rights, as well as audio rights. She has worked closely with Jean Naggar and Jennifer Weltz on their titles, as well as Jennifer Weltz on the submission of JVNLA's titles internationally. Laura's writing background has honed her editorial eye and has driven her enthusiasm for discovering and developing literary talent. She studied creative writing and anthropology at Northwestern University. She is the recipient of a Kentucky Emerging Artist Award for fiction writing. Laura grew up in a small town in Kentucky and maintains a fondness for Southern biscuits and unobstructed views of the stars.

What she is seeking: “I’m open to both author-illustrators and text only.”

How to submit: There is a submission guideline form on the Jean V. Naggar Literary website.

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Natalie Lakosil (Bradford Literary)

Natalie is an agent at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. After nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Natalie joined the Bradford Agency in February of 2011.

What she is seeking: Natalie is drawn to talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook.

How to submit: E-mail your query to queries [at] bradfordlit.com. To avoid falling into spam, the subject line must begin as follows: “Query for Natalie: (The title of the manuscript and any SHORT message you would like her to see should follow). “We do not open email attachments, unless specifically requested by an agent. Picture book submissions should be a short query along with entire manuscript in body of email.”

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Christa Heschke (McIntosh & Otis)

Christa graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children's Literature Department since 2009 where she is actively acquiring for all age groups in children’s.

What she is seeking: “I am open to both text only and author/illustrators, though I am very selective. I am more drawn towards character driven stories that are cute and/or funny, not overly sweet. I love twists on familiar characters or storylines and unlikely friendship stories. I also enjoy nonfiction bios on strong women and people of color throughout history, especially. For all categories [of kidlit], I’d love to see more diverse books!”

How to submit: Query CHquery [at] mcintoshandotis.com.

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Erica Rand Silverman (Stimola Literary Studio)

Erica has worked with some of the most exciting new talent and treasured mainstays in the industry as well as the estates of our favorite classics. Erica represents picture books through young adult and the occasional adult nonfiction project in parenting, humor and wellness. She received her degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a Master of Arts degree in Theater from Hunter College. She was a NYC high school English teacherdean and senior literary agent at Sterling Lord Literistic before joining the studio in 2016. Erica is a tireless advocate for her clients and committed to keeping great books alive.

What she is seeking: Seeks submissions from author-illustrators only. Interested in “great read-aloud texts and ones that put a new spin on evergreen topics.”

How to submit: Do not e-query Erica. Instead go online and submit through her agency’s online form.

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Adriana Dominguez (Full Circle Literary)

Adriana Domínguez has 20 years of experience in publishing. Prior to becoming an agent, she was Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she managed the children’s division of the Rayo imprint. Before that, she was Children’s Reviews Editor at Críticas magazine, published by Library Journal. Adriana has performed editorial work for both children and adult publishers. She is also a professional translator, a member of the Brooklyn Literary Council that organizes the Brooklyn Book Festival, and one of the founders of the Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference in New York City. Adriana is based on the East Coast.

What she is seeking: Invites submissions from both writers and writer-illustrators.

Her wish list concerning illustrators: “I’m interested in artists with distinctive styles, and on bringing more diverse illustrators into the market.”

Her wish list concerning text: She seeks “picture books that are funny or endearing, with an element of the unexpected. I love twists, strong concepts, and diverse points of view. Picture books that make you wonder, ‘How didn’t anyone ever think of this before?!'”

How to submit: Online submission form: http://www.fullcircleliterary.com/submissions/.

15 Agents Seeking Adult Fantasy Novels NOW

Here are fifteen agents currently seeking adult fantasy. All are from established agencies with solid track records.

If you have any doubts about whether your query letter is gripping enough, check out Query Shark. Agent Janet Reid has generously provided critiques of queries on her site. This is a fabulous resource!
You can find dozens of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients
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Danielle Burby (HSG Agency)

Danielle began working at HSG in early 2013. Before finding her home at HSG, she interned at Writer’s House; Clarion Books; Faye Bender Literary Agency; Dunow, Carlson & Lerner; and SquareOne Publishers. She also did some freelance copy editing for John Wiley & Sons. She graduated from Hamilton College with an honors degree in women’s studies and creative writing.

What she is looking for: She gravitates toward stories with strong voices and particularly enjoys complex female characters, coming-of-age stories … [and] fantasy that takes her to an unfamiliar world.
How to submit: E-query dburby [at] hsgagency.com. Please send a query letter and the first five pages of your manuscript (within the email–no attachments please!). Typically responds within 8 weeks.
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Mark Gottlieb (Trident Media Group)

Mark’s first position at Trident was in the foreign rights department, assisting the department’s agents in selling the books of clients around the world. Mark next became audio rights agent. Since Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has doubled. Now while continuing to head up audio rights, Mark is building his own client list of writers. "I am excited to work directly with authors that I bring to Trident, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available to me at Trident."
How to submit: Contact Mark through Trident’s submissions form online: http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/contact-us
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Mary C. Moore (Kimberley Cameron & Associates)

Mary C. Moore has been with Kimberley Cameron since 2012. Mary specializes in science fiction and fantasy, although she does appreciate a wide breadth of the literary cannon.

What she is looking for: “In adult fantasy, I’m seeking epic (with a capital E) with matriarchs instead of patriarchs, historical based on non-English medieval cultures, high, low, silkpunk, mythic, fairytales, romantic, weird, female heroic, and dark fantasy. I am NOT seeking paranormal or urban fantasy currently due to the over-saturation in the market. In this genre I prefer third person POV with a focus on atmosphere and world-building.”

How to submit: “Please use my submission form found on both my personal site and the Kimberley Cameron & Associates site."

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Valerie Noble (Donaghy Literary)

Valerie Noble is an Associate Agent at Donaghy Literary Group. While studying chemistry at California State University, Long Beach, Valerie mastered the art of doing proper research, particularly for technical writing. Her love of science and reading merged when she began penning her first novel in the midst of her studies. In true scientific fashion, Valerie researched all there was to know about publishing. She connected with agents, editors, and other writers, and interned for Jessica Sinsheimer of Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency.

How to submit: E-mail query [at] donaghyliterary.com and put “Query for Valerie: [title]” in the e-mail subject line. Then follow their submission guidelines located online here:
http://www.donaghyliterary.com/submission-guidelines.html
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Lisa Rodgers (Jabberwockky Literary)

Lisa grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from California State University, Sacramento, in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in German literature-in-translation, history, and culture (sadly, she doesn’t speak German, although it’s on her bucket list). She moved to New York City in 2012 to attend NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute and joined the JABberwocky team a few months later. She’s previously worked at San Francisco Book Review and Barnes & Noble, interned at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency, and was a submissions reader for Lightspeed Magazine. She is a member of Romance Writers of America.

What she is looking for: “I’m particularly drawn to characters whose struggles include not just “the quest”, but also choices that challenge their beliefs or values. I love both high- and low-magic fantasies; cohesive worldbuilding is the more important ingredient. While I tend to prefer epic, contemporary, or dark fantasies, I also enjoy trying new things.”

How to submit: “A brief one- to three-page synopsis can be included with your query letter, but is in no way required. With an e-mail query, this synopsis must be pasted below your query letter; e-mail queries with attachments will be deleted, unread.”

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Lauren Speiller (Triada US)

Lauren Spieller is an author and literary agent living in Brooklyn. Before joining Triada US, she worked in literary scouting, and as an editorial consultant. She is the author of THE WANDERINGS OF DESSA ROSE (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018).

What she is looking for: “I like immersive fantasies, such as The Night Circus, The Miniaturist, The Rook, and A Darker Shade of Magic.”

How to submit: Please send a concise summary of your work, along with the first ten pages in the body of an e-mail to lauren [at] triadaus.com.

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Maximilian Ximenez (L. Perkins Agency)

Maximilian Ximenez grew up within the New York publishing industry. Prior to joining the L. Perkins Agency, he worked at Blizzard Entertainment, creators of the popular Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo video game franchises. He is a strong believer in publishing and narrative as a central pillar of franchise and transmedia development.

What he is looking for: “I’m looking for books that either critique or avoid the standard Medieval fantasy milieu.”

How to Submit: Send query letter to submissions [@] lperkinsagency.com. Include the first five pages of your novel with your query letter. No attachments.

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Connor Goldsmith (Fuse Literary)

Connor began his career in publishing in 2012 at Lowenstein Associates, where he was promoted to Associate Agent in March 2013. He joined Fuse in early 2014 and was promoted to Agent in November 2015. Prior to transitioning into the world of books, he spent a year as a full-time intern and relief assistant in the commercial film and television department at Abrams Artists Agency.

How to Submit: Send your query letter, a 1-2 page full plot synopsis, and the first ten pages of your manuscript to queryconnor [@] fuseliterary.com.

Please paste all content into the body of the email; attachments will not be opened.
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Ginger Clark (Curtis Brown)

Ginger Clark has been a literary agent with Curtis Brown LTD (New York) since 2005. On the adult side of her list she represents science fiction, fantasy and horror. On the children’s side she represents middle grade and young adult fiction and non-fiction. In addition to representing her own clients, she also handles British Commonwealth rights for the agency’s children’s list. She attends the Bologna Book Fair every year on behalf of her agency, and visits London annually as well. Previously, she worked at Writers House for six years as an assistant literary agent. Her first job in publishing was as an editorial assistant at Tor Books. She is the Chair of the Contracts Committee of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, and a member of its International Committee. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

How to Submit: Send query letter and contact information to gc [@] cbltd.com.

You can also submit via an online form.

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Michelle Johnson (Inklings Literary)

After a life long obsession with books, a career in business management/ownership including bookstores and community writing centers, and a few years with small presses in an editorial capacity, Michelle Johnson is now in her fourth year as a literary agent, where she represents many NYT Bestsellers, debut authors, and indie authors alike.

What she is looking for: “Diverse books welcome.”

How to Submit: Send queries to query [@] inklingsliterary.com. Type “Query for Michelle” and the title of your novel in the e-mail subject line. Include a synopsis and the first 10 pages of your manuscript. No attachments.

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Jennifer Azantian (Azantian Literary)

What she is looking for: “Of particular interest are stories that explore meaningful human interactions against fantastic backdrops, underrepresented voices, obscure retold fairy tales, modernized mythologies, historical fantasy, space operas, hopeful futures, and internally consistent epic fantasy.”

How to Submit: To submit, send your query letter, 1-2 page synopsis, and first 10-15 pages in the body of your email to queries [@] azantianlitagency.com. Messages sent with attachments will not be opened. Please indicate if this an exclusive submission.

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Lindsay Mealing (Emerald City Literary)

 Lindsay has been writing stories since she could first hold a pencil. It wasn’t until she sat down to edit a manuscript for the first time she realized her true love was not on the writing side of the publishing industry, but the business side. She began interning for Mandy at Emerald City Literary Agency in early 2015 and quickly realized agenting was what she wanted to do forever more. Lindsay is a self-proclaimed  nerd, loving everything science fiction and fantasy – from epic tomes to gaming. She fell head over heels with the SFF genre when she read Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey (she even has Phedre’s marque tattooed on her back). Find her on Twitter: @lindsaymealing.

How to submit: Send your query letter to querylindsay [at] emeraldcityliterary.com.

Please paste the first five pages of your manuscript below your query – attachments will not be opened. I respond to all queries, so if you have not heard back from me within three weeks, please follow up.

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Kaylee Davis (Dee Mura Literary)

Kaylee received a B.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Sociology from Miami University, and she is certified in Copyediting from Emerson College. Recognized for her obsessive-compulsive attention to detail and crazy-fast reading ability, Kaylee joined the Dee Mura team as a professional copyeditor, proofreader, and administrative assistant before being named an agent.

What she is looking for: She seeks particularly epic, contemporary, near-future, and diverse. She has a special interest in locked-room mysteries, psychological, multiple POVs, lesser-explored settings, and unusual retellings.

How to Submit: Send queries to query [@] deemuraliterary.com. Put your name and the project title in the subject. Include a synopsis and the first 25 pages of your ms in the body of the email.

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Rebecca Strauss (DeFiore and Company)

Before joining DeFiore and Co., Rebecca was at McIntosh and Otis for seven years where she was an agent and Director of Subsidiary Rights.  Prior to M&O, she was a foreign rights associate at Trident Media Group, and a book scout and development assistant at Sony Pictures. She’s originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and earned her degree in English Literature from Duke University.

How to Submit: Please email her at Rebecca [@] defliterary.com with a brief query letter containing information on your book, your bio and the first five pages in the body of the email.

Please include the word “Query” and your book title in the subject line.

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Victoria Selvaggio (Jennifer De Chiara Literary)

Victoria A. Selvaggio joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as a prior Regional Advisor for SCBWI: Northern Ohio, with over 9 years of actively working on the executive board. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author, with her most recent publication in the 2015 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency. Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done.

How to Submit: Please email a query to vselvaggio [@] windstream.net and put “Query” in the subject line of your email.

Send the first twenty pages in the body of your email, along with a one-paragraph bio and a one-paragraph summary (pitch).

25 Calls for Submissions in October 2016 - Paying Markets

There are over two dozen calls for submissions in October.

As always, there are calls for a wide variety of genres and styles. Short stories, essays, interviews, poems, and flash fiction are all welcome. All of these markets pay writers.

Note: For links to sites that regularly post calls for submissions - both paid and unpaid - go to Calls for Submissions.

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The Last Line. All stories must end with the last line provided,  and you cannot change it in any way. Payment: $20.00 - $40.00. Deadline: October 1, 2016.

Ghosts on Drugs. Genre: Tale must include some version of at least one ghost who's on some version of at least one drug. Payment: 15 cents/word. Deadline: October 1, 2016.

Ambit. Genre: Poetry and prose. Payment: £30 for fiction, £10 for poetry. Deadline: October 1, 2016. Read details here.

The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered. Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25 Deadline: October 1, 2016

Skirt! Theme: Yummy! Genre: Essay - Stories about a memorable meal or a recipe. Food is love concept. Payment: $200 per piece Deadline: October 1, 2016

Six Hens. "Six Hens features true stories about the moments that define and redefine. Our writers take us to the places and events that changed what they believe in, changed how they see their place in the world, and changed them." Genre: Creative nonfiction. Payment: $50 Deadline: October 3, 2016

Exit 271: Your Georgia Writers Resource. Restrictions: All writers and artists must currently live in Georgia Genres: Feature articles (1000-2000 words), writer’s path column (less than 1000 words), short fiction (under 4000 words), poetry (any length), and artwork for the magazine cover. Payment: Feature articles are theme related and pay $50 per article. Writer’s path column pays $25 per article. Creative writing pieces and cover art are on a rolling basis Deadline: October 3, 2016.

Rattle. Restrictions: Poems may be written on any subject, in any style or length, but must be written by those who have worked a significant amount of time for a non-military governmental department or agency (whether U.S., foreign, or international). Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 15, 2016.

Griffith Review 56: Millennials Strike Back. Genre: Nonfiction: This special edition of Griffith Review is devoted to the challenges and opportunities this generation is facing and embracing. The net will be cast wide, as we listen to the voices of the future reporting on the world as they experience it. Writers, academics, artists, workers, activists – all are welcome. Payment: Negotiated according to word length. Deadline: October 7, 2016, pitches only. Read guidelines here.

The Violet Hour. Genre: Flash only. The theme prompts this time around are “macabre” and “Gothic.” All non-fiction and fiction submissions are limited to a maximum word-count of 1000 words, and all poems are limited to a maximum of 1 page, up to 5 poems per submission. Payment: $5. Deadline: October 14, 2016.

Iron Soap. Genre: Short stories of around 200 words on the theme of Halloween. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: October 14, 2016.

Rattle. Restrictions: Poems may be written on any subject, in any style or length, but must be written by those who have worked a significant amount of time for a non-military governmental department or agency (whether U.S., foreign, or international). Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 15, 2016.

Disquieted Dream Press. Genre: Fiction, 2000-5000 words on the theme of Body Horror. Payment: $10. Deadline: October 15, 2016.

Helios. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction. RE_ACTED wants stories that explore the dark side of human progression. What are the secrets we’ve erased from our families shared histories? What is the government, society, or even the universe itself trying to shield us from seeing? Payment: Varies according to type of submission. Deadline: October 15, 2016.

Nous. Genre: Stories, poems, and essays taking on themes such as Addiction, Gambling, Virtual Reality and Computer Games, Therapy, Community Action and Social Change. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: October 16, 2016.

Shooter. Genre: Poems and stories on theme of Cities. Minimum 2000 words for stories. Payment: £25 per story and £5 per poem. Deadline: October 16, 2016.

Dieselpunk Fairy Tales. Genre: Diselpunk. "We’re looking for over-the-top storylines that fit into this mash-up of genres. Horror, action, detective, crime, and even fantasy can be fit into this genre. Think steam-punk, but with petroleum-fueled engines. All submissions will have to be based on a retelling of a fairy tale." US writers only. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: October 21, 2016.

Splickety. Genre: Speculative fiction. ‘What if White Fang was actually a chupacabra? What if a pod of warmongering mermaids sank the Titanic? What if Oliver Twist turned out to be a twisted leprechaun? In these literary retellings, we want to know who really populated the stories that history wouldn’t allow told. The plot and motivations will stay largely the same, but the characters will be a little different than we remember. Think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters when you’re writing the true versions of these classic spec-fic masterpieces.’  Payment: $0.02 per word via PayPal. Deadline: October 28, 2016. Read guidelines here.

Tacitus Publishing. Genre: "We are looking for short fiction (1,500 to 5,000 words) that takes place in space and has a strong horror element.  This can include aliens, ghosts, or disturbing circumstance." Payment: 1 cent USD per word. Deadline: October 30, 2016.

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Genre: True stories by and about teachers. Payment: $200 per story. Deadline: October 30, 2016.

Adventure Cyclist .Genre: Nonfiction. Payment: 30-50 cents/word. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

World Unknown Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: $15 per piece. Deadline: October 31, 2016. See details here.

The Book of Blasphemous Words. Genre: Weird, horror, speculative fiction. Payment: $15 per story. Deadline: October 31, 2016. See details here.

Copper Pen Press - Freakshow. Genre: Dark, twisted and unusual mysteries with dark, twisted and unusual characters set within the world of a traveling circus, carnival or freak show. Payment: $50 per story. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

Horror Addicts. Genre: Horror. Your story must have a clock involved. Payment: $10. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

Whortleberry Press. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. 500 words max. Payment: $6. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

Maple Tree Literary Supplement. Genre: The Maple Tree Literary Supplement provides a platform for dialogue or interviews on any topic between and amongst Canadian writers, while featuring their work and reporting on literary events, landmarks or festivals in Canada and around the world–with an emphasis on their Canadian composition. Payment: $30 CAN. Deadline: October 31, 2016.
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23 Writing Contests in October 2016 - No Entry Fees

There are nearly two dozen writing contests in October. All are free (no entry fees). Some of the prizes are in the tens of thousands of dollars. Others are more modest. (But a prize is a prize. You still get to say you are a prize-winning author if you win.)

Many of these contests are offered annually. If you want to plan ahead, see Free Contests for a month-by-month list of all contests offered throughout the year.

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The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Genre: Non-fiction book. Self-published books not accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 1, 2016. Read details here.

Red Dragonfly New Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK residents from British East Asian, South Asian and South East Asian communities. Genre: 30-minute play. Prize: £1000. Deadline: October 1, 2016. Read details here.

Bop Dead City. Genre: Prose and poetry on theme of Apologies. Prize: $20. Deadline: October 1, 2016. Read details here.

RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to published Canadian authors. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: CAN$25,000.00. Deadline: October 2, 2016 for books published between August 1 and September 30, 2016.

The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, sponsored by the African Poetry Book Fund and in partnership with the literary journal, Prairie Schooner, is the only one of its kind in the world and was established to promote African poetry written in English or in translation and to recognize a significant book published each year by an African poet. A standard edition is 48 pages or more in length. Genre: Open to any book of original poetry, in English, published during 2015 in a standard edition by a full-length collection of poetry. Restrictions: African nationals, African residents, or poet of African parentage with roots from any country, living anywhere in the world. Prize: USD $5,000. Deadline: October 1, 2016. Read details here.

Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize. Topic: Can there be a credible philosophy of history? Prize: £2,500 top prize. Deadline: October 3, 2016. Read details here.

American Antiquarian Society Fellowships for Creative Writers is calling for applications for visiting fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers, journalists, and other persons whose goals are to produce imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history. Successful applicants are those whose work is for the general public rather than for academic or educational audiences. The Society's goal in sponsoring this program is to multiply and improve the ways in which an understanding of history is communicated to the American people. Prize: A stipend of $1,150 to $1,350 and on-campus housing is provided; fellows residing off-campus receive $1,850. Deadline: October 5, 2016. Read details here.

Man Booker International Prize. The Man Booker International Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: October 7, 2016. Read details here.

Austrian Cultural Forum New York Translation Prize. Genre: A translation-in-progress from German into English of a work of Austrian poetry or prose published after 1945. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: October 10, 2016. Read details here.

The NC State Short Story Contests. Restrictions: Open to all North Carolina residents except 1) tenured/tenure-track professors in the University of North Carolina system or 2) writers with a published book, 3) previous winners. Genres: An unpublished SHORT STORY of no more than 20 double-spaced pages; limit 5000 words OR an unpublished SHORT-SHORT FICTION story of no more than 5 double-spaced typed pages; limit 1200 words. Prizes: James Hurst Fiction Prize for the winning story is $500. There will also be some Honorable Mention awards. Prize for short-short is $250. Deadline: October 11, 2016. Read details here.

Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship. Restrictions: Poet must be born in the United States. Genre: Poetry. The sample must not exceed either (1) 40 typed pages or (2) one printed volume plus no more than 20 typed pages of your most recent work. There is no minimum page requirement. Prize: $54,000 for a year of travel and study abroad. Deadline: October 15, 2016. Read details here.

Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Career Development Grants. Restrictions: Writers who are U.S. citizens and have lived in Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, or St. Louis counties in northeastern Minnesota for at least six months are eligible. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Prize: $3,000 grant. Deadline: October 28, 2016. Read details here.

Penguin Random House - Daily Mail UK New Novelist Competition. Restrictions: Open to anyone aged 16 or over who is a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland, except for employees (and their families) of the Penguin Random House UK group, Associated Newspapers Ltd and any other company associated with the competition.Genre: Entrants must never have had a novel published before (in any format, including ebook or self-published) and must be 16 or over. Prize: £20,000 top prize (advance fee). Submissions: Daily Mail First Novel Competition, c/o Penguin Random House Group, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA. Deadline: October 30, 2016.

The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is sponsored by Hollins University. Restrictions: Open to young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $5,000 renewable annual Creative Talent Scholarship in creative writing if winner enrolls at Hollins. Free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollins summer creative writing program. $200 cash prize. Publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine. Ten copies of Cargoes. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Read details here.

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is the most prestigious literary award in the US. Restrictions: Authors must be living American citizens. Self-published works not accepted. Genres: Novels, novellas, and collections of short stories. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Read details here

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged 18-25 years and living in the UK. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. Prize: First prize of £750, second prize of £500. Winning entries will be posted on the website and also published online by The Telegraph. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Read details here.

Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. Restrictions: Caribbean authors age 12 through 18. Genres: Published books, previously self-published books, and unpublished manuscripts are eligible for the Award. Prize: First Prize of $10,000 CAD, a Second Prize of $7,000 CAD and a Third Prize of $5,000 CAD. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Read details here.

The Eric Gregory Awards. Restrictions: Applicants must be under 30 and a British subject by birth and must ordinarily be resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poetry collection. Previously published work accepted. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

McKitterick Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors over age 40 on December 31, 2015. Genre: First novel. The work must have been first published in the UK in the year in which the deadline falls (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

Tom-Gallon Trust Award. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland with at least one short story published or accepted for publication. Genre: Short story, maximum 5,000 words. May be unpublished. Prize: £1,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Read details here.

Lee & Low Books New Visions Award. Restrictions: Open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a middle grade or young adult novel published. Genre: Middle grade or young adult novel. Prize: $1,000 and their standard publication contract, including their basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $500. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Read details here.

Ouen Press Short Story Competition 2016. Genre: True story about a journey. Prize: £300 top prize. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

The Print Express Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Deadline: October 31, 2016. Prize: £100 in Amazon vouchers. Deadline: October 31, 2016.

23 Writing Conferences in October 2016

Soon the weather will turn chilly, the leaves will fall off the trees, and your thoughts will once again turn to indoor pursuits.

Luckily, there are nearly two dozen writing conferences this October to keep you warm.

Writing conferences are a wonderful experience. Nothing motivates writers more than a meeting of the minds. And if you are ready to publish, attending a conference is the best way to meet agents.

Many of the conferences listed below are annual events, so if you can't make your ideal conference this year, you may be able to attend it next year. If you want to get a jump on conferences, there is a month-by-month list of conferences here: Writing Conferences.

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2016 Flathead River Writers Conference, Oct 1 - 2, Kalispell, MT. One day of presentations by agents and authors - One day of workshop topics by eight presenters - Opportunity for “First Impression” 1 page submissions - One-on-one manuscript critiques with either of two agents for the first 24 2-day paid submitters. (A double-spaced 10 page manuscript sample plus a 2 page synopsis must be submitted in Word format electronically 4 weeks prior to the conference. Details on website.)

Perfecting the Picture Book Text. October 5 - 9, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Golden Kite winner Kristy Dempsey (A Dance Like Starlight, Me With You, Surfer Chick, and the forthcoming Superhero Instruction Manual) and National Book Award-winner Kathryn Erskine (Mockingbird, Mama Africa,) will give you the tools you need to write your first ever picture book, or to perfect the picture books you’ve already written. Expect to meet a few surprise guests (and experienced picture book creators) via Skype as well!

Ozark Creative Writers Conference. Oct 6 - 8, 2016, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Workshops by published authors, editors and agents; Publishers Row, independent publishers available to hear about your next project; Writing contests available to all participants.

American Medical Writers Association Annual Conference. Oct 6 - 8, 2016, Denver, CO. Workshops in medical writing, designing materials for patients, analysis, clinical reports, and more.

American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Conference. October 6 - 9, 2016, Oakland, California. Panels, workshops, readings, a book fair, and opportunities to meet with editors for translators. The 2016 theme is “Translation and Crossings.” Poet and translator Don Mee Choi will deliver the keynote.

New York Comicon. October 6 - 9, 2016, New York, New York. New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest popular culture convention: Show Floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies and television; Panels and Autograph Sessions give Fans a chance to interact with their favorite Creators; Screening rooms feature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit big and small screens.

Quit Whining Start Writing 2016 Writers' Conference. Oct 7 - 8, 2016, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 15 workshops encompassing writing fiction, for children, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, for the screen, and more; using social media effectively; and creating and maintaining effective websites.

Imaginarium. Oct 7 - 9, 2016, Louisville KY. A three day annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky centered entirely around creative writing, including the worlds of books, movies, gaming, music, and comics/graphic novels. Imaginarium Convention features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented by over 150 professional guests covering everything from the craft of writing to various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing, and social media/publicity. The convention features a film festival with a full array of awards, a masquerade/costume contest, live music, gaming, an expo open to the general public, an awards banquet, a series of literary awards called the Imadjinns, and many more activities, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that is content-rich and ideal for networking, promotion and personal development.

The Eighth Annual Rochester Writers’ Conference, October 8, 2016, Rochester, Michigan. Lectures, Workshops and Panel Discussions in fiction, non-fiction and business of writing presentations. Open to new, working and published writers of all genres. Attendees select four presentations from a dozen to tailor fit their needs.

Nimrod Conference for Readers and Writers. October 14-15, 2016, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, master classes, panel discussions, and individual manuscript consultations with faculty. Participants include poets Robin Coste Lewis and Chloe Honum, fiction writers Angela Flournoy and Toni Jensen, memoirist Beth Kephart, young adult fantasy author Brenna Yovanoff, mystery writer Will Thomas, and romance author Sherry Thomas. The cost of the conference is $60, but scholarships are also available, especially for students and teachers, which lower the cost to $10.

James River Writers Conference. October 14 - 16, 2016, Richmond, Virginia. features master classes, meetings with agents, panel discussions, and pitch sessions for fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers. Participants include fiction writers Lamar Giles, Gini Koch, Sarah MacLean, and Padma Venkatraman; nonfiction writers Josh Funk and Jessica Lahey; and literary agents Linda Camacho (Prospect Agency), Gemma Cooper (Bent Agency), Moe Ferrara (BookEnds Literary), Katie Kotchman (Don Congdon), and Christopher Rhodes (The Stuart Agency). The cost of the conference is $325, or $195 for a single day. The cost of a master class is an additional $65.

Magic of Memoir: A Weekend of Craft, Process, and Publishing. October 15-16, 2016, Oakland, CA. Expert panelists • Opportunity to engage with teachers and panelists, and to win one-on-one consultations • Time to write • What makes a successful memoir? • What agents are looking for • Raffle with excellent prizes!

Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writers' Workshop. Oct 16 - 21, 2016, Martha’s Vineyard, MA. One-on-one & workshop critiques, participation in student group critiques, writing sessions, daily readings. Instructors include Scott Lynch, Debra Doyle, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Sherwood Smith, James D. Macdonald,and Steven Brust, with Elizabeth Bear and Laura Mixon as writers in residence. Applications close June 15.

Books with Bite Workshop and Retreat: Writing Horror and Haunted Novels. October 19 - 23, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. "If you’re writing a young adult or middle-grade novel that touches on any frightening or chilling subject matter, either realistic or fantastical, we can help you shape it into something un-put-down-able." In this unique four-day workshop, you will have your work critiqued, produce new pages, and come away with solid direction for your novel. Application Deadline: July 31, 2016.

Writing By Writers Workshop @ Tomales Bay. October 19 - 23, 2016, Tomales Bay, California. Manuscript and poetry workshops are limited to 12 participants and generative workshops are limited to 15 to ensure an intimate setting.

15th Annual Florida Writers Conference, October 20 - 23, 2016. Lake Mary, Florida. Four workshops and panels dedicated to help you learn how to pitch your story, and more than fifty acclaimed authors, poets, and publishing industry experts for three days of networking opportunities.

DAWG Writing Workshop, Write to Publish: Climbing Toward Success! Oct 22, 2016, DeSoto, TX. Faculty: D. D. Ayres, Kendel Lynn, Michelle Stimpson, Taylor Stevens.

Creating Page-Turning Nonfiction for Middle Grade Readers and Up. October 23 - 26, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Returning Highlights Foundation faculty members Deborah Hopkinson and Pamela S. Turner team up to share their expertise in writing biography, history, and science in this fast-paced workshop focused on creating exciting and compelling nonfiction for middle grade readers and up.

APH Conference. October 23 - 27, 2016, Fort Worth, TX. Sponsored by the Association of Personal Historians (APH). Speakers: John Colletta, Ph.D. -- Author and Lecturer in Genealogy , Max Krochmal, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor of History at Texas Christian University , John Centrone -- Movie Soundtrack Composer and Musician.

Be a Better Freelancer - Take it to the 10th! Oct 28 - 29, 2016, Rochester NY. Annual conference for freelance writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, graphic artists, website managers and developers, etc., with presenters offering guidance and tips on marketing, promotions, new skills and other business aspects of freelancing. Focus: Nonfiction.

Magna cum Murder XXII. Oct 28 - 30, 2016, Indianapolis, IN. 45+ authors of crime writing fiction Guest of Honor: Maureen Jennings International Guest of Honor: Natasha Cooper.

2016 Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. Oct 28 - 30, 2016, Ossabaw Island, GA. Workshops and seminars led by nationally recognized faculty, and evening readings (special emphasis on ghost stories) by faculty and participants. Application deadline: September 25.

WriteAngles. October 29, 2016, South Hadley, Massachusetts. Panels and workshops, with two keynoters, a limited number of agent meetings. Continental breakfast, and buffet lunch included. Agents: Danielle Barthel (New Leaf Literary), Kirsten Carleton (Prospect Agency), Jackie Lindert (New Leaf Literary), Gina Panettieri (founder and president of Milford, Connecticut-based Talcott Notch Literary) and John Rudolph (Dystel and Goderich Literary Management).

18 Literary Agents Seeking Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy NOW

These 18 agents are seeking YA fantasy right now. All are from established literary agencies with solid track records. As always, make sure to read the agency website before submitting your query to see if your book would be a good fit.

Note: You can find a list of dozens of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients
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Tamar Rydzinski (Laura Dail Literary)

Tamar Rydzinski worked at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates prior to joining the Laura Dail Literary Agency. She graduated from Yeshiva University in 2003 with a major in literature and a minor in business.

How to Submit: Send queries to queries [@] ldlainc.com. Put your book’s title and the name of the agent you are querying in the subject—QUERY: TITLE for AGENT. Paste the first 5-10 pages of your manuscript into the body of the email.
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Kaylee Davis (Dee Mura Literary)

Kaylee received a B.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Sociology from Miami University, and she is certified in Copyediting from Emerson College. Recognized for her obsessive-compulsive attention to detail and crazy-fast reading ability, Kaylee joined the Dee Mura team as a professional copyeditor, proofreader, and administrative assistant before being named an agent.

What she is seeking: She seeks particularly epic, contemporary, near-future, and diverse. She has a special interest in locked-room mysteries, psychological, multiple POVs, lesser-explored settings, and unusual retellings.

How to Submit: Send queries to query [@] deemuraliterary.com. Put your name and the project title in the subject. Include a synopsis and the first 25 pages of your ms in the body of the email.

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Renee Nyen (KT Literary)

Several years in the editorial department at Random House’s Colorado division provided Renee with the opportunity to work with bestselling and debut authors alike. After leaving Random House, she came to KT Literary in early 2013. She loves digging into manuscripts and helping the author shape the best story possible.

What she is seeking: “I love non-traditional family structures (thinking specifically LGBTQIA+ here), and I’m always fascinated by deeply religious families. I’d like to find a YA fantasy/sci-fi with a transgender main character.”

How to Submit: Please submit a query letter with the first three pages of your manuscript pasted in the email to queries [@] ktliterary.com.When querying Renee, do not query Hannah Fergeson, also on this list.

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Patricia Nelson (Marsal Lyon Literary)

Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is actively building her list. A few of Patricia’s recent sales include Hayley Chewins’ middle grade fantasy THE TURNAWAY GIRLS (Candlewick); Kristi Wientge’s middle grade debut KARMA KHULLAR’S MUSTACHE (Simon & Schuster Children’s); Mary McCoy’s YA mystery CAMP SO-AND-SO (Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner); Jaime Questell’s YA contemporary fantasy BY A CHARM AND A CURSE (Entangled Teen); Susan Bishop Crispell’s magical realist women’s fiction THE SECRET INGREDIENT OF WISHES (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press); Loretta Nyhan’s quirky contemporary women’s fiction ALL THE GOOD PARTS (Lake Union Publishing); Kelly J. Ford’s literary suspense COTTONMOUTHS (Skyhorse); and KC Bateman’s historical romance TO STEAL A HEART (Loveswept/Random House).

How to Submit: Please send a query letter by email to: Patricia [at] MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com and write “QUERY” in the subject line of the email.

Please note that her agency now accepts electronic submissions only. In all submissions, please include a contact phone number as well as your email address.

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Rebecca Strauss (DeFiore and Company)

Before joining DeFiore and Co., Rebecca was at McIntosh and Otis for seven years where she was an agent and Director of Subsidiary Rights.  Prior to M&O, she was a foreign rights associate at Trident Media Group, and a book scout and development assistant at Sony Pictures. She’s originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and earned her degree in English Literature from Duke University.

What she is seeking: Fantasy only; no sci-fi.

How to Submit: Please email her at Rebecca [@] defliterary.com with a brief query letter containing information on your book, your bio and the first five pages in the body of the email. Please include the word “Query” and your book title in the subject line.
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Victoria Selvaggio (Jennifer De Chiara Literary)

Victoria A. Selvaggio joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as a prior Regional Advisor for SCBWI: Northern Ohio, with over 9 years of actively working on the executive board. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author, with her most recent publication in the 2015 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency. Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done.

How to Submit: Please email a query to vselvaggio [@] windstream.net and put “Query” in the subject line of your email.

Send the first twenty pages in the body of your email, along with a one-paragraph bio and a one-paragraph synopsis.

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DongWon Song (Howard Morhaim Literary)

DongWon Song was formerly an editor at Orbit, an imprint of the Hachette Book Group. He was the first hire at a publishing startup, Zola Books, and while there oversaw content and eventually became the head of product for the ecommerce and ebook apps. He is a graduate of Duke University and joined HMLA in 2015.

What he is seeking: Seeks both YA sci-fi and YA fantasy; he’d specifically like to find a YA adventure fantasy (similar to Tamora Pierce or Robin McKinley).

How to Submit: E-query along with three sample chapters to dongwon [at] morhaimliterary.com.

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Carrie Pestritto (Prospect Agency)

Carrie Pestritto joined Prospect Agency in 2011 after working as an assistant at Writers House. With a B.A. in English from Amherst College, she has experienced all sides of the publishing industry, having worked as a ghostwriter, freelance writer, and as an intern in the editorial acquisitions department of the Greenwood Publishing Group. As an agent, she loves the thrill of finding new authors with strong, unique voices and working closely with her clients to develop their ideas and manuscripts.

What she is seeking: Seeks high concept fantasy only; does not seek sci-fi or other.

How to Submit: Send submissions through the agency’s online form.

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Emily Van Beek (Folio Literary)

Representing an author or artist, whether aspiring or established, is an honor and a commitment I take very seriously. I am passionate about children’s and young adult books. I am passionate about negotiating the best deal possible. I am passionate about working together with our experienced and esteemed subsidiary rights and contracts teams to squeeze as much juice out of a single property as it will yield. I find it incredibly rewarding to work with new voices (and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve discovered several irresistible projects by debut authors and artists in the submissions pile). I’m also committed to helping established authors and artists continue to grow their careers. I am an “editorial” agent, in that I’ll work through as many drafts over the course of as many years as it takes to polish a manuscript I believe in to a high shine prior to submission. My goal is to build long-term relationships with authors and artists and to help them publish books that will stand the test of time.

How to Submit: Please send along your query letter and first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of the email to emily[@] foliolitmanagement.com.

Put the word QUERY in the subject line. If you haven’t heard from Emily in six weeks, then she is not the agent for your project.

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Christa Heschke (McIntosh & Otis)

Christa Heschke graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children's Literature Department since 2009.

What she is seeking: “For fantasy, I’d like to see unique takes or twists that make them stand out from what’s already on the shelf. I’m a sucker for folklore, especially non-western. I love re-tellings of all types — folktales, classic stories, etc., but again they have to be standout. I’m not looking for something that’s been done many times before. No urban fantasy please.”

How to Submit: Send queries to CHquery [@] mcintoshandotis.com. Please send a query letter, synopsis and the first three consecutive chapters (not to exceed 25 pages) of the manuscript. If querying Christa, do not query Shannon Powers, also on this list.

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Hannah Fergeson (KT Literary)

Before settling in New York City, Hannah worked and went to school in Denver, where she obtained her degree in Writing for Film and Television. Opportunities in New York presented themselves before she could run off to LA, and she course corrected her career toward publishing, a dream of hers since childhood. After stints as a remote intern for a well-known agent, a bookseller at the famous Books of Wonder, an intern at Soho Press, a literary assistant at Trident Media Group, and a freelance editor working with well-known authors, Hannah joined KT Literary in 2016.

How to Submit: Send queries to hannahquery [@] ktliterary.com. The subject line of your email should include the word “Query” along with the title of your manuscript. Queries should not contain attachments.

The synopsis should include the full plot of the book including the conclusion. If querying Hannah, do not query Renee Nyen, also on this list.

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Ginger Clark (Curtis Brown)

Ginger Clark has been a literary agent with Curtis Brown LTD (New York) since 2005. On the adult side of her list she represents science fiction, fantasy and horror. On the children’s side she represents middle grade and young adult fiction and non-fiction. In addition to representing her own clients, she also handles British Commonwealth rights for the agency’s children’s list. She attends the Bologna Book Fair every year on behalf of her agency, and visits London annually as well. Previously, she worked at Writers House for six years as an assistant literary agent. Her first job in publishing was as an editorial assistant at Tor Books. She is the Chair of the Contracts Committee of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, and a member of its International Committee. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

How to Submit: Send query letter and contact information to gc [@] cbltd.com.

You can also submit via an online form.

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Peter Knapp (Park Literary)

Peter is a literary agent at Park Literary & Media. Fueled by the thrill of reading a new story for the first time, he works creatively with clients and the PLM team on marketing, branding initiatives and promotions to get great books into the hands of readers. Before joining PLM, he was a story editor at a book-scouting agency working with film clients, and he continues to look for new ways to partner with Hollywood on adaptations and multimedia properties.

How to Submit: Send queries to queries [@] parkliterary.com. In the subject line, write “Query for Peter: [genre] by [author name].”

No attachments. Include the first three chapters pasted below the query in the email body text.

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Becky LeJeune (Bond Literary Agency)

After working her way through college as a bookseller and earning a BS in Criminal Justice (with minors in English and Anthropology), Becky was accepted into the Denver Publishing Institute, one of a handful of graduate-level programs offering a crash course in publishing. It was there that she met Sandra Bond of Bond Literary Agency. After working for two years as managing editor for a cookbook imprint and another five as a commissioning editor for a local interest and regional history publisher, Becky reconnected with Sandra and has been working with her ever since.

How to Submit: Please send a query letter via email to: queries [@] bondliteraryagency.com. Address Becky by name in the query salutation.

No attachments.

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Shannon Powers (McIntosh & Otis)

Shannon Powers is a graduate of New York University. She began her career in publishing at McIntosh and Otis as an intern in 2011, and then went on to intern at The Book Report Network and W.W. Norton & Company. She has also worked as a bookseller. She returned to M&O in 2014, where she assists Shira Hoffman and Christa Heschke and is also looking to build her own list as a junior agent. Twitter: @S_E_Powers

What she is seeking: “I would encourage people to check out my blog regarding what kind of sci-fi and fantasy I enjoy in YA. It’s much more in depth than my agency website bio.”

How to Submit: Send query letters to SPquery [@] mcintoshandotis.com. Include a synopsis and the first three consecutive chapters (not to exceed 25 pages) of the manuscript with your query letter. No attachments. If querying Shannon, do not query Christa Heschke, also on this list.

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Michelle Johnson (Inklings Literary)

After a life long obsession with books, a career in business management/ownership including bookstores and community writing centers, and a few years with small presses in an editorial capacity, Michelle Johnson is now in her fourth year as a literary agent, where she represents many NYT Bestsellers, debut authors, and indie authors alike.

What she is seeking: “Diverse books welcome.”

How to Submit: Send queries to query [@] inklingsliterary.com. Type “Query (Agent Name)” and the title of your novel in the subject line. Include a synopsis and the first 10 pages of your manuscript. No attachments.

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Jennifer Azantian (Azantian Literary)

What she is seeking: “Of particular interest are stories that explore meaningful human interactions against fantastic backdrops, underrepresented voices, obscure retold fairy tales, modernized mythologies, literary science fiction, historical fantasy, space operas, hopeful futures, and internally consistent epic fantasy.”

How to Submit: To submit, send your query letter, 1-2 page synopsis, and first 10-15 pages in the body of your email to queries [@] azantianlitagency.com. Messages sent with attachments will not be opened. Please indicate if this an exclusive submission.

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Lindsay Mealing (Emerald City Literary)

Lindsay has been writing stories since she could first hold a pencil. It wasn’t until she sat down to edit a manuscript for the first time she realized her true love was not on the writing side of the publishing industry, but the business side. She began interning for Mandy at Emerald City Literary Agency in early 2015 and quickly realized agenting was what she wanted to do forever more. Lindsay is a self-proclaimed  nerd, loving everything science fiction and fantasy – from epic tomes to gaming. She fell head over heels with the SFF genre when she read Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey (she even has Phedre’s marque tattooed on her back). Find her on Twitter: @lindsaymealing.

How to submit: Send your query letter to querylindsay [at] emeraldcityliterary.com.

Please paste the first five pages of your manuscript below your query – attachments will not be opened. I respond to all queries, so if you have not heard back from me within three weeks, please follow up.

2 New Literary Agents Seeking Writers

[image error] Here are two new literary agents seeking clients. Annie Hwang (Folio Literary Management) is interested in all categories of literary and upmarket fiction. Jess Dallow (Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency) is looking for YA and adult, with a keen interest in contemporary, thriller, romance, and women’s fiction.
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Annie Hwang of Folio Literary Management

Originally from Los Angeles, Annie first worked in journalism before moving to New York to pursue her love of book publishing. Since joining Folio Literary Management she has had the pleasure of working with both debut and seasoned authors alike.

What she is seeking: She specializes in all categories of literary and upmarket fiction. She’s especially drawn to historical novels and psychological thrillers. In addition, she loves working with debut authors who have a gift for storytelling and are able immerse her deep within a well-built world in the space of a few sentences. Braided narratives, layered plots, and characters with deep emotional resonance all occupy a strong place in her heart . Annie is also open to nonfiction in the categories of pop science, diet/health/fitness, food, lifestyle, humor, pop culture, and select narrative nonfiction.

How to submit: Please submit queries to annie [at] foliolit.com. Please include the query letter and first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal in the body of the email. “Please be sure to write QUERY in the subject line as this will ensure I do not miss your letter.
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Jess Dallow of Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency

Jess has always had a love for books, especially those that feature well developed, strong female characters. She is fascinated with complex characters and a world that she can fall in love with, stories that make her want to sob and laugh within minutes of each other, and a book that she can’t put down no matter what time it is or what rerun of SVU is on. Jess is interested in both YA and adult literary and commercial fiction with a focus in romance, thrillers, and women’s fiction. She has a BFA in Writing for Film and Television from the University of the Arts and worked in entertainment for eight years before returning to her home state of NY where she worked at a literary agency for two years before joining Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency.

What she is seeking: Jess specializes in YA and adult, with a keen interest in contemporary, thriller, romance, and women’s fiction.

How to submit: Queries for Jess Dallow should include a query letter and your first chapter (pasted into the email, not to exceed fifteen double-spaced pages) and should be sent to Jess@rfliterary.com.