Monday, August 29, 2016

Seven agents at New Leaf Literary & Media seek everything from picture books to YA, from crime fiction to romance to upmarket woman’s fiction, and from lifestyle books to cookbooks

Joanna Volpe,
president New Leaf Literary
New Leaf Literary & Media
110 West 40th Street, Suite 410
New York, NY 10018

New Leaf has seven literary agents all looking for authors – everything from picture books to YA, from crime fiction to romance to upmarket woman’s fiction, and from lifestyle books to cookbooks. For new authors, three agents at New Leaf are of special interest, because they’re new, and like all new agents, they’re hungry for clients:

Janet Reid has joined New Leaf Literary & Media as director of literary development and as a literary agent. Previously she was an agent at FinePrint Literary Management. Janet Reid specializes in narrative non-fiction and compelling crime fiction.

Her publishing background includes fifteen years in book publicity with clients both famous and infamous. In her spare hours she drinks scotch and stalks Jack Reacher. Janet is a member of the literary agents professional association AAR; an associate member of Mystery Writers of America. She Tweets here.

Query Janet at: query@newleafliterary.com
The word Query must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name; eg: Subject: Query, Janet Reid. You may include up to five double-spaced pages in the body of the email. No attachments.

Danielle Barthel, assistant agent. Danielle is seeking Upmarket Woman’s fiction, Historical fiction, Romance, Unique Lifestyle books and Cookbooks.

Following her completion of the Denver Publishing Institute after graduation, Danielle began interning at Writers House. While there, she realized she wanted to put her English degree and love of the written word to work at a literary agency. She worked as a full-time assistant for three years, and continues to help keep the New Leaf offices running smoothly in her role of Coordinator of Team and Client Services. In her downtime, she can be found with a cup of tea, a bar of chocolate, or really good book … sometimes all together.
Query Danielle at: query@newleafliterary.com
The word Query must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name; eg: Subject: Query, Danielle Barthel. You may include up to five double-spaced pages in the body of the email. No attachments.

Jackie Lindert, associate agent: Jackie says she’s “looking for a unique voice, one that feels fresh and different and makes me think in new ways. Regardless of genre, those are the books I can’t get out of my head, and the ones I want to share.”

More generally, she’s seeking YA and upmarket adult projects, with bonus points for political undertones. She is looking for voice-driven fiction and narrative non-fiction for adults and teens, especially stories featuring underrepresented characters and topics. She has a soft spot for history or anything featuring a strong female lead.

Jackie earned her B.A. in English in her home state of Wisconsin before trekking to Colorado to attend the Denver Publishing Institute. Her first job in publishing was in subsidiary rights at Penguin Random House, following an internship at none other than New Leaf Literary. After assisting the agency’s literary department for two years, Jackie now works directly with lead agent Joanna Volpe and is happily building her own list.

Query Jackie at: query@newleafliterary.com
The word Query must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name; eg: Subject: Query, Jackie Lindert. You may include up to five double-spaced pages in the body of the email. No attachments.

Jennifer Mook-Sang
Brian Henry will lead How to Get Published workshops on Saturday, Oct 15, in Burlington with literary agent Cassandra Rodgers of The Rights Factory (see here), on Saturday, Oct 22, in London with Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy agency (details here), and on Saturday,  October 29, in Caledon, at the Bolton Public Library, with Martha Web of the McDermid Agency (see here). 

Then on Saturday, November 19, Brian will lead a Writing for Children and for Young Adults workshop in Mississauga with Anne Shone, senior editor, Scholastics Canada as his guest speaker (see here).

To register or for details, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

But the best way of getting your manuscript ready for publication, may be with a weekly writing course. This fall, Brian will offer a wide range of classes: 
“Welcome to Creative Writing,” Thursday afternoons Sept 29 - Dec 8, in Oakville (see here).
“Writing Kid Lit ~ Picture Books to YA (new),Tuesday Tuesday afternoons, Sept 27 - Nov 22 (no class Oct 11), in Burlington (see here).
“Intermediate Creative Writing,” Wednesday evenings, Sept 21 to Nov 30 (no class Oct 12), in Burlington (see here)
Intermediate Creative Writing,” Thursday evenings, Sept 29 - Dec 8, in Georgetown (see here).
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday afternoons, Sept 14 - Dec 14 (no class Oct 12) , in Burlington.
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Tuesday mornings, Oct 18 – Dec 6, in Burlington. Details here.
See details of all six classes offered this fall here.

To reserve a spot or for more details, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Brian Henry also has a number of other workshops coming up soon:  Secrets of Writing a Page-turner (tips for all story writers), Saturday, Sept 10, in Guelph (see here),  Writing with Style, Saturday, Sept 24, in Toronto (see here), and How to Write Great Dialogue,Saturday, Oct 1, in Kitchener (see here).

Finally, for those who love great food and a beautiful setting with their writing, Brian Henry will lead a Fall Colours Writing Retreat at Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park, Friday, Sept 16 – Sunday, Sept 18 (see here).

To register of for more information for any of the above, emailbrianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Love letters ~ Where your fellow writers are getting published ~ plus a new writers' group and beta readers wanted

Hi, Brian.
Hope you're well. I took a few of your classes and day-long workshops in the past few years and will get back to more at some point. And am in a writing group with a few fellow alumni.
InfectiveInk, have accepted a short story from me.
Thanks!
Nemone
Read Nemone’s story, “Tipped,” here.
For information about submitting to InfectiveInk, see here.

Dear Brian,
Since discovering your website and newsletters, Quick Brown Fox has become my favourite go-to resource for writing and publishing in Canada.
In fact, two of my pieces have recently been accepted by magazines I found through your site (Blank Spaces and Forage Poetry). Both of these forums are proving to be exciting and invaluable to emerging and established writers. I am delighted and honoured to participate on their pages.  
Geraldine MacDonald  
Winter Wind Press, Kingston
Read Geraldine’s poem, “Nightingale,” at the Forage Poetry site here.
For information about submitting to Forage Poetry, see hereand for Blank Spaces, see here.
  
Hi, Brian.
Just thought I'd drop a line to let you know that my sci-fi story, Deus Ex Machina,” has been published in Punks Write Poems Press' anthology, Don't Open Till Doomsday. I'm pretty excited because my story is first in the book!
Don't Open Till Doomsday can be purchased on Amazon.ca here.
All the best,
Diane Dubas

Hi, Brian.
I just wanted to blow my own horn. CBC has named me “a writer to watch” (see here).
Also, I'm thrilled that Speechless has been nominated for the Surrey Schools' Book of the
Year 2016-2017 with
this wonderful lineup!
Thank you for helping me prepare for the fame and glory! LOL!
Jennifer
Jennifer Mook-Sang’s middle grade novel, Speechless, has won other accolades as well: 

Also, Jennifer has a picture book, Captain Monty, coming out with Kids Can Press in 2017, and Jennifer will be one of the guest speakers at my Writing Kid Lit course on Tuesdays, Sept 27 - Nov 22. See here. ~Brian

Writer to Writer
Want to join a writer's group?
We're looking for a few good genre fiction writers to join our group in the Oakville-Burlington area. If you're a writer of mystery, suspense, romance, science fiction or any other fiction genre and want to join a supportive writer's group, please email me at: melissavan@cogeco.ca

Hi, Brian.
Thank you again for your wonderful workshops, they've really helped my writing a lot!
I'm currently looking for beta readers aged 16-20 for my young adult novel. The story is centered on a group of teenagers in a suburban town dealing with love and loss amid the backdrop of an imminent global apocalypse. 
I'd especially love readers that are willing to provide a detailed critique and answer a questionnaire about my book. Of course I'd be more than willing to reciprocate :) 
If you’re interested, please email me at: jennifer.mannering@gmail.com
Best regards,
Jennifer Mannering

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Vaughan, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Ingersoll, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Friday, August 26, 2016

New course offering: Intensive Creative Writing class, Tuesday mornings, Oct 18 – Dec 6, in Burlington

Intensive Creative Writing
8 weeks of creative growth
New course offering ~ just added
Tuesday mornings, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
Course begins by email Oct 11
Classes run Oct 18 – Dec 6 (though we'll extend the course by a week if it fills up).
Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

The Intensive course isn't for beginners; it's for people who have been writing for a while or who have done a course or two before and are working on their own projects. Over the eight weeks of classes, you’ll be asked to bring in four pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand alone pieces. You bring whatever you want to work on.  
In addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write.

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published. 

Read a review of the Intensive course here. Read more reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here

To see details of all six weekly classes offered this fall, see here.

Fee: $167.26 plus hst = 189.  
To reserve your spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

See Brian’s current complete schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Vaughan, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Ingersoll, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

New book: The Road Ahead by Willie Handler

Hi, Brian.

I am hosting a book launch for my first novel, The Road Ahead, and I wanted to invite you and all the readers of Quick Brown Fox:

Wednesday, September 21st
6 – 8 p.m.
Ben McNally Books, 366 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario (Map here)

The Road Ahead is the humorous story of an incompetent and inappropriate politician who stumbles from one political scandal to another. Rick Tompkins, a suburban Toronto insurance broker, never considered a career in politics until a good friend, who happens to be the leader of the Conservative party, asks him to run for office.
He accepts the offer, with the understanding that he probably won’t win, but can use the opportunity to gain some visibility for himself and his business. Jerry Switzer, a veteran party worker, is sent in to guide Rick through a campaign in a riding that hasn't elected a Conservative in years.
Rick fumbles his way through the election campaign and manages a surprise win but at the expense of saddling his party with an impossible commitment. Worse, Rick is anything but politically correct. He offends everyone in his path. Still, Rick has one saving asset: a political party machine that is able to spin scandals to its advantage.

I will be there to read and to sign books. You can RSVP at: williehandler@gmail.com

Warm regards,
Willie Handler


See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Vaughan, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Ingersoll, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

How to Write a Bestseller workshop, with New York Times #1 bestselling author Kelley Armstrong

How to Write a Bestseller
With book editor Brian Henry
 & New York Times #1 bestselling author 
  Kelley Armstrong 
Saturday, February 18, 2017
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Harcourt United Church, 87 Dean Ave, Guelph, Ontario (Map here.)

This workshop will give you the inside scoop on what gives a novel best-selling potential. You’ll learn how to get readers emotionally involved in your story, how to raise tension, control your pacing and keep your readers turning the pages. But you won't just hear about some of the best secrets of the trade; you'll learn how to apply them to give your own writing a sharp new edge.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia, Ontario, to Saint John, New Brunswick. He has helped many of his students get published, including guest speaker Kelley Armstrong...

Kelley Armstrong lives in Aylmer, south of London, Ontario, with her husband and three children. She used to program computers and attend Brian Henry workshops. Now she writes international bestsellers. Kelley has hit the New York Time’s bestseller list with both her supernatural thrillers for adults and her urban fantasy for teens.

Kelley's principal publishers are Random House in Canada, St. Martins and HarperCollins in the U.S. and Doubleday and Little Brown in Britain. To date, she's published more than28 books, most recently Betrayals, a gothic novel for adults; Forest of Ruins, a fantasy novel for teens; and coming in February, just before our workshop, A Darkness Absolute, a thriller for adults.

Bitten, A TV series based on Kelley’s first 13 novels, has been broadcasting since January 2014.

Fee: 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 paid in advance by mail or Interac
or 46.90 + 13% hst = 53 if you wait to pay at the door

To reserve a spot now, email: 
brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to:
 brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

See Brian’s current complete schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Vaughan, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Ingersoll, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint for children's books accepts unsolicited, unagented submisions

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

Clarion Books is a children’s books imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the world’s oldest publisher. 

If you can get an agent, it’s usually a good idea and there are many agents representing authors of children’s books, especially middle grade and young adult. You can find many agents actively looking for authors here. But if you can’t get an agent, it’s good to know that Clarion accepts unsolicited, unagented submissions.

Each manuscript does receive careful consideration but they respond only if they’re interested in publishing the work or would like to request a revision. The time frame for a response is up to twelve weeks.

Your manuscript should be typed and sent by snail mail. They do not accept email submissions. Please do not send a self-addressed return envelope or postcard, as materials will not be returned. Manuscripts will be recycled if  Clarion determines they are not a match for their publishing program.

For picture books and novels, please send the entire manuscript. For nonfiction, submit a synopsis and sample chapters.

Submissions to Clarion Books should be sent to the following address:
Clarion Books / Submissions
3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Full submission guidelines here.

Anne Shone, senior editor,
Scholastic Books
This fall, Brian Henry is offering a weekly course on Writing Kid Lit ~ Picture Books to YA, Tuesday afternoons, Sept 27 - Nov 22 (no class Oct 11), in Burlington (see here).

Brian regularly offers full-day workshops on Writing for Children and for Young Adults. The next one is Saturday, November 19, in Mississauga with Anne Shone, senior editor, Scholastic Books as his guest speaker (see here). 
Note: If you’re looking at this posting after Nov 19, 2016, check out current Writing for Children & for Young Adults workshops here (and scroll down).

Brian will lead How to Get Published workshops on Saturday, Oct 15, in Burlington with literary agent Cassandra Rodgers of The Rights Factory (see here), on Saturday, Oct 22, in London with Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy agency (see here), and on Saturday, October 29, in Caledon, at the Bolton Public Library, with Martha Web of the McDermid Agency (see here). 
Note: If you’re looking at this posting after Oct 15, 2016, see current How to Get Published workshops here (and scroll down).

To register or for details, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

But the best way to get your manuscript ready for publication may be with a weekly course. This fall, Brian will offer a wide range of classes: 
Literary agent Martha Webb
“Welcome to Creative Writing,” Thursday afternoons Sept 29 - Dec 8, in Oakville (see here).
 “Intermediate Creative Writing,” Wednesday evenings, Sept 21 to Nov 30 (no class Oct 12), in Burlington (see here)
Intermediate Creative Writing,” Thursday evenings, Sept 29 - Dec 8, in Georgetown (see here).
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday afternoons, Intensive Sept 14 - Dec 14 (no class Oct 12) , in Burlington.
See details of all five classes offered this fall here.

To reserve a spot or for more details, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Ingersoll, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.