New books, a new agent, and a 50-word story. Plus, you're invited to a book launch

Hi, Brian.

I hope all is well. So far, it’s been a bit of a banner year for me.

I discovered the fun of bite-sized fiction and was happy to have my small piece, “Good Daughter,” published in 50-Word Stories here.

I got to see the first draft with rough illustrations of my upcoming children’s picture book with Groundwood Books (It was very exciting!)

Finally, I signed with Olga Filina and her new literary agency, The READ Agency. You did a write up of her and her new firm, which I saw, and I thought, why not? I sent in one of my manuscripts that led to the partnership. She’s great! We’ll be working on my next children’s picture together and hopefully future projects. 

I’ve thanked you in the past for your classes and your consultations, but thanks are in order for your helpful posts too :-) 

Cheers,

Natalie Chan 

@njchan_author 

For information on submitting to 50-Word Stories (and to a few other places), see here.

For information about submitting to Groundwood Books, see here.

For information on submitting to Olga Filina at The READ Agency, see here.

 

Hi, Brian.

It’s hard to believe that the book launch for Courage and Grit: The Legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls (Dundurn Press) is just two weeks away.

Everyone’s invited: 

Sunday, November 1, 2026
2–5 p.m.
Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 614
100 Salome Drive, Scarbrough, Ontario (Map here)

There’s lots of parking onsite. When you enter the Legion, take an immediate left and ride the elevator to the 2^nd floor

If you would like to bring your loved ones, please do. They’re welcome! There will be cake. 

If you have any artifacts or treasures from the Second World War, please bring them along too.

I look forward to celebrating with you!

With my warmest regards,

Barbara Dickson

If you can’t make it to Barbara’s book launch, you can read more about Courage and Grit: The Legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls and buy a copy if you like here.

For information on submitting to Dundurn Press, see here.

 

Hi, Brian. 

I'm excited to share the release of a collaborative novel titled Whiskers Through Time: The Calgary Cat Chronicles, published by Lintusen Press. Lintusen Press has several call-outs throughout the year for submissions for various anthologies and projects. They are a great way to challenge yourself and gain some experience without being overwhelmed by an entire book.

A group of 15 writers, under the guidance of publisher Shawn Bird, participated in this project. We met at a brainstorming and planning session at When Words Collide 2025 in Calgary. We voted on and decided the plot, setting, arc, and many other particulars. We had four months to write, rewrite, and provide feedback to each other. This was followed by a few rounds of 1:1 editorial feedback, then final proofing and edits. 

The book launched at When Words Collide 2026 this August. 

Thanks for always cheering me on.

Dianne Koebel-Pede

https://www.pdplace.com/

For more information about Whiskers Through Time: The Calgary Cat Chronicles, and to order your copy, see here.

 

Hi, Brian.

Thank you for taking the time to share good writing news! In August, I published my picture book Our Spectacular Sukkah (illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy, Candlewick Press). It’s the story of a family building a sukkah in their backyard as they prepare for the Jewish holiday Sukkot. When a windstorm blows their hard work away, everything seems lost… until their neighbours come together to help them rebuild. 

Thanks again!

With all best wishes,

Sidura

Sidura Ludwig

Check out Sidura’s website and her four other children’s books here.

Our Spectacular Sukkah is available in Canada through Indigo here. For availability in the US, visit Candlewick Press here.

*** 

See where else your fellow writers are winning accolades or getting short pieces published here (and scroll down). And see more new books by your fellow authors here (and scroll down).

If you’ve had a story (or a book!) published, if you’ve won or placed in a writing contest, if you’ve gotten yourself an agent, or if you have any other news, send me an email so I can share your success. As writers, we’re all in this together, and your good news gives us all a boost. Email me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca 

See all of my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

Join us for "Writing Kid Lit – The Next Level!"

Writing Kid Lit – The Next Level!

For people wanting to write board books, picture books, and middle grade

Online: Monday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.
January 25 – March 15, (or to March 22 if the course fills up).

This course is for adults (or teens) interested in writing picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, or graphic books (fiction or nonfiction, for very young kids or older kids). It’s meant for people who have previously taken a kid lit course or who otherwise know the basics of the contemporary market for children’s literature.

For graphic books, we’ll be looking at writing scripts not creating the art, though if you’re a writer-artist, we’ll want to see your work!

The focus of the class will be on your work – picture book manuscripts, proposals for nonfiction books, chapters of longer books for young people – whatever you’re working on, you’ll present to the class for feedback as to how to make your work even better.

We’ll also have discussions, talks from the instructor, and a published children’s author or two as guest speakers.

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, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Saskatoon to Toronto to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read reflections on inspired by Brian’s writing courses, workshops, and retreats, and works inspired by them here (and scroll down).

Fee: $257.52 plus 13% hst = $291

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and wonderful  retreats here.  

Note: To get new posting delivered to your Inbox as they go up, go to the Quick Brown Fox Substack and subscribe: https://brian999.substack.com/

The deadline for the Crime Writers of Canada’s Award for Best Unpublished Novel is coming up fast!

Submit your mystery or crime novel by October 31

Each year the Crime Writers of Canada hands out Awards of Excellence for various categories of crime novel. They also have an award for Best Unpublished Crime Novel Manuscript written by an unpublished author. the award comes with a $500 prize and a bucketful of prestige.

Last year, Anne Burlakoff and Barbara Stokes, two Quick Brown Fox regulars, were finalists for the Best Unpublished Crime Novel, and Anne won!

The Best Unpublished Novel Award is sponsored by ECW Press. One of the most diversified independent publishers in North America, ECW has published close to 1,000 books that are distributed throughout the English-speaking world and translated into dozens of languages.

For more about ECW and about submitting to them, see here.

Deadline for submissions is October 31, 2026. Full submission guidelines here.

The Shortlists will be announced on April 30, 2027.

Winners will be announced on May 28, 2027

About Crime Writers of Canada

Founded in 1982, Crime Writers of Canada is a professional organization dedicated to raising the profile of Canadian crime writers. Their members include authors, publishers, editors, booksellers, librarians, reviewers, and literary agents, as well as many developing authors. Past winners of the Awards have included such major names in Canadian crime writing as Mario Bolduc, Gail Bowen, Stevie Cameron, Howard Engel, Barbara Fradkin, Louise Penny, Peter Robinson, and Eric Wright.

For more about Crime Writers of Canada, see here.

See more writing contests and markets for your short pieces here (and scroll down).

See all of Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and wonderful retreats here.

Note: To get new posting delivered to your Inbox as they go up, go to the Quick Brown Fox Substack and subscribe: https://brian999.substack.com/

“The Coffey Family Winery” by Mary Anne Coffey

In the early 1960s, Mom decided to make her own wine. She had discovered that one could make a few gallons legally for home consumption. So she persuaded Dad to build an arbour by the back door and ordered Concord grape vines. Unfortunately, both we kids and the neighbourhood raccoons loved the deep purple grapes, especially after a touch of frost in the Fall made them sweeter. The two or three vines just didn’t produce enough for both snacking and wine-making.

Undeterred, Mom bought two 10-gallon brown crocks with lids and all the other gear she needed and collected a regiment of used wine and liquor containers of all sizes. At a local produce store (There were a couple of large ones on Yonge Street) she obtained bushels and bushels of Concords, and thus began the Coffey Family Winery.

In that era, Toronto was a conservative monoculture when it came to alcoholic refreshment. Liquor could be purchased only at the LCBO store from a limited selection. For wine, you could get Mogen David, an unpleasant brew that Mom gave us as a tonic when we were ill. To make a purchase, an adult filled out a slip of paper with the requested bottle, and a bored male clerk went on a search-and-retrieve mission. After presenting the liquor to the customer as if to say, “You really want to buy this stuff? Last chance to change your mind!” he placed it in a plain brown paper bag, much like hiding a “girlie” magazine or contraband.  The message was clear: drink and be damned.

Fortunately, the hard-working, post-war Italian immigrants who built the subway in the 1950s brought their practice of making wine and tomato sauce with them and enlivened Toronto’s culinary scene in the process. Spaghetti and pizza began to appear on restaurant menus, although at home we only ate Spaghetti-O’s out of a can, and rarely, and I didn’t have pizza until much later.

Still, with the arrival of the Italians, the making of wine at home became an existential possibility, which Mom embraced. Although the Irish are known as a hard-drinking people, we had no family history of liquor-making or alcohol abuse. 

On the contrary, Mom urged us, in good Irish Roman Catholic tradition, to take the Pledge. I promised at the altar rail not to drink alcohol until I was 21(the legal drinking age at the time). So the creation of a Coffey home winery was both culturally and religiously ironic.

I don’t know where Mom found the recipe, but people have been making booze for thousands of years from all sorts of things: potatoes, wheat, grapes, honey, dandelions, corn, berries of all kinds, and from the smell and taste of Mogen David, out of well worn, dusty old boots that had slipped in donkey dung. So how hard could it be?

Mom washed, stemmed, and crushed the grapes into juice, and strained the resulting must through several layers of cheesecloth before pouring it into the crocks with yeast to ferment into wine. Then the sediment was removed again and again (more cheesecloth) and the wine eventually bottled. The filled bottles were placed under the kitchen table to rest for a few days so any remaining sediment could settle. It wasn’t a difficult process, but involved a number of time-consuming steps and a great deal of effort.

Then one lovely Fall morning, we all went off to Mass as usual. On our return, the smell was the first indication that all was not well in the winery. The house smelled…fruity.

Mom never quite knew what it was about that recipe. Somehow, a tiny bit of yeastiness slipped through her multiple cheesecloth defences and reinforced fermentation. Fermentation produces the desired alcohol, but also releases gasses—in this case, under pressure—like the bubbles in champagne that long to escape. It wasn’t that the corks blew. They didn’t. No, the entire sides of the heavy glass whiskey bottles exploded outwards, blasting a delicious-smelling purple lake across the kitchen floor.

Although she took it in good spirit and laughed as we mopped up the mess, that explosion signalled the abrupt demise of the Coffey Family Winery. If we wanted wine after the explosion, it was back to the LCBO and Mogen David for us.

***

Mary Anne Coffey teaches academic writing at York University in Toronto, and is beginning to write short memoirs.

For more short stories, poetry, and essays by you fellow writers see here (and scroll down).

See Brian Henry's upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and writing retreats here.

---

 

Procrastination – a poem for writers by Brynna Leanne Leslie

 

Coffee, slippers – check.

Leave your phone upstairs,

You can write this thing,

You’ve just got to sit in front of the screen and stare.

Wait, did I feed the cat?

Did I check my email? Shake out the mat?

Have I paid my bills? Did I cancel my appointment?

Surely, I’ll need to reschedule after that.

 

Coffee, slippers, keyboard – check.

Did I forget to call my mom?

Did the mess on the counter get cleared up?

I’d better just see if they dropped the bomb.

Wait, did I get dinner out of the freezer?

I’ll make a grocery list while I wait,

Shoot – I have to do my physio and brush my teeth,

And plan my future – I can’t leave THAT to fate.

 

Coffee, slippers, keyboard, neck pillow – check.

Maybe I need a walk around the block.

Did I write to the council about the garbage?

Has the city remembered to fix the clock?

Speaking of time, have I made a schedule?

I meant to call the dentist about that wobbly tooth.

Have I done my training and submitted my resume?

Did anyone book my crafts into the county fair booth?

 

Coffee, slippers, keyboard, neck pillow, notebook – check.

Oh, darn I meant to eat some food.

I yawn as I open the fridge once again,

Realizing I’m in a sleepy mood.

I forgot to make the bed this morning;

Perhaps I should take a very small nap.

All the good ideas come when I meditate anyway,

And the cat will likely snooze in my lap.

 

Coffee, slippers, keyboard, neck pillow, notebook, massage chair – check.

I’m sure I have all I need now.

But first I’ll need to answer the phone,

Then do my makeup and go milk the cow.

Did I forget to get gas and buy a suitcase?

Wait, did I lock the cow gate?

First, I’ll try on my bathing suit, shampoo my hair,

Have I done all I can to procrastinate?

*** 

Brynna Leanne Leslie has been a freelance writer and producer for 25 years. She is working on a middle-grade trilogy. Brynna divides her time between Ottawa and the Laurentians. She does not own a cow.

Read more short pieces about reading and writing here (and scroll down). Read other short stories, essays, and reviews by your fellow writers here (and scroll down).

See Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and wonderful writing retreats here.

Orca Books will open for submissions in February, and now's the time to get ready

Orca Books

1016 Balmoral Road
Victoria, BC

https://www.orcabook.com/

You can now get new postings on Quick Brown Fox delivered straight to your Inbox as I publish them. Subscribe to Quick Brown Fox on Substack here: https://brian999.substack.com/ 

Founded in 1984, Orca Book Publishers is an independently owned Canadian children’s book publisher. With over 1,000 titles in print and more than 80 new titles a year, Orca prides itself on publishing Canadian authors (only) and bringing them to a wider market.

Orca accepts submissions in February and August. Look for announcements on their social media: OrcaBook Publishers on Facebook or @orcabook on Twitter, and doubtless they’re on other platforms, too. To submit to Orca, create an account on CanSubmit.

In February and August, Orca will be looking for manuscripts in the following genres:

New: Indigenous Books by Indigenous Creators

Submissions should follow the general requirements for each genre outlined [above/below] (board books, picture books, chapter books, middle-grade fiction, etc.).

We're looking for well-told stories that draw from lived experience and are authentic to Indigenous voices and communities.

Stories should be engaging and well-crafted, whether rooted in traditional culture or exploring contemporary themes.

Please send a cover letter and complete manuscript to the attention of Tara Solomon.

Board Books

Manuscripts should have minimal text and be aimed at ages 0–24 months.

No art should be included with board book submissions unless you are a professional illustrator. Original art should never be included.

Please send submissions to the attention of Sarah Howden.

Picture Books

Good stories, well told. Any lesson or moral should be secondary to credible characters, an engaging plot and strong writing. The point of view should invite the child reader into the story.

Even if you have written a series, please send only one submission. “We rarely publish sequels to our picture books, and then only if the first book has been very successful.”

Picture book manuscripts should typically be 1,500 words or less.

No art should be included with picture book submissions unless you are a professional illustrator. Original art should never be included.

Complete manuscripts (no queries, please) should be sent to the attention of Sarah Howden.

Orca Echoes

Early chapter books aimed at ages six to eight

Contemporary stories or fantasy with a universal theme, a compelling, unified plot and a strong, sympathetic child protagonist who grows through the course of the story and solves the central problem him/herself

Currently seeking stories where humour, imagination and play are at the forefront. Any lesson or moral should be well-disguised, and secondary to an engaging plot, strong characters, and child-appeal. 

7,500 to 8,000 words (max.)

Submissions should be sent in their entirety to the attention of Sarah Howden.

Middle Grade fiction

Contemporary stories with a universal theme, a compelling, unified plot and a strong, sympathetic child protagonist who grows through the course of the story and solves the central problem themselves

30,000 to 50,000 words

Target audience: readers for this genre can range anywhere from 8 to 12 years old. Please be clear about the target age group for your work in your cover letter.

A cover letter and the complete manuscript should be sent to the attention of Sarah Howden.

Orca Shivers

High-interest contemporary horror novels aimed at readers aged 9–12 with a reading level approximately at age (grade 4-6)

Relatable protagonists between 11 and 14 years old in stories with fairly intense, high-stakes horror plots. Moderate violence, mild gore and death are okay.

Supernatural (vampires, ghosts etc.) or natural horror (crazed animals, serial killers) are both welcome.

10,000–20,000 words, short chapters, each with cliff-hanger endings (shorter novels  of 6000+ words will be considered).

Please send a cover letter, a short (100–200 words) synopsis, a chapter-by-chapter outline and three sample chapters to the attention of Gabrielle Prendergast.

Orca Currents

High-interest novels aimed at reluctant readers ages 9-12, with a reading level of grades 1.0-4.5

Protagonists are between 12 and 14 years old and should be appealing and believable.

These stories should have middle-school-appropriate story lines (family issues, humor, sports, adventure, mystery/suspense, sci-fi/fantasy, etc.).

12,000 to 15,000 words, 12 to 16 chapters.

Submit a cover letter, a short (100–200 words) synopsis, and a chapter-by-chapter outline, and a sample chapter to the attention of Gabrielle Prendergast.

Orca Soundings

High-interest novels aimed at reluctant readers aged 12 and up, with a reading level of grade 2.0-4.5, preferably closer to 3.0

Protagonists are between 14 and 17 years old and should be appealing and believable.

These stories should reflect the universal struggles that young people face. They need not be limited to "gritty" urban tales. Can include adventures, mystery/suspense, performing arts, romance, sport, and fsci-fi/antasy

12,000 to 15,000 words, 12 to 16 chapters

Submit a cover letter, a short (100–200 words) synopsis, a chapter-by-chapter outline, and a sample chapter to the attention of Gabrielle Prendergast.

Orca Anchor

High-interest novels for reluctant teen readers ages 12 and up, with a reading level below grade 2.0, preferably closer to 1.0

Protagonists are between 14 and 17 years old and should be appealing and believable.

These stories should reflect the universal struggles that young people face. They need not be limited to "gritty" urban tales. Can include adventures, mystery/suspense, performing arts, romance, sport, and fsci-fi/antasy

6,000 to 8,000 words, 8 to 10 chapters

Submit a cover letter, a short (100–200 words) synopsis, a chapter-by-chapter outline, and a sample chapter to the attention of Gabrielle Prendergast.

Graphic Novels

Orca is looking for stories for all ages that can be told in graphic novel format, but no manga or anime.

Submissions should include a cover letter, synopsis and full text of the story. The more complete the submission, the better.

If you are working with an illustrator, please include samples of their work and any finished art (copies only).

Note: If you’re interested in meeting an agent and in getting published, join us for a “How to Get Published” workshop with a literary agent as a guest speaker. See what's coming here.    

Orca Footprints

Nonfiction books about the complex environmental issues that kids face every day. 

Each 48-page book aims to inspire kids to take action.

Geared to readers ages 9 to 12 who are asking questions about the state of the natural world. 

Please submit query only to Jenna Campbell.

Orca Biography

Nonfiction books that introduce young readers to inspiring individuals who have made positive impacts on the world.

The series aims to celebrate the legacies of lesser-known figures who have made a difference in their communities and beyond.

Material should be appropriate for middle-grade readers, ages 9 to 12.

Please submit QUERY ONLY to Jenna Campbell.

Orca Take Action

Nonfiction books that explore big problems facing the world today.

The series helps young readers understand these important issues and shows them how they can make changes for a better future.

Material should be appropriate for middle-grade readers, ages 9 to 12.

Please submit QUERY ONLY to the attention of Jenna Campbell.

Orca Think

Nonfiction books that introduce readers to the issues making headlines today

Well-researched topics by authors with a connection to the subject matter

Please submit query only to Jenna Campbell.

Navigation tip: For more book publishers, see here {and scroll down}.

Orca Timeline

Nonfiction books that explore how big ides have shaped humanity in the past, present, and into the future.

Well-researched topics by authors with a connection to the subject matter

Material should be appropriated for middle-grade readers, ages 9 to 12

Please submit query only to Jenna Campbell.

Orca Wild

Nonfiction books that challenge us to think about our relationships, both good and bad, with vulnerable species and habitats.

Well-researched topics by authors with a connection to the subject matter

Material should be appropriate for middle grade readers, ages 9 to 12

Please submit query only to Jenna Campbell.

Other Nonfiction

Orca is looking for unique projects that will have broad appeal to young North American readers. These could be nonfiction picture books for elementary readers (ages 4 to 8) or books for middle grade readers (ages 9 to 12) outside the scope of the series above. Material should be age appropriate.

Please submit a query only to Jenna Campbell.

To submit to Orca, create an account on CanSubmit.

See full submission guidelines here. See guidelines for illustrators here. 

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend writing retreats here.