Three literary agents at Canadian literary agency P.S. Literary seek new authors

Carly Watters

P.S. Literary Agency

20033 – 520 Kerr Street
Oakville, Ontario
L6K 3C7 CANADA
http://www.psliterary.com/

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. ~ Brian

The P.S. Literary Agency is a relative newcomer to the agenting world, having been established by Curtis Russell in 2005, so all its agents are actively looking for authors.  P.S. located in Oakville (a suburb of Toronto) and represents literary and commercial fiction, Young Adult and Middle grade fiction and picture books, and nonfiction.

 "P.S. seeks to work with clients who are professional and committed to their goals. It is our desire to work with clients for the duration of their careers. In addition to contract negotiations, editorial and marketing guidance, our commitment extends to post-publication in pursuing foreign, audio, digital, TV/film and serial rights. Our team attends major national and international industry conferences and travels periodically to New York City to network with top editors."

Carly Watters – Agent

Carly started with P.S. literary agency in 2005 as an Assistant Agent and in January was promoted to full agent. Carly  represents a diverse list of fiction, non-fiction and children's authors including Mary Akers, Ian T Healy, Jay Onrait, and Colin Mochrie. 

Carly is actively looking for Literary and Commercial fiction, World literature, Women’s fiction, Literary thrillers, high concept Young Adult novels and Picture books, and up-market nonfiction in Health, Wellness, Pop science and Pop psychology.

Carly also represents select titles in North America for the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.

Maria Vicente

Carly did her MA in Publishing Studies at City University London in the UK where she worked in the publishing industry at the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency, and Bloomsbury PLC before returning to Canada in 2010 to join the P.S Literary Agency. She blogs here.

Many readers will know what a treasure Carly is from when she’s been my guest speaker at “How to Get Published” workshops. Her next appearance will be Saturday, May 24, at my workshop in Stouffville. Details here.

Maria Vicente – Associate Agent

Maria Vicente is the newest member of the team at P.S. Literary. She began her publishing career an intern with Bree Ogden at D4EO Literary Agency and then interned at P.S. Literary before joining the agency as an associate agent. Maria has a B.A. in English Lit from Carleton and a Bachelor of Education from Western. She blogs here.

Maria is actively looking for Literary and Commercial fiction, New Adult, high-concept Young Adult, Middle Grade, high-concept Picture Books, and nonfiction in the Pop Culture, Pop Psychology, Design and Lifestyle categories.

Maria will be my guest speaker at a How to Get Published workshop Sunday, June 22, in Ottawa. Details here.  

Curtis Russell – President & Principal Agent
Curtis began his publishing career nearly a decade ago as proprietor of a micro press. In 2005 he crossed to the other side of the desk and founded the P.S. Literary Agency. He has a wide-ranging and diverse client list, and is interested in discovering writers with unique ideas, no matter what the category.

Curtis is currently acquiring both fiction and nonfiction. In terms of fiction, he is seeking Literary, Commercial mainstream, Women's fiction, Romance, New Adult, Young Adult and Middle Grade novels, and Mysteries & Thrillers.

In terms of nonfiction, he is looking for Business, History, Politics, Current Affairs, Memoir, Health, Wellness, Sports, Humour, Pop science and Pop psychology.

Submissions:
Query by email only at: query@psliterary.com 
No attachments unless specifically requested.  Limit your query to one page and include...
Paragraph One – Introduction: Include the title and category of your work (i.e. fiction or nonfiction and topic), an estimated word count and a brief, general introduction. 
Paragraph Two – Mini-synopsis: A concise summary or overview of your work. 
Paragraph Three – Writer’s bio: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background (awards and affiliations, etc.). 

Full submission requirements here.

As mentioned above, Brian Henry will lead “How to Get Published” workshops in Stouffville on May 24 with literary agent Carly Watters (see here) and in Ottawa on June 22 with literary agent Maria Vicente (see here).

Also, Brian will lead a "Writing for Children & for Young Adults"workshop on May 31 in Burlington (see here).

But the best way to get your manuscript ready for publication is with a weekly course. In the summer, Brian will be offering“Writing your life & other personal stories” on Tuesday afternoons in Mississauga (see here), “Next Step in Creative Writing” on Wednesday evenings (see here) and “Intensive Creative Writing” on Wednesday afternoons (see here). 

To register or for more details of any course or workshop, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

“Turquoise or Teal” a short story by Hannah McKinnon

From www.theoberports.com photography

Sofia’s voice was soft and gentle, with just a hint of pleading and a sprinkle of helplessness. “Please Dad? Please can you come over and fix the sink? It’s really blocked.”

I sighed, making sure it was audible enough for her to hear but not overly dramatic so she immediately realised it was pure theatrics. Sofia was twenty-seven and still had me wrapped around her little finger. I knew it and so did she. But I still offered up my usual charade of resistance.

“Fine. Give me thirty minutes.” My knees creaked as I got out of my old armchair that Sofia had recently called ‘shabby chic’ and I groaned more audibly and very genuinely this time. Thirty-five years of being a plumber with at least another fifteen to go. I wished I could fit my body with new parts the way I fitted them on sinks.

Exactly twenty-eight minutes later – time-keeping had always been a strong point - I arrived at Sofia and Glen’s ostentatious home. Six thousand square feet of over-the-top luxury in the most exclusive part of town. Sofia’s shiny, new black BMW was the only car in the driveway. Good. I wouldn’t have to put up with Glen’s constant remarks about how tough it must be to be a plumber or about how much money he’d made this year. Investment banker doesn’t rhyme with absolute wanker for nothing. I suppose at least he’d offered to pay for my new knees.

Sofia opened the door and hugged me. I caught a whiff of booze. It wasn’t the first time.

“It’s the master bathroom.”

I followed her upstairs.

“Thanks for coming.”

I nodded and started laying out my tools on a blanket, thereby protecting the gleaming marble floor. Their bathroom was almost as big as my house. What was the point? How much room did a person need to shit, shower and shave?

“So how’s Glen?”

“Fine. I think.” Sofia sighed as dramatically as I had earlier and sat down on the edge of the bath. I noticed her legs had gone from shapely to skinny, like little twigs sticking out from underneath her dress. Her face looked gaunt, dark circles framed her eyes and her blond hair hung limply around her face.

“Good, that’s good.” I busied myself with my tools, pretending I hadn’t noticed anything was wrong. Sorting out Sofia and Glen’s problems had been Sandra’s domain, but Sandra had died of breast cancer two years ago. I could hardly get a grip on my own issues as a fairly recent widower, let alone my daughter’s.

It’s funny how people thought two years was enough time to grieve. I’d been with Sandra since the tenth grade. High-school sweethearts, soul mates, call it what you will. We’d been together for over thirty years and should have had thirty more. Two years, three months and seventeen days after her death I was supposed to be over her? Fallacy.

“My knees have been really bad lately,” I offered. “I’m definitely going to have to get them done in the next few months. I’m very grateful you and Glen offered to help out with the money.”

“Hmmm… that’s good. Do you want a sandwich?”

I smiled and nodded. Sofia’s attention span had always been short, much the same as mine. Sandra had always said we were like two peas in a pod. Sofia disappeared out of the bathroom and I concentrated on fixing the sink, even though there didn’t seem to be much wrong with it and it was hardly blocked at all.

When I got to the kitchen Sofia was sitting at the table staring off into space, a blank expression on her face and an untouched sandwich in front of her.

“Hey Dad,” she half smiled. Her eyes were red and shiny and she quickly wiped them with the back of her hand. “I made you a tomato and buffalo mozzarella with pesto.”

“Thanks.” I didn’t say that bologna and cheese instead of the posh stuff would have done. We sat in silence. I ate, surprised that I was actually enjoying the flavour combination, as Sofia nursed what most certainly wasn’t her first or last glass of wine that evening.

“The kitchen looks good,” I said, looking around. “It all came together nicely.” It was a genuine compliment. I surveyed the walnut cabinets, the gleaming aluminium handles, the shiny stainless steel appliances, the smooth granite countertops and the beautiful Italian slate floor. It was a chef’s kitchen, Sofia’s dream kitchen. I just wished she actually ate what she made in it.

“Yeah,” Sofia answered unenthusiastically, pulling her cardigan around her and crossing her arms. “I guess it did. The living room’s next. Paolo has come up with great ideas.”

I noticed how her face lit up and how she blushed whenever she mentioned her interior designer’s name. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and cleared my throat.

“Do you know when Glen will be back?”

She shrugged. “He said he was working late again.” Her eyes wandered around the kitchen. “Do you think we should go with turquoise or teal in the living room?”

It was a question Sandra would have been better equipped to answer. What does a fifty-year old plumber know, or care, about interior design and colour schemes? And what the bloody hell was teal anyway? I scratched my head pretending to ponder the choice.

“Dad,” Sofia’s voice was low and she was fiddling with the stem of her wine glass, avoiding eye contact. “Can I ask if you and Mum were always happy? I mean, did you ever go through a rough patch?”

I opened my mouth and then paused. I cleared my throat again and waited a bit more. A rough patch? There had been a few. Some monumental fights about money, about me being a selfish prick and working too many hours. But nothing serious enough that took us to the point of no return, the place where we didn’t want to be together anymore. Soul mates fight but they don’t quit on each other. Although eventually Sandra’s body had quit. I still hated her for leaving me and I hated myself for feeling that way. It wasn’t something I could talk about.

“Teal,” I said finally. “You should go with teal.”

Sofia stared at me for a few seconds, then she nodded and I got up. I could tell she wanted me to stay and talk but I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready.

“I’ll see myself out. Speak to you soon.” I kissed the top of her head.

On my way out I walked past Sandra’s photo in the hallway. It was my favourite picture of her; her long, dark-brown hair blowing wildly in the wind, her head thrown back, her mouth open in a huge belly laugh and her eyes – her gorgeous eyes – sparkling like sunrays dancing on water. It was taken four years ago, before she started feeling ill, before finding the lump, before the diagnosis, before the chemo, before my wife became a shell of her former self. A time when we were recent empty nesters, enjoying every second together and rediscovering each other like a pair of horny teenagers.

Her eyes followed me all the way across the gigantic entrance. I could almost picture her shaking her head and hear her tut-tutting at my behaviour. “Don’t judge me,” I whispered. “Please don’t judge me.”

Of course I knew that Sofia wasn’t happy. You didn’t need to be a shrink to figure it out. I knew she missed Sandra just as much as I did. I knew she drank too much and ate too little. I knew she was cheating on Glen. I knew it all. And she most certainly knew that I knew it.

On the drive home I decided I’d get my new knees, maybe even go and talk to a shrink a few times to get my head sorted out. Then I’d help Sofia figure things out too. I reasoned that I’d help myself first so I could be a good father, a proper father.

Back at home I pottered around for an hour and watched a crime show Sandra and I used to love. But it wasn’t the same without her pointing out the flaws in the plot and telling me whodunit halfway through the show, when I still had no clue. I switched off the television and made myself go to bed. Sleep didn’t come easy these days. The bed was too big for one.

Early the next morning I was halfway out of the door when the phone rang. Normally I would have let the machine pick it up but something stopped me and I turned back.

“Dad? Can you come over? It’s the washing machine. It’s making a funny sound and…”

As Sofia continued talking, I closed my eyes and pictured her in my mind. There she was, the stubborn little girl who insisted on going to pre-school in a purple tutu, even though it was below zero. The gutsy ten year-old who kicked Lee Jenkins in the shins when he called her ‘stupid’. The moody teenager who always had to have the last word, another trait she had – according to Sandra – inherited from me. Sofia, the incredibly strong woman who had taken care of most of the funeral arrangements when Sandra had passed because I’d barely been able to function.

My Sofia, my daughter. She called me her hero once. There and then I had vowed I’d always go to battle for her and with her, because that’s what a father does.

“This isn’t really about the washing machine, is it?” I asked gently. In my mind, little Sofia slipped her hand into mine and looked up at me with a toothless grin and a twinkle in her beautiful eyes that were just like her mother’s.

She paused. “No, Dad, there’s nothing wrong with it. I just… I wish… Never mind. I’ll speak to you some other time.”

She was about to hang up but I wasn’t going to let her. Sorting out my knees, my own head and issues would have to wait. Being a real father couldn’t. Sandra was gone but Sofia was very much present. She needed me. It was time.

“I’ll be there in twenty-eight minutes.”

Hannah McKinnon, a 40-something British & Swiss national, and more recently a Canadian import, has been telling stories for years – but only recently started writing them down. She runs an electrical contracting business with her husband, dabbles in the art of voice-overs, and writes whenever she can. Hannah’s three boys give her plenty of material for children’s books. She recently completed her first children’s chapter book and a women’s fiction novel.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Great writing workshops ~ coming soon!

“How to Make Yourself Write”

~ A creativity workout ~

Offered in two locales:

Saturday, May 3, 2014

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Grace United Church,  350 Grove Street East, Barrie (Map here.)

Fee:  44 paid in advance or 48 if you wait to pay at the door

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

And

Saturday, June 21, 2014
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Lions Club, 935 Sydenham Road, Kingston (Map here.)

Fee: 37 paid in advance or 40 if you wait to pay at the door

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

Let's get motivated! This workshop is designed to help you find the time and the inspiration to write. No more staring at a blank screen. Come to this workshop and give yourself a kick-start, and then learn how to keep going. This creativity workout will get your words flowing and help you make the breakthrough into the next level of writing.

Carly Watters

“How to Get Published”

~ An editor & an agent tell all ~

Offered in two locales:

Saturday May 24, 2014

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Council Chamber, Stouffville Town Hall, 111 Sandiford Drive, Stouffville (Map here.)

Fee:  44 paid in advance or 48 if you wait to pay at the door.

To register, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

And

Sunday June 22, 2014

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Nepean Sprotsplex, Hall E, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa (Map here.)

Fee:  46 paid in advance or 49 if you wait to pay at the door.

To register, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

If you've ever dreamed of becoming a published author, this workshop is for you. We’ll cover everything from getting started to getting an agent, from getting your short pieces published to finding a book publisher, from writing a query letter to writing what the publishers want. Bring your questions. Come and get ready to be published!

Special Option: Participants are invited to bring a draft of a query letter you might use to interest an agent or publisher in your book. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, 3 copies could be helpful.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He teaches at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Moncton, and he 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 their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

In Stouffville on May 24, our guest speaker will be literary agent Carly Watters of the P.S. Literary Agency. Carly represents a diverse list of fiction, nonfiction and children's authors including Globe and Mail bestseller Jay Onrait, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Julianna Scott, Danny Appleby and improv comedian Colin Mochrie. Never without a book on hand, she reads across categories which is reflected in the genres she represents, including upmarket and commercial fiction, platform driven nonfiction, YA and select picture books. (More about P.S. Literary Agency here.)

In Ottawa on June 22, our guest speaker will be Maria Vicente of the P.S. Literary Agency.  Maria is the only literary agent based in Ottawa. Her reading preferences vary across categories and genres, which is reflected in her client list. She is actively looking for literary and commercial fiction, for young adult and middle grade books, and for illustrated picture books. In nonfiction, she’s seeking projects in the pop culture, pop psychology, design, and lifestyle categories. She likes literary writing, strong character development, and original storytelling formats. (More about P.S. Literary Agency here.)

The Awakening by New York Times
bestselling author Kelley Armstrong,
one of Brian's former students

“Writing for Children and for Young Adults ~ the world’s hottest genre”

Saturday, May 31, 2014
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Burlington Public Library, Centennial Room, 2331 New Street, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

If you want to write the next best-selling children’s books or just want to create stories for your own kids, this workshop is for you. Learn how to write stories kids and young adults will love and find out what you need to know to sell your book.

Special option: You may, but don't have to, bring 2 or 3 copies of the opening couple pages (first 500 words) of your children’s book or young adult novel (or 1,000 words if that will get you to the end of your picture book or to the end of your first chapter.) If you’re not currently working on a children’s story, don’t worry, we’ll get you started on the spot!

Fee:  44 paid in advance or 48 if you wait to pay at the door

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

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Wanted: Erotic horror, short fiction, reviews, humour pieces, flash fiction ~ good writing of all sorrts

Stories wanted for Bloody Sexy, an anthology of erotic horror. Looking for short stories (2,000 – 10,000 words), nanofiction (500 words max.) and poetry of any length. Send to carmilla@vamptasy.com

Deadline: May 30, 2014.

Nat. Brut is a multimedia online literary magazine featuring art, writing, and culture. Currently seeking submissions for their late summer issue. Publishes poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, reviews (books, film, and other media), satire/humor pieces, short screenplays and theater scripts, and creative nonfiction/literary journalism, as well as visual art, short films, and audio content.

Deadline: May 31, 2014.Guidelines here. 

The Bridport Prize offers over £15,000 in prize money. One of the richest writing competitions in the UK, the Bridport Prize is open to all nationalities, aged 16 years and over.

The poem and short story categories each have a first prize of £5,000, second prize £1,000 and third prize £500. An additional 10 supplementary prizes (for each category) of £50 each are awarded.

A new category for flash fiction with a prize of £1,000 was launched in 2010. There is a second prize of £500, 3rd prize of £250 and 3 supplementary prizes of £25.

Fees: £7 for each submitted flash fiction,  £8 for each submitted poem,  £9 for each submitted short story.

Deadline: 12 midnight (UK time) on Saturday, May 31, 2014. Complete guidelines here.

Compose: A Journal of Simply Good Writing publishes two digital issues per year, in spring and fall and publishes work by both emerging and established writers.

No strict word count limits, but pieces longer than 5,000 words will be more difficult to place.

Fiction: Submit one previously unpublished piece of fiction, or up to three pieces of micro/flash fiction all in one document. Submit fiction here

Poetry: Submit up to six previously unpublished poems, all in one document. Submit poetry here.

Nonfiction: Submit one previously unpublished piece of nonfiction. Submit creative nonfiction here

Features: Submit queries for interviews or articles directly to our features editor, Jennie Nash, at: jennie.compose@gmail.com

Excerpts: Submit excerpts from traditionally published books, and include the name of the publisher, the publication date, and any other important information. Excerpts must stand on their own as complete stories, essays, or poems. Submit excerpts here

Photography/Artwork: Submit up to five high-resolution .jpg or .png files of artwork. Materials may have been previously published in print or online. Submit photography/artwork here

Deadline: On-going. Full submission guidelines here.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.