Andrea Barzvi and Penny Moore of Empire literary agency seek Kid’s Lit ~ Picture Books to YA ~ plus commercial fiction, thrillers, nonfiction & memoir

Empire Literary

115 West 29th St., 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10001

http://www.empireliterary.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. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

Empire Literary doesn’t really have a website yet, just a contact information page. (Update Feb, 2017: Now they do have a website, see above). But the lead agent there is Andrea Barzvi, who founded the agency in November 2013 after 13 years at ICM Partners.  She is a graduate of Colgate University as well as Cardozo Law School and was an adjunct professor at NYU graduate school where she taught a class on the role of the literary agent.  

Some of her titles include New York Times bestsellers He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, the This Man series by Jodi Ellen Malpas, and The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan, among many others.

Andrea continues to look for fresh new voices across genres, particularly in commercial fiction, thrillers, young adult, narrative nonfiction and memoir.

Query Andrea at: Abarzvi@empireliterary.com

No details given on how to submit, but I’d suggest you put the word “Query” in the subject line and include the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email. No attachments.

Penny Moore joined Empire Literary as an agent a month ago, focusing on Young Adult, Middle Grade, & picture books. “I’m looking for standout projects,” says Penny. In YA and MG she’s seeking both contemporary stories and Science Fiction / Fantasy. She is also particularly keen on diverse books. You can read an interview with Penny from June 1, 2016, here.

While completing degrees in Linguistics and Japanese Language & Literature at the University of Georgia, Penny spent time studying comparative literature at top universities in Japan and South Korea. She then spent time as a middle school TESOL teacher, a period during which she grew to love and understand the children’s book market. In 2013 she joined Fine Print Literary as an intern, then joined the regular staff in 2014. You can follow here on Twitter here.

Query Penny at: Penny@empireliterary.com

Put the word “Query” in the subject line and include the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email. No attachments.

Literary agent Stacey Donaghy

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). 
Note: If you're looking at this posting after October, 2016, check out current How to Get Published workshops here (and scroll down).

Then on Saturday, November 19, Brian will lead a Writing for Children and for Young Adults workshop 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 Adult workshops and weekly Writing Kid Lit courses here (and scroll down).

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 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).

To register of for more information for any of the above, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.

Fox at Arowhon Pines, where we hold 
our writingretreats in Algonquin Park

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.

Navigation tip: For many more literary agents seeking authors, click on the Literary Agents button at the top of the page, just below the banner. To see only Canadian agents, click on the button in the right-hand column under More Content. To see only agents representing kid’s lit, click on the Children’s/YA agents button in the list of Labels below. 

You’re invited to read at our Author Night, this Wednesday, Sept 7

Author Reading Night at the Jitterbug Cafe

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

5:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Jitterbug Cafe, 35 Main Street North, Waterdown, Ontario (Map here.)

Because of a few last-minute cancellations, we have a couple spots open in our line-up for the reading night this Wednesday, Sept 7, at the Jitterbug. This is your chance to practice for when you’re a famous author by reading a short piece (8 minutes absolute maximum) before a supportive audience of your fellow writers, plus friends and family.

If you’re interested, email me before Wednesday afternoon at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

In any case, you’re more than welcome to come to listen. It’ll be a great evening! If you’re having dinner before the reading starts, arrive before six, or if you’re just having a drink or coffee and a snack, please arrive before 6:30. Note: Because they’re opening especially for us, you can’t just order a coffee (or they’ll lose money by hosting us). They have a great menu; check it our here. The actual readings will start at 6:45. I look forward to seeing you all there! ~ Brian

Note, this fall, Brian has a full line-up of five weekly courses, from beginner’s through advanced:

Oakville: Welcome to Creative Writing, Thursday afternoons, Sept 29 - Dec 8. Details here.

Burlington: Writing Kid Lit ~ Picture Books to YA, Tuesday afternoons, Sept 27 - Nov 22   (no class Oct 11). Details here.

Burlington: Intermediate Creative Writing Wednesday evenings, Sept 21 to Nov 30 (no class Oct 12). Details here.

Georgetown: Intermediate Creative Writing, Thursday evenings, Sept 29 - Dec 8. Details here.

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday afternoons, Sept 14 - Dec 14 (no class Oct 12). Details to come.

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Tuesday mornings, Oct 18 – Dec 6. Details here.

See details of all six classes offered this fall here.

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

See Brian’s full 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.

Happy Labour Day!

P.S. See you in Algonquin Sept 16 for the Fall Colours Writing Retreat. We might have early fall colours this year because of the drought, plus we might still have summer-like daytime temperatures. Perfect for swimming between writing sessions. Regardless, we'll have a great time!

“One More Fling” by Suzanne Burchell

“One more fling, oh, one more fling, would be just the thing,” Ethel sang in her mind as she pegged the clothes onto the line. The summer fresh air coming off the bay would dry this wash in no time.

Stan had given her a promise ring so he now could park his truck in her drive way not down the street all night when he stayed over. Ethel could put his socks and undies on the line without scowls from the town folk. The ring made Stan’s overnights and laundry a little more acceptable in the eyes of the nosy Parkers of this small town.

Ethel looked at the ring and remembered the night he gave it to her when they had snuck off to the city for the weekend. Stan had splurged on a fancy room at the Casino. Ethel felt lucky back then to have snatched up one of the few remaining desirable fellers in town. Men in her age group had been dropping like flies. The pickings had been slim but luckily Stan chose her. Stan’s wife had died just a few years before. Ethel had been married twice. Both times it did not work out. This time she promised herself she would stay the course and remember she was lucky to have a man.

As she pegged the last brown sock the song became louder in her head. “One more fling, oh baby. one more fling,” would be just the thing. This was a familiar song and had caused her other two marriages to fail. Ethel could not seem to be content with the same man for very long. Stan was a steady dependable reliable and kind man. He was handy as they say to boot. What more could she ask for ?

“One more fling. Oh baby, would be just the thing” had been playing in her head for a few months now. At the library last week she had listened to the song and made her move on the internet dating site. She had typed a reply to the dating site for a meet up.  There were no pictures exchanged but that was okay. Looks were not everything. Harold was his name and a fling was his game.

A date was set to meet up in a place a few towns away. It was a quiet town now since mining had stopped back in the 60’s after the last big bump when 82 miners never came out. There was a restaurant that used to be the hot spot. Ethel and Harold would meet up there. Audrey told ‘on line’ Harold that she would sit in the back booth and would be wearing a pink sweater and that her name was Ruth. Harold told her he would be wearing a plaid scarf. They would meet in a month.

After the date was set, Ethel had stepped up her work out at the local gym. Not a gym exactly more an old garage with a few treadmills. Her girlfriends all went there after coffee at Tim’s. Margaret had commented on Ethel’s revived commitment to walking faster and longer and that she was an inspiration to them. Audrey hoped no one was catching on to why she was attempting to tone up some cellulite and the saggy bits that had developed on her once trim figure over the past few years.  A month was not long to tighten up much but it was worth a try.

Finally the day of the meeting came. Ethel had planned how to throw Stan and everyone off her track. She had announced that she was going to the city for breast screening at the big hospital. There was some truth in this she had mused to herself.

The morning of the meeting with the prospect of a new fresh fling, Ethel felt an old thrill and tingle that she thought might have gone dead but no in her but no her heart was pounding and her hands shook as she buttoned up the pink sweater. She had a new colour put in her hair that covered grey and got a new lipstick called In the Pink  from the Avon lady the week before. Ethel knew she was once called a “looker’ because of her beauty. The pink sweater had been her old stand by "looking goooooood garb." It still fit.

As she drove out of town she took off Stan’s ring and tucked it in her open purse. Out loud she sang “One more fling is just the thing,” to the tune of a Carly Simon song. After the first turn off from town she had had to swerve to avoid a dead skunk flattened probably by a logging truck during the night. It sure was a fresh kill.

After what seemed a very long ride Ethel pulled up in the town of Springhill. This was an old stomping ground where in her youth he had met up with a mining feller or two at this same restaurant where she would set a course for a new romance today.

 The miners always had money in their pockets and were pretty wild. In those days they danced to the juke box and necked out back of the restaurant or in cars parked up the hill. Good times they were thought Audrey. She had more than her share of flings back then.

Ethel parked on the back street a ways down from the restaurant. She walked toward the sign of the restaurant which used to read Wheaton’s but now was missing a few letters and read  ‘Wheat.........s’. She opened the door and heard the familiar tinkle of the bell on the door.

There was a pimply girl reading a paperback behind the counter.

The girl looked up and said, “Sit any where’s you’s want.”

Ethel walked to the back booth. She placed her purse on the seat beside her, took out he compact and checked her make up just like she did in the old days. She saw a good looking woman in the mirror with sparkly eyes looking back at her. Out of habit Audrey reached under the table and felt for old dried up gum. There were wads and wads hard as cement.

The young girl brought Ethel a glass of water. Ethel did not want coffee on her breath. Audrey kept her eyes peeled on the door for the man in a plaid scarf named Harold.

Time was dragging as she waited for Harold to arrive. She put a quarter in the old table juke box. D7. “Wise men say only fools rush in....” crooned the Everly brothers. I am an old fool, Audrey thought, but what the hell.

The door tinkled and in walked a feller with a plaid scarf. Ethel froze. The paid scarf man walked slowly toward her and stood beside the booth just staring at her.

“Would you be Ruth?”  he said, driving his glare right at Ethel.

Ethel nodded and felt faint.

“Would you be Harold?” Ethel asked burning with anger, disappointment and embarrassment.

Damn that dating site anyway.

Stan nodded yes he was Harold.

Ethel looked away.

Oh boy Ruth was Ethel and Harold was Stan. What were the odds on this?

Stan slid into the booth and stared hard at Ethel. Neither said a word for the longest time.

Finally Ethel took the ring from her purse and pushed it to the middle of the table.

“Aren’t we just a pair of old fools?” Stan muttered.

Stan took the ring and pushed it back toward her. There they were caught in their own act. The dating site had played a cruel joke.

“What now, Stan?”  Ethel asked. 

Ethel wondered how this was going to go. The dating site had been what was supposed to be one last fling and now it seemed the dating site would be the end of her one last boyfriend.

Stan pushed the ring back toward Ethel. Ethel put the ring back in her purse.

“Follow me back to town Ruth, I mean Ethel,”  Stan said, grinning a bit.

Ethel wondered what awaited them back at home.

Ethel did follow Stan’s truck along the windy road until just before the outskirts of town. Stan’s  put the blinkers on his truck just as they neared the Sunshine Motel. The sign read Special Rates - In room Jacuzzis. Ethel followed the truck into the lot of the motel.

Three days later Ethel and Stan drove back into town to Audrey’s place.

Ethel hangs out the wash with Stan’s socks and undies but now she sings a new tune. “ Wise men say only fools rush in....”

Suzanne Burchell retired from teaching secondary school drama after 38 years but continues to  lecture in Drama in Education at Brock University. She is developing a new profession as a story teller in Ontario after having a lengthy time of story-telling in the summer in her homeland of Nova Scotia. 

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.

You're invited to Can-Con 2016 in Ottawa and to the Guelph Book Bash (including the launch of Rhapsody 2016)

Author Tanya Huff

Can-Con, Ottawa's literary science fiction and fantasy conference starts soon:

September 9th to 11th

at the beautiful Novotel Hotel in downtown Ottawa.

Panels this year include 'Adapting Literary Works to TV and Movies,' 'Being a Woman in the Publishing Industry,' 'Extreme Weather Slap Down' and much more.

Guests of Honour: Sheila Williams, editor of Asimov's; Sam Morgan, senior agent with JABberwocky; Tanya Huff, author of the Confederation and Blood series; and award-winning author/editor and aerospace engineer Eric Choi.

For more information, check out http://can-con.org/cc/

Book Bash Festival 2016, a celebration of Guelph books

Sunday, October 16

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Red Papaya Restaurant

The Old Quebec St. Mall
55 Wyndham Street North, Guelph, Ontario (Map here)

Hosted by Jen Rafter

Live music by Madison Galloway

Over 20 local authors

Free admission (Donations accepted for Action Read)

Book Bash 2016 will also be the launch event for The Rhapsody Anthology 2016, the annual collection of Guelph poetry and very short prose that Friends of Vocamus Press publishes to increase public awareness of Guelph authors.

Note: My next workshops in Guelph will be Secrets of Writing a Page-turner, Saturday, Sept 10 (see here) and then How to Write a Bestseller, with New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, Saturday, Feb 18 (see here). Looking forward to seeing all my Guelph friends there. ~ Brian

See Brian Henry’s full 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.

Three great writing workshops and a free seminar coming soon

Secrets of Writing a Page-turner

Techniques for making any story more compelling

Saturday, September 10, 2016

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Harcourt United Church, 87 Dean Ave, Guelph, Ontario (Map here.)

Ever stayed up all night reading a book? In this workshop, you’ll learn you how to build that kind of tension.  And we'll help you put into practice the techniques professionals use – on every page and in every kind of story – to create drama and tension.

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

Writing with Style

Saturday, September 24, 2016
10:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Glenview Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem Room, 1 Glenview Ave, Toronto, Ontario (Map here)

If you do any kind of creative writing, fiction or nonfiction, this workshop is for you. We’ll tackle the nitty-gritty of putting words on paper in a way that will grip the reader’s imagination. You'll learn how to avoid common errors that drain the life from your prose. And you'll discover how to make your writing more vivid, more elegant and more powerful.

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

The Canadian Authors Association, Waterloo-Wellington presents a free seminar and a workshop…

Writing Query Letters That Get a Yes
~ A free seminar ~
Monday, September 26, 2016

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Tentative venue: Waterloo Regional Police – North Division Community Room

45 Columbia Street East, Waterloo (Map here)

If you want to get the attention of an agent or a publisher, you need to craft a good query letter. Using real life examples, this seminar shows you how to do it. There isn’t just one way to write a successful query, and your query doesn’t have to be perfect; but it does need to persuade an agent that you’ve got a book that they can successfully pitch to a publisher.

Attendance is free, but please let me know you’re coming so I know how many handouts to bring. Email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

How to Write Great Dialogue ~ Especially for young adult books

Saturday, October 1, 2016

1:00 – 4:30  p.m.

Forest Heights Public Library, 251 Fischer-Hallman Road, Kitchener, Ontario (Map here)

Accessible to beginners and meaty enough for experienced writers, this workshop will show you how to use dialogue to make your stories more dynamic and dramatic.Whether you’re writing fiction or memoir, you need to be able to write great dialogue that both sounds natural and packs dramatic punch, and you need to know how to mix your dialogue and narrative so that your characters come alive. We’ll also take a particular look at the special needs of writing dialogue for the middle-grade and young adult markets. Come to this workshop and learn both the basics and the best tricks of the trade.

Read a review of "How to write great dialogue" here. For more reviews of Brian's weekly courses and Saturday workshops see here and scroll down.

Fee: 37.17 + hst = 42 paid in advance or 39.82 + hst = 45 if you wait to pay at the door

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

Workshop leader 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 their first book published and launch their careers as authors. 

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.