Established literary agent Andrea Hurst looking for new authors; also, agent Katie Reed seeks YA and fantasy

Andrea Hurst & Associates

http://www.andreahurst.com/

Andrea Hurst President of Andrea Hurst Literary Management, has announced that she is again open to submissions and will be accepting queries from June 1 through September 1. Andrea’s client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Andrea says: “I am looking for upmarket, book club women’s fiction, commercial women’s fiction/romance (contemporary or historical), young adult fiction, and most areas of nonfiction (authors with a substantial platform who have already developed a solid, highly polished proposal – this includes memoirs, health/wellness, business, self-help/personal growth, memoir, cookbooks, pet books, spirituality). As of 2014, we are now accepting middle grade contemporary fiction as well.”

Query Andrea at: queryandrea@andreahurst.com  

Submit by Sept. 1, 2014. No attachments. Absolutely no phone calls or regular mail contact, please.

At Andrea Hurst, literary agent Katie Reed is also looking for authors. Katie represents all areas of young adult and adult fiction and nonfiction, with a special interest in YA and fantasy. Katie’s Wishlist:

All areas of YA fiction, particularly:

Commercial, with a compelling hook and a protagonist who battles real life teen issues

Science fiction (soft)

Fantasy

Commercial and Literary Adult Fiction in the following genres:

Book Club Women’s Fiction

Science Fiction (soft)

Fantasy

Suspense/Thriller

Contemporary Romance

Nonfiction in the following genres:

• Memoir/Biography with a strong platform
• Self-help
• Crafts/How-to
• Inspirational
• True Crime (I would prefer to avoid this unless it is high profile and current)
• Parenting

Query Katie at: katie@andreahurst.com

No attachments. Do not send proposals, sample chapters or manuscripts unless specifically requested by an agent. Please indicate if you are simultaneously submitting to other agents. Expect Katie to take some time to respond—in busy periods this may take several weeks.

Full submission guidelines here.

Carly Watters

Brian Henry will lead a “How to Get Published" workshop in Oakville on Sept 27 with literary agent Carly Watters (see here).

Brian also has some great workshops coming up this summer on developing characters: Saturday, July 19, in Caledon East (details here) and Saturday, August 16, in Hamilton (details here).

But the best way to get your manuscript ready for publication is with a weekly course. You can check out all three courses Brian will be offering this summer – and also the fall line-up – 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Love letters ~ Where your fellow writers are getting published & an invitation to join a writers group in Colborne

Brian,

Spent an idyllic afternoon in Elora, listening to 6 award-winning Canadian authors, sipping wine, and picking up my prize – an honorable mention in the Elora Writers Festival short story contest. 

A real boost for my writing esteem.

Rita

Hi, Brian.

Not sure if Rita's already emailed you about this, but she and I were both in the top ten finalists in the adult category of the Elora Writers' Festival Short Story Contest - and Rita also got an Honourable Mention.

I heard through the writing grapevine that several of us from your classes entered. Apart from Rita and me, Bieke Stengos, Maggie Petru, and Adrienne Zoe (and Jnenifer Mook-Sang – see below) all put in stories. Apparently the judges commented on the high quality of the submissions.

Go Team Brian!

:o) Mary

Hello, Brian.

I have some happy news. As per your instructions to our creative writing class, I made a concerted effort this year to send my writing out into the world. One of the pieces I wrote for class placed third in the Elora Writers' Festival short story contest. It was a thrill to receive my prize and meet some talented writers, including another one of your students, there. Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement.

Jennifer Mook-Sang

For information about the Elora Writers’ Festival short story contest, see here.

Brian,

I won second prize this year in the Niagara branch, Canadian Authors Association's Ten Stories High competition, for "The Caller."
Best,
Heather Rath
www.heatherrath.net

Check out the call for entries for this year’s Ten Stories High short story contest here.

Brian,

 I wanted to share some good news with you. My short story, “Leap of Faith” was short listed in the Writer’s Union of Canada short prose for developing writers contest (it was one of the top 12 of 415 entries). As a result, it has been submitted (by the Writer’s Union) to three Canadian literary magazines for consideration. My fingers are crossed that one of them will be interested in publishing it. 

Margo Karolyi

For information about submitting to the Writers’ Union short prose competition, see here.

Writer to Writer           

Hi, Brian.

I have finally given a name to my writers group that I started so if you wouldn't mind passing on the information we are the Cramahe Community Writers Group we meet at the Colborne Library every other Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm. If anyone is curious they can contact me TL at:  cramahecommunitywritersgroup@gmail.com

Thank you again and I look forward to attending more of your workshops.

TL Hill

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

“June” by Aya Dudin

Photo by Aya Dudin

June

This year’s long harsh winter is answered by the sweetest of summers. Mother nature offers a hidden message to us all on this June first of its days:

Persevere

Be Patient

Harden your heart and let it repair beneath

The frozen casings

In the cold everything is slow

Nothing grows

Giving you time to stitch and clip what has been ripped

The sun is back

Back again

It melts the casings of my heart

Unveiling…a soulful art

I sing, I dance, I clap, I drum

I twist and twirl

And make amends

I let my curls roam free and wide

I let them shy from those with egos and pride

For it is they, to my dismay, that have punctured my poor vulnerable heart.

* 

Aya Dudin is a neuroscientist in the making. When she's not pondering the underlying neurochemistry of human and animal behavior, she enjoys getting lost in nature, poetry and musical theatre. 

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

Kokum's Gift: Teachings from Ojibway and Cree Spirituality, Culture, and Traditions by Gordon Miller

Hey, Brian.

Could you post a notice about the second edition of my book, Kokum’s Gift.

Yours,

Gord

http://www.gordonmillerart.com/Default.aspx

Love to...

Kokum's Gift: Teachings from Ojibway and Cree Spirituality, Culture, and Traditions is a unique publication that is part art exhibition catalogue, part historical photograph archive, part quotable quote and part poetry collection. All this content was developed into a cohesive whole by Cree and Ojibwe artist and writer Gordon Miller.

Born in Gogama, Ontario, a small town in Northern Ontario, Miller is a member of the Mattagami First Nation. The artist has created 20 art paintings that correspond to a specific poem and theme such as creation, caribou, the storyteller, powwow dancer, the windigo, three sisters, Crowfoot's words, the guardian, going home, seven clans of the Anishinawbe, and Kokum's gift.

The second section of the this 99-page book is a selection of quotable quotes from historical figures such as Tecumseh, Red Cloud, Chief Seattle, Chief Dan George, and Black Elk.

Gordon Miller

The next section includes twelve pieces of original paintings such as the moving piece, Treaty 9 Mattagami Post 1909.

The final selection includes family archival black and white photographs called my photographs of a proud and self-reliant people. These images show family in front of their log home, a couple picking blueberries, children posing in front of a one-room schoolhouse, and a family summer camp. The overall impact of this book is one that clearly speaks to a First Nation man's worldview and spiritual teachings.

The book is marvellous for adult readers and is also used as a resource for students in grade 9 art courses, high school literature courses or Native Studies courses. Highly recommended.

Kokum’s Gift is available here.

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

How to Build Your Story workshop, Saturday, Oct 18, in Peterborough

The Peterborough Public Library presents...
“How to Build Your Story”

Saturday, October 18, 2014

1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N., Peterborugh, Ontario (Map here.)

This workshop will show you how writers plot a novel and will give you the best tips on writing short stories. We’ll also look at where to get your stories published and how to win contests. Best yet, you’ll see how to apply the story-building techniques you’ve learned to your own writing. For writers planning to join the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMor) in November, this workshop will set you up. For all writers, this workshop will put you ahead of the pack.

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.

Fee: 34.51+ 13% hst = 39 paid in advance

    or 37.17 + 13% hst = 42 if you wait to pay at the door.

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

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

Contests for love stories, short stories and poetry

Micro publisher Malinki Press (Dublin) invites entries for the Second Annual Love on the Road Writing Contest. First prize: $200. Submit a 5,000-word fiction or nonfiction story about love and travel. Selected stories will be published in the anthology Love on the Road 2014: Another Twelve Tales of Love and Travel. Reading fee: $10.

Deadline: July 31, 2014. Guidelines here.

Hello, Brian.

Could you please post a notice about the Dream Quest One poetry and short story contest?

Best wishes,
Andre L. West, Editor
www.dreamquestone.com

Dream Quest One Contests – summer 2014

Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, or write a short story of five pages maximum (single or double line spacing), on any subject or theme, fiction or non-fiction. Multiple entries accepted.

Prizes:

Writing contest – 1st $500, 2nd $250, 3rd $100;
Poetry contest – 1st $250, 2nd $125, 3rd $50
All winners will be published online in the Dare to Dream pages, on September 20, 2014.
Entry fee: $10/short story, $5/poem.
Deadline: July 31, 2014. Complete rules here.

15th Annual "Ten Stories High" Short Story Competition

The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association is holding its “Ten Stories High” Fifteenth Annual Short Story Competition, open to all Ontario writers. Stories can be of any genre but must be previously unpublished and between 1,000 and 3,000 words in length. No personal essays, memoirs, children’s literature or non-fiction please. Only fiction and creative non-fiction will be accepted. 

For first Canadian rights, the top ten finalists will have their stories published in our anthology in March of 2015.

Due to the volume of entries, story evaluations will only be offered to the winning entries. Entries must be typed and double-spaced with the title appearing on each numbered page. Please include a separate sheet with your name, address, phone number, email address, precise word count and title. Also, please indicate where you heard about our contest. The entrant's name must not appear on the manuscript itself.

The entry fee is $15 per story, non-refundable. Multiple entries are welcome. Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Authors Association - Niagara and mailed with your submission to Canadian Authors Association – Niagara Branch, “Ten Stories High.”

First prize: $300, second: $200, third: $100

Mail your entry to:

Canadian Authors Association, Niagara Branch

PO Box 1512

4 Queen Street

St. Catharines, ON L2R 3B0  

Deadline September 30, 2014. 

For more information visit the CAA Niagara website: www.canauthorsniagara.org

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

Welcome to Creative Writing course, Tuesday mornings, Sept 23 – Nov 18, in Burlington

“Welcome to Creative Writing”

~ Nine weeks of exploring your creative side ~

Tuesday mornings, Sept 23 – Nov 18, 2014 

9:45 – 11:45 a.m.

Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

This is your chance to take up writing in a warm, supportive environment. This course will open the door to all kinds of creative writing. We’ll visit short story writing and children’s writing, writing in first person and in third person, and writing just for fun. 

You’ll get a shot of inspiration every week and an assignment to keep you going till the next class. Best of all, this class will provide a zero-pressure, totally safe setting, where your words will grow and flower.

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He teaches at Ryerson University and has led writing workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he's helped many of his students get published.

Fee: 140.71 plus 13% hst = 159

Number of attendees strictly limited.

To reserve your spot, 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

New literary agent Heather Alexander seeks children's authors & illustrators, from picture books through YA, including graphic novels

Heather Alexander

Pippin Properties 

110 West 40th Street
Suite 1704
New York, NY 10018
http://www.pippinproperties.com/

Pippin Properties is a small agency devoted primarily to representing authors of picture books, middle-grade, and young adult novels, but they also represent adult projects on occasion. Pippin is an integrated publishing and entertainment agency and represents its clients to a wide range of publishing, animation, motion picture, television, and licensing companies.

Pippin represents publishing greats such as Kate DiCamillo, David Small, Peter H. Reynolds, Kathi Appelt, and Doreen Cronin, among many more. Pippin is always on the lookout for writers and illustrators who take the challenge of creating books seriously and are willing to give the publishing world nothing less than their very best. 

The newest member of the team is Heather Alexander. Heather comes from a family where the constant refrain was “Don’t forget a book!” In college, she hid The Princess Diaries between Dickens and Hawthorne. Heather landed in editorial with Dial Books for Young Readers at Penguin, where she happily stayed for six years, working with both debut and veteran authors and illustrators. As an agent, she is excited to develop new talent and help shape careers.

Heather is looking for new talent from a broad range of children’s book authors and illustrators, from picture books through young adult, including graphic novels. She’s most interested in unique characters, strong voices, and quirky humor. She specifically wants quirky, subversive picture books, literary middle grade, and young adult with rich, well-developed characters who have interesting ideas.

“I’d love to find something starring a con artist or a crime family,” says Heather. “Or you know, the next Jandy Nelson.”

Query Heather at: info@pippinproperties.com
Include a synopsis of the work, your background and/or publishing history, and anything else you think is relevant. Pippin only responds to queries that interest them. Picture book manuscripts may be included in the body of the email. No attachments.

Illustrators interested in submitting their work should send an initial query letter detailing your background in publishing or illustration and any other pertinent information. Links to websites with examples of your work are extremely helpful.

Complete submission guidelines here.

Carly Watters

Brian Henry will lead “How to Get Published" workshops in Ottawa on June 22 with literary agent Maria Vicente (see here), and in Oakville on Sept 27 with literary agent Carly Watters (see here).

But the best way to get your manuscript ready for publication is with a weekly course. You can check out all three courses Brian will be offering this summer – and also the fall line-up – here. 

He'll 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.