Curtis Brown launches writing scholarship in tribute to John le Carré
thebookseller.com – Friday June 4, 2021
The Curtis Brown Creative writing school is launching an annual novel-writing scholarship in honour of late thriller writer John le Carré, seeking out "compelling storytelling and political engagement".
The news comes six months after the death of the 89-year-old author, whose real name was David Cornwell. He was represented by Jonny Geller, c.e.o. of the Curtis Brown Group, for almost 15 years.
A bursary will be funded by the Curtis Brown Literary and Talent Agency, with the support of the author’s family. Applications for the first scholarship are now open and will provide full funding for one talented writer of limited financial means to join Curtis Brown Creative’s three-month online Writing Your Novel course running from 6th September to 13th December.
Calling time on comps
thebookseller.com – Saturday May 29, 2021
It goes without saying that when agents, editors, publicists, marketeers and sales people have a book to get in the hands of readers, they use every means they can to ensure it is published well.
Unfortunately, to “publish well” has increasingly become a hopelessly standardized process, one in which every actor involved in the publishing process, according to the size of their respective companies, has to tick certain boxes in order to avoid savage retaliations from their fellow agents, editors, publicists, marketeers and sales people.
One of these boxes, which a Bookseller article pointed out this week, comes labelled “comparative titles”, i.e. those already-successful published titles to which a new book is compared when being pitched.
I am not sure when the habit of using comp titles became such a thing, nor why. I like to imagine that it started when an editor went to pitch a very quirky book to their publisher, and their publisher did not have time to read it so they asked the editor what it was like, and the editor said: “it is unlike anything that has been done before”. And the publisher said: “Let’s leave it, then. If no one has done it before, there is surely a reason why”. So from then on the editor learnt how to compare their picks to successful things which had been published in the past.
Writing A Book? Start With Some Advice From 5 Of The Best Female Authors
girltalkhq.com – Wednesday May 26, 2021
In 1950 just 30% of best-selling novels had female names on the cover. Today, that figure is almost 50%. So to celebrate how far women writers have come, we decided to look at some of the best pieces of writing advice from female authors. Who knows, it could even inspire that last push toward equitable outcomes in contemporary fiction. These five women authors were featured in a recent article by Ivory Research that looked at 15 lessons from successful writers.
New Agent Listing: Lane Zachary
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 25, 2021
Looking for books of nonfiction and fiction that are beautifully crafted and have the capacity to change the way in which we see and live in the world. Response only if interested. If no response within 6 weeks, assume rejection.
Bloomsbury partners with Get into Publishing to attract regional talent
thebookseller.com – Friday May 21, 2021
Bloomsbury is partnering with Get into Publishing to fund training courses aimed at attracting workers based outside London.
Get into Publishing focuses on rolling out affordable and accessible training to support newcomers looking to work in the publishing industry.
The partnership will sponsor a select number of course places. The criteria for the Bloomsbury-funded positions will consider the applicants’ location in order to attract a more diverse range of talent to the publishing industry from outside London and the South East.
According to the Publishers Association diversity survey of the publishing workforce in 2020, the majority are from the south of England, with 75% of respondents living in South East England or London. Just 2% of respondents were from all other nations in the UK or regions north of London. As a result, Bloomsbury has specified criteria to widen the regional profile of the current workforce to attract workers that may not have considered work opportunities in the capital previously.
Registration opens for Coast Writers’ Conference
advocate-news.com – Friday May 21, 2021
The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference has posted the program for MCWC 2021, its 32nd year, which — like last year’s event — will be held online via Zoom from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7.
This year’s conference faculty will include keynote speaker Wendy C. Ortiz, workshop leaders Lillian Li, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Saretta Morgan, Chris Dennis, Alex Sanchez, Suzanne Rivecca, Krys Malcolm Belc, and Sam Krowchenko and literary agents Elise Capron and Tricia Skinner, along with other special guests, writers and publishing experts.
New Publishing Imprint Listing: CF4K
firstwriter.com – Friday May 21, 2021
Books for children, including Sunday school and Home school titles.
New Literary Agent Listing: T.S. Ferguson
firstwriter.com – Friday May 21, 2021
Looking for young adult and middle grade fiction across all genres that combines high-concept, hooky stories with writing and voice that feel standout. An addicting, page-turning quality is always a plus! He has a special place in his heart for dark and edgy stories (including but not limited to horror), fairy tales, mythology, action-adventure, LGBTQ stories, graphic novels, and stories by and about under-represented voices. He is not the best fit for sports-centric stories, high sci-fi, or non-fiction.
New Book Publisher Listing: Partisan Press
firstwriter.com – Thursday May 20, 2021
Not for profit publisher of working class poetry. Aims to create an awareness of and involvement in working class culture as well as to promote a progressive vision that will move our class and our society forward toward a more just and peaceful future.
New Literary Agent Listing: Alexandra Weiss
firstwriter.com – Monday May 17, 2021
Represents fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, and select adult nonfiction.
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