New Literary Agent: Chris Bucci
firstwriter.com – Tuesday October 20, 2020
Based in the New York Metropolitan area. Represents a broad range of fiction and nonfiction.
New Literary Agent Listing: Justin Brouckaert
firstwriter.com – Monday October 19, 2020
Interested in character-driven literary fiction, as well as memoir and reportage.
Hilary Mantel, Lee Child, Elizabeth Day and more novelists reveal their secret writing habits
inews.co.uk – Saturday October 17, 2020
Anthony Horowitz is two chapters away from finishing his latest “whodunnit” murder mystery and something is worrying him. If anything should happen to him before he has finished, how will anyone know whodunnit? This week he revealed that, when a book is in progress, he puts the name of the killer in an envelope to be opened by his wife, Jill Green, just in case.
“I am terrified I will die before I actually manage to [finish a book],” Horowitz said at the Cheltenham Literary Festival. “There will be a car crash or a trip going down stairs or something. This is such a fear for me, such a paranoia that I actually write the solution to my murder mysteries and I put them in an envelope to be opened in the event of my death and stick it in my desk.”
DHH Literary Agency to host virtual pitching day
thebookseller.com – Thursday October 15, 2020
DHH Literary Agency is hosting a virtual event enabling aspiring authors to pitch their work direct to its team.
With the pandemic stopping agents from going on the road as in previous years, the agency is opening up its pitching sessions on 4th December. They will be held via a mutually agreeable online video platform.
Founder David Headley said: “In the past, we have had the most tremendous response to our pitching sessions, and we are counting on this time being no different, despite not being able to meet face-to-face. More than ever, we’re in need of good stories to make us forget about the current state of affairs, so we welcome the chance to have authors send – and perhaps pitch – their work to us.
New Literary Agent Listing: Emily Glenister
firstwriter.com – Wednesday October 14, 2020
Looking for reading group and commercial novels, as well as diverse / own voices, with an emphasis on crime / thriller, upmarket women's fiction with a unique hook, post-eighteenth century history, and gothic novels / ghost stories.
David Higham reveals Open Week events
thebookseller.com – Monday October 12, 2020
David Higham Agency has revealed the line-up of top agents taking part in its events ahead of its New Writers' Open Week for under-represented talent.
The organisation is running a series of online events in November, which are open to all writers applying for its January Open Week. The deadline for the week has also been extended until 26th October.
New Magazine Listing: The Common Tongue Magazine
firstwriter.com – Thursday October 8, 2020
Writer’s submissions must adhere to our guidelines to be considered for publication in our magazine. While we allow our writers a vast amount of room for creativity and writer’s interpretation, we want to be sure that they support us in our quest for retaining that dark, dangerous tone that invokes our brand image.
We currently pay 0.03-0.06 cents USD per word for successful submissions.
We invite all writers, regardless of level, to submit their short story submissions. We appreciate everyone’s interest in the magazine and seek to honor that interest. While we are proud of being a leader in fantasy publications, we are also foremost writers and artists, and so we have extreme pride in supporting our contributors and those that make this all possible.
If you are interested in submitting short stories to be published in our quarterly magazine, please review the writer guidelines to be considered on our website.
Hollywood has gobbled up book rights during the pandemic. Here’s why
latimes.com – Wednesday October 7, 2020
Author Rumaan Alam kept his expectations low, even as the film rights to his upcoming book “Leave the World Behind” became the center of a bidding contest among Hollywood studios this summer.
During two brisk weeks in July, the Brooklyn-based novelist kept interrupting his family vacation on Fire Island to field phone calls from agents, producers and executives. Sam Esmail, creator of USA Network’s “Mr. Robot,” was on board to direct a feature based on the socially conscious thriller. Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington had agreed to star and produce. Studios including Netflix, Apple and MGM were making offers.
Alam remained skeptical until that Monday when, while on the beach with his husband and two sons, he got the call from Michelle Weiner, head of Creative Artists Agency’s books department, who was handling the auction, saying they’d scored a deal with Netflix.
“I was waiting for the day when Michelle’s assistant would have to send me, like, a consolation bottle of Champagne,” Alam said. “I was sitting there in the sand kind of dumbfounded.”
New Magazine Listing: Agony Opera
firstwriter.com – Wednesday October 7, 2020
We like things edgy, experimental (be it in language or form), surreal, magic-real, speculative, avant-garde. In short anything out of the box.
We have a soft spot for literature which makes a staunch stand on politics. And by politics, we mean the politics regarding the rights of the 99%, not the other way round. Though, we must admit socialist realism doesn’t excite us that much.
Books by the Banks 2020 writing contest open to adults, teens; entries accepted online until Jan. 4
nkytribune.com – Tuesday October 6, 2020
Despite the postponement of the Book by the Banks 14th annual book festival, the 2020 writers’ contest is still happening.
This year’s contest theme is “Home.” Writers are encouraged to interpret this theme as literally or figuratively as they desire. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are welcome.
“Even though we had to move the festival to 2021 due to COVID-19, the board voted unanimously to continue its support of the region’s writers,” said David Rippe, president of Books by the Banks. “The love of writing, reading and books is a yearlong mission for us.”
The contest is open to adults and teens with cash prizes for the top three entries in each category.
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