Pérez Literary & Entertainment promotes Isabel Lineberry to junior agent
thebookseller.com – Saturday March 2, 2024
Isabel Lineberry has been promoted to junior agent and rights assistant after a year at Pérez Literary & Entertainment (PLE).
Lineberry joined the company at its launch in February 2023 and has worked directly under managing director, Kristina Pérez ever since. As a junior agent, she will be focusing on broadening the agency’s New Adult, YA and Children’s client lists. She will also oversee the day-to-day co-ordination of audio and translation rights for the agency. She holds a master’s degree in fantasy literature from the University of Glasgow.
With the Novel Prize, Three Anglophone Publishers Team to Champion Innovative Fiction
publishersweekly.com – Thursday February 29, 2024
Barbara Epler, president and publisher of New Directions, couldn’t help but pun when describing the biennial Novel Prize, awarded jointly by the New York City–based New Directions, London-based Fitzcarraldo, and Sydney-based Giramondo to a book-length work of literary nonfiction: “Global publication by three anglophone publishers—I think that’s sort of novel.”
Indeed, the Novel Prize, launched in March 2020, is the first—and only—of its kind.
While other literary prizes may offer publishing contracts—including Spanish publisher Anagrama’s Herralde Prize, Graywolf Press’s Nonfiction Prize, and a number offered by university presses—none offer the same international reach as the Novel Prize. Presented by a triumvirate of international indie publishers, the award offers a $10,000 purse and simultaneous publication in North America, courtesy of New Directions; the U.K. and Ireland, courtesy of Fitzcarraldo; and Australia and New Zealand, courtesy of Giramondo.
Rachel Yeoh and Maddy Belton step up at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency
thebookseller.com – Thursday February 29, 2024
The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency has promoted Rachel Yeoh and Maddy Belton to literary agents.
Yeoh joined MMA in 2019 as an intern, before becoming Madeleine Milburn’s assistant, and then – in 2021 – an associate agent. She is building a list of literary, upmarket and book club fiction.
Madeleine Milburn said: “Rachel is phenomenal member of the MMA team. She gives her all to everything that she does – and she does so much! As well as helping with my list, she has excelled in her approach to building her own by bringing exciting new talent into the agency and striking deals with major publishers, dynamic in her leadership of our mentorship programme, and infinitely generous in collaborating with colleagues. I’m so excited to see her continue all of these qualities now that she is a literary agent.”
Yeoh said: “I have learned so much from working closely with Madeleine over the past four and a half years, and feel incredibly privileged. I’m so excited to see what the future holds, and cannot wait to continue championing my remarkable authors and finding promising new talent."
New Literary Agent Listing: Tess Weitzner
firstwriter.com – Tuesday February 27, 2024
Primarily looking for upmarket fiction, literary fiction, and narrative nonfiction narrow and deep in scope that might play with unreliable narrators, interrogations of power and violence, reclamations of identity, or dark-as-night humor. Fresh takes on horror, magical realism, camp, and kitsch will always be met with zeal. In the children’s space, she is looking for contemporary middle-grade and YA stories that are fun, engaging, and seemingly “quiet” that crack open larger questions or underrepresented experiences. As part of their brilliant storytelling, they respect young readers and approach tough topics with warmth, humor, and edge. She is not accepting queries in science fiction, fantasy, or picture books at this time.
Marilia Savvides leaves 42 Management & Production to set up The Plot Agency
thebookseller.com – Monday February 26, 2024
Marilia Savvides has left 42 Management & Production to set up The Plot Agency — a boutique literary agency with a "global vision".
All of her clients will join her at The Plot Agency, including Jessica Moor, Eleanor Morton, Lauren Brown and Natasha Bell. Also joining her for book representation are Henry Lewis, Hanna Jameson, Jack Anderson and Paul Bradley Carr, who will still be represented by 42 for screenwriting and film/TV rights.
Savvides began her career in publishing at Peters Fraser + Dunlop (PFD), where she was first an international rights agent representing and selling translation rights across the agency’s client list. She later worked as a literary agent at PFD, building her own list of authors.
Secret agents
thebookseller.com – Monday February 26, 2024
Literary agents are central to authors’ success — so why are we still considered a fringe benefit?
Recently I filmed an online course on "How to Get a Literary Agent" for our in-house creative writing school, Curtis Brown Creative. It was an enjoyable pause in my frenetic activities as a literary agent and c.e.o. of Curtis Brown Group to stop and reflect on the changing role of the literary agent during my 30 years at CB. Unsurprisingly, I concluded we agents are an essential part of the publishing process. Yet, why are literary agents considered so outside the system?
I say this because the first question I always ask to every new intern and assistant at CBG who has come off a MA in Publishing course is: “what did you learn about the role of the literary agent?”
The answer is always the same: “Oh, there was no mention of agents in the course but sometimes we get a session from a visiting agent."
Richard Charkin: Unintended Consequences in Publishing
publishingperspectives.com – Saturday February 24, 2024
Unintended Consequences in Publishing support Charkin’s Law: everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
HarperCollins’ announcement of a big increase in digital sales—largely downloadable audio and materially generated by the partnership with Spotify—made me contemplate the balance between decisions made with the best will in the world and their not-always-beneficial consequences.
I don’t know enough (I couldn’t know) about this particular deal, but is the offer of 15 hours a month of free audiobooks to Spotify customers a longer-term benefit to sales? What proportion of audiobook listeners actually listen to more than 15 hours a month? There will be some, of course, and Spotify might indeed increase the numbers of the hard-core audience but what happens to the rest?
With the benefit of an exceptionally helpful rear-view mirror, let’s think about other similar decisions.
Yasmin McDonald moves to CAA after 11 years with United Agents
thebookseller.com – Wednesday February 21, 2024
Yasmin McDonald has joined entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as an agent in its books department after more than a decade with United Agents.
Based in the agency’s London office, McDonald will focus on identifying books and other literary International Property (IP) suitable for adaptation to screen and stage both from within CAA’s books department, and from external sources across the UK and Europe.
McDonald will also continue to represent authors, illustrators, screenwriters and directors such as as Booker-shortlisted Paul Murray, John O’Farrell, JP Delaney and Lisa Mulcahy, director of “The Tourist”, among others.
New Literary Agency Listing: Frog Literary Agency
firstwriter.com – Wednesday February 21, 2024
LGBTQIA+ writers only. No submissions from heterosexuals. Writing need not have a queer focus, so heterosexual content may be accepted if it is written by someone who says they are gay. However, the same content would be rejected if the person who wrote it says they are straight. Also offers editorial services to writers, which may be considered a conflict of interest. Always exercise caution when contacting agencies that offer paid-for services that claim to improve your chances of being accepted by agencies, as the agency may merely be a front for generating business for the editorial service.
David Nobbs Memorial Trust 2024 writing competition opens
comedy.co.uk – Saturday February 17, 2024
The annual comedy writing competition run by the David Nobbs Memorial Trust is now open for entries, with the deadline set as 17th March.
The competition, which seeks out 10 pages from a sitcom script or four 3-minute sketches, is now in its seventh year. The trust, which was established in 2017 after the death of the beloved Reggie Perrin author, runs the competition to encourage and champion emerging talent with one-off financial aid for winners and events for long-listed entrants.
The competition offers cash prizes to up-and-coming comedy writers, helping them 'buy time' for writing. Prizes for the 2024 competition will see the overall winner will take home £1000. Any runners-up will receive £250 per entry. The winner will also be offered one-to-one consultation with an established comedy producer or commissioner from the Trust board.
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