‘American Dirt’ was supposed to be a publishing triumph. What went wrong?
latimes.com – Sunday January 26, 2020
It was poised to be a blockbuster long before copies arrived in bookstores last week: a thrilling contemporary migration story following a mother and her son, desperate to cross Mexico and reach the United States.
Its publisher, Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan, paid a seven-figure advance after outbidding several competitors for the novel. It snagged a coveted selection in Oprah’s Book Club and had been shipped to key celebrity influencers, including Stephen King, Sandra Cisneros and Salma Hayek. A reported first run of 500,000 copies was printed. The film rights were sold.
But by week’s end, the novel “American Dirt” had garnered attention that its boosters likely didn’t expect: angry charges of cultural appropriation, stereotyping, insensitivity, and even racism against author Jeanine Cummins, who herself said in the book’s author’s note, “I was worried that, as a nonmigrant and non-Mexican, I had no business writing a book set almost entirely in Mexico, set entirely among migrants.”
Despite the backing of towering figures in American media, Cummins’ page-turning portrayal of a mother on the run is now at the center of the first bonafide literary controversy of the year, and is forcing a hard reflection on the state of Latinos in a cultural field that remains overwhelmingly white.
New Literary Agent: Brenna Girard
firstwriter.com – Sunday January 26, 2020
Brenna is interested in unique nonfiction, particularly business books and cookbooks.
Buchwald Adds Sola Fasehun and Tim Patricia As Literary Agents
deadline.com – Saturday January 25, 2020
Buchwald has hired Sola Fasehun and Tim Patricia to its motion picture and television literary departments, respectively.
Fasehun got her start working under Academy Award-winning producer Michael Phillips at Lighthouse Productions. She then spent six years as a film production, sales, and distribution consultant at Submarine Entertainment/Deluxe. She joins Buchwald from UTA, where, as a member of their team, she helped spearhead the agency’s Diversity initiative.
New Literary Agent Listing: Elizabeth Bewley
firstwriter.com – Friday January 24, 2020
Represents young adult and middle grade fiction and nonfiction. Particularly interested in books that transport readers to foreign lands; explore family dynamics; and capture the feeling of first love.
APA Agency Signs Agreement With The WGA – Update
deadline.com – Wednesday January 22, 2020
UPDATED with WGA and ATA statements and more details: Another full-service agency and Association of Talent Agents member, APA, has reached a deal with the WGA. The agency, which immediately will resume its representation of writers, also said it will bring the Television and Motion Picture Literary businesses together under the banner of APA Scripted Literary.
APA is the latest member of the Association of Talent Agents to break ranks and sign the guild’s new franchise agreement. Its deal comes just days after fellow full-service agency Gersh also signed with the WGA. The other four association members to make WGA deals are Buchwald, also a full-service agency; literary boutiques the Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston agency and the Kaplan Stahler Agency; and Pantheon. Non-ATA member Verve, also lit-focused, was the first mid-size agency to reach an agreement with the WGA last May.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday January 22, 2020
Publishes: Fiction;
Areas include: Fantasy; Sci-Fi; Short Stories;
Markets: Adult
Publishes science fiction, cyberpunk, alternative histories, post apocalyptic and fantasy of novel length. Will consider exceptional works in other genres of fiction, or short story compilations of the above topics. Send query by email with 300-500 word summary and first 1,000 words as a text attachment. See website for full guidelines.
UK and Europe writing award with £6,000 prize opens for submissions
falmouthpacket.co.uk – Tuesday January 21, 2020
Falmouth University is welcoming submissions for a writing award with a prize of £6,000.
The 2020 Nick Darke Writers' Award is now open for submissions.
Funded by the university's Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) and School of Communication, the award is open to all writers in the UK and Europe aged 16 and over.
New Literary Agent Listing: Jonny Geller
firstwriter.com – Tuesday January 21, 2020
"I am lucky enough to work with a fantastic range of writers - from authors of first class literary fiction to best selling thriller writers, from ground-breaking journalists to the very best writers in the field of women’s commercial fiction - my focus is original fiction from writers who have a distinctive voice."
A MONSTER CALLS Inspires 'The Monster Challenge' Creative Writing Challenge
broadwayworld.com – Monday January 20, 2020
Calling young aspiring writers! This spring, Sally Cookson's critically acclaimed stage production of A Monster Calls heads to Coventry as part of a brand new UK tour, and to celebrate, the company has launched a creative writing competition open to young people aged 10-25.
Based on the award-winning children's novel by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd, A Monster Calls tells the story of 13-year-old Conor O'Malley, who is visited by a monster while struggling to cope with his mother's illness. Over the course of several nights, the monster tells Conor stories that help him to face up to his fears.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday January 20, 2020
Publishes: Poetry;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Experimental; Literary
An independent micro publisher focusing on poetry of an experimental / weird / surreal / cerebral nature. See website for current submission opportunities.
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