NEW AGENT ADDED!
If you need a refresher on the submission guidelines (the are a lot of them), click here.
Don't miss the submission window from May 16th - May 20th. We're giving you the whole week to get your entries in. Also, be sure to follow the judges on Twitter. On May 11, we'll be hosting a Twitter party where writers can reach out to the judges and ask questions about their entries, writing, querying, etc. Join us at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST. We'll be using the hashtag #QKChat
Before I jump into the new info, I wanted to remind everyone that we are taking donations this year. Not only does it go to help support us host, but it's also going to help our friends in Flint. They're still struggling every day, and they still need our help.
Announcements
We're not having a Twitter Party this year, we're having a Twitter Festival. There's going to be bobbing for queries, inflatable publishing houses, pin the book on the writer... Well, there will be at my house, at least :o)
Check out the Twitter Festival date and topics below. You can tweet under the hashtag #QueryKombat.
Twitter Party!
May 15th: Before the big days arrives tweet your category and genre. Ask questions about genre if you’re unsure where your manuscript fits.
May 16th: After 8:30AM tweet when you’ve submitted your entry to our QK email. Nerves and jitters can be calmed by sharing with others. All day long tweet out what your entry Nickname is and why you chose it.
May 17th: Day 2 of submissions! Judges get fun secret names. Entrants get to create nicknames. Your poor hosts are left out. Create nicknames for Laura, Michael and Michelle! (Keep it clean. We blush easily.) And tweet your favorite comp title.
May 18th: Submission Hump Day! Tweet your main character’s name and a special tidbit about them. See what sorts of names are popular and if anyone else shares MC’s names with you.
May 19th: Tweet what you find the hardest about writing. Is it keeping out telling? Writing action scenes? What’s hard for you? Anyone have tips for making them easier?
Clelia Gore is an Agent at Martin Literary Management. She leads the
Children's Book division, which includes Young Adult, Middle Grade,
Picture and Board Books.
Alisa Gus is a professional title is Managing Partner at Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC (which specializes in publishing and information technology). Her skills and areas of expertise include editing, marketing and public relations. She received her Bachelor's degree from University of Florida. She is drawn to and passionate about charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. Her hobbies and interests include reading.
______________________________
Following her completion of the Denver Publishing Institute
after graduation, Danielle Barthel began interning at Writers House. While
there, she realized she wanted to put her English degree and love of the
written word to work at a literary agency. She worked as a
full-time assistant for three years, and continues to help keep the New
Leaf offices running smoothly in her role of Coordinator of Team and
Client Services.
Kristy Hunter joined The Knight Agency in April 2014. With a degree
in Women & Gender Studies and English Literature from Vanderbilt
University, Kristy moved to New York City immediately after graduation
to try her hand at publishing. She completed the Columbia Publishing
Course and worked in the city for several years—first at Grove/Atlantic
and then at Random House Children’s Books—before deciding it was time to
make the move back down south. She now takes advantage of her new
surroundings by being outside as much as possible with her French
bulldog, Gummi.
With
a strong background in business ownership, Victoria A. Selvaggio comes
to The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Agent with
over 6 years of actively working as a volunteer and Regional Advisor for
SCBWI Northern Ohio. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author
writing all genres, with her most recent publication in the 2015
Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing
the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency.
Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will
resonate with her long after she’s done.
Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014.
She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is
actively building her list.
In general, Patricia looks for stories that hook her with a unique plot, fantastic writing and complex characters that jump off the page. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction both upmarket and commercial, historical fiction set in the 20th century, and compelling plot-driven literary fiction. She’s also looking for sexy, smart adult contemporary and historical single title romance. For YA and MG, Patricia is open to a wide range of genres, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, horror, and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters, including LGBTQ, in all genres that she represents.
Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.
Michelle Richter joined Fuse Literary after eight years at St.
Martin’s Press. While there, she edited nonfiction including MELISSA
EXPLAINS IT ALL by Melissa Joan Hart and RENEWABLE by Jeremy Shere, and
worked on women’s fiction, memoir/ biography, pop culture, cookbooks,
and diet/health books. She has a M.S. in Publishing from Pace
University, and a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Russian from UMass
Boston.
Michelle is primarily seeking fiction, especially book club reads, women’s fiction, literary fiction, and mystery/suspense/thrillers. Her favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Emma Straub, Laura Lippman, Richard Russo, Tom Perrotta, and Gillian Flynn. For nonfiction, she’s interested in fashion, pop culture, science/medicine, sociology/social trends, and economics.
Alex Barba is an agent and the foreign rights contact at Inklings Literary Agency.
Alex has a background in publishing and entertainment. She came to Inklings after a stint as a literary consultant in New York City, having scouted the U.S. book market for film and TV clients and foreign publishers. Prior to that, she spent time in Los Angeles as an editor at a digital magazine, and doing story development on scripts with a literary management company.
I
represent YA fiction (because I am still a 16-year-old girl at heart).
I'm looking for grounded contemporary YA, but an extremely well-done
contemporary with fantasy or sci-fi elements will occasionally grab me.
And a clever retelling/re-spin of an old classic is always thrilling
(think Ella Enchanted, one of my favorite books ever). Cinematic
elements draw my eye, but ultimately I believe truly great stories are
built on the backs of multi-faceted, compelling characters. Some
other things I particularly love: stories about self-discovery, awesome
action sequences, interesting friendships, smart girls making bad
choices, a good love story, and darkly humorous writing with wacky plot twists.
May 15th: Before the big days arrives tweet your category and genre. Ask questions about genre if you’re unsure where your manuscript fits.
May 16th: After 8:30AM tweet when you’ve submitted your entry to our QK email. Nerves and jitters can be calmed by sharing with others. All day long tweet out what your entry Nickname is and why you chose it.
May 17th: Day 2 of submissions! Judges get fun secret names. Entrants get to create nicknames. Your poor hosts are left out. Create nicknames for Laura, Michael and Michelle! (Keep it clean. We blush easily.) And tweet your favorite comp title.
May 18th: Submission Hump Day! Tweet your main character’s name and a special tidbit about them. See what sorts of names are popular and if anyone else shares MC’s names with you.
May 19th: Tweet what you find the hardest about writing. Is it keeping out telling? Writing action scenes? What’s hard for you? Anyone have tips for making them easier?
May 20th: Last day to submit! Say hi to an entrant you’ve never talked to. Wish them luck in the slush round. If you need to let out some nerves, see if your new friend will lend an ear.
May 21st: Tweet something about how you write. Do you use music or prefer silence? Morning or late at night? We celebrate our differences.
May 22nd: Tweet us your villain’s name and something evil about them.
May 23rd: If you’re looking for some beta readers or CP, now is the time to tweet about it.
May 24th: Tweet us your favorite line from your novel. If you read any you like, favorite it. Have any favorite lines from a novel that’s not yours? Tweet those too!
May 25th: Tweet your thanks to the agents, editors, and judges of Query Kombat 2016. They’re dedicating a lot of time to help out. The least we can do is take a day to celebrate them!
May 26th: The big reveal is tomorrow! Tweet the title of a soothing song that is helping you get through the day before the picks are revealed. Hold hands and sing Kumbaya lyrics like the band of friends you’ve become. (We’ll be running around like crazy gerbils getting everything ready.)
Last but not least (and what you've all probably been waiting for), I'd like to introduce 1/3 of our list of agents of Query Kombat 2016. To meet the rest of the agents, head over to Michelle and Laura's blog.
Agents!
Clelia Gore is an Agent at Martin Literary Management. She leads the
Children's Book division, which includes Young Adult, Middle Grade,
Picture and Board Books.
It was when Clelia first read Charlotte's Web in the first grade that
she got hooked by the magic of books. Her love of children's books
carried through adulthood and she is delighted to dedicate her life to
bringing quality books and stories to young (and whimsical adult!)
readers.
Clelia is originally from New Jersey and lived in New York City for several years prior to moving to Seattle. She has a bachelor's degree in
English from Boston College. She received her J.D. from American
University, Washington College of Law and practiced law as a corporate
litigator in New York City.
In 2011, she decided to dedicate her career to books and reentered
graduate school at Emerson College. In 2013, she received her master's
degree in Publishing and Writing. While she was studying publishing and
taking creative writing courses at Emerson, Clelia worked as a managing
editorial intern in the children's book division at Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt. Clelia also honed her editorial skills as an editorial intern
at Oxford University Press. She also taught academic writing and
research courses to freshman students at Emerson College.
Clelia attends writing and publishing conferences. She also sits on the board of directors for Poetry Northwest magazine.
______________________________
My
name is Alisa Gus. My professional title is Managing Partner at
Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC, which specializes in publishing
and information technology. My skills and areas of expertise include
editing, marketing and public relations. I received my Bachelor's degree
from University of Florida. I am drawn to and passionate about
charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. My hobbies
and interests include reading. - See more at:
http://www.napw.com/users/alisa-gus#sthash.4kcnHsOd.dpuf
Alisa Gus is a professional title is Managing Partner at Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC (which specializes in publishing and information technology). Her skills and areas of expertise include editing, marketing and public relations. She received her Bachelor's degree from University of Florida. She is drawn to and passionate about charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. Her hobbies and interests include reading.______________________________
Following her completion of the Denver Publishing Institute
after graduation, Danielle Barthel began interning at Writers House. While
there, she realized she wanted to put her English degree and love of the
written word to work at a literary agency. She worked as a
full-time assistant for three years, and continues to help keep the New
Leaf offices running smoothly in her role of Coordinator of Team and
Client Services.
In her downtime, she can be found with a cup of tea, a bar of chocolate, or really good book...sometimes all together.
______________________________
Kristy Hunter joined The Knight Agency in April 2014. With a degree
in Women & Gender Studies and English Literature from Vanderbilt
University, Kristy moved to New York City immediately after graduation
to try her hand at publishing. She completed the Columbia Publishing
Course and worked in the city for several years—first at Grove/Atlantic
and then at Random House Children’s Books—before deciding it was time to
make the move back down south. She now takes advantage of her new
surroundings by being outside as much as possible with her French
bulldog, Gummi.
Kristy is currently accepting submissions from a wide variety of
genres, including women’s fiction, mystery, historical romance, romance,
young adult, and middle grade. Having spent significant time in the
south and New York City, she particularly likes books set in these
regions. She also enjoys books that feature horses, boarding schools,
sisters, and sororities—to name just a few. Her favorite books
include THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett, RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor
Towles, THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger, THE HUSBAND’S
SECRET by Liane Moriarty, I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, ANNA
AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, and WONDER by R.J. Palacio.
____________________________
With
a strong background in business ownership, Victoria A. Selvaggio comes
to The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Agent with
over 6 years of actively working as a volunteer and Regional Advisor for
SCBWI Northern Ohio. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author
writing all genres, with her most recent publication in the 2015
Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing
the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency.
Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will
resonate with her long after she’s done.
_______________________________
Mark Gottlieb’s focus on publishing
began at Emerson College, where he was a founding member of the
Publishing Club, later its President, overseeing its first publication
and establishing the Wilde Press.
After graduating with a degree in
writing, literature and publishing, Mark began his career with the Vice
President of Berkley Books (Penguin), working with leading editors.
His first position at the Trident Media
Group literary agency was in foreign rights, selling the books of
clients around the world. Mark later worked as Executive Assistant to
Robert Gottlieb, Chairman of Trident, with responsibility for
organizing/managing diverse authors and their complex business
transactions. He next assumed the position of audio rights agent. Since
Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has
more than doubled. Mark showed great initiative and insight in
identifying talented writers.
In passing the Audio Department's torch,
Mark is building his own client list of writers. He is excited to work
directly with authors, helping to manage and grow their careers with all
of the unique resources that are available to Trident. Since that time
he has ranked as high as #1 in Agents on publishersmarketplace.com in
Overall Deals. He has also ranked #1 in categories such as
Science-Fiction/Fantasy, Children's, and Graphic Novels. He has ranked
in the top five for Thriller, Mystery/Crime, Womens/Romance, Young
Adult, and certain nonfiction categories such as Pop Culture, Memoir,
How-To, and Humor.
______________________________
Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014.
She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is
actively building her list.In general, Patricia looks for stories that hook her with a unique plot, fantastic writing and complex characters that jump off the page. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction both upmarket and commercial, historical fiction set in the 20th century, and compelling plot-driven literary fiction. She’s also looking for sexy, smart adult contemporary and historical single title romance. For YA and MG, Patricia is open to a wide range of genres, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, horror, and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters, including LGBTQ, in all genres that she represents.
Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.
______________________________
Michelle is primarily seeking fiction, especially book club reads, women’s fiction, literary fiction, and mystery/suspense/thrillers. Her favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Emma Straub, Laura Lippman, Richard Russo, Tom Perrotta, and Gillian Flynn. For nonfiction, she’s interested in fashion, pop culture, science/medicine, sociology/social trends, and economics.
______________________________
Alex Barba is an agent and the foreign rights contact at Inklings Literary Agency.Alex has a background in publishing and entertainment. She came to Inklings after a stint as a literary consultant in New York City, having scouted the U.S. book market for film and TV clients and foreign publishers. Prior to that, she spent time in Los Angeles as an editor at a digital magazine, and doing story development on scripts with a literary management company.
In her own words, what she wants:
website | twitter
Lindsay Mealing is a junior agent and
assistant to Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary Agency. She joined
Mandy at D4EO as an intern in February 2015 and transitioned over to
ECLA at its launch in November 2015. Lindsay has recently started her
own list and represents Science Fiction, Fantasy and YA.
______________________________
Lindsay Mealing is a junior agent and
assistant to Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary Agency. She joined
Mandy at D4EO as an intern in February 2015 and transitioned over to
ECLA at its launch in November 2015. Lindsay has recently started her
own list and represents Science Fiction, Fantasy and YA.
Lindsay is a self-proclaimed nerd; loving
all things SFF. She is an avid gamer with a major weakness for MMOs and
has lead far too many major raid guilds over the years. In fact, she
even met her husband playing FFXI way back in the day. Though she’s been
reading SFF forever, the first one to really make her fall head over
heels, was Jacqueline Carey’s KUSHIEL’S DART. Of course nothing can beat
a first love, so this still remains Lindsay’s favorite book of all
time. She is such a fan in fact, that she had Phèdre’s marque tattooed
on her back. And like any good SFF nerd, Lindsay is also a huge fan of
pen and paper RPGs. Though they rarely have time anymore, Lindsay and
her husband used to write elaborate campaigns to play together.
Lindsay lives in a little town about 30
miles east of Seattle, in the gorgeous (-ly rainy) Pacific Northwest.
Her very busy house includes her husband, three beautiful and monsterous little girls, two dogs and two cats. She
was born in raised in Victoria, Canada until her husband whisked her
away to England where they lived for two years. Growing up Lindsay was a
horse freak, and is constantly correcting her husband on all things
horses in his fantasy novels.
My
name is Alisa Gus. My professional title is Managing Partner at
Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC, which specializes in publishing
and information technology. My skills and areas of expertise include
editing, marketing and public relations. I received my Bachelor's degree
from University of Florida. I am drawn to and passionate about
charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. My hobbies
and interests include reading. - See more at:
http://www.napw.com/users/alisa-gus#sthash.4kcnHsOd.dpufMy name is Alisa Gus. My professional title is Managing Partner at Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC, which specializes in publishing and information technology. My skills and areas of expertise include editing, marketing and public relations. I received my Bachelor's degree from University of Florida. I am drawn to and passionate about charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. My hobbies and interests include reading. - See more at: http://www.napw.com/users/alisa-gus#sthash.4kcnHsOd.dpuf
My
name is Alisa Gus. My professional title is Managing Partner at
Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC, which specializes in publishing
and information technology. My skills and areas of expertise include
editing, marketing and public relations. I received my Bachelor's degree
from University of Florida. I am drawn to and passionate about
charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. My hobbies
and interests include reading. - See more at:
http://www.napw.com/users/alisa-gus#sthash.4kcnHsOd.dpuf
My
name is Alisa Gus. My professional title is Managing Partner at
Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC, which specializes in publishing
and information technology. My skills and areas of expertise include
editing, marketing and public relations. I received my Bachelor's degree
from University of Florida. I am drawn to and passionate about
charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. My hobbies
and interests include reading. - See more at:
http://www.napw.com/users/alisa-gus#sthash.4kcnHsOd.dpuf
My
name is Alisa Gus. My professional title is Managing Partner at
Curiosity Quills Press and Whampa LLC, which specializes in publishing
and information technology. My skills and areas of expertise include
editing, marketing and public relations. I received my Bachelor's degree
from University of Florida. I am drawn to and passionate about
charitable organizations such as animal rescues and shelters. My hobbies
and interests include reading. - See more at:
http://www.napw.com/users/alisa-gus#sthash.4kcnHsOd.dpuf
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