Submissions are now open for the 2020 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
qmul.ac.uk – Thursday January 16, 2020
From 15 January to 1 June 2020, the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize will be receiving submissions from around the world. The competition is open to any writers who have not yet published a book-length work in their chosen genre, regardless of age, gender, nationality, or background. The grand prize of £1,000 is available in each category: Fiction, Life Writing, and Poetry.
In addition to the cash prize, winners and shortlisted writers may be eligible for a Chapter and Verse Award, courtesy of The Literary Consultancy, worth £2,000, or Free Reads mentoring, to support them as they grow their writing careers.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday January 16, 2020
Publishes: Fiction;
Areas include: Mystery; Suspense;
Markets: Adult
Publishes mystery and suspense novels only. Accepts approaches via post or email. See website for full submission guidelines.
Children/YA Sales Rose, Adult Sales Fell in October
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday January 15, 2020
Sales in the children/young adult category jumped 20.9% in October over October 2018, according to the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program. The increase was led by the performance of Wrecking Ball, which helped lift sales of hardcovers, where sales rose 29.3% over October 2018. Sales of paperbacks increased 21.7%. For the first 10 months of 2019, sales in the children/young adult segment were up 9.9% over the comparable period of 2018.
Sales of adult books did not perform nearly as well as children/young adult. In October, sales fell 3.7% as sales of all formats except trade paperback (up 3.2%) and downloadable audio (ahead 16.3%) fell. The mass market paperback category had a particularly bad month, with sales tumbling 38% compared to October 2018.
Rebus author Ian Rankin to chair this year's Harrogate crime writing festival
yorkpress.co.uk – Tuesday January 14, 2020
Ian Rankin, best-selling author of the Inspector Rebus novels, has been unveiled as the chair of this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.
The author, who has sold more than 20 million books, has been charged with pulling together a “most wanted” list of guest authors and speakers to headline the four-day event at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel from July 23-26.
Helen Donkin, the Harrogate International Festivals Literature Festival Manager, said: “Ian has been one of the crime writing festival’s greatest supporters and we are delighted that he has agreed to become the 2020 Programming Chair."
New Literary Agent Listing: Jordan Lees
firstwriter.com – Tuesday January 14, 2020
Represents crime and thrillers of all stripes (whether commercial or more literary), including speculative thrillers; literary fiction; true crime and smart non-fiction. Particularly drawn to writing with a real sense of atmosphere and has a soft spot for anything dark and strange.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday January 13, 2020
Publishes: Poetry;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Submit 1-3 poems through online submission system. Accepts previously published poems and simultaneous submissions. Include short bio.
5 Advantages of Publishing Your Work as an eBook
goodereader.com – Saturday January 11, 2020
A lot of authors are shy when it comes to the idea of publishing their work as an eBook. There’s something nostalgic about a print book – for some people it’s the smell of paper, for some people it’s just nice to mark their progress with the turn of each page.
Even so, eBooks are rapidly becoming more popular as a form of self-publishing. There are numerous advantages to publishing digitally rather than in print, and a few of these are outlined below.
New Literary Agent Listing: Felicity Blunt
firstwriter.com – Friday January 10, 2020
"Most simply put I am looking for good stories, compellingly told. The books on my list have one thing in common, the combination of a distinctive voice and a great narrative."
Tyler Perry slammed by fans after admitting he has no writer’s room
pagesix.com – Thursday January 9, 2020
It ain’t easy being Madea.
Tyler Perry admitted this week that he’s written several of his plays, films and television shows solo, apparently hoping to inspire others with his work ethic. Many fans missed that sentiment, however, and called out the studio owner for not hiring writers.
“So, I don’t know if you know, this but all shows on television have a writer’s room,” Perry, 50, said in an Instagram clip Monday. “Most of the time, they’re 10 people, 12, whatever, that write on these television shows. Well, I have no writer’s room. Nobody writes any of my work. I write it all. Why am I telling [you] this? I wrote all of these scripts by myself in 2019. What’s my point? Work ethic!”
But rather than be inspired, many of Perry’s followers took issue with what they saw as his refusal to employ writers who could bring fresh perspectives to his work.
Abrams Agency Announces A Spate Of New Promotions, Including Amanda Marzolf, James Murray, And Max Grossman To Partner
celebrityaccess.com – Wednesday January 8, 2020
Abrams Artists Agency announced it is starting the new year with a round of promotions at the company that include upping three to partner, six to senior agent, and the minting three new agents.
The Los Angeles-based Amanda Marzolf has been upped to partner in Abrams alternative programming, digital media, licensing & branding division. Since joining Abrams in 2014, Marzolf has focused on the development of social media/digital personalities and spearheaded the agency’s podcasting business.
Longtime Abrams agent James Murray has taken on the title of partner within the voice-over division. Since he joined Abrams in 2008, Murray has worked across commercial, television, feature animation, interactive, promos, and narration, including representing talent in hit television shows and feature films.
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