Sutherland-Hawes leaves Madeleine Milburn to launch own agency
thebookseller.com – Tuesday September 8, 2020
Children's and YA agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes has left Madeleine Milburn Agency to launch her own agency, ASH Literary.
The new venture will focus on the children's market, representing both authors and illustrators.
Sutherland-Hawes said the majority of her clients would be following her to the agency, including twice Kate Greenaway Medal-shortlisted Poonam Mistry, debut authors Kereen Getten and Namina Forna, and illustrator of I Am Brown (Lantana), Sandhya Prabhat.
The agency will be represented for translation rights by ILA.
New Literary Agent Listing: Michelle Brower
firstwriter.com – Tuesday September 8, 2020
Represents fiction and narrative nonfiction. Her interests include book club fiction (a commercial concept with a literary execution), literary fiction (including with an element of genre), and smart women’s fiction. She also represents select young adult, middle grade, and memoir projects.
How did you get your first job in feature writing?
journalism.co.uk – Monday September 7, 2020
If the thought of job hunting straight out of university seemed daunting before, spare a thought for this year's graduates doing so in the midst of a global pandemic.
But all hope is not lost. Many graduates are still getting their big breaks, and one of those is Nicole Baddeley, who graduated this May from Bournemouth University with a bachelors degree in Multimedia Journalism.
She is now a digital trends and feature writer for Newsquest, the second largest regional and local newspaper publisher in the UK. She writes general and evergreen news stories on trending digital topics for the publisher's local websites in the South of England and Wales.
Baddeley spoke to Journalism.co.uk and offered her best tips to job seekers hoping to crack the current market.
New Publisher Listing: City Limits Publishing
firstwriter.com – Monday September 7, 2020
A Tennessee-based publishing company that helps authors find voice, develop writing and storytelling abilities, and publish works.
Why U.K. Publishers Released 600 Books in a Single Day
smithsonianmag.com – Sunday September 6, 2020
Yesterday, book publishers across the United Kingdom raced to release almost 600 books in a single day. Known within the industry as “Super Thursday,” the massive push was planned in response to a growing backlog of titles that were supposed to be released throughout the spring and summer but, like many events this year, were delayed by Covid-19.
Thanks to the pandemic, the majority of book festivals and literary events planned for this spring and summer ended up canceled. Bookstores around the world have also shuttered due to lack of business: This April, reports Alexandra Alter for the New York Times, bookstore sales in the United States dropped more than 65 percent versus April 2019.
Virtual writing workshop with poet, essayist Linda Buckmaster
penbaypilot.com – Sunday September 6, 2020
The Belfast Free Library offers a two session virtual writing workshop “Place is Your Portal...to Writing” on Thursdays, October 1 and 8, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Poet and essayist Linda Buckmaster will lead the workshops on the library’s zoom account.
The workshops are free and open to all.
This will be a user-friendly workshop for anyone of any writing experience (or not). All genres welcome – fiction, poetry, essay, memoir, or something in between. Participants will use writing prompts, exploration of their surroundings, personal memory, and discussion to create new writing that captures a place and lets people tap into themselves.
#PitMad Gives Unsigned Authors a Chance to Find a Literary Agent
distractify.com – Friday September 4, 2020
If you're a writer, you know the process of taking your dream of writing a book and making it a reality is not an easy road. While you may have spent countless hours on a manuscript or nonfiction proposal, getting it in the hands of an agent who is the right fit can be one of the hardest parts of the process.
Of course, you can always pitch literary agents the traditional way by sending query letters, though if that's still left your manuscript unsigned, then participating in PitMad might be your next move.
What is PitMad, and how do you submit your manuscript?
New Publisher Imprint Listing: Charlesbridge Teen
firstwriter.com – Thursday September 3, 2020
Features storytelling that presents new ideas and an evolving world. Our carefully curated stories give voice to unforgettable characters with unique perspectives. We publish books that inspire teens to cheer or sigh, laugh or reflect, reread or share with a friend, and ultimately, pick up another book. Our mission - to make reading irresistible!
Hachette UK Buys Laurence King Publishing
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday September 2, 2020
Laurence King Publishing (LKP) has been acquired by fellow U.K.-based publisher Hachette UK in a deal signed August 31. No price was disclosed.
Founded in London in 1991, LKP, which is currently distributed in the U.S. by Chronicle Books, has focused on publishing books and gifts tied to the creative arts. It is likely best known as one on the creators of the adult coloring format and was the original publisher of adult coloring book queen Johanna Basford. Her Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest adult coloring books sold more than 16 million copies globally and were a huge hit in the U.S. In recent years, LKP has become well-known for its gift products.
Why are cliches in writing so bad?
authorlink.com – Tuesday September 1, 2020
Writing is a craft that requires constant improvement, whether you are a beginner working to develop their first story or a seasoned author with many accomplishments under their belt.
Among other aspects, writing without cliches is one of the vital skills prospective essayists and novelists have to master before they start to consider publishing their works. If you’re struggling with this challenge and feel insecure about your texts, you can easily avoid cliches in writing in 6 simple and actionable steps.
But first, let’s talk about what cliches are, why you should steer away from them, and which ones are the most common (and, therefore, the ones you should be on the lookout for the most).
Why are cliches in writing so bad?
Cliché (past passive participle form of the French word clicher, referring to a stereotype) is a word or a phrase used so often in writing and speech that they’re no longer appealing or effective.
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