Writers' Newsletter
Issue #278
May 2026
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New UK Literary Agency Selby Howard Sets Out Its Editorial Mission
firstwriter.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The launch of the Selby Howard Literary Agency marks the arrival of a new, deliberately boutique presence in the publishing landscape – one built on editorial depth, long‑term author development, and a clear commitment to championing distinctive voices across fiction and nonfiction.
A new agency with an old‑school ethos
Selby Howard enters the industry at a moment when writers are seeking more attentive, strategically minded representation. Rather than chasing scale, the agency positions itself around a traditional, hands‑on model: careful list curation, close editorial collaboration, and a belief that a strong author–agent partnership is the foundation of a sustainable writing career.
Its launch statement emphasises a focus on craft, clarity of vision, and the kind of tailored advocacy that can be difficult to find in larger, high‑volume agencies. The agency aims to work with writers at all stages – debut authors looking for guidance, mid‑career writers seeking renewed direction, and established names wanting a more personal approach.
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News |
Some of this month's news for writers from around the web.
Call for Submissions | Iska Press and Iskanchi Magazine Want Your Unruly African Writing
brittlepaper.com – Thursday May 14, 2026
Iska Press, the Utah-based independent publisher that describes itself as a home for “unruly African literature”, is currently open for submissions on two fronts, and African writers working in English or in translation should take note.
Iskanchi Magazine, the press’s literary journal, publishes short, original, irreverent, disobedient, and experimental work, writing that pushes the boundaries of experimental fiction in both content and form. The Summer Issue is currently open, with a deadline of 30 May. Subsequent submission periods open in August for the Fall Issue and January for the Spring Issue.
Writers' Handbook 2027 - Out Now!
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Authors Guild Issues Updated AI Best Practices for Writers
publishersweekly.com – Tuesday May 12, 2026
As questions continue to swirl around how to ethically and legally use AI in the writing and publishing of books, the Authors Guild has updated its guidance to help authors better navigate the changing landscape.
The revised guidelines feature two new sections that break down the specific legal and professional risks writers should be aware of when using AI tools, along with a framework for understanding that not all AI use raises the same concerns, according to the announcement released by the Guild.
The Guild first published best practices for AI use by writers in February 2024. The newly updated best practices—the result of conversations with many writers and deliberations by the Authors Guild Council—"seek to add some context and clarity around the best practices and are provided in response to the many inquiries we have received around AI issues,” the Guild writes in its "AI Best Practices for Writers" advisory, adding “these are guidelines, not rules.”
The revised guidelines are broken down into four short sections: Guiding Principles; Risks to Be Aware of When Using AI; Categories of Use; and Recommended Best Practices.
The Periodical, NYC-Based Art and Literary Magazine, Launches
openpr.com – Monday May 11, 2026
The Periodical is a non-profit publisher and magazine dedicated to creative writing, criticism, and conversation about literature and the arts, including poetry, fiction, theatre, music, photography, film, and new media. Each issue brings together new writing and portfolios on the past, present, and future of artistic expression. Based in New York City, the magazine was founded in late 2025 by its editors Margarida Assis, Lachlan Brooks, Geoffrey Lokke, Eduardo Pavez, and Ali Yalgin. The magazine will publish its inaugural print issue in 2027. Preorders and annual print subscriptions can be purchased on the magazine's website, theperiodical.org. Readers can also support the non-profit through Patreon-paid subscribers will have access to the magazine's exclusive digital-only content including weekly reviews, essays, and recommendations.
Literature and Translation
The magazine's founding editors first met in graduate school at Columbia University and bring their diverse interests, experience, and expertise to the publication. Lachlan Brooks, an actor and poet, is the magazine's poetry and fiction editor. "My taste as a reader is eclectic: I gravitate toward poems and stories that use language in surprising ways, and will as happily read an experimental, avant-garde work as a conventional one. E. M. Forster, Machado de Assis, Daniil Kharms, and Anne Carson are equally welcome on my bedside table, and may be happy antidotes to one another." According to Brooks, the simple pleasure of reading is still the be-all and the end-all, whether it comes from a work's emotional effect, or (conversely) its undercutting of an emotional effect, its edifying power, "or simply the remarkable feeling I sometimes get that an author is enlightening me. The poetry and short fiction section of The Periodical magazine will have room for new works in the modern and postmodern traditions and works that cleave to traditional forms, as well as writing that forges its own path."
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Listings |
A selection of the new listings added to firstwriter.com this month.
New Magazine Listing: Grande Dame Literary & Art Journal
firstwriter.com – Tuesday April 28, 2026
Online journal dedicated to supporting women writers and artists. Writers from every corner of the world, range from emerging voices to self-published novelists to award-winning, traditionally published authors. Our contributors span generations, from teens to writers in their nineties. We believe every woman is a self-defined Grande Dame, and that spirit is what guides our publication.
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New Literary Agent Listing: Natalie Rosselli
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 13, 2026
Handles adult fiction, seeking romance, romantasy, and women’s fiction. Interested in historical and contemporary romance, romcom, western, fantasy, and gothic work, with an emphasis on strong tropes and high emotional stakes. Looks for romantasy with balanced world-building and love stories, including elemental magic and gothic elements. In women’s fiction, seeks emotionally rich narratives exploring friendship, coming of age, and mother‑daughter relationships.
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New Publisher Listing: Curiosity Unlocked Books
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 12, 2026
Publishes curiosity‑driven books for children from birth to twelve, including concept‑based board book series, picture books ranging from realistic stories to fantasy, historical themes, biographies, humorous texts, poetry, informational titles, and wordless narratives. Also publishes early chapter books for developing readers, middle grade novels across genres such as realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, historical stories, mystery, humor, and horror, as well as high‑interest nonfiction designed to inspire engagement and exploration. Seeks math‑themed fiction, social studies fiction, and STEAM‑focused stories that introduce ideas through character and plot rather than formal instruction. Also publishes seasonal fiction and nonfiction. Does not handle academic textbooks, curriculum‑driven material, didactic stories, YA, or adult manuscripts.
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| Click here for more of this month's new listings > |
Articles |
Some of this month's articles for writers from around the web.
'I'm a literary agent - here's what makes me sign a writer instantly and what most authors actually earn'
news.sky.com – Monday May 11, 2026
Want to make it as an author? Or to choose their fate? The Money team spoke with an agent about what makes a good literary submission, the pitching mistake many authors make, and what she finds "offensive" about the industry for our regular careers feature.
If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each week, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like. Today we speak to literary agent Maddalena Cavaciuti, from David Higham Associates (DHA)...
A literary agent might start on a salary... between £30,000 and £40,000 if they're building a list from scratch. As agents build a successful and reliable client list that could comfortably rise to a six-figure salary, including bonuses and/or commission. It's worth noting, though, that some agencies don't pay salaries at all - some agents are paid on a commission share only.
How to Publish a Book With the Big 5: 6 Experts Weigh in
pen.org – Friday May 8, 2026
Daunted by the publishing world and how to navigate it? You’ve come to the right blog post.
To unravel insider secrets on how to be published with the Big Five, PEN America hosted a panel discussion where award-winning author Susan Shapiro spoke with six industry experts. Audience members heard helpful tidbits from Johanna V. Castillo, a literary agent at Writers House, Eamon Dolan, an author and editor at Simon & Schuster, Deborah Garrison, a poet and editor at Penguin Random House, Clarence A. Haynes, an author and freelance editor, Emi Ikkanda, an author and editor at Penguin Random House, and Kevin Nguyen, an author and editor at The Verge.
If you couldn’t make the event, hosted at the family-owned independent bookstore P&T Knitwear, here are five takeaways:
Consider starting small.
To kick off the conversation, Shapiro shared one of the lines she frequently tells her students looking to publish books in any genre: “Three pages can change your life.” “Say somebody has an idea, even for a book, I always think it’s a million times easier to write a great three pages and publish that than 300,” she said.
Back when Garrison worked at The New Yorker, the pieces she pulled from the slush pile — written by authors whom “nobody had ever heard of” — would become projects that would be nominated for prizes like National Book Award, she said.
Why Writing Stories For Children is So Much Harder Than Writing Stories For Adults
lithub.com – Thursday May 7, 2026
A few years ago, my longtime children’s book editor rejected my idea for a new middle grade novel. The rejection hit me hard – the story, of the daughter of a celebrity chef who moves to a small town after being adopted by her older brother, was really tugging at my heartstrings. But the editor’s rejection was swift and brutal; there was no version of this manuscript she was going to accept.
Some stories plant deep in your creative brain and come out through songs heard on the radio and random daydreams in the shower. They will not, simply, leave you alone. It occurred to me that the story would actually be much more interesting from the perspectives of the daughter’s brother and one of the elderly women who lived in the town. I wrote the first chapter longhand on a boat and dashed it off to my agent, who confidently told me he could sell it. He did, and so began a brand-new chapter of my career.
Since the publication of that book (The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County), I’ve written another novel for adults (The Supper Club Saints) and a handful of additional middle grade novels. I’ve continued to carve out a career path in both age groups by the skin of my teeth, somehow finding myself writing for two very different audiences.
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