#Pitmad is TODAY!

#Pitmad is today! Pitch your books to agents on the #Pitmad hashtag on Twitter! If they favorite your tweet pitch, you get to send your stories their way for REAL.

This is an awesome opportunity. Read about it here.

Update: Calls from Tumblr (with Links)

From Hali Baumstein, Editorial assistant at Bloomsbury Children's Books: MG or YA high fantasy with an unconventional world as backdrop, i.e., not a medieval European/monarchy type setting. @halibaumstein   (Hey, this sounds like what I'm writing. Why am I posting this for you? I guess I love my co-writers! Blessings!)

Kara Leigh Miller (author & managing editor, @anaiahpress) says: YA, NA, or adult MSs that are Christian friendly. I have a soft spot for romantic suspense. Surprise me with your brilliance! 

Agent Carly Watters (side note: I just love her name) wants Coming of age stories like Age of Miracles, Arcadia or The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. Use setting to bring story to life. @carlywatters 

Peter Knapp (No one mention he's a cutie. Come on, People. We're professionals.) says: MSs w/ magical perspectives, but it’s more about the way the character sees the world than whether it’s real or not.     He also says: a high-concept book that starts in our contemporary, recognizable world and then unravels it with a fantastical twist. Think AS King.  @petejknapp    A blog post here: http://www.wovenmyst.com  /  An interview here.  /  http://www.writersdigest.com (no age range given)

Jessica Schmeidler says: Historical NF regarding the spiritual and physical journeys of American settlers in the 1800s.  @thewriteshadow   Also says: Clean, contemporary MG with horses (preferably rescue horses) about faith, spirit, and family. Also wants: Pioneer-driven MG with a strong female lead. And: Anything with a strong connection to Ireland or cable-knit sweaters. ;-) (Must be clean and suitable for Christian audience.)

Melissa Jeglinski says: In Middle Grade: more realism, less fantasy and adventure. MC overcoming real issues, diversification. Contemporary or historical. @mjeglinski   /  Interview  /  Another Interview

Agent Dawn Dowdle is now accepting some MG (contemporary, mystery & Time Travel). @blueridgeagency

FINALLY, A Picture Book request! Clare Wallace says: picture books: funny, thoughtful, silly, sweet. One word can mean a thousand. @cpwally

Emily S. Keyes: quirky, realistic middle grade. No scavenger hunts. @esc_key  

writersdigest

More great lead tips!

If you write MG, you don't want to miss the Middle-Grade Madness with Agent Terie Wolf and Author Sharon Mayhew. Check out Sharon's blog for details: http://skmayhew.blogspot.com/2014/03/mid-grade-madness-contest-detail-with.html (Terrie is hosting/hosted a Q&A session today. If you missed it, it MIGHT be available afterward. IDK, yet. Try this link:  https://plus.google.com/events/c387bv0v2efschvfi13cv4mgebg Maybe it will be listed later?) 

Also, you can view a boat-load of calls for all genres in Tumblr. Follow the #mswl ("manuscript wish list" from agents and editors) When we can, we track down the contact info for each call and post it here. More coming soon.

PG, MG wants and contest info

Logline Contest from Agent Linda Epstein & Intern http://theblabbermouthblog.com/2014/02/24/2410/

@evanjgregory Any contemporary, non-fantasy MG about a lonely kid who’s capable and compassionate, and looking for a place to belong. http://ethanellenberg.com/  info from: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/evan-gregory 

Bree Ogden says she wants "Highly artistic picture books (high brow art, think Varmints) http://agentbree.wordpress.com/about-bree-ogden 

Terrie Wolf says "Across the board, I like multi-generational, multi-cultural (if we’re honest enough to call it that), real stories of lives touched." Find Terrie at Twitter @aka_terrie http://www.akaliteraryllc.com

Jordan Hamessley ONLY TAKING AGENTED SUBMISSIONS (editor at http://www.egmontusa.com/; Twitter: @thejordache) posted: "My fiction list is currently overflowing, but I would love some quirky middle grade non-fiction (pop science) to land on my desk." (Found at http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/jordan-hamessley) 

Eddie Schneider says: Here’s something I’d really like more of: More upmarket MG; it doesn’t all have to be quirky and excessively spunky!  Twitter: @eddieschneider     http://eddieschneider.com/

Contest from a writer: http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/p/contest.html Win a critique from Christie Wright Wild (Thanks to Jackie Wellington for sharing the contest information.  Jackie's site: http://iwritepicturebooks.wordpress.com/ ) 

Linda Epstein has recently opened her doors to picture books. This post tells what she is seeking: http://theblabbermouthblog.com/2014/02/17/what-im-currently-looking-for/

New Middle Grade and Picture Book Calls

IMPORTANT NOTE: CHECK EDITOR GUIDELINES TO SEE WHO IS OPEN TO UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS. GO BY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, ONLY.

Mary Kate Castellani (Senior Editor at Bloomsbury; Facebook: www.facebook.com/marykate.castellani; Twitter: @MKCastellani) wants character-driven middle-grade. She'd "love to see a character just starting to find his or her way in the world, regardless of genre."
In picture books, she'd "love quirky, funny, wholly unique picture books. Ones that leave lots of room for illustrations."

Danielle M. Smith (Literary agent,http://forewordliterary.com/foreword/danielle-smith/) seeks author/illustrators w/unique PBs and/or MGs. Illustrators she loves: Jon Klassen, Allison Jay, Marla Frazer, Molly Idle, and Sophie Blackall. Also "MG novels that make me sob...or have me laughing hysterically" for hours/days with strong voice and characters.

Michelle Witte (http://michellewittebooks.com/; Twitter: @michellewitte) wants children's narrative nonfiction, and magical realism in MG. She is currently re-open to slush.

Roseanne Wells (http://www.jdlit.com/; Twitter: @RivetingRosie) wants MG with driving characters/voice. Also smart girls doing unexpected things.

Kristin Daly Rens (Editor: PBs&MG at Balzer + Bray; Twitter: @Kristin_rens) wants epic fantasy MG.

Rena Bunder Rosser (Literary/Foreign Rights Agent at Deborah Harris Agency; Twitter: @skyhorsepub) wants magical realism in the Middle East with "deserts and shuks...camels", etc. MG




Disclosure: the "wants" were taken from a public Tumbler feed. Requests for materials other than PBs/MG were excluded. Links came from my own online research.

An Opportunity THIS SATURDAY! Feb 15, 2014

THIS SATURDAY, February 15th, 2014 - Erzsi Deak is having a "Coop Day"! This is a chance to submit your Middle-Grade Novel to an agent who is normally closed to submissions! It will run from 12:00 to 24:00 FRENCH TIME. You can check it out here: www.henandink.com/news.html (This news was brought to you by the letters P & Q...oops, I mean, it was passed on by the lovely Alayne Kay Christian alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com. Thanks, Alayne!) 

Also, I noticed an older twitter post from Terrie Wolf stating that she would love to have a picture book about the Beatles. Terrie Wolf can be found at http://www.akaliteraryllc.com Her twitter handle is @AKA_Terrie.