After she was dropped by her agent, Alex Aster turned to a books-obsessed corner of TikTok to gauge interest in her YA novel … and now Lightlark is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the yearHaving finally published her first novel, Alex Aster was feeling disheartened. The book had tanked during the pandemic and she had been dropped by her literary agent. Then, on 13 March 2021, she decided to take to TikTok, asking her followers if they would: “read a book about a cursed island that only appears once every 100 years to host a game that gives the six rulers of the realm a chance to break their curses.” One of the rulers must die, the short video revealed, “even as love complicates everything” for the heroine, Isla Crown.Aster didn’t expect much, especially when she checked in a few hours later to see that her post had only clocked up about 1,000 views. Maybe the books world was right, she thought. Maybe there wasn’t a market for Lightlark, a young adult story she had been writing and rewriting for years, to no interest from publishers. The next day, however, she woke up to see her video had been viewed more than a million times. A week later, Lightlark had gone to auction and she had a six-figure deal with Amulet Books. Last month, Universal preemptively bought the film rights for, in her words, “more zeros than I’ve seen in my life”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-16 13:32:30 UTC ]
In this episode of "Writer's Digest Presents," literary agent Jessica Berg helps us write fiction based on our lives. The post Writing Fiction Based On Your Life: A Chat With Jessica Berg appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-20 18:00:00 UTC ]
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If you loved Tia Williams' SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE, catch up with one of its characters in this fun, sweet, and thought-provoking YA romance. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-19 13:30:00 UTC ]
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This smart new YA novel tackles growing up on reality TV in the spotlight and will tide you over until the next season of XO, Kitty, too. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-16 12:30:00 UTC ]
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After nearly 50 years in the book business—as a literary agent, book publisher, market researcher, and journalist—Jo Henry has stepped down as managing director of the U.K. publishing newsletter BookBrunch, a role she has held since 2018. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Alyssa Reynoso-Morris breaks down the process of crafting picture books and then landing a literary agent for your project. The post Picturing Success: A Guide to Crafting Picture Books and Landing Agents appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-15 16:44:36 UTC ]
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Literary agent alerts (this one features Jess Gilbert of D4EO) are great opportunities for writers because each agent is building their list. The post New Agent Alert: Jess Gilbert of D4EO appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-14 19:36:10 UTC ]
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Literary agent for children's book authors Mary Cummings explains the biggest mistake she sees in picture book pitches—and how you can avoid making that mistake. The post Picture Book or Short Story? Which is it? appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-03 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Sometimes, it can be hard to know exactly what a literary agent is looking for. Other times, they just come out and tell you, via a “Manuscript Wish List” (#MSWL). These can be both helpful and oddly specific. The following is a quiz: some of these are real #MSWL requests, posted by agents and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-04-18 15:46:06 UTC ]
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E. Lockhart’s 2014 YA novel We Were Liars has been a BookTok favorite since the dawn of BookTok. Over 10 ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-02-20 13:00:00 UTC ]
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John Taylor “Ike” Williams, the longtime literary agent and intellectual property and media and entertainment lawyer, died at his home in Cambridge, Mass., on Dec. 26. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Since 1985, literary agent Richard Curtis has irregularly chronicled the state of trade book publishing in verse in the pages of 'Publishers Weekly.' In honor of his final year-end poem, we've republished them all here. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Here are this year's finalists for the best debut YA novel and best YA nonfiction of the year, as selected by librarians. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-12-09 13:23:56 UTC ]
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Some time ago–a decade at least, but it feels longer–a literary agent read a manuscript that I’d written and told me that she loved it, loved my style, but the book felt too calculated, too much like a math problem. It didn’t lack heart per se, she said, but it felt too much like a […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-11-18 09:55:11 UTC ]
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Betsy Lerner has spent decades in the publishing industry. Writing her first novel, “Shred Sisters,” unlocked a completely new side to her creativity. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-10-01 19:20:03 UTC ]
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What happens when you wish upon a pawn shop ring and everything you thought you wanted ends up being a nightmare? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-09-13 16:00:00 UTC ]
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From fairy porn to romantasy via the Omegaverse, publishing is sexier than ever. The reason? A big shift in gen Z and millennial attitudes to respectability and shame ...I spent a fortnight reading nothing but smut and I don’t need to give you a reason. But since there is one, here it is:... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-08-06 04:00:33 UTC ]
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An adaptation of Holly Jackson’s bestselling YA novel 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' made its U.S. debut on Netflix on August 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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