One Piece

Here are two new agents actively building their client lists. Kerry D’Agostino is at Curtis Brown, Ltd., an established agency in NYC. She is interested in a wide range of literary and commercial fiction, as well as narrative nonfiction and memoir. Lydia Shamah of another established agency, Carol Mann, is seeking adult, young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as nonfiction projects in the areas of self-improvement, lifestyle, relationships and business. Kerry D’Agostino of Curtis Brown, Ltd . About Kerry : Kerry started working at Curtis Brown, Ltd . in 2011 as assistant to Tim Knowlton and Holly Frederick in the Film and Television Department. Before Curtis Brown, she received her certificate in publishing from the Columbia Publishing Course, her masters in Art in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her bachelors from Bowdoin College. Follow her on Twitter: @dagostino_kerry What she is seeking : Kerry is interested in a wide range of literary and commercia...

Neil Gaiman always has good advice for writers, including how to overcome writers' block. While Gaiman is specifically talking about how he approaches writing, all of these observations are applicable to any writer, regardless of their medium. Here are some of his major points: 1) " Your first draft doesn't count ." This is probably the most important piece of writing advice you will ever get, not only because it will free you to face the terror of a blank page, but because it is the truth. Aside from you, nobody will ever see your first draft, because you will never show it to anybody . In the euphoria of having finished your novel, or short story, you may be tempted to submit it to publishers, agents, friends - DON'T DO IT! Instead, let it pumpkinate. Put it away, and come back to it after you are well into another project. Otherwise, you will never see the mistakes you have made - but everyone else will. 2) " Write even when you are not inspired ." G...

Here are 10 great contests with deadlines in the month of April. (Some of these are annual events, so if you miss your perfect contest this year, you'll have another chance.)  If I had to pick a favorite, I think it would be Wergle Flomp. I don't write humorous, or any other kind of poetry. But you gotta love that name! ____________________ Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest . Now in its 14th year, this contest seeks today's best humor poems, published and unpublished. Please enter one poem only.  Prize : $2000, Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each, and publication on Winning Writers.  Deadline : April 1, 2015.  Submission form   HERE . Descant: Fort Worth's Journal of Poetry & Fiction  is published by the English Department of Texas Christian University. The Journal accepts submissions from Sept 1 - April 1.  Prize : $500 in each category (poetry and short fiction) for the best poem or short story published in Descant.  Deadlin...

Blood on the sidewalk. An honors student tackled by cops on a still street corner. His head bashed (again and again) against the Virginia pavement until his face unsheathes bloody ripenings harvests of teeth and skull howling the question (again and again) 'how did this happen? How did this happen,’ to swarming cops who can't even a muster a modicum of ersatz indignation. Whispered defenses and sulking slouch (again and again) while prostrate Black bodies lay limp in injured, motionless 'resistance.'

Next month's writers conferences are coming up fast. There is something for everybody this month: conferences for undergrads, journalists, novelists, graphic novelists, poets, screenwriters ... you name it. Several state, regional, and national writers organizations are hosting conferences in April across the nation, featuring impressive rosters of authors, agents, publicists, and editors. Registration is still open for all of these conferences. You can see their full schedule of events by clicking on the links. ____________________ 30th Annual National Undergraduate Literature Conference , Apr 1 - 4, 2015, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. "Each year, nearly 200 undergraduate writers and poets throughout North America, and sometimes beyond, come to Weber State University to present their work and learn from some of the most important writers in contemporary literature." Focus: Autobiography/Memoir, Non-fiction, Publishing. Faculty: Booker Award winning author Michael On...

Two weeks ago a former MFA professor named Ryan Boudinot published what can only be called a diatribe about MFA programs in a Seattle alternative paper. The article, in which Boudinot skewers the majority of students who enter MFA programs - and more specifically his own students - drew not only 211 irate comments, but a counter article from one of his students pithily entitled " I Was the MFA Student Who Made Ryan Boudinot Cry: A Response to the Insensitive, Shit-Stirring Rant That Made a Lot of People—Including Me—So Mad. " Having never taught in a graduate writing program, I can't comment on what they do, or don't, accomplish. However, having taught in a number of other disciplines - artistic and academic -  I can address some of Boudinot's academic requirements for success in the arts. 1) Talent, as Boudinot says, is required to be a good artist - of any type. No matter how many years of training you have under your belt, if you don't have that ineffable q...

"At the end of the day good looks fade, but smarts last a lifetime," as my American as apple pie Mom sets the dessert on the window sill. "A stitch in time saves 9 but the early bird catches the worm so get up, get out, get into, get involved. "Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud of flower power as we make love not war. "There's no use crying over spilled milk but dead men don't cry. They don't tell any stories either. "If you follow the money and put it away for a rainy day of watching pennies, so the dollars make sense. "Fight the power and the man will always trying to keep you down. "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fi-yah as #blacklivesmatter. But I can't breathe as these Nazi stormtroopers jackboot thugs trample on my freedoms, it's my right as an American to stay suited, booted, and ready to get executed.

Terry Pratchett, April 2, 1948 – March 12, 2015 Terry Pratchett is dead at the age of 66. He produced 60 books, and was the fourth most read author in the UK (seventh in the US). But even with his long career, (celebrated with a knighthood), Terry Pratchett did not produce enough. His dry wit, sharp observations, and unerring eye for the ludicrous were qualities that made his work addictive. No matter how many books he wrote, we would never be satisfied. It is all the more tragic that he was taken before his time. The last few years of Terry Pratchett's life were marred by the decline brought on by a rare form of Alzheimer's disease, posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). He could no longer read, although he still wrote. He could not speak in public, but had to rely on others to speak for him. His brain fooled him time and again. Yet, he had the inner strength of a writer for whom Death always figured as a prominent character. Terry Pratchett was a man who did not shy away from the ...

Here are two agents actively looking to expand their client list. Cara Mannion of Harold Ober Associates  is looking for YA and adult commercial fiction, including romance (and all its subgenres), historical fiction, women’s fiction, paranormal, science fiction, horror, mysteries and thrillers, as well as nonfiction biography. ( NOTE: Cara is no longer an agent. ) Stephanie Delman of Trellis Literary is looking for literary fiction, historical/book club fiction featuring stories that haven’t been told, upmarket women’s fiction, and smart psychological thrillers/suspense, as well as nonfiction pop culture, narrative memoirs, and blog-to-book projects. ____________________ Cara Mannion of Harold Ober Associates Note: Cara is no longer an agent. About Cara : A graduate of New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute, Cara is the newest addition to the legacy agency Harold Ober Associates. Before joining the agency world, she worked in editorial at Entangled Publishing’s new adult...

A recent survey conducted by FicShelf found that while men still dominate the traditional book industry, among self-published writers women are publishing and selling more. FicShelf found that 67% of top-ranking titles were written by women on platforms such as Blurb, Wattpad, CreateSpace and Smashwords. Compare that figure to the top 100 traditionally published titles on Amazon, 61% of which are written by men. When FicShelf focused on novels, the results were even more skewed: of 134 fiction titles, 109, or 81%, were by women, 11 were by men, and 14 were unknown. “The scale of the discrepancy shows that women writers aren’t being treated equally in traditional publishing,” said the author Roz Morris. “We’re usually pigeonholed into obviously feminine genres such as chick-lit and romance, but not generally allowed to be complex artistes, to write the unusual books that break new ground. These figures show a huge vote of confidence for the writer in charge of their artistic desti...

These seven publications are currently open to submissions for speculative fiction, horror, erotica, poetry, general fiction and nonfiction. All are paying markets. Before you submit, take a tour of their websites to see if your work will be a good fit. ____________________ Timeless Tales exclusively publishes retellings of fairy tales and myths  in any genre. They don't accept original fairy tales or stories outside of their current theme. The next theme is "Perseus and Medusa." This is a family-friendly publication. No erotica.  Length : Up to 2,000 words. Under 1,500 preferred.  Payment : $15 flat fee. Accepts simultaneous submissions and reprints.  Submission deadline : March 23, 2015. Read submission guidelines   HERE . Podcastle is an audio fantasy magazine open to all subgenres of fantasy: from magical realism to urban fantasy to slipstream to high fantasy, and everything in between. The theme for the next issue is Dirty Jobs. "All around us, hidden fro...

I am sad to say that HarperCollins has suspended its Wednesday open submissions. It was great while it lasted. HarperCollins From the website : HarperCollins is inviting unsolicited manuscripts from aspiring authors in Australia, New Zealand and around the world. Whether or not you’ve been previously published, this is the perfect opportunity to submit your work and have a chance to be published by an award-winning, international publishing house. Our online submissions scheme, The Wednesday Post, is ready to uncover the best voices writing today. All entries will be considered for both print and ebook publication as well as digital-only publication. Every Wednesday, we will accept submissions through the website. Submissions must be sent through this portal and should meet all the guidelines outlined below. Please note that submissions sent by post or email will NOT be considered for publication. If we are interested in seeing more of your work, we will contact you within four weeks. ...

1. Jerome New York Fellowship deadline: March 18th website: www.larktheatre.org/the-larks-jerome-new-york-fellowship/ The Lark’s Jerome New York Fellowship provides substantial artistic and financial support to an emerging writer of extraordinary promise and vision through an intensive two-year residency that provides resources and guidance to generate and develop a significant body of work. Activities The Fellowship Period is July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2017 In the first year, the Fellow will receive a stipend of $25,000, paid in monthly increments. In addition, the Fellow will have access to an “Opportunity Fund” of $5,000 for the purposes of travel, research, autonomous workshops, and so forth (the Fellow will request these funds in writing to the Artistic Director and no reasonable request will be refused). In the second year, the Fellow will receive a stipend of $15,000, paid in monthly increments. In addition, the Fellow will continue to have access to any remaining balance in the O...