Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Ted Malawer a Firebrand Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.
Firebrand Literary, a relatively new literary agency based in New York, has a new literary agent: Ted Malawer.
On children’s writer Verla Kay’s message board, Ted recently gave a great introduction of himself as well as what kind of submissions he’s interested in. I have pasted a lot of his post below.
Good luck submitting!
“I’m Ted Malawer, a new agent at Firebrand Literary. I wanted to say hello to all the members here and introduce myself, as I am actively looking to build my client list. As many of you know, Firebrand loves books for young readers. I am looking to build upon our success with YA fiction (recent sales include novels to Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, and Flux) and also expand our middle grade, chapter, and picture book list.
For YA, I am really looking for books that walk the line between commercial and literary. I like high concept novels with great ‘hooks,’ unique premises, and great humor. I also enjoy lyrical fiction, as long as it has an authentic and compelling voice. I’m a huge fan of mysteries, smart historicals, and urban fantasy about original topics (no vampires, please). I’m not so much into the snarky ‘chick lit’ voice, but great writing trumps everything…
For middle grade, I am drawn to unique coming-of-age stories. I like stories that make me laugh, but if you can make me cry, even better. I like projects with fantastical/supernatural elements, too, and action/adventure plots.
I love fun and exciting chapter books, especially with multicultural characters. I’m always on the lookout for the next amazing picture book, but I’d rather not consider anything over 1,000 or so words, and I’m not interested in bedtime or food stories. Additionally, I do a select amount of adult books, so if you write in both genres that’s not a problem for me.
Writers interested in querying Ted should check out the Firebrand Literary Web site. Ted and his co-agent, Nadia, work very closely together and often review submissions together. Therefore, a “no” from Ted is a “no from Firebrand.”
News hat tip: Nancy Parish
The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent updated edition online at a discount.
Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:
- 5 Tips For Writing a First Draft.
- Agent Kaylee Davis (Dee Mura Lit) seeks clients.
- Writing inspirational or self-help? See a success story here.
- “What Would Aaron Sorkin Do?”
- Author Julie Kibler Explains How She Found Her Agent, Elisabeth Weed.
- Sell More Books by Building Your Writer Platform.
- Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.
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Thanks for sharing this, Chuck.
I’m always eager to hear more about agents, especially new agents, taking on Children’s authors.
Best wishes to Ted at Firebrand Literary!
~Leigh