Agent Ted Malawer Joins Upstart Crow Literary

Literary agent Ted Malawer has joined Upstart Crow Literary. Ted was previously with Firebrand Literary, but with Firebrand's recent closure, he will join four other former Firebranders in forming Upstart Crow. He specializes in children's fiction.

The Upstart Crow agency webpage is not completely updated yet, so I will post some info about Ted below.

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."

How to contact: ted@upstartcrowliterary.com; "submit a QUERY and TWENTY PAGES of your manuscript. Please put your query and sample in the body of the email, we will not open attachments. If your submission is received by our system, an automated response will be emailed to you. We will respond to most queries within two weeks to a month. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of submissions received, personal responses are only very rarely possible. But if we are interested, we will request your full manuscript."

Thanks for the tip:
Writer Nancy Parish

Want more on this subject?

• See my post on the formation of Upstart Crow Literary.
  
• Upstart Crow founder Michael Stearns interviewed by editor Alice Pope.
• Check out our online course: Focus on Writing Fiction for Children's.
• Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
  
• Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
• Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!