Webinar—The Next Big Step: Reaching Out to Agents
Jan 08, 2024
Online event
SUBMISSION SHINE 2024: ONLINE CRITIQUE INTENSIVE PARTICIPANTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED FOR THIS EVENT!! Webinar Description: Agents are able to “open many more doors” than authors can on their own in their search for publication. Agents also advocate for authors’ interests in the contract negotiation stage and beyond. But how do you know when you are ready to submit your work? Where do you find information on agents? What should you include in your communications? This session will cover all these things, as well as “do” and “don’t do” pointers so you can present yourself and your work in the most effective, compelling way. Actual client queries (used with their permission) will be analyzed to help you see what has been successful. There will be plenty of time at the end for Q & A. The presentation will be recorded and the recording link provided to all participants who have registered prior to the event. *The link to attend the webinar live will appear in your Events listing AFTER you register. **Optional: A limited number of critiques are available for purchase. See below for more information.
Meet the Faculty
About Mary
After thirteen years as an agent for books for children and teens with Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises, in 2021 Mary Cummings opened her own agency: Great River Literary. Mary often goes down to the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Paul MN to see the passing scene. She finds great joy in helping her clients polish their stories to stand out for editors and to become books that will make a difference in kids’ lives. Before becoming a literary agent, Mary was Education Director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis where, among other accomplishments, she curated an annual festival of children’s literature and selected judges for the McKnight Award from leading editors in children’s publishing. Among her sales are board and picture books, chapter books and novels to such houses as Knopf; Philomel; Viking; Nancy Paulsen/Penguin; Balzer & Bray; HarperCollins; Walker; Little, Brown; Holiday House; Henry Holt; Feiwel & Friends; FSG; Imprint; Candlewick; Chronicle; Wiseman S & S; Beach Lane; Beaming; WorthyKids; Running Press; Random House; Abrams and others. Mary is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA). greatriverliterary.com
PB & MG CRITIQUES available: (at an additional cost)
For all submissions, format your work in 12 point font, with one-inch margins, and double spacing.
For PB, send one full picture book manuscript plus a 2-3 sentence pitch in the same document.
For MG, send up to 10 pages of your manuscript, plus a one-page, single-spaced synopsis. (US Letter paper size-Include synopsis in the same document; please don’t send two documents.)
⇒Please include your name on every page of your work as a header or a footer, as well as identifying information on page one: first & last name, email address, title, genre. ⇒Please SAVE YOUR FILE as Webinar Faculty Last Name_Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT as a PDF or DOC or DOCx. Example: Cummings_Strocchia_PURPLE CARROTS ⇒Then send your file to Kristen at epa-ara@scbwi.org. The subject should read: Webinar Faculty Last Name_Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT (same as saved file name).
Submission deadline: Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
We anticipate critiques to be returned on or about Saturday, February 10, 2024.