National Book Award finalist ‘s MIDDLE SPOON, a humorous exploration of the universal experience of heartbreak, following the disintegration of a queer polyamorous relationship, upending expectations around family life, parenting, and public health, looking at the forces that shape modern romance, to Ibrahim Ahmad at Viking, at auction, by Robert Guinsler at Sterling Lord Literistic (world).
Continue reading June 2024 Deal Announcements
‘s IT’S A LOVE STORY, the author’s adult debut, a sapphic rom-com about a closeted female popstar who, after a hookup with her childhood crush, convinces her team to hire her should-be one-night-stand to direct a documentary about the making of her next album, to Ariana Sinclair at Avon, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Allison Hunter at Trellis Literary Management (NA).
Levine Querido buys YA contemporary ONE OF THE BOYS in 24-hour pre-empt
In a 24-hour pre-empt, Irene Vázquez at Levine Querido has acquired Victoria Zeller’s debut novel One of the Boys. Jordan Hamessley at JABberwocky Literary Agency sold world English and world Spanish rights.
and ‘s THE DEAD & BREAKFAST, a cozy mystery about two vampires who open a small town B&B and must prove their innocence when the local mayor shows up dead in their garden with something that looks suspiciously like puncture marks on his neck, to Michelle Vega at Berkley, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services for Thor and Carrie Pestritto at Laura Dail Literary Agency for Hillis (world).
Steinbeck fellow and University of Miami MFA graduate Bobuq Sayed’s NO GOD BUT US, following two gay Afghan men from wildly different walks of life whose paths converge in Istanbul; grappling with themes of queerness, faith, imperialism, authoritarianism, and the sacrifices we make for our families, both born and chosen, to Ezra Kupor at Harper, at auction, by Maria Cardona at Aevitas Creative Management UK (NA).
Author of LOVE AT 350 ‘s MOTOR CITY BABY, a sapphic romance about a woman’s efforts to save a club she managed—and where she fell in love—with a Detroit indie rock star in the ’90s, until the rock star dropped out of the industry and the woman’s life; a blowout benefit concert forces her to reckon with her past and find happily ever after where she least expects it, to Katy Nishimoto at Dial Press, by Frances Black at The Literary Counsel (world).
‘s THE FORTUNATE FALL, a lost classic of queer cyberpunk, following a human “camera” as she uncovers a historical atrocity—and the memories and desires that have been stolen from her, to Kerri Buckley at Dreamscape Media, for simultaneous publication with the new Tor Essentials edition in August 2024, by Lauren Bajek at Liza Dawson Associates.
Author of BEAST and TURDUCKEN ‘s debut A FLORAL ARRANGEMENT, pitched as Jane Austen meets Bridgerton, a sapphic romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet that begins four years after the end of Pride and Prejudice, to Stephanie Doig at Carina Adores, for publication in spring 2025, by Laura Zats at Headwater Literary Management (world English).
Sunday Times-bestselling author of A MARVELLOUS LIGHT ‘s SWORDCROSSED, pitched as Ellen Kushner’s SWORDSPOINT meets LEGENDS & LATTES; a second novel pitched as Grey’s Anatomy meets A DEADLY EDUCATION; an untitled novel; and an untitled novella, to Ruoxi Chen at Tor, in a six-figure deal, in a four-book deal, for publication in fall 2024, by Diana Fox at Fox Literary (US).
Author of the forthcoming SHOOT THE MOON ‘s THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF, set in 1956, about two Shakespearean actors in a lavender marriage during one summer that will either bring them closer than ever or rip them apart for good, again to Kate Dresser at Putnam, by Chris Bucci at Aevitas Creative Management (world).
Creative Writing PhD and former bookseller ‘s FLOWERS FROM THE VOID, a short story collection that brings a fresh perspective to literary horror not only by using the lens of Black, female and sometimes queer narrators and communities, but also by raising questions about the sources of all our fears and nightmares, to Christoph Paul at Clash, for publication in May 2024, by Penelope Burns at Gelfman Schneider on behalf of Charlotte Colwill at Colwill and Peddle (NA).
Akutagawa Prize finalist ‘s JACKSON ALONE, translated by Kalau Almony, about four mixed-raced Black Japanese gay men out for revenge when a disturbing pornographic video of one of them is circulated online, pitched as SUCH A FUN AGE meets the films of Jordan Peele, to Nick Whitney in his first acquisition at Soho Crime, in a pre-empt, by Li Kangqin at New River Literary, on behalf of Kohei Hattori at The English Agency and Kawade Shobo Shinsha (world English).
Author of MOSTLY DEAD THINGS and WITH TEETH ‘s CLOWN, following a down-on-her luck party clown in Orlando, Florida, who connects with a much older lesbian magician, in the hopes that she can finally take her clowning career to the next level, exploring entertainment, ambition, art, and love, to Alison Fairbrother at Riverhead, by Serene Hakim at Ayesha Pande Literary (NA).
Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist and author of IMAGINE ME GONE ‘s MOTHERS AND SONS, following the story of a gay immigration lawyer estranged from his mother whose world is upended by an asylum case which forces him to confront a past that both he and his mother have tried to ignore, again to Ben George at Little, Brown, for publication in fall 2024, by Amanda Urban at CAA (NA).
‘s ALICE RUE EVADES THE TRUTH, pitched as a queer retelling of While You Were Sleeping with the humor and disability representation of Get a Life, Chloe Brown, a debut romcom about found family, little white lies, and falling in love with your fake boyfriend’s sister, to Katy Nishimoto at Dial Press, at auction, by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary (world English).
Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize winner and author of SUGAR RUN and PERPETUAL WEST Mesha Maren’s SHAE, about a West Virginia teen navigating her partner’s transition, an unexpected and complex pregnancy, and new motherhood in the shadow of a burgeoning addiction, to Kathy Pories at Algonquin, for publication in May 2024, by Bill Clegg at The Clegg Agency (NA).
Freydis Moon’s THE GIDEON TESTAMENTS, a novella trilogy filled with Brujería, Norse magic, Catholic mysticism, and demonology—when an exorcist stumbles into an unlikely haunting, he gets far more than he bargained for and kick-starts a chain of events that can’t be undone, to Laura Schreiber at Union Square & Co, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2024, by Bethany Weaver at Weaver Literary Agency.
Lambda Literary Award finalist, GLAAD Media Award winner, and author of PATRICIA WANTS TO CUDDLE Samantha Allen’s ROLAND ROGERS ISN’T DEAD YET, about a (recently departed) closeted A-list celebrity and his (living) mid-list ghostwriter, in a story of two men discovering the meaning of life and love after death, to Sareena Kamath at Zando, with Caolinn Douglas editing, by Leila Campoli at Stonesong (world).
‘s debut OLLIE IN BETWEEN, a coming-of-age novel following a nonbinary middle schooler as a biological predator (aka: puberty) disrupts their ability to camouflage into the binary world, pushing them to choose between the safety of fleeing from their differences or confronting the risks of fighting to take their own path forward, to Brittany Groves and Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in winter 2025, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency (world English).
Author of THE STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY series ‘s JAMIE, in which a nonbinary child learns to advocate for themselves after they’re told to choose between attending an all-boys or an all-girls middle school, to Jaime Gelman at Little Bee Books, for publication in summer 2024, by Mathilde Pineau at Hachette Children’s Group (NA).
‘s LOVE MAKES MOCHI, in the Love in Translation series of interconnected standalone romances each written by a different author, in which women of color spend a semester studying abroad, finding love, and unexpected adventure; focusing on a queer love story set in Tokyo, between a goth fashion designer and an aspiring Japanese tattoo artist, to Bria Ragin, Nicola Yoon, and David Yoon at Joy Revolution, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in summer 2024, spring 2025, and winter 2026, by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, for Electric Postcard Entertainment (world).
‘s PRIDE OR DIE, a dark comedy debut in which an anxious lesbian and her chaotic LGBTQ+ club friends become the prime suspects in an attempted murder and must clear their names before the real culprit strikes again, to Sarah Grill at Wednesday Books, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2025, by Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media (NA).
and ‘s DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE, a Sapphic YA romance following a chaotic but self-assured pianist and military brat, and an uncompromising but uncertain ballerina, who, despite their differences, collaborate for a dance audition and find common ground—and love—along the way, to Claire Stetzer at Harper Children’s with Alice Jerman editing, for publication in winter 2025, by Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency (world).
Author of NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER and PERFECT ON PAPER ‘s NOBODY IN PARTICULAR, pitched as Young Royals meets HER ROYAL HIGHNESS in a sapphic romance that follows an American-born girl as she receives a scholarship to board at a prestigious college where she finds herself falling for the crown princess, to Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books, with Lisa Bonvissuto editing, in a two-book deal, by Jessica Mileo at Inkwell Management (world).
‘s debut ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND FIELD HOCKEY, in which a girl is a walking memory of her mother’s high school years—she has the perfect boyfriend, plays goalie on her prep school’s field hockey team, and is on track to win nationals; but when another girl crashes into her life, will she step off her winning path and take a chance on something entirely new?, to Alison Romig at Delacorte, in a pre-empt, for publication in summer 2025, by Lauren Spieller at Folio Literary Management (world).
‘s IF WE WERE A MOVIE, a debut sapphic rom-com and celebration of Black cinema, about an overachieving high school senior who must work with her easy-going rival to determine who is trying to sabotage the historic Black movie theater they both work at—and try not to fall for her in the process, to Alyson Day at Harper Teen, for publication in winter 2025, by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media on behalf of Electric Postcard Entertainment (NA).
‘s BREWED WITH LOVE, a queer contemporary romantasy debut in which a teen witch, desperate to save her family’s apothecary and reputation after her stolen tonic wipes the memory of a rival, must begrudgingly partner with her first crush-turned-coworker to unmask the thief, to Bria Ragin, Nicola Yoon, and David Yoon at Joy Revolution, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2025, by Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency (world).
‘s debut DEATH CARD, a Black and queer contemporary fantasy about a New Orleanian tarot reader and secret witch who is thrown when a pretty tourist’s cards foretell that she will kill her by the end of the next full moon, to Tiara Kittrell at Putnam Children’s, for publication in 2025, by David Purse at Inked Entertainment (NA). The author is represented by Lane Clarke at ArtHouse Literary.
Author of THE ONE TRUE ME AND YOU Remi K. England’s THE RULES AS WRITTEN, a queer romantic comedy in which two nerdy girls in rural Virginia find their characters falling for one another in a D&D game, only to discover those feelings have developed outside of their fantasy realm as well, to Britny Brooks-Perilli at Running Press Kids, for publication in winter 2025, by Eric Smith at P.S. Literary Agency (world). Film: Sean Berard at Grandview
Author of MAJOR DETOURS and the forthcoming THIS PACT IS NOT OURS Zachary Sergi’s DON’T LOVE THE PLAYER, LOVE THE GAME, a rom-com adventure in which a group of queer gamers, who know each other from a mythology-inspired online video game, meet up IRL to compete in an augmented-reality tournament where sparks fly as the competition heats up and the team’s two lead players try not to fall in love, to Britny Brooks-Perilli at Running Press Kids, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2025, by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds (world).
Author of FRAGILE REMEDY and THE IMMEASURABLE DEPTH OF YOU Maria Ingrande Mora’s A WILD FLAME RISES, a queer, anti-capitalist fantasy in which a girl with the ability to conduct electricity discovers that the powerful house of industry that raised her is not the benevolent organization they present to be, and teams up with two boys—former lovers—who are standing against the harm the house has caused in the name of progress, to Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen, for publication in fall 2025, by Erica Bauman at Aevitas Creative Management (world).
erformer and poet ‘s MY CHILD, THE ALGORITHM, a genre-fluid memoir about queer single motherhood, parenting a toddler, and collaborating with a language-producing algorithm, to Mensah Demary at Soft Skull, for publication in August 2024, by Laetitia Rutherford at Watson Little (NA).
Film aficionado and Jeopardy! contestant ‘s SPLICE OF LIFE, a hybrid memoir exploring what it means to be male and queer, combining the author’s lived experiences with his analyses of the impact of 13 films on his turbulent coming-of-age in rural America, to Andrew Gifford at Santa Fe Writers Project, in a nice deal, for publication in May 2024 (world English).
