Tag Archives: Emily Settle

Deal Announcements

October 2021 Deal Announcements

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Adult Fiction

Psychotherapist K. L. Cerra’s‘s SUCH PRETTY FLOWERS, a Southern gothic suspense with horror and queer elements about a woman’s investigation into her brother’s unlikely suicide—his last words being “get it out of me”—and subsequently, her obsession with his fiancee, a magnetic, black-eyed florist with a penchant for carnivorous plants; and a second book about a coven operating under the guise of the wedding industry whose plans to save women from wife- and motherhood have sinister implications, to Jenny Chen at Bantam Dell, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Chelsey Emmelhainz at Copps Literary Services (world).

Taleen Voskuni‘s SORRY, BRO, a queer rom-com about a twenty-something newly single Armenian woman whose mother insists she find a proper new suitor at a series of local Armenian cultural events—only the woman she meets is the last person her very traditional family had in mind, to Cindy Hwang and Angela Kim at Berkley, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2023, by Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (NA).

Lena May‘s THE SIGNS WE MISSED, in which a young gay man who emancipated from his mother battles addiction, an eating disorder, and being in love with his best while trying to graduate high school and survive, to Kisstopher Musick at Cinnabar Moth, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2022.

Lindy Ryan and Toni Miller‘s eds.’s UNDER HER SKIN, a showcase of body horror-inspired poetry from women (cis and trans) and nonbinary femmes in horror, including Bram Stoker Award-winning and nominated poets Lee Murray, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Sara Tantlinger, and Jessica McHugh, with a foreword by Linda D. Addison, to Black Spot, for publication in April 2022 (world English).

Kate Brook’s NOT EXACTLY WHAT I HAD IN MIND, following four 20-somethings—two roommates navigating the awkward aftermath of a one night stand, and a lesbian couple looking to start a family—as their lives collide and all four learn that sometimes you find family, and love, in the place you would least expect, pitched as for readers of Emma Straub or J. Courtney Sullivan, to Lindsey Rose at Dutton, by Rebecca Wearmouth at PFD (NA). Rights to Sarah Hodgson at Corvus, by Philippa Sitters at David Godwin Associates (UK/Commonwealth, excl. Canada); to Suma de Letras (Spain); and to Diana (Germany), at auction, by Rebecca Wearmouth at PFD.

Author of the forthcoming MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE Alexene Farol Follmuth writing as Olivie Blake’s THE ATLAS SIX TRILOGY, pitched as Kingsman/X-Men meets THE SECRET HISTORY with a diverse cast and strong queer representation, following six uniquely talented magicians from around the world who are invited to compete for an elite academic fellowship where elimination holds deadly consequences, the first book of which was previously self-published and popular on TikTok, to Molly McGhee at Tor, in a major deal, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in March 2022, by Amelia Appel at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).

Winner of the 2018 VQR Emily Clark Balch Prize for Fiction and UT Austin MFA Celia Bell’s THE DISENCHANTMENT, which follows a baroness who falls in love with another woman, and the chaos that ensues when her husband discovers their secret, set against the backdrop of Versailles and Parisian society, to Shelley Wanger at Pantheon, for publication in 2023, by Anna Stein at ICM (NA). Rights to Serpent’s Tail (UK), by Lucy Morris and Sabhbh Curry at Curtis Brown UK.

Children’s/Middle Grade Fiction

Vicki Johnson‘s picture book MOLLY’S TUXEDO, about a girl who has big plans to wear a dashing tuxedo for her school picture day, but her mom has picked out a dress, so with her friends’ support, the girl proves the way to look your best is to be yourself, illustrated by Gillian Reid, to Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee Books, for publication in summer 2023, by Zoe Sandler at ICM for the author, and by Christy Tugeau Ewers at The CAT Agency for the illustrator (world).

Aliza Layne‘s BEETLE AND THE CHIMERA CARNIVAL, a sequel to the Stonewall Honor Book BEETLE AND THE HOLLOWBONES, which follows Beetle and her friends as they face new and sinister complications when the dragons set to arrive for a community celebration never appear, illustrated by Aliza Layne, to Julia McCarthy at Atheneum, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024 and fall 2025, by Susan Graham at Einstein Literary Management (world English).

Author-illustrator Kyla Smith‘s FOXES, FIRE, & OTHER MAGIC, in which a curious young fox spirit who stumbled into the human world during the annual Obon festival and became trapped, and a nonbinary noodle maker struggling to keep their parents’ legacy alive, must learn to trust each other to save the udon shop and get the fox spirit home before the spirit gate closes for good, to Emily Settle and Erin Siu at Feiwel and Friends, in a very nice deal, for publication in spring 2024, by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency (world).

Coauthor of RENEGADE RULE Ben Kahn‘s ELLE CAMPBELL SAVES THEIR SATURDAY, in which a nonbinary seventh grader wants to meet their celebrity hero at a local signing, so they and their two best friends will have to stage a daring escape from weekend detention, and avoid bullies and parents as they trek across town to save their Saturday, to Mallory Kass at Scholastic, in an exclusive submission, for publication in 2023, by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds (world).

Dresden Douglas’s GIRLS GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES, a debut middle grade graphic novel pitched as a sapphic Lizzie McGuire, about a young girl who begins to feel flustered and tongue-tied around other girls while struggling to tune out the voice of an excitable little figment who manifests all her innermost thoughts, to Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press, at auction, for publication in 2023, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world).

Young Adult

Mela Rogers‘s debut LOVE LIGHT, set in a world where a beacon of light connects each person’s heart to their soulmate’s; a girl’s parents are light fanatics, so she is shocked when she falls for a girl who is not her soulmate, and when she meets her actual soulmate, she must choose between her faith and her first love, to Dana Chidiac at Holt Children’s, for publication in winter 2025, by Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency (world).

HERE FOR IT author R. Eric Thomas‘s debut KINGS OF B’MORE, a celebration of queer Black friendship as two boys plan a day of fun and facing their fears, pitched as inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, to Joanna Cardenas at Kokila, for publication in summer 2022, by Anna Sproul-Latimer at Neon Literary (world).

Freja Nicole Woolf’s NEVER TRUST A GEMINI, pitched as a LGBTQ+ ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING, in which a zodiac-obsessed 15-year-old struggling with a desperate crush on her best friend must scramble through a fake boyfriend, a house fire, and an unexpected Christmas romance to find her happy ending, to Denise Johnstone-Burt and Non Pratt at Walker UK, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2023, by Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency (world).

NYT-bestselling author of CEMETERY BOYS Aiden Thomas‘s JUST MAX, in which a stealth transgender college student faces the usual stress of freshman year—making new friends and trying to fit in—all while managing testosterone shots, navigating the perils of communal bathrooms, and falling in love with the handsome soccer player down the hall, to Holly West at Feiwel and Friends, in a good deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2024, by Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

MAJOR DETOURS author Zachary Sergi‘s SO YOU WANNA BE A POPSTAR?, an interactive novel following five diverse and queer teen solo artists who are forced into a pop group that goes viral overnight, and where the reader chooses the paths forward to guide the characters on their journey to stardom, to Britny Brooks at Running Press Kids, for publication in winter 2023, by Lucy Carson at Friedrich Agency (world).

FULL DISCLOSURE author Camryn Garrett’s FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, about a queer teen determined to throw a lavish coming out party in place of a sweet sixteen, but when her mother is laid off, she’s forced to balance saving for the party with keeping her household afloat, all the while navigating her growing feelings for a new girl at school, to Katherine Harrison at Knopf Children’s, in a six-figure deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency (NA). Rights also to Emma Jones at Random House UK Children’s, by Ellen Greenberg, on behalf of Beth Phelan.

K.M. Watts’s BORN ANDROMEDA, a debut in which a moon princess is kidnapped by galactic pirates, and joins the world of piracy in order to get home—if she doesn’t fall for one first, to Annie Harper at Duet, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in fall 2022 (world). Rights: Mary Jo Courchesne at Gryphon Publishing Consulting

Nonfiction

WHAT ARE YOUR WORDS? illustrator Andy Passchier‘s GENDER IDENTITY FOR KIDS, a chapter book guide breaking down what gender is and isn’t, what your feelings around gender might mean, and how to let the world know who you are and help others do the same, to Regan Winter at Little, Brown Children’s, with Andrea Colvin and Aria Balraj editing, for publication in summer 2023, by Alexandra Gehringer at The Bright Group (world).

Chicana writer, activist, poet, essayist, and playwright Cherrie Moraga‘s LOVING IN THE WAR YEARS and THE LAST GENERATION, combined in a single 40th anniversary volume; and WAITING IN THE WINGS: PORTRAIT OF A QUEER MOTHERHOOD, to be published on its 25th anniversary, both with new forewords by the author, to Julie Fain at Haymarket, in a two-book deal, by Stuart Bernstein at Stuart Bernstein Representation.

Olympic champion and elite runner Caster Semenya’s SILENCE ALL THE NOISE, a story of courage, resilience, and hope about her childhood in rural South Africa, her running career, and her experience as an intersex woman in professional sports, to Norton, at auction, with a young readers edition.

Deal Announcements

January 2021 Deal Announcements

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Adult Fiction

Author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted REAL LIFE Brandon Taylor‘s THE LATE AMERICANS, exploring the tension between inner lives and projected selves within a creative community in Iowa City; and GROUP SHOW, about five striving assistants navigating the straits of desire, complicity, and belief behind the scenes at a regional art museum, to Cal Morgan at Riverhead, in a significant deal, in a two-book deal, by Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at DeFiore and Company (world).

Author of SOCIAL CREATURE and STRANGE RITES: NEW RELIGIONS FOR A GODLESS WORLD Tara Isabella Burton‘s THE WORLD CANNOT GIVE, a coming-of-age novel about queer desire, religious zealotry, and the hunger for transcendence among the devoted members of a cultic chapel choir in a prestigious Maine boarding school, and the obsessively ambitious, terrifyingly charismatic girl that rules over them, to Carina Guiterman at Simon & Schuster, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, by Emma Parry at Janklow & Nesbit (world).

Chencia C. Higgins‘s READY, SET, WED!, in which two women thrown together on a reality show that’s never produced a permanent couple fight with everything they’ve got to get to the altar—before the quest for TV ratings keeps them from turning something fake into forever, to Kerri Buckley at Carina Press Adores, for publication in early 2022.

Timothy Janovsky‘s debut OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, pitched as a LGBTQ+ romantic comedy that blends the riches-to-rags humor of Schitt’s Creek with the feel-good romance of a Hallmark Christmas movie, to Mary Altman at Sourcebooks Casablanca, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2023, by Kevin O’Connor at O’Connor Literary Agency (world).

Iowa Writers Workshop Rona Jaffe Fellow, Best American Short Stories 2020 contributor, and mutual aid organizer Sarah Thankam Mathews‘s ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT, following a young woman fresh out of college as she tries to forge a new life in Milwaukee during Obama’s second term—navigating precarious employment, queerness, immigration, a dizzying romance with a ballet dancer, and the pulls of blood and chosen family—and unfolding a story that circles the question of how a better world might be, to Lindsey Schwoeri at Viking, at auction, by Bill Clegg at The Clegg Agency (NA).

Author of WHO IS VERA KELLY and VERA KELLY IS NOT A MYSTERY Rosalie Knecht’s third installment in the Vera Kelly series, exploring issues of gender, sexuality, and class, set in the early 1970s, in which a private investigator travels to meet her girlfriend’s family at their extravagant Los Angeles estate, and in the process finds herself with a new high-stakes case: the search for her missing girlfriend, to Masie Cochran at Tin House Books, for publication in summer 2022, by Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts at HG Literary (NA).

Roan Parrish and Timmi Meskers‘s STRANGE COMPANY, a collection of queer horror short stories and original music, to Steve Feldberg at Audible Originals, in an exclusive submission, by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary (world).

Children’s/Young Adult Fiction

Anna-Marie McLemore‘s retelling of THE GREAT GATSBY, featuring Gatsby as a transgender young man, amid all the glamour and sparkle of the 1920s; part of the upcoming Remixed Classics series, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in fall 2022, by Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary (world).

THE FELL OF DARK author Caleb Roehrig‘s untitled book, pitched as bringing a queer perspective to ROMEO AND JULIET, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in winter 2023, by Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio (world).

Sacha Lamb‘s WHEN THE ANGELS LEFT THE OLD COUNTRY, pitched as having a voice reminiscent of a (queer) Isaac Bashevis Singer story, about an angel and a demon, centuries-long study partners in their small shtetl, who decide to travel to America (a place that turns out to be more complicated than they expect) with two young women who are deeply connected, to Arthur Levine at Levine Querido, in a pre-empt, for publication in fall 2022, by Rena Rossner at Deborah Harris Agency (world).

Michael Gray Bulla‘s debut A TYPE OF BLEEDING, about a trans teenager who joins his town’s LGBTQ+ support group where he meets a cute boy, sparking a friendship that upends his life and challenges his ideas of love, family, and friendship, to Karen Chaplin at Quill Tree, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2022, by Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media (world English).

Maggie Horne‘s debut HAZEL HAYES IS GONNA WIN THIS ONE, a humorous friendship story that follows a feisty 12-year-old girl who, after one of her classmates is harassed online, devises a plan to take down the school’s golden boy and hopefully win her beloved public speaking competition, to Lily Kessinger at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s, at auction, for publication in fall 2022, by Claire Friedman at Inkwell Management (NA).

Lambda Literary and MacDowell Fellow Jas Hammonds‘s WE DESERVE MONUMENTS, following a queer, Black, biracial teen who moves to small-town Georgia to live with her estranged grandmother and becomes entangled in a web of family secrets, the town’s racist history, and her growing feelings for the girl next door, to Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2022, by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media (world English).

NYT-bestselling author Gayle Forman‘s debut FRANKIE & BUG, about the friendship between a feisty 10-year-old girl who feels abandoned when her older brother decides he’d rather hang out with his friends than with her, and an 11-year-old trans boy who is spending the summer with his gay uncle and only wants to have the chance to be who he is, to Kristin Gilson at Aladdin, for publication in fall 2021, by Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (world English).

Ashley Woodfolk‘s NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU, a novel-in-verse that tells the story of a tumultuous romance between two girls in nonlinear chapters, anchored by a single day where they set a fire and their relationship spirals out of control, to Margaret Raymo at Versify, in a significant deal, in a pre-empt, for publication in spring 2022, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency (world).

Michael Leali‘s debut THE CIVIL WAR OF AMOS ABERNATHY, in which a 12-year-old openly gay historical reenactor sets out to prove to himself and his closeted crush that queer people always have and always will exist in American history; the story is told partly in letters to Albert D.J. Cashier, the Union soldier his research uncovers, who becomes his confidant and historical queer icon, to Stephanie Stein at Harper Children’s, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2022, by Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties (NA).

Non-Fiction

Author of DAMAGED GOODS and PROBLEMATIC Dianna Anderson‘s THEY/THEM, part memoir, part gender theory, examining the emergence and history of nonbinary gender, including interviews with gender nonconforming individuals and experts on gender affirming care, along with the author’s own story, to Lisa Kloskin at Broadleaf, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2022, by Hannah Bowman at Liza Dawson Associates (world).

Author of the NYT Editor’s Choice CONFESSIONS OF THE FOX Jordy Rosenberg‘s THE DAY UNRAVELS WHAT THE NIGHT HAS WOVEN, an exploration of transgender sexuality, Jewish assimilation, and the author’s difficult relationship with his mother—an accomplished bargain-hunter, committed homophobe, and dazzling old world yenta—weaved throughout with fictional vignettes of the author’s mother’s life, as well as her imagined retellings of landmarks of leftist philosophy, to Nicole Counts at One World, by Rob McQuilkin at Massie & McQuilkin (world).

Comedian, TV writer, and The Lesbian Agenda host Sophie Santos‘s THE ONE YOU WANT TO MARRY (AND OTHER IDENTITIES I’VE HAD), a memoir of growing up an army brat and the daughter of a Filipino and Spanish lieutenant colonel and strong Southern nurse, about the author’s search—through pee-wee football, puberty, pageant life, and University of Alabama sorority sisterhood—to embrace her identity as a proud lesbian comedian, to Hafizah Geter at Topple Books, with Laura Van der Veer editing, by Jack Greenbaum at The Arlook Group (world).