Tag Archives: We Need Diverse Books

HarperCollins Children’s Books Diverse Voices Open Inbox

November 12, 2018Contests, LiteraryAcquisitions, Authors, Childrens Books, Consultation, Cultural, Deadline, Disabled, Diverse Background, Diversity, Documents, Edit Letter, Editorial, Editors, Ethnic, Feedback, Format, Gender Diversity, Genre, Guidelines, HarperCollins, LGBTQIA, Manuscripts, Microsoft Word, Middle Grade, Native, PDF, People of Color, Publication, publisher, Religious, Rules, Stories, Submissions, We Need Diverse Books, Writers, Writingpdpabst

HarperCollins Children’s Books has opened it’s doors to writer’s of diverse backgrounds to submit work. This is a contest for middle grade manuscripts (ages 8-12) in any genre or format. A few of the rules are:

Must be 18 years of age
Must have a diverse background: (Examples, but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.
Document in Microsoft Word or PDF, no larger than 5 MB

The winner will receive:

Editorial feedback from a panel of HarperCollins editors in writing, including an edit letter and a thirty-minute phone consultation.
Consideration for publication by the HarperCollins Children’s Books’ acquisitions group.

The deadline to submit is November 16, 2018. For complete rules for submission, go here. And as always, good luck!

WNDB Walter Grant Applications Ending

June 8, 2018Awards, Literary#1 New York Times Bestseller, Adult, Age 18, Angie Thomas, Authors, books, Chapter Books, Cultural, Disabled, Diversity, Early Reader, Elgibility, Fiction, Film, Financial Support, Graphic Novels, Guidelines, LGBTQIA, Manuscripts, Marginalized Voices, Middle Grade, Minority, Native American, Non-Fiction, Opportunity, Person of Color, Picture Books, Poetry, Program, Religious, Residents, Stories, Submissions, The Hate U Give, United States, Unpublished, Walter Grant, We Need Diverse Books, Writer, Writers, Young Adultpdpabst

See the source image

We Need Diverse Books applications for the Walter Grant program will be ending on June 15, 2018. This is an opportunity to receive financial support for diverse authors. This year they will award FIVE $2000 grants. If you are unfamiliar with this grant, you can read how THE HATE U GIVE author, Angie Thomas, used this to buy a computer to complete her manuscript, which is now a #1 New York Times Bestseller and film releasing this fall.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must identify as diverse (defined below).
Applicants must be unpublished as illustrators and/or authors. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. If the applicant has a book deal for an as yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this grant. Essays, short stories, and articles do not render an applicant ineligible.
Applicant must be working toward a career as a children’s author and/or illustrator. This includes but is not limited to: Picture Books, Early Reader Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Poetry.
Applicant must be a U.S, resident.
Applicant must be at least 18 years in age.

DIVERSE MEANING:

Person of color
Native American
LGBTQIA+
Person with a disability
Marginalized religious or cultural minority

So, if you are a diverse author, this might be the boost you need to finish that manuscript. For submission guidelines, go here. And as always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Pitch America for Lantinx Voices

August 27, 2017Contests, LiteraryAdult, Agents, Authors, books, Creativity, Culture, Diversity, dreams, Editors, Fiction, Genre, Guidelines, Lantinx, Latinx Authors, Literary Agency, Marginalized Voices, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Opportunity, Pitch, Pitch America, Publishing, Stories, We Need Diverse Books, Words, Writers, Writing, Young Adultpdpabst

Pitch América

This contest will feature the first 500 words and the 35 word pitch of completed and polished manuscripts written by Latinx authors. This is a diversity contest with many well known agents and editors participating.

Ammi-Joan Paquette with Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Amy Elizabeth Bishop with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, LLC
Andrea Somberg with Harvey Klinger Literary Agency
Ashley Hearn with Page Street Publishing
Ayesha Pande with Pande Literary Agency
Becky Lejeune with Bond Literary Agency
Beth Phelan with The Bent Agency
Bridget Smith with Dunham Literary, Inc
Brooks Sherman with Janklow & Nesbit Associates
Caitie Flum with Liza Dawson Associates
Caitlin McDonald with Donald Maas Literary Agency
Dorian Maffei with Kimberley Cameron & Associates
Eric Smith with P.S. Literary
Erica Bauman with Aevitas Creative
Hannah Fergesen with KT Literary
Hillary Jacobson with ICM Partners
Hilary Harwell with KT Literary
Jaida Temperly with New Leaf Literary & Media Inc.
Jessie Devine with D4EO Literary Agency
Jessica Sinsheimer with Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency
Jim McCarthy with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, LLC
Joanna Volpe with New Leaf Literary & Media Inc.
Kate Brauning with Entangled Publishing
Kelly Van Sant with D4EO Literary Agency
Kirsten Carleton with Prospect Agency
Kurestin Armada with P.S. Literary
Lana Popovic with Chalberg & Sussman
Laura Zats with Red Sofa Literary
Lauren Spieller with TriadaUS Literary Agency
Linda Camacho with Prospect Agency
Lindsay Mealing with Emerald City Literary Agency
Lisa Abellera with Kimberley Cameron & Associates
Madelyn Burt with Stonesong Literary Agency
Maria Vicente with P.S. Literary
Mary C. Moore with Kimberley Cameron & Associates
Melissa Edwards with Stonesong Literary Agency
Natascha Morris with BookEnds Literary Agency
Patricia Nelson with Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Quressa Robinson with D4EO Literary Agency
Rachel Brooks with BookEnds Literary Agency
Rachel Stark with Sky Pony Press
Rebecca Podos with Rees Literary Agency
Rena Rossner with The Deborah Harris Agency
Roseanne Wells with The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Sandy Lu with L. Perkins Agency
Sarah LaPolla with Bradford Literary Agency
Serene Hakim with Pande Literary Agency
Stefanie Von Borstel with Full Circle Literary
Taylor Martindale Kean with Full Circle Literary
Thao Le with Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Whitley Abell with Inklings Literary Agency

Submissions open at midnight on August 30, 2017 and close on September 3, 2017 at 11:59 EDT. Please check out the website for complete guidelines. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Inked Voices Workshop

April 17, 2017Contests, Literary, Mentor ProgramAdult, Cultural, Diversity, Don Congdon Associates, Ethnic Backgrounds, Fiction, First Pages, Gender Diversity, Inked Voices, Katie Grimm, LGBTQIA, Native People, Online, People of Color, People with Disabilities, Religious Minorities, We Need Diverse Books, Workshoppdpabst

Inked Voices

Inked Voices is giving away a spot in their upcoming Online First Pages Workshop with Katie Grimm of Don Congdon Associates. The spot is for a writer of a diverse background novel related to their experience, frequently shorthanded on Twitter as #ownvoices. Submissions should be literary or upmarket adult fiction.

Diverse experiences include, but are not limited to: LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities (learn more about We Need Diverse Books in children’s literature: http://weneeddiversebooks.org/mission-statement/).

If you’re interested, fill out the submission form before April 23rd, 2017. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

#DVpit Twitter Pitch Party Is Soon

October 3, 2016Literary#DVpit, Adult, Beth Phelan, Disabled Persons, Diversity, Fiction, LGBTQIA, Marginalized Voices, Middle Grade, Native People, Nonfiction, People of Color, People With Illiness, Pitch Event, Religious, Twitter, Underrepresented Countries, Underrepresented Cultures, We Need Diverse Books, Young Adultpdpabst

The search for diversity within books has increased, not just with secondary characters but main characters. The world wants to see a fabulous palette of colors and cultures among the stories they read and the publishing industry is responding! This prompted literary agent Beth Phelan of The Bent Agency to create #DVpit.

According to the site, #DVpit is a twitter event created to showcase pitches about and by marginalized voices. This includes (but is not limited to): Native peoples and people of color; people living and/or born/raised in underrepresented cultures and countries; disabled persons; people with illness; people on marginalized ends of the socioeconomic, cultural and/or religious spectrum; people identifying as LGBTQIA+; and more.

The next event will spread over two days. October 5th will be for Children’s & Teen Fiction/Nonfiction (picture books, chapter books, graphic novel, middle grade, young adult). October 6th will be for Adult Fiction/Nonfiction (all genres, commercial and literary). Each day the event will run from 8am-8pm ET using the hashtag #DVpit. Be sure and pitch your manuscript on the correct day because agents/editors will search the feed on the specific day of the categories they represent/acquire.

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry National Writing Contest

June 17, 2016Contests, LiteraryAdvance, contest, Manuscript, Mildred D. Taylor, Penguin Random House, Roll of Thunder: Hear My Cry, Roylaties, We Need Diverse Books, Writers, Young Readerspdpabst

We Need Diverse Books

In partnership with We Need Diverse Books Penguin Young Readers celebrates 40 years of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor by launching a debut children’s fiction contest to find talented, ethnically diverse authors writing for readers ages 8-14.

The deadline to enter is June 21, 2016 at 11:59pm. Open to people of color (or those who self-identify as other than white) who are residents of the fifty United States, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories and possessions, aged 18 and older.

Submit your manuscript (25,000-75,000 words) for a book about diversity for ages 8-14 and you could receive a publishing contract from Penguin Random House LLC with an advance of $35,000, plus royalties!

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Pitch América

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