Category Archives: about us

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Welcome, Yassine Belkacemi!

Since its inception, our digital publishing program has been happily growing, both in the number of authors participating and in the number of titles published.  Currently we have 40 authors and 133 books in the program.

I am delighted to announce that we have now hired a full time project manager for this program who, in just a few short weeks, has already increased our percentage of growth.

Yassine Belkacemi was born in Scotland where he did his undergraduate studies at University of Edinburgh.  He then received a Master’s Degree at Columbia University here in New York.  He has been interning for us since May of 2011, and I have been eager to find a permanent place for him on our staff.

I hope you will all join me in welcoming Yassine as the newest member of the DGLM family.

Hello World!

It’s my very first blog entry as a full-fledged DGLM employee! However, I’m not totally new to the office and have been around for quite some time. I’ve been working in the office as the Project Manager for DGLM’s digital publishing program, and before that I was an intern in the office. Until recently, I was focused solely on developing the digital program, but I’m branching into agenting now, and I can’t wait to get started.

As a reader, some of my favorite books have been historical fiction—Les Miserables, Atonement and Gone With the Wind, to name a few. But I also love a book that challenges me, like Lolita, the His Dark Materials series or Last Exit to Brooklyn. For more about me and what I am interested in reading, check out Who We Are and What We’re Looking For.

My very first experience with a literary agency was here at DGLM, and I am so grateful to have been able to turn my internship into a position at the company. I’ve always wanted to work in publishing and I am very excited to be a part of this team.

6

DGLM Deal Round Up!

It’s been quite some time since we’ve done a deal roundup on the blog, so I’m thinking we’re certainly due for one. It’s been a busy, busy 2012 so far and hopefully will continue as such—so many good books out there!

Rounding out 2011, Jane sold Peggy Kotsopoulos’ SOMETHING I ATE, a holistic nutrition guide that offers recipes as well as insight into how food can affect our minds and bodies in all areas of life to Andrea Magyar of Penguin Group Canada.

Kicking off the new year, Jane sold revered and innovative baker Alice Medrich’s A NEW WAY TO BAKE, which introduces baking tips, tricks and methods for using alternate and varied types of flours to Judy Pray at Artisan.

Livia Blackburne’s MIDNIGHT THIEF, a debut YA fantasy novel about a talented thief who joins an assassin’s guild only to find that what she thought was the perfect job is much more sinister than originally imagined was sold to Abby Ranger at Hyperion by Jim.

Bestselling author and celebrated Food Network and Cooking Channel television host Ellie Krieger’s newest, currently untitled cookbook that offers simple and healthy solutions for weeknight dinners to busy families sold to Justin Schwartz at John Wiley & Sons by Jane.

Stacey then sold Robin Robertson’s ONE-DISH VEGAN, a cookbook that will showcase over 150 one-dish recipes from the master vegan cookbook author to Dan Rosenberg at Harvard Common Press.

Another debut novel, Stephanie Kuehn’s CHARM & STRANGE, about a boy dealing with a traumatic past that haunts his life in violent, disturbing ways, in a portrait of grief, madness, and ultimately resilience, went to Sara Goodman at St. Martin’s Press, sold by Michael.

Gaby Dalkin’s ABSOLUTELY AVOCADO, a cookbook of over 100 recipes that feature the beloved and healthy fruit, the avocado, went to Justin Schwartz at John Wiley & Sons, sold by Stacey.

Stacey then sold START AT THE END, by president and founder of Growthink, Dave Lavinksy, which a smart, savvy business book that teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to reverse engineer success and create an action plan to successfully get there to Adrianna Johnson at John Wiley & Sons.

Bestseller David Hewson’s atmospheric CARNIVAL FOR THE DEAD, a puzzle-piece, labyrinthine mystery set during Carnival in Venice and wrapped deep inside the art and culture of Venice itself, which was previously published in the UK, went to Andy Bartlett at Thomas & Mercer, sold by Stacey.

Debra Weyermann’s THE GRAVE ROBBERS, an exposé of the Native American antiquities trade and the 2010 raid that shredded the code of silence protecting it for centuries, was sold by Jane to Jerry Pohlen at Chicago Review Press.

ALA Best Fiction for YA pick & Cybil Award-winning STUPID FAST Geoff Herbach’s EVEN IF IT HURTS, in which a dork-turned-athlete must choose a path between responsibility to others and his own desires to find firm ground from which to leap to a future that is his own went to Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks, sold by Jim.

Jessica then sold John Adams’ THE MILLIONAIRE AND THE MUMMIES: HOW THEODORE DAVIES USED A STOLEN FORTUNE TO TRANSFORM ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE GILDED AGE, the true story of an American robber baron-turned-Egyptologist who turned tomb-robbing and treasure-hunting into a science, to Daniela Rapp at St. Martin’s Press.

Michael’s next sale was for Suzanne Selfors’s THE IMAGINARY VETERINARY, a chapter book series in which a string of unusual events — from finding a lost dragon hatchling to tracking an escaped sasquatch — leads ten-year-olds to become apprentices to a veterinarian for imaginary creatures, which went to Julie Scheina at Little, Brown Children’s.

Susan Beal’s next gorgeous craft title, SEWING BY THE SEASON, which takes a seasonal approach to beautiful sewn projects perfect for any occasion, in any season was sold to Laura Lee Mattingly at Chronicle by Stacey.

Dr. James H. Fallon’s, THE SUCCESSFUL PSYCHOPATH, a memoir in which the neuroscientist discovers that the brain patterns of deadly psychopathic killers mirror his own, was sold by Jane to Brooke Carey at Current.

MARBURY LENS author Andrew Smith’s GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, about a sexually confused kid, his girlfriend, his best friend, and how they accidentally bring about the end of the world, went to Julie Strauss-Gabel at Dutton Children’s, sold by Michael.

Michael then sold PLEASE SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER by journalist Sara Solovitch, an exploration of the deepest of human fears, whether you call it stage fright, performance anxiety, or social phobia, through the author’s own attempts to overcome it, as well as her research into its causes and cures, to Benjamin Adams at Bloomsbury.

A Tarzan for the digital-age, Jim sold Alex Mallory’s WILD,  in which a girl skips her senior trip to go into the wild instead, and finds a boy raised to believe that the world outside the forest has been decimated by a modern plague, to Anne Hoppe at Harper Teen.

Jane’s next sale was for Anne Cleeland’s THE TAINTED ANGEL, the Regency version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith about a beautiful young courtesan who is actually a spy whose allegiance is unknown, which went to Shana Drehs at Sourcebooks.

Bringing cakelet decorating to the masses, Amy Eilert’s CUPCAKE ENVY, a collection of 40 projects for beautiful, adorable, and fun “cakelets” (unique crosses between cupcakes and cakes), was sold to Bud Sperry at Tuttle by Stacey.

Michael Krondl, author of SWEET INVENTION, has a new book, DONUTS, a lighthearted cultural history of America’s favorite treat with selected accompanying recipes, which was sold by Jane to Cynthia Sherry at Chicago Review Press.

An hilarious and touching memoir about Nicole Caccavo Kear’s struggle to come to terms with the fickle hand of Fate, in the form of a disease that is slowly erasing her vision, all while raising three kids with the “help” of her loving Italian-American family, to Sara Goodman at St. Martin’s Press, sold by Michael.

In a collaboration with Cooking Light, Stacey sold Allison Fishman’s LIGHTEN UP, AMERICA!, a celebration of regional American cooking made light, including Buffalo wings, Maryland crab cakes, and apple pie, to Heather Averett at Oxmoor House.

Stacey then sold Amy Plum’s JUNEAU as part of a two-book deal, about a girl who escapes the mysterious forces that kidnapped her clan and discovers that everything about her past has been a lie, facing disillusionment while braving an unknown modern-day America to rescue her family, to Tara Weikum at HarperCollins Children’s.

Jane then sold Nancy Herkness’s novel, TAKE ME HOME, in which an emotionally wounded woman falls in love with an equally scarred veterinarian, and both find strength in themselves through caring for a battered racehorse to Kelli Martin at Montlake.

THE BIG LETDOWN by author, journalist, and breastfeeding advocate Kimberly Seals Allers opens up a candid conversation about the cultural, sociological and economic forces that shape the breastfeeding culture was sold by Stacey to Nichole Argyres at St. Martin’s Press.

John sold Stephen L. Duncan’s YA debut THE REVELATION SAGA, about a teen who discovers he is the angel Gabriel and must train to save the world from the evil demon Septis, pitched as FALLEN meets HARRY POTTER with a dose of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, to Emily Steele at Medallion Press.

Two more books in James Beard-honored mixologist, author, and beverage consultant Kim Haasarud’s popular 101 series, SHOTS and TROPICAL DRINKS, sold to Justin Schwartz at John Wiley & Sons by Michael.

Bestselling author and iconic feminist leader Phyllis Chesler’s AN AMERICAN BRIDE IN KABUL, about her time as a young bride in Afghanistan and the charged and complicated relationship between the Islamic East and West was sold by Jane to Karen Wolny at Palgrave.

Jane’s next sale was for William Gurstelle’s DEFENDING YOUR CASTLE, which offers wild yet historically accurate plans for the modern homeowner, from moats and drawbridges to hostile plant walls, including both scientific and anecdotal material, which went to Cynthia Sherry at Chicago Review Press.

Romance writer Anne Stuart’s next series, AFTER THE STORM: THE STORY OF THE RUSSELL SISTERS, a historical trilogy that focuses on three orphaned sisters, Arielle, Madeline, and Sophie, as they embark to investigate the mysterious maritime disaster that killed their parents, encountering rogues, gentlemen, and illicit affairs along the way, was sold to Kelli Martin at Montlake by Jane.

Rounding out March, Jane sold Michael Wolraich’s WHEN THE WAR BEGAN: TEDDY ROOSEVELT, REPUBLICAN PROGRESSIVES AND THE BIRTH OF MODERN POLITICS, the story of the beginning of the progressive political movement, following closely the lives of all the major political, economic and journalistic players as they careen through history and one another’s lives to Karen Wolny at Palgrave.

John also sold real estate magnate Herman J. Russell’s memoir BUILDING ATLANTA, which recounts his childhood growing up during segregation and how he overcame a severe speech disorder to build much of the Atlanta skyline and contribute to the Civil Rights movement, to Cynthia Sherry at Chicago Review Press.

Jim’s next sale was for Gae Polisner’s FRANKIE SKY, still reeling from her little brother’s drowning death, a girl finds her herself holding back – from summer trips to the ocean, friendship, budding romance – till she meets another young boy who may be her brother’s reincarnation, which awakens her to new possibilities, which went to Elise Howard at Algonquin.

Journalist and historian Scott Martelle’s JONES’S BONES, the story that brings together two important eras in history—the American Revolutionary War and the dawn of the 21st Century—through the search for the final resting place for war hero John Paul Jones was sold to Jerome Pohlen at Chicago Review Press by Jane.

Veteran journalist and Professor of Journalism at Indiana University Joseph Coleman’s THE OLD MAN AND THE HAMMER, a narrative-driven investigation of America’s aging workforce, charting a path forward through the coming demographic revolution, was sold to Terry Vaughn at Oxford University Press by Jessica.

Jane then sold nutrition experts Katherine Brooking and Julie Upton’s 101 FAT HABITS AND SLIM SOLUTIONS, a health-smart guide full of real life, practical steps for kicking bad habits and finding new dietary and lifestyle paths to Sara Carder at Tarcher.

Bestselling author of the wildly popular self-published WIFE BY WEDNESDAY, Catherine Bybee’s newest romance trilogy, the NOT QUITE… series brings the genre to a whole new level as she elegantly brings to life sexy, rich bachelors, desperate hotel heiresses, and Caribbean scandals, to name a few, was sold to Kelly Martin at Montlake by Jane.

Anne Cleeland’s MUDER IN THRALL, the sexy, disturbing and utterly engrossing novel in a series of romantic suspense, following Kathleen Doyle, a fiery first-year detective on her first twisted murder case, was sold by Jane to Audrey LaFehr at Kensington.

Jane’s next sale was for chef, restaurateur, and TV personality Gale Gand’s newest cookbook, GALE GAND’S LUNCH!, in which she shares fun and creative ideas, tips, and tricks for all kinds of lunches, which went to Justin Schwartz at John Wiley & Sons.

GREAT BALLS OF CHEESE, a quirky and fun collection of over 50 recipes for all kinds of cheese balls from FoodNetwork.com and CookingChannelTV.com editor Michelle Buffardi, went to Justin Schwartz at John Wiley & Sons, sold by Stacey.

Jessica sold HISTORY LESSONS: A FAMILY MEMOIR OF MADNESS, MEMORY, AND THE WONDERS OF THE BRAIN by Clifton Crais: Part memoir, part narrative science and part detective story, History Lessons is a provocative, beautifully crafted investigation into what it means to be human, to Dan Crissman at Overlook.

Helen Bryan’s THE SISTERHOOD, connecting an unlikely present-day heroine to the events of the Spanish Inquisition, handsome friars and courageous nuns, doomed love affairs, persecuted orphans, and cunning noblemen and women, was sold by Jane to Terry Goodman at Amazon.

And finally, DGLM’s most recent sale was VODKA: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, written and curated by Victorino Matus, a senior editor at The Weekly Standard sold by Stacey to James Jayo at Lyons Press.

Okay! That’s a long list there, but it can only mean good things for DGLM and our authors.

 

 

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7 Things I’ve Learned in 7 Years in Publishing

Seven years ago this week, I walked into the office of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management as Jane’s new assistant. I started out here the usual combination of nervous, cocky, overwhelmed, over ambitious, and grateful someone was willing to take a chance on me. Seven years later, here I am, Literary Agent & Subsidiary Rights Director. Fun fact: on the day I started, DGLM was Jane, Miriam, Michael, Stacey, and Jim. On my seventh anniversary this Wednesday, all five of those people were right here in the office, along with a bunch who’ve come along since. Now that’s partially coincidental timing, but I think it’s a fitting testament to the kind of company this is.

DGLM is a company that’s given me much opportunity to learn and grow in many ways. Through the agency and publishing at large, I’ve learned many lessons in the last seven years. Without further ado, here are seven of the biggest:

  1.  Taste ≠ Quality ≠ Viability: It’s a hard lesson to learn for the very opinionated like me that one’s taste is not an objective indicator of quality. That quality is not necessarily the only factor in viability. It is annoying, yes, that the world does not yet bend to my will and some people persist in having opinions that are not the same as mine. But I’ve stopped taking it personally. (Most days.)
  2. Competition Does Not Preclude Helpfulness: Publishing is a highly competitive beast, but it’s also surprisingly collegial. Sure, some people are overly competitive and undermining, but I find most people are actually pretty helpful even to the people competing for the same resources they are. With few exceptions, the really successful people seem to be well liked by their competitor peers. Of course, being a lovely and wonderful person isn’t enough on its own. But isn’t it nice to know that it can also be a strategic advantage?
  3. There Are a Lot of People Behind Every Book: Before I was told about the job here at DGLM, I didn’t even realize literary agencies existed. I’d pretty much worked out author, editor, publicist, sales rep, buyer, store personnel, customer as the chain, but that’s missing so many people I can’t believe I hadn’t given the others any thought. It’s taken me a while to get a sense of all the other roles at play, because it’s not always easy to see what’s happening behind the scenes. Until you’re mired in the publishing process, you might not be aware of every aspect, but for every piece of the puzzle, there’s a person whose job it is to place it.
  4. The Delete Key Is Your Friend: I implore you to find the delete key on your keyboard and commit its location to memory. It has saved me so much heartache. Publishing is a business, and it behooves us all to be professional and constructive. Delete the bile and move on to something that will help the situation or at least not harm it. When in doubt (even the tiniest scrap of it) about whether your response to something is motivated by reasoned thought or reckless emotion, ask your agent what they advise. Authors need allies, and people who are hurt or pissed off don’t make good allies.
  5. Systems Are Magic: Jane is the master of systems. Seven years on, much of how I get my job done is based on what she taught me to do as her assistant. I’m hyper organized and efficient, mocked for my use of spreadsheets and general systematic nerdery. But without them, I wouldn’t get anything done. Don’t just adopt any old system (electronic/calendar reminders are a total waste on me), but don’t stop trying till you get one that works for you. Being on top of things is important, whatever your role.
  6. The Internet Is Both the Best and the Worst: It’s distracting. It’s glorious. It’s inspiring. It’s soul crushing. It’s connecting. It’s isolating. Find a way to make it work for you, and when it’s just not doing you any favors, walk away. Talk to a friend, go to a café, sit in a park, play with small children or adorable animals, or just take a nap. It’s amazing how much more incredible the internet seems when you’ve taken a break from it.
  7. Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day: When breakfast arrives in the DGLM kitchen, stand back till Miriam and Jim are done fighting over who gets to use the very sharp apple-cutting knife first. Words to live by if you find yourself in the DGLM offices some morning and value all your limbs.

 

2

A thought.

One of my favorite things about working in publishing is the opportunity to read and consider so many queries daily. Admittedly, sometimes the mountain of slush is a bit daunting, but there’s nothing better than finding a gem amongst them, than finding just the sort of things you didn’t know you were looking for. It amazes me, really, how many ideas, characters, worlds and surprise endings there still are out there. In all the years humanity has explored the written word, with all the people who do now and who have ever considered themselves writers, original and wonderful stories keep emerging.

For me, it’s impossible to even imagine what the next perfect book would be about. I’ve read my fair share of dull and god-awful novels, that I drudgingly plow through (unlike Jim, I find it hard not to finish something I’ve started. Guilt complex, I suppose). I’ll spend time bemoaning the dearth of any new fiction to grab me, but then something great always comes along. Regardless of how we might read our books in the future—on paper, e-reader, or some new, heretofore uninvented method—there will always be writers to break the mold and come up with something brilliant and new.

So I guess my point is this: keep writing and keep sending in your manuscripts, because without this ever-producing world of letters, who knows what else would come to a screeching halt? Sometimes it’s the craziest ideas that produce the best book, and others the most mundane sounding plot can come across as quietly and fantastically lovely. You never can tell and that’s why I keep opening my queries with anticipation.

17

Goodreads?

Social media has taken the world by storm, and shows no sign of letting go. Publishing, in particular, has taken a love to Twitter. Most of my feed is made up of my favorite authors, agents, and editors. Readers took a foothold on twitter as well, with #fridayreads and, with us comic book readers, #newcomicday.

Goodreads.com is a website I adore, in theory. When I first found it I spent hours setting up my shelves, adding and review books I read, and setting my to-read lists. I was going to use Goodreads as my virtual library – and my to read list. But then months passed, and I didn’t update goodreads once. I’ve “rediscovered” goodreads lately but it seems to be just another website I need to remember to check.

So my question to you is: How do you use social media to back-up your reading?

6

The more things change…

It’s the beginning of a new year and I thought that I would look back to when I began as an agent in 1986 to see what I was representing and selling then compared to where my interests and successes are today.  It has been fun to look back.

When I started out, practical non-fiction – self-help – was all the rage and I certainly represented my fair share of books in that category.  Soon, I began to represent cookbooks and one author spoke to another who recommended me to another and another and before I knew it I had a fairly large cookbook list.

Then there were the true crime titles.  Again, I picked up a lot of writers who were interested in this category (one that sold very well for years and years).  Initially, these books were published in hardcover, followed by paperback editions, but after a number of years, they were only published as original mass market paperbacks.

I did some business books, both practical and narrative non-fiction along with some biographies.  I slowly started adding some fiction, genre and non-genre.

All of this is vastly different today, both because the marketplace has changed enormously – current reading tastes are very different than they were over twenty years ago – and because my tastes in what I want to represent have changed as well.

Looking at what I have sold in the last couple of years I find:

Fiction:  Women’s fiction, thrillers, mystery, romance – historical and contemporary —  fantasy, including urban fantasy and historical fantasy, literary fiction, and some horror.

I am also representing many more memoirs than I have in the past.

A constant on my list, then and now, is narrative non-fiction by award-winning journalists. This has always been something I have been interested in and over the years I have represented a number of Pulitzer Prize winning authors.

And, yes, though I am handling far fewer cookbooks, I still am representing some of my favorite authors in the food world.  I am still handling true crime as well (although it seems the distribution system for true crime has totally collapsed making it harder and harder to sell into this category).

In short, it is very interesting to look back and see how my interests have changed as reading tastes have changed.  And it is exciting to look forward as well.  What are you reading now that you didn’t read 10 or 20 years ago?  How have your tastes changed?

15

@jdystel

Happy New Year everyone!

So, after resisting the urge to join Twitter, I just read this piece in yesterday’s New York Times Book Review written  by Anne Trubek, and I decided it was absolutely time for me to get on board.

Quite frankly, I haven’t been certain that being a part of this community would be useful and, considering that all we have is time, I am very aware of how I use mine.  But Trubek’s piece makes some very good points about being isolated from those we really should be communicating with and so I am learning.  It is going to take a while, but I actually think this could be even more fun than Facebook.

I would love to hear what benefits you get from being on Twitter. Any and all opinions are welcome as I am at the beginning of my learning curve and as with everything I do, I would really like to get it right.

8

Bring It, 2012

Sure we still have some 2011 left to live, but screw it. Let’s move on to 2012. New year’s resolutions before the new year! I am on top of things!

I’ll start with the same resolution I’ve had every year since I started agenting: make more money for my clients in 2012 than I did in 2011. That I’ve so far made this goal each year only increases the pressure in each succeeding year. So…

Next goal: avoid a stress-related coronary.

Moving along…

Work to find the perfect balance of communication for each client. This is something I chatted with some folks about last week. Some people get super-stressed when I check in all the time. Other people are more worried when I don’t. I want everyone to be happy with how much attention I’m paying them. Aim to please!

Get back to my 2010 pace of reading a book a week for pleasure. I’ve always felt that turning off the inner editorial eye and reading to simply enjoy reading keeps the whole process fresh. But I was off pace this year and want to get back on!

Convince new(-ish) mother Mariah Carey to write a children’s book. I am not kidding.

Develop psychic ability and figure out ahead of everyone else what the changing face of publishing means for DGLM and our clients. If I fail: stay abreast of all new developments and try not to let failure to become psychic keep me down.

Come up with some other stupid pointless yearlong goal—previous examples: watching every Oscar winner for Best Picture and writing a blog entry about every concert, play, or live performance I attended. (Ideas welcome).

Do a million dollar deal before the end of January just to really get the year off to the right start. Okay, okay…the end of February.

And, of course…lose the 30 pounds that I found again this year. Blurgh.

Am I missing anything? Other recommendations are welcome. But if anyone tells me I actually need to lose 40 pounds, I will shiv them.

17

End of the Year Round-up!

It’s hard to believe that another year is already coming to an end. We’ve had a busy one here at DGLM, as dedicated blog readers will surely have noticed, and we’re looking forward to things to come in 2012. Except, of course, the end of the world. I, at least, am certainly not looking forward to dying in a fiery explosion, or lava rush, or whatever we’re meant to be consumed by, but I suppose that will make the few short months of living we have left to do all the more cherished. Right? Before I get lost in a downward spiral, I’m going to stop and instead update you on all the nice things that have happened for the agency and our clients. We’ve been busy, that’s for sure!

Since we last convened at the end of September, Michael sold FOR US BY US by Meg Leder and Rachel Kempster, a book to help couples chronicle their relationship through prompts, exercises and activities. This went to Shana Drehs and Sourcebooks.

Stacey sold a collaboration between A.J. Hartley and David Hewson, MACBETH: A NOVEL, at the beginning of October. A dramatic narrative retelling of Shakespeare’s play of the same name, this was sold to Andy Bartlett at Thomas & Mercer.

Jane’s next sale was David Morrell’s MURDER AS FINE ART, set in London during the early 1800s, in which a killer starts copycatting the Ratcliffe Highway murders (which took place in East London in 1811) with a twist–he  follows the rules laid out by essayist Thomas De Quincey in his “Murder as a Fine Art.” This went to John Schoenfelder at Mulholland Books

A prequel to the popular Maze Runner trilogy, Michael sold James Dashner’s THE KILL ORDER, which is set before WICKED was formed and Thomas entered the Maze, when sun flares scorched the earth and mankind began the ultimate fight for survival, to Krista Marino at Delacorte.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and Dreamland Social Club author Tara Altebrando’s ROOMIES, in which two girls from opposite coasts are assigned to be freshman roommates and strike up a correspondence over the summer before, was also sold by Michael, this time to Julie Scheina at Little, Brown Children’s (with David Dunton of Harvey Klinger representing Tara Altebrando).

Michael’s next sale was for the third book in New York Times bestseller Lisa McMann’s ongoing middle grade fantasy adventure series, UNWANTEDS, and this went to Liesa Abrams at Aladdin.

BRIANNA ON THE BRINK, a first novel from Nicole McInnes, about a 16-year-old girl who finds herself lost, alone, and pregnant after a one-night-stand (let’s just say it’s complicated). Brianna has to choose between clinging to fear and jumping into the unknown. Stacey sold this Sylvie Frank at Holiday House

Finishing out October, John sold Editor-in-chief of ManoftheHouse.com Craig Heimbuch’s AND NOW WE SHALL DO MANLY THINGS, recalling the year the author spent learning how to hunt, both to reconnect with his family’s traditions and to explore how hunting and manliness intersect in today’s society, to Adam Korn at Morrow.

A lavishly illustrated tribute to CZ Guest, written and edited by Susanna Salk, author of Room for Children, went to Ellen Nidy at Rizzoli, sold by Michael.

Jessica next sold Qais Akbar Omar’s memoir about growing up in Afghanistan. From the Russian occupation, through years of brutal civil war, to the rise and fall of the Taliban and the arrival of the American troops, this wry, clear-eyed, and powerful memoir of life during wartime went to Courtney Hodell at FSG in a pre-empt.

Jane had the next sale with Mary Doria Russell’s THE CURE FOR ANGER, the further story of the complex relationship between Doc Holliday and his famous lawman friend, Wyatt Earp, the willful, emotionally brutalized women they loved, and the cast of ruffians and heroes who found themselves summoned by history to Tombstone, Arizona, to participate in or witness the infamous three-minute gunfight. This went to Libby Edelson at Ecco.

DRINKING LIKE A MAD MAN, a how-to manual on bringing mid-century cocktail culture to the home entertainer that takes the fear out of entertaining and demystifying the party throwing experience, is written by Steve McDonagh and was sold by Jane to Eileen Johnson at Agate.

Fitness and wellness advisor Mandy Ingber’s YOGALOSOPHY, an accessible handbook for getting it all together—body, mind, heart and spirit—full of workouts and eating guidelines along with unique daily insights, activities and thought-provoking anecdotes, was sold to Krista Lyons at Seal press by Jane.

Stacey then sold HAND MADE, the debut cookbook from Kamran Siddiqi, the 19-year-old creator of sophisticatedgourmet.com, featuring baking recipes and family stories combined with beautiful photography that illustrate the stories of his recipes through pictures, to Amy Treadwell at Chronicle.

EXTRAVAGANZA LIBERACE: A LIFE IN COSTUME is the first-ever illustrated collection of Liberace’s famous costumes, plus interviews with various designers who worked closely with him, compiled by costumers Connie Furr and Jan Jewett, with a Foreword by Liberace’s principal designer, Michael Travis. Stacey sold this to Julia Abramoff at HarperDesign.

Michael sold the final three books in Dale Basye’s irreverent middle grade series about naughty children in the afterlife, HECK, to Diane Landolf at Random House Children’s.

WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO MAKE?, written by champion figure skater Brian Boitano, is a cookbook featuring recipes that are fun and accessible to the home cook, much like those exhibited on his television show of the same name and sold by Jane to Lara Asher at Globe Pequot Press.

Jessica then sold THE EMPRESS HAS NO CLOTHES by Joyce M. Roche and Alxander Kopelman to Neal Maillet at Berret-Koehler. From the former CEO of Girls, Inc, and the first black woman to serve as a corporate officer of a Fortune 500 company, this book is a personal look at her struggle to overcome “the Imposter Syndrome” and gives frank advice to women and minorities how to silence their implacable inner critics and own their own success.

Jane’s next sale was for a new cookbook from the bestselling authors of the ground-breaking, hugely popular Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day series to Pete Wolverton at Thomas Dunne Books as well as a revised edition of the authors’ bestselling original title.  The second book will feature 100 all-new recipes and photos.

Fran Smith and Sheila Himmel’s CHANGING THE WAY WE DIE, the first book to take a sweeping view of the hospice industry and what it means to the Baby Boom Generation was sold by John to Brenda Knight at Viva Editions.

Next, Jane sold Helen Bryan’s WAR BRIDES, a novel that takes place as Britain prepares for war with Germany, focusing on the lives of five young women that are about to collide in the sleepy Sussex village of Crowmarsh Priors to Terry Goodman at Amazon.

John sold author of STREET PHARM and SNITCH Allison van Diepen’s contemporary YA novel THE GAME, about a teen drug dealer who becomes a police informant to get revenge on a gang leader for sending him to juvie, to Jennifer Klonsky at Simon Pulse, with Annette Pollert editing.

Jessica Alexander’s WELCOME BACK TO CIVILIZATION, the story of how a normal American girl who grew up in the sheltering cradle of an upper middle class Connecticut town ends up managing a 24,000-refugee camp in North Darfur was sold by Jane to Meagan Stacey at Crown.

A.J. Hartley’s latest thriller TEARS OF THE JAGUAR brings back protagonist Deborah Miller as she must connect four remarkable events or die trying: The most famous witch trail in English history; the discovery of an underground Mayan tomb in the Mexican jungle; the disappearance of the original English crown jewels in 1649; and a string of murders perpetrated by an arms dealer in pursuit of a high tech weapon. This was sold by Stacey to Andy Bartlett at Thomas & Mercer.

Jessica’s next sale was BEAT THE HEART ATTACK GENE by Bradley Bale, MD, and Amy Doneen, MSN, ARNP, with Lisa Collier Cool. From the creators of the Bale/Doneen Method, “the only totally comprehensive program in the world for the prevention of cardiovascular disease” a book that lays out a life-changing and life-saving protocol for preventing and reversing CVD. This went to Tom Miller at John Wiley & Sons.

Whew! That is a lot going on, and we’re already excited for the new year’s prospects. So, happy holidays and warm wishes, everyone!