Publishing Industry Lowdown (Nov. 21-Dec. 2)

It’s that day again–time for Sooz’s YA and MG Publishing Industry Lowdow. The general idea is that I share the biggest news in the young adult and middle grade publishing world each Friday–big deals, important changes, etc.

My source for deal news is Publishers Marketplace, which requires a paid subscription. As such I’m only sharing part of the information here–basically, just author names and pitches. If you want to know deal sizes (e.g. advances), editors, publishers, and agents, I highly recommend you sign up for PM–it’s totally worth the cost!

We’ve got two weeks worth of deals, so let’s get started!!

Deals

Peggy Eddleman’s debut middle grade THROUGH THE BOMB’S BREATH, about twelve-year-old Hope who is the worst inventor in a town of great inventors struggling to recover from the green bombs of WWIII that wiped out nearly all the earth’s population, but when the town is invaded by bandits they find their inventing won’t save them, but that the daring and recklessness that usually gets Hope into trouble just might, in a two-book deal.

Michelle Schusterman’s middle grade I HEART BAND, a new chapter-book series about a French-horn-playing girl and her middle-school friends as they experience all the fun and roller-coaster adventures, dramas and crushes of life as band geeks, in a four-book deal, for publication in Summer 2014.

Sue Alexander Award-winner Marilyn Hilton’s middle grade FOUND THINGS, about an outcast girl and her new friend, who, searching for a miracle, float wishes down the river, only to find their wishes may be more powerful than they realize.

2011 Edgar Award winner for Best Juvenile Mystery, Dori Hillestad Butler’s middle grade THE HAUNTED LIBRARY, a new chapter book series about a ghost boy and a human girl who help ghosts and solve mysteries together, in a 4-book deal.

Hilary Smith’s debut young adult MIDNIGHT AT THE RADIO TEMPLE, about a teenage musician who uncovers a startling family secret that propels her into a summer of love, chaos, music, and madness, in a two-book deal.

Jo Knowles’s young adult LIVING WITH JACKIE CHAN, a companion novel to Jumping Off Swings that follows a boy to a new school, in a new city, where he moves in with his eccentric, Jackie Chan-obsessed uncle, and, in spite of being haunted by the baby he fathered and had put up for adoption, starts to find a new life for himself…one that finally allows him to face the one he left behind, in a two-book deal, for publication in Fall 2013.

James Dashner’s young adult THE KILL ORDER, a prequel to the Maze Runner trilogy, set before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, when sun flares seared the earth and mankind fell to disease, it tells the story of that fall, for publication August 14, 2012.

Steven dos Santos’s young adult THE TORCH KEEPER, about a young man’s harrowing struggle to save his younger brother by surviving a sadistic military recruitment — and facing the horrifying fate that awaits not only each recruit, but their loved ones, in a two-book deal, for publication in Winter 2013.

Julia Durango and Tracie Vaughn Zimmer’s middle grade SECOND GUARD, The first two titles in a fantasy series about second-born children in their families, who upon turning fifteen must leave home to join the Queen’s Guard — hopefully as soldiers, but if they fail the training, as indentured servants; when the three new friends uncover a dangerous conspiracy that threatens the Queen’s life and the very existence of their realm, they must put aside their own ambitions in order to save the world they love,  for publication in Fall 2013.

Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner’s WRECKED, pitched as Titanic in outer space, in which a wealthy teen socialite and a young war hero crash land on an uncharted planet after their flagship spaceliner goes down mid-voyage, forcing them to confront harsh conditions, otherworldly incidents, and their own mutual attraction, in a significant deal, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication in Summer 2013.EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! CONGRATS AMIE AND MEG!!!! ♥

Jamie Blair’s debut young adult LEAP OF FAITH, in which a 16-year-old girl flees home with her newborn sister, becoming a fugitive in order to escape an abusive parent and start a new life.

Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s young adult SIX LITTLE SISTERS, a retelling of THE ODYSSEY in which a woman and her five sisters embark on a quest to return a dead man to his family and must overcome monsters from Mexican folklore as they journey home, for publication in Fall 2012.

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski’s young adult GETAWAY, about a feisty, heartbroken teen who sets out on a cross-country road trip to find herself — and heal her heart.

(Source: Publisher’s Marketplace)

Other News

First, the November Secret Giveaway winner is

 Danielle!

For those of you who have yet to find the sneaky secret giveaway, all I’ll say is that it’s hidden somewhere on this website…and there’s a new book to be won EVERY month. 😉

So because I’m in the middle of sequel writing, and my deadline is fast approaching (OH MY GOSH, IT MOVES SO FAST. IT’S LIKE A MASERATI.), I have not been keeping up with the news. So…below are a handful of links I’ve acquired over the past 2 weeks.

Caitlin Vanasse sent me a great link to a Minnesota Public Radio piece on how Amazon has been affecting the publishing industry.

Author Nora Roberts ROCKS an interview with the Guardian. Seriously, you will LOVE her after reading this…it prompted me to go buy one of her books (though I have yet to have a spare moment to actually read said book. ::sigh::).

Go read this incredibly adorable and clever “Writer’s Plea” from K. Marie Criddle. ‘Tis AWESOME.

Here’s an interesting blog comparing covers that use the same stock images. While I think it’s interesting to note, notice that 1) some of those titles are foreign versions (so using the same stock image shouldn’t matter at all), and 2) publishers don’t want to use the same image–like, it’s not that they’re being lazy. There are a LOT of books out there, and it’s 100% impossible to keep up with them all. Nonetheless, it’s cool to see the same photos used in different ways.

NaNoWriMo ended on Wednesday with a total of 3 BILLION words written. O_O Just wow. Did you partake? Did you WIN??

My favorite writer of absolutely all time, Anne McCaffrey, passed away last week. This woman’s books changed my life, and I–amongst many other faithful, longtime fans–will miss her.

And finally, in BIG NEWS (at least for me), Let the Words Flow is moving on to bigger and BETTER things…Read the announcement here. 🙂

You tell me: Is there any industry news-bite I missed? Do you have an significant news you want to share?

♥