Publishing Industry Lowdown (March 19-23)

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It’s that day again–time for Sooz’s YA and MG Publishing Industry Lowdow. The general idea is that I share all the deals I know if in the young adult and middle grade publishing world each Friday.

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!

Now, let’s get started, shall we?

Deals

ALL I KNOW I LEARNED FROM MY CAT author Suzy Becker’s middle grade SERIOUSLY, KATE, a new series of humorous chapter books with numerous cartoons.

Amy Christine Parker’s young adult THE SILO, about a girl who’s grown up in a cult, but begins to question what she’s been taught as the “end times” approach, causing their Pioneer to alter his plans, which accelerate and grow ever more dangerous for all involved, in a two-book deal, for publication in Fall 2013.

Leila Rasheed’s young adult AT SOMERTON series, starting with CINDERS & SAPPHIRES, about the teens who live upstairs and downstairs at Somerton Court as World War I opens, in a three-book deal, for publication beginning in January 2013.

Chloe Ryder’s PRINCESS PONIES, the first three books to be published in February 2013, the next three in May 2013.

YALSA-winning author Matt Loux’s first two books in a middle grade graphic novel series called THE TIME MUSEUM, about a precocious girl who must compete against talented kids from every age in human history in a great time-traveling challenge, where the applicants must evade marauding dinosaurs, explore the lost Library of Alexandria and confront the mysterious Grey Earl.

#1 NYT bestselling author of The Immortals Series and The Riley Bloom Books as well as the upcoming Soul Seeker Series Alyson Noel’s young adult THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, for publication in Fall 2014.

AGORAFABULOUS! author and comedian Sara Benincasa’s young adult GREAT, pitched as inspired by The Great Gatsby and set in the modern-day Hamptons over the course of one steamy summer of obsession, jealousy, and social climbing, in a two-book deal.

Jennifer Hubbard’s young adult UNTIL IT HURTS TO STOP, in which a former victim of middle school bullying struggles to navigate the high school world of love and relationships, for publication in summer 2013.

Mara Shaughnessy’S middle grade LEGO MAN IN SPACE, the true story of Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, two Canadian twelfth graders who gained international fame and over 2 million hits on YouTube by sending a Lego man into space with a homemade parachute, weather balloon, and digital camera that captured the entire journey, for publication in Spring 2013.

Steve Savile, Debbie Viguie, Aaron Rosenberg, Paul Kupperberg, Robert Greenberger, Brandie Tarvin, James Reasoner, Kris Katzen, Jane Killick, Matt Forbeck, Ben Rome’s young adult LATCHKEYS: Unlatched (and the series), the first of a new YA fantasy series chronicling the adventures of the Latchkeys kids, teenagers tasked with guarding the Doors of reality, for publication beginning in 2012.

Creator of TinkerLab.com Rachelle Doorly’s young adult TINKERLAB: CREATIVE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS, science experiments, tinkering projects, and creative activities meant to foster curiosity and promote creative and critical thinking in young children.

Author of Whip Up Mini Quilts and Little Bits Quilting Bee Kathreen Ricketson’s middle grade FAMILY ROAD TRIP: Creativity, Family Connection, and Rediscovering a Natural Childhood, presenting craft projects, activities, and adventures to gently guide families onto a path of living slowly, getting outdoors, and enjoying each other’s company,

Gary Muschla, Judith Muschla and Erin Muschla’s middle grade MATH STARTERS: 5 TO 10 MINUTE ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE KIDS THINK (5TH – 6TH GRADES), for publication in 2013.

Author of Forgotten and the forthcoming Revived Cat Patrick’s young adult THE ORIGINALS, about three teenage clones who secretly live out each in day in public as one girl as they struggle for independence within a family that only science could have created, for publication in Spring 2013.

Bartimaeus author Jonathan Stroud’s young adult LOCKWOOD & CO series, featuring three teen members of a Psychic Detection Agency battling an epidemic of ghosts in London, with the first book THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE, in a two-book deal, for publication starting in August 2013.

(Source: Publisher’s Marketplace)

Other Stuff

I just discovered Something Strange & Deadly is available on Edelweiss! Just head here to learn more!

To build on her post last week about what the publishing industry can learn from The Hunger Games movie promotion, Rachel Stark offers specific examples of what exactly Lionsgate did right.

In a very random and VERY SUSPECT move, someone mailed 11 pounds of marijuna to St. Martin’s Press. Um…WHAT?!  O__O

Deborah Norville discusses her first big break here. Most of you might not find it interesting, but I DO! Ms. Norville is from the same town as I (good ol’ Dalton, GA) and even went to the same university (UGA). So…yeah. Small world.

Goodreads shows us just how popular the dystopian genre is these days–and they emphasize that dystopians haven’t been this popular since the 1960s. So what does all that mean?

Bologna wrapped up yesterday! You can check out s0me photos from the event AND read about what might be “the next big thing”.

And finally, here’s an incredibly entertaining AND education video on the history of the English language. I honestly had no idea I owed so many of my idioms to Shakespeare and the King James Bible…

You tell me: Is there any industry news-bite or fun link you wanna share?

♥