Description
Description: The focus of the panel is books for middle grade and teen readers, and the goal is to clarify what elements/information are most important for writers, literary agents, and editors. What matters to agents, to editors as they review the pitch or query letters, and what happens on the editorial side? We want to pull back the curtain on what can be a mystery to many debut writers and even established authors, to show writers how they can successfully navigate the twists and turns to reach their destination, while saving time for agents and editors on the receiving end.
Cost: Free for all WNBA Members of any chapter and $10.00 for non-members. Click on the Purple button above to pay for the event.
Format: Zoom link to follow upon registration for all attendees.
Phoebe Yeh is the Vice President and co-publisher at Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House. She worked with Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen on The Magic School Bus series and with Walter Dean Myers for twenty years. She has published the New York Times bestsellers, Max & the Midknights (Lincoln Peirce), debut novels Dear Martin and Clean Getaway(Nic Stone); and Marcus Makes a Movie (Kevin Hart).
Recent publications include Recognize: An Anthology Honoring & Amplifying Black Life edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson; Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson, The Swag Is in the Socks (Kelly J. Baptist) and upcoming: The Natural Genius of Ants (Betty Cully).
YA novels include Vinyl Moon (Mahogany L. Browne), Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance (Nisha Sharma) and the upcoming Publishers Marketplace YA Buzz Book Finding Jupiter by debut novelist Kelis Rowe.
Picture books include The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan (Kristen Mai Giang/Alina Chau)and the upconing Mae Finds a Way: The True Story of Mae Reeves, Hat & History Maker (Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich/Andrea Pippins) in collaboration with NMAAHC/Smithsonian Institution. Yeh is a recipient of the inaugural CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Award.
Saritza Hernández
Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Known as the first literary agent to represent marginalized creators in the
digital publishing space, Saritza is a self-proclaimed geek who loves escaping into worlds and stories from all walks of life. Her love of great storytelling is what has driven her work in the publishing industry for the past 18 years and her passion for amplifying queer and BIPOC voices is what continues to drive her today.
An avid romance and science-fiction reader, and strong advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, she enjoys fresh voices in YA and adult genre fiction. She specializes in romance and young adult fiction by and for diverse audiences.
Sarah McCabe
Senior Editor at Margaret M. McElderry Books, imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing
Sarah joined Simon & Schuster in 2014 and is actively acquiring teen and middle grade, with a strong focus in the fantasy/sci-fi genres.
She’s been lucky enough to work with a talented list of New York Times bestselling, award-winning, and critically acclaimed writers including Chloe Gong, Xiran Jay Zhao, Liselle Sambury, Lisa Maxwell, Nicki Pau Preto, Emily Suvada, Margie Fuston, Ashley Shuttleworth and many more. Follow her on Twitter @SarahRMcCabe to hear her obsess over the books, movies, and TV shows that have ripped her heart out.
Wendi Gu is privileged to represent a talented range of award-winning and bestselling children’s books authors and illustrators. For all children’s books categories, from picture books to young adult, Wendi values emotional stories filled with lyricism and heart. She is drawn toward books that help dismantle stereotypes about mental health, ability, and race.
As the daughter of immigrants, she sees special importance in stories about migration and displacement, especially as they relate to friendship and family. For middle grade and young adult novels, she enjoys voice-driven stories with contemplative characters. Occasionally, she enjoys truly absurd humor. But above all, Wendi is looking for authors and illustrators who value inclusivity and intersectionality, whose writing and art encourages love and care. Bonus points go to stories from different parts of the globe.
She grew up in the Chicago suburbs and spent many of her summers with her grandparents in China. She attended Northwestern University where she studied Creative Writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her spouse and dog named Beanie Gu.
Susan Knopf is founder of Scout Books & Media Inc, an award-winning company that specializes in adult
nonfiction and children’s books of all kinds. Scout develops books with individuals, publishers, brands, corporations, and institutions.
Prior to establishing Scout Books & Media in 2011, Susan worked in leadership roles in publishing, including at Penguin Books where she launched Disney’s MouseWorks imprint, and at HarperCollins, where her 40thAnniversary campaign to revitalize the Caedmon spoken audio imprint earned the company a Peabody Award. She is the author of several cookbooks, as well as children’s booksIck! Grossest Science Ever(Scholastic),eebee’s adventure’s: clean-up timeandalmost bedtime(Sterling), andArmadillos: Dynamite Diggers(Scholastic). Susan’s hobbies include reading, baking, playing tennis, and learning to play bridge.
