🚨Attention Authors🚨Our query guidelines have changed! We no longer have the "no from one is a no from all" policy.
But please read and follow the guidelines, it is the only way your work will be considered -- and we WANT to consider your work! 😍
Black Lives Matter. Black Stories Matter. Today, and every day.
We're fundraising for a Bay Area institution: Marcus Books in Oakland is the oldest Black bookstore in the country. Drop a screenshot of your donation in this thread and we'll match to $5k.
OK not to brag? (But also, absolutely to brag!) -- just checked Publisher's Marketplace "Dealmakers" page and um... well. While we always have the top spot in Children's books we now have the top spot in... ALL agencies??!!!! KINDA WILD, not gonna lie! 🥳🥳🥳
Saritza Hernández joins ABLA as an Agent. She is seeking adult genre fiction, adult narrative nonfiction, YA/MG, and GN.
@LitAgentSaritza
Jemiscoe Chambers-Black joins ABLA as an Associate Agent. She's looking for adult literary fic, romance, YA/MG fic.
@Jemiscoe
🥳📚🍾
Work at the agency has officially STOPPED so that we can collectively scream about the latest New York Times picture book Bestseller List --
@CaroleLindstrom
/ WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS is
#1
and
@JoannaHoWrites
/ EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS is
#4
!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
🏆ABLA is number one in Publisher's Marketplace's Dealmaker Rankings in THREE categories! Children's! Children's: Picture Book Fiction! Children's: Picture Book Non-fiction! 🥳
Do you want to be an agent? Interested in children's book publishing? ABLA has a MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITY this summer! This program is fully remote and PAID - eligible candidates will also be encouraged to apply for a
@diversebooks
grant.
More info:
We are THRILLED to announce that ABLA is growing bigger and stronger than ever, with two new agents! Yes! A huge welcome to
@LitAgentSaritza
and
@Jemiscoe
! 🥳📚🍾
Our updated agency page here, with longer bios and links for querying:
Some of us were able to get together in Monterey to celebrate 40 YEARS of ABLA! ❤️❤️ A gigantic thank you to all the authors, illustrators and publishing colleagues who help make our work possible! ❤️❤️
AMBITIOUS GIRL, the new picture book by
@meenaharris
, illustrated by Marissa Valdez (
@marissaillo
) is an instant NUMBER ONE New York Times Bestseller! We're breaking open the virtual champagne to toast Marissa, Meena, the LB team, and their, dare we say, AMBITIOUS hard work! 🍾🥂
We are so very excited to welcome Sally M. Kim to the ABLA team as an associate agent! You can find out what she’s looking for on our website! Welcome Sally 🎉 🥳
A Thursday Night Surprise: We've revamped our agency website! There may still be a few tweaks here and there, but we hope you dig this bright and shiny new look.
Special thanks to
@KSonnack
who has been working on it doggedly for the entire pandemic! 🤩
Are you looking for a remote, paid, 10-week look into the agenting side of publishing? You may be the right fit for our Summer Mentorship!
Find out all the details, including how to apply, here:
We're highlighting some extraordinary new books by Black authors that need to be on your radar. Buy them, or request them from your local library. Read them! Give them as gifts! Tell a friend about them! Follow the authors -- they will be your new favorites.
#AmplifyBlackVoices
As we close out our 40th anniversary celebration year, we want to wish you each a safe, restful and joyful holiday break. May we all emerge refreshed and invigorated, ready to take on 2022! xoxo ABLA
🐱 art by
@CeceBellBooks
🥳 (is it the cutest, or what?!) 🥰
NYT Bestseller News! KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES debuts on the series bestseller list at
#6
- and ALL THE CROOKED SAINTS lands again on the YA bestseller list at
#9
! Wooohooo!
Wishing you a festive and restful holiday season and Happy New Year. May it be filled with warmth, joy, plenty of good books and time to read them! 📚 😍
-- the Andrea Brown Literary Agency (Holiday art by
@hawkins_angelac
)
Today's illustrator spotlight shines a light on the work of
@gabbyzapata
Gabby is interested in illustrating picture books, board books, and novelty. She's represented by Kelly Sonnack.
More:
This week's ABLA Illustrator Spotlight shines on the enchanting world of
@euqinimodart
Dominique is interested in covers and picture book illustration work, especially about animals. She's represented by
@KSonnack
Check it out!:
We are over the moon celebrating our winners of
#ALAyma
awards:
@SergioRuzzier
wins a Geisel Honor for FOX + CHICK!
@ydonbrown
wins a Sibert Honor and YALSA nonfiction award for THE UNWANTED! And... *drumroll*
@Meg_Medina
wins the NEWBERY AWARD for MERCI SUAREZ! Congrats 🎉🎊🍾
It's Publishers Marketplace official -- Congratulations on promotion to Executive Agent,
@CarynWiseman
, and a warm welcome to our newest Associate Agent, Paige Terlip!
@PTerlip
💕⭐️🥳⭐️💕
🥳Big congrats to four of our agents with recent promotions!!🎉
🪩 Lara Perkins and
@marchsoloway
were both promoted to senior agent!
🪩
@Jemiscoe
and
@PTerlip
were both promoted to agent!
It's been a ✨stellar✨ year for books -- and 2020 is looking pretty bright from here already. One more huzzah for all the 2019-released ABLA titles that received starred reviews this year! 🏆⭐️🍾
How was everyone's morning? Because ours was pretty stellar--look at all these incredible titles that were honored today at the
#alayma
celebration today!
Literally screaming because CEMETERY BOYS by
@aidenschmaiden
debuted at
#8
on the NYT Bestseller List. Congratulations! 🥳🥳🥳
(If you haven't got your copy yet -- now would be an amazing time to hop on the train!) x 🥳🥳🥳🥳
Our latest ABLA Illustrator Spotlight shines on the magical world of Melbourne-based comics artist and illustrator Sas Milledge (
@sasbatcii
) repped by Jennifer March Soloway (
@marchsoloway
) -- Check it out! 💫
This week's ABLA Illustrator Spotlight shines on the dazzling world of
@poopikat
Kate is interested in picture books, chapter books, the covers of MG novels, and interior work. She is represented by
@Jemiscoe
Check it out!:
Yesterday's ALA award announcements had us giddy. We're SO proud of this recognition for the amazing books & creators we represent! Definitely cause for celebration and congratulations to all -- and now, back to work! 😘
The NYT Bestseller streak continues for
@CaroleLindstrom
(WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS) and
@JoannaHoWrites
(EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS) -- a huge thank you to all the readers who have embraced these beautiful books! 💙🥰📚
We are celebrating WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS, written by
@CaroleLindstrom
-- illustrator
@MichaelaGoade
is the winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal. This is the first time since 1942 a Native illustrator has been recognized by the Caldecott committee! !! !!! ! This book is gorgeous!
Ahahhah no big deal -- (AKA EXTREMELY BIG DEAL) --
@aidenschmaiden
's CEMETERY BOYS IS ON THE NBA LONG LIST AND WE ARE FREAKING OUT!!!! 😍
I mean, obviously, playing it cool, v cool and normal 😎
NO!!! ACTUALLY!!! FREAKING!!! OUT!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
It's the first day of
#NBAwards
Longlist announcements! We are so excited to announce the ten titles on the 2020 National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature. Congratulations to all, and welcome to the family!
There are two ABLA titles on the NYT Picture Book Bestseller List this week! We're celebrating
@KateMessner
and DR. FAUCI, debuting at
#4
, and
@CaroleLindstrom
and WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS for an amazing 22nd week, at
#10
-- Congratulations to you both! 🥳✨😻
We're frying latkes, trimming trees, mulling cider, nomming chocolate, and building blanket forts to read in -- it's HOLIDAY time!
We at ABLA are so grateful for our community of creators and readers, and we wish you all a joyous, safe and restful break. 💖 Art by
@joecepeda
Oh hi! We're back from vacay and feeling refreshed - how about you? We're shining the first illustrator spotlight of 2019 on the talented
@JennBower
, repped by
@marchsoloway
-- check out her work!
Huge congratulations to ABLA clients on the Indie Bestsellers List this week! Picture Books EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS by
@JoannaHoWrites
& WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS by
@CaroleLindstrom
- the KEEPER series by
@SW_Messenger
- and in YA, CEMETERY BOYS by
@aidenschmaiden
!!! 💕📚🥳
ABLA is excited to share our Fall 2019 Illustrator LookBook! This is going to be a seasonal endeavor, with new artists every time. Click to check it out, and to see our FULL roster of amazing artist clients!
This week's ABLA Illustrator Spotlight shines on the sparkling world of
@michellieart
Michelle is interested in picture books, chapter books, middle grade covers and interiors, and YA covers. She's represented by
@Jemiscoe
Check it out!:
We're so proud to play a part in ushering wonderful books into the world, but we couldn't do what we do without our amazing authors, illustrators, publishing colleagues and readers. Thank you, and we hope you have a fabulous holiday season!
✨Art by
@raulthe3rd
and Elaine Bay✨
Super Congratulations to this week's NYT bestsellers from ABLA -
@CaroleLindstrom
(WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS),
@JoannaHoWrites
(EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS), and debuting at
#4
on the YA list -
@aidenschmaiden
for LOST IN THE NEVER WOODS! Woooooohooo! 🥳🥳🥳
Massive cheers for ABLA clients
@JoannaHoWrites
and
@TamiWritesStuff
!! EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS debuts on the NYT Picture Book Bestseller list, and ALL BECAUSE YOU MATTER is back on the list again!
It's a Kirkus Star ⭐️for the gorgeous HOME IN THE WOODS by
@WheelerStudio
!! "A quietly compelling look at an impoverished family’s resourcefulness and resilience." 🌲🏚️🌲
THE MERMAID THE WITCH AND THE SEA paperback is on the Indie Bestsellers List — Hooray
@emteehall
!!! 🎉🍾 🧜🏽♀️ 🧙🏽♀️ 🌊 Thanks, booksellers and readers!! 💜💜💜
MERCI SUÁREZ CHANGES GEARS by the amazing
@Meg_Medina
is back on the NYT Bestseller List at
#7
. We're cheering over here! Yay Merci! Yay Meg! Yay
@jenrofe
! Yay
@Candlewick
! 🥳🚲🌴🌟
Do you want to see something SUPER COOL? (Yes, of course you do!)
@MitaliPerkins
beautiful book RICKSHAW GIRL is being made into a movie (!!!) directed by the acclaimed Bangladeshi director Amitabh Reza Chowdhury (!!!) -- check out the GORGEOUS trailer:
STRANGER THINGS: SUSPICIOUS MINDS, an official prequel for the show, debuts on the NYT adult fiction bestseller list at (wait for it) ... Number ELEVEN. An omen? A spoiler? Who knows! Congratulations
@gwenda
!!! ♥️⭐️🍾
#StrangerThings
The year isn't over yet, but we just wanted to brag A BIT -- *five* ABLA books have received *five* starred reviews each this year (so far?)! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Congratulations to
@LRGiles
,
@PhoebeWahl
,
@KateMessner
,
@CindyDerby
and
@Meg_Medina
-- how many of these have YOU read?
To all of our authors, illustrators, and publishing colleagues: Thank you for everything you do. Have a restful and joyous holiday season, and onward to more bookish success in 2019! 🐧📚💙
(Holiday card art by
@SalinaYoon
)
Today's illustrator spotlight shines a light on the work of
@CyndiDraws
Cyndi is interested in illustrating picture books, board books, chapter books, interior art, and covers.
She is represented by
@Jemiscoe
Congratulations to ABLA clients
@aidenschmaiden
and
@raulthe3rd
! SUNBEARER TRIALS is a NYT Bestseller in the YA category for the second week and STUNTBOY is a NYT bestseller in the MG category for the 34th week! 🌞🥳🤩🥰⚡️💜
Today's illustrator spotlight shines a light on the work of
@ariadelsole
Nadia would love to work on picture books, chapter books, book covers, and interior work. She is represented by
@Jemiscoe
More here: