Category: deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Abbey Nash, YA Contemporary

  Posted at 11:11 am by Laura, on July 22, 2022

  

  I’m excited to share the announcement of the publication of Abbey Nash’s YA contemporary romance, Breathing Underwater!

  Della Farrell at Holiday House has acquired Breathing Underwater by Abbey Nash, a YA novel about a competitive swimmer whose carefully planned future is threatened by an epilepsy diagnosis just before a national meet. As she struggles with change and uncertainty, an unexpected romance shows her there may be more to life than making plans. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency sold world rights.

  Once upon a time…

  This deal came about in a rather curious and untraditional (for me, at least) way.

  Earlier in 2021, Abbey queried me this compelling and unique project. My husband’s younger sister is a competitive swimmer, and I latched onto this Type A, driven, accomplished character immediately. I felt there was a lot of potential here and requested a revision to address the pacing. Abbey was incredible and edited like a queen, really making the pages turn and the plot propel forward, while keeping the characters engaging and full of depth, warmth, and heart.

  But (shame on me) I was slow to get my butt moving on submissions due to other factors in the industry. And so (kuddos to Abbey) Abbey submitted the manuscript to an open call at Holiday House. Holiday House came back with an offer, and Abbey approached me asking for my thoughts and feedback on the revision and, ultimately, representation and assistance on negotiating the offer. I was excited to dive back into Breathing Underwater, and Abbey and I hopped on the phone to discuss her other project ideas. I want to represent a person for their career, and after chatting with Abbey I knew I wanted to champion her current and future work––YA, adult, contemporary, romcoms, women’s fiction, the whole spectrum, no question!

  So once she signed with me, I began negotiating her offer with Holiday House. And now we have a deal!

  And the rest…is history.

  Abbey’s journey to publication is an incredibly special one! I’m excited to see where it takes us, and I can’t wait for you to meet Tess and Charlie in summer 2024!

  Congratulations, Abbey!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Heather Walter, Fantasy

  Posted at 11:18 am by Laura, on February 16, 2022

  

  I’m beyond thrilled to share that Heather Walter’s CRIMSON CROWN will finally be in readers’ hands!

  Author of MALICE and the forthcoming MISRULE Heather Walter’s CRIMSON CROWN, pitched as a Tudor-inspired retelling of the rise of Snow White’s Evil Queen, in which a witch hunted by a zealous king infiltrates the religious faction that seeks to eradicate her kind, and must choose between loyalty to her coven or her heart, to Tricia Narwani at Del Rey, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).

  In Heather’s deal announcement post for MALICE, I shared a story about going on submission with Heather’s first project, a Snow White prologue/villain origin story. One editor in particular (spoiler, it was Tricia) resonated with the story, but not enough to make an offer. 

  When MALICE sold to Del Rey, we set CRIMSON aside. But all through edits, launch, writing MISRULE, and MISRULE’s edits, Heather and I kept going back to CRIMSON. It was such a special project for us, and we really wanted to share the Evil Queen’s story someday. What could be done to make it better? What could be done that would make Tricia say yes! again?

  And then Heather emailed me a big what if: what if…this was Anne Boleyn’s story?

  Everything fell into place after that. Reimagining Tudor England into a whole new world was easy with this queer Snow White villain origin tale. I want to gush about literally everything that made this mash-up so perfect, but I don’t want to spoil it for readers. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

  Heather’s editorial experience with her previous books helped reshape our original project together. When I say to clients that books are never shelved completely, this is why. The first manuscript didn’t sell––it simply wasn’t ready––but this sparkling, bloody, witchy, wicked tale that CRIMSON CROWN became, after a few years in a drawer, did. The heart of her remains present, yet I am in awe of how much more elevated and heart-poundingly wonderful it has become!

  Congratulations, Heather!!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Chloe Gong, Adult Fantasy

  Posted at 1:13 pm by Laura, on November 19, 2021

  

  I’m so happy to finally share the news that Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights / Our Violent Ends, Foul Lady Fortune / FLF2) will have a debut adult fantasy trilogy hitting shelves in Summer 2023, beginning with IMMORTAL LONGINGS!

  NYT-bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s IMMORTAL LONGINGS, pitched as an epic fantasy inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and the historical Kowloon Walled City, following two lovers in a deadly contest through the crowded streets of San-Er, where people have the ability to take control of one another’s bodies, to Amara Hoshijo at Saga Press, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in summer 2023, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency (NA).

  As announced on Publishers Marketplace. For full details and public access, read io9’s feature!

  Last time I shared a deal announcement for Chloe, I discussed option materials and how publishers get first dibs to look at an author’s new project.

  Well this time things were a little different, because Chloe wrote an adult project––which meant she needed to have a full manuscript prepared before we could take it out on wide submission in the adult SFF sector of publishing. That being said, at this point These Violent Delights made the NYT bestseller list for several weeks, and Chloe was tweeting about an adult fantasy––which meant every time she mentioned it on her social media, an editor from adult SFF would email me. (“Is it ready yet?” “Please keep me in mind for this!” “Please submit this to me when it’s ready!”) I joked with Chloe I knew when she was talking about her adult SFF manuscript on social because my inbox would flood with requests.

  It was ready to go on sub mid-summer, and one day––one day––after submission, Amara at Saga (the adult SFF imprint of S&S, the parent company to Chloe’s YA projects) emailed me and said Saga would be making an offer. It was a very busy week, a flurry of emails with everyone everywhere, and at the end of the week Chloe and Amara hopped on a Zoom call. I cannot even begin to describe to you how magical it was to witness their interaction. It was as if the universe just clicked––Amara is the perfect editor for Chloe, the perfect editor for IMMORTAL LONGINGS. The way the two of them got on and understood one another and the manuscript and the trilogy’s trajectory was just…wow. Simply magical!

  And the rest is history.

  Congratulations, Chloe!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 1 Comment | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Kaitlyn Hill, YA Contemporary

  Posted at 12:48 pm by Laura, on July 6, 2021

  

  It has been a very busy 2021 so far, and I’ve fallen behind on sharing deal announcements and reviews. This particular deal announcement was shared April 12 (!!!), but new books are always worth rejoicing any time! I’m thrilled to share the news Kaitlyn Hill will have another YA romcom published!

  Hannah Hill at Delacorte has acquired Not Here to Stay Friends by Love from Scratch author Kaitlyn Hill (no relation). Pitched as The Bachelor meets The Rest of the Story, this YA romance follows Sloane and Liam, two childhood friends who reunite in L.A. for the summer after five years apart. But when Liam’s producer dad ropes him into working for a teen reality dating show and Sloane becomes a contestant, their lives take a turn for the unreal. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary did the deal for world rights.

  Last time I announced a deal for Kaitlyn, I shared how funny and engaging her writing style was, how much I connected with her voice. She did it again with her next project, making me snort hot tea in the opening pages. Her characters come to life in such a relatable and refreshing way, and I knew Hannah would love it too.

  Not only did Hannah see how fun and witty Kaitlyn continued to be, but she also fangirl’d hard on all The Bachelor feels, making us an offer after a week of considering the manuscript. Kaitlyn happily accepted Hannah’s rose!

  I’m so thrilled for Kaitlyn to have two projects in the pipeline, and I can’t wait for you to read her debut next spring!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Nina Moreno, MG Contemporary

  Posted at 8:55 am by Laura, on March 10, 2021

  

  I’m excited to finally share the news that Nina Moreno will be writing a middle grade novel! Even cooler, she’s partnering with artist Courtney Lovett for the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book!

  Shelly Romero at Scholastic has bought world rights to Join the Club, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno (Don’t Date Rosa Santos), illustrated by Courtney Lovett. The illustrated middle grade novel follows a 12-year-old Cuban American girl who is determined to discover who she is and what her “thing” is, no matter how many activities or clubs it takes. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Laura Crockett at Triada US Literary represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary represented the illustrator.

  We’ve been sitting in this news for a year now, so it’s very exciting for us to be able to talk about it. MAGGIE was Nina’s pandemic book, a spot of joy in the mess that was 2020, and every interaction pertaining to developing, writing, and editing the manuscript brought a smile to my face!

  Shelly and I have wanted to work on a project together for a while, and Shelly and Nina have wanted to work on a project together for a while, so it seemed fitting that she and Nina collaborated to make this fun, Lizzie-McGuire-but-Cuban manuscript come to life! When it came time to find the perfect artist to make Maggie jump off the page, it was truly a no-brainer to go with Courtney. Look at her art!

  This is a whole new adventure for me and for Nina––middle grade and illustrated work. It’s been such a joy so far! Congratulations, Nina!

  Go add Join the Club, Maggie Diaz to your TBR!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Chloe Gong, YA Fantasy

  Posted at 10:41 am by Laura, on February 24, 2021

  

  I’m thrilled to share the announcement that Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and forthcoming Our Violent Ends, will have a new duology publishing in Fall 2022, beginning with Foul Lady Fortune!

  Sarah McCabe at S&S/McElderry has bought a YA duology by bestselling author Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights). Foul Lady Fortune, the first of the two books, is a speculative historical noir surrounding the events of Imperial Japan’s expansion into China in the 1930s. A familiar character is recruited as a national spy, maintaining her false identity by posing as a young married couple with someone who might be the very enemy. Publication is set for fall 2022; Laura Crockett at Triada US Literary did the two-book, six-figure deal for North American rights.

  Last time I announced a deal for Chloe, I mentioned how amazed I was with her ability to weave historical fact with fantasy, to keep me glued to my seat, to make me want to research more into this period of history while also enjoying a thoroughly enticing and engaging novel. That certainly hasn’t changed!

  Not long after her first sale, knee-deep in edits with her editor for These Violent Delights, Chloe shared an idea with me about [redacted character] and her intention to make a spin-off duology following [redacted]. Yes, I said––run with it, expand it, let’s see what you’ve got, let’s see if [redacted] can stand on two legs and be a star.

  Fast forward to 2020, where she’s promoting her debut launch in the middle of a pandemic while also revising Our Violent Ends. Even though we couldn’t celebrate in person like we all dreamed for her, the onslaught of praise and admiration and splashy reception Chloe received in trade, commercial, academic, and general reader circles was astounding!

  We felt confident that her idea for [redacted] would work, so she wrote her optional materials, submitted shortly before winter break, and received wonderful news from her publisher that they loved it too.

  In the words of her editor Sarah, “The queen of hate-to-love romance––the incomparable Chloe Gong––has an incredible new story coming, and you’d all better start prepping because you ARE. NOT. READY!!!!!” And she’s so right. Add Foul Lady Fortune to your TBR!

  Congratulations, Chloe!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 1 Comment | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Kaitlyn Hill, YA Contemporary

  Posted at 5:14 pm by Laura, on July 21, 2020

  

  I’m excited to share the announcement of the publication of Kaitlyn Hill’s YA foodie feminist romcom, Love From Scratch!

  Hannah Allaman at Delacorte has acquired Love from Scratch by debut author Kaitlyn Hill. The feminist YA rom-com follows rival interns Reese and Benny, whose chemistry sizzles when they fill in for a video shoot on a popular online cooking channel. But will exploding internet fame and a heated competition for the fall internship keep romance on the back burner? Publication is slated for spring 2022; Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.

  Once upon a time…

  February of this year, I participated in Pitch Wars. I do this every year, and am quite particular about which projects I request. When I came across Kaitlyn’s, I had a feeling it would be something perfect. But I wasn’t fast about it––it took Kaitlyn informing me she had an offer of representation on the table to kick my butt into gear. I dropped everything to read it, fell in love with Reese instantly, and needed to throw my hat into the ring. I crossed my fingers and toes and hoped beyond hope she’d choose me to be her agent––she was going to let me know on my birthday, and wouldn’t that have been the absolute perfect gift?

  It was. It was so great. I was OOO on my birthday but frequently checked my email throughout the day hoping she’d come back to me with a YES––and she DID! (Side note: we live in neighboring states, my colleague Brent lives in the same city, so there were lots of connections we felt personally to Reese and her experiences and upbringing. I was over-the-moon happy to represent Kaitlyn in all these ways!)

  Meanwhile, Hannah was moving from Disney to Delacorte (Hannah of Don’t Date Rosa Santos fame) and I had a feeling this would be perfect for her.

  Kaitlyn and I worked on some tweaks here and there for submission…and then COVID happened. Was that going to stop us? No. No, because editors wanted something fun and distracting and perfect for their COVID bread-baking activities. This manuscript was perfect for that!

  So on Hannah’s first week in her new job, Kaitlyn and I shared Love From Scratch. Flash forward a few weeks, and she presented an offer the week Kaitlyn needed the best kind of good news, and also on my one-month-mark of full-time agenting. This is the dream team. Good things keep happening for the three of us!

  And the rest…is history.

  Congratulations, Kaitlyn! You’re going to be a published author!

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• Deal Announcement: Tasha Suri, YA Historical

  Posted at 2:32 pm by Laura, on May 3, 2020

  

  I’m thrilled to share that Tasha Suri (Empire of Sand, Realm of Ash, and new trilogy beginning with The Jasmine Throne) is coming out with her debut young adult historical novel, a reclaimed retelling of Wuthering Heights!

  Author of EMPIRE OF SAND, REALM OF ASH, and upcoming THE JASMINE THRONE Tasha Suri’s untitled Wuthering Heights retelling, a debut YA historical that draws on the history of lascar sailors and the mixed race children of East India Company officers, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2022, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).

  In Publishers Weekly: Children’s Bookshelf, there was a full story covering the exciting news. Tasha is one of four authors so far in this reclaimed classics series––other tales include Treasure Island (drawing upon Chinese maritime history), Robin Hood (drawing upon the Muslim side of the Crusades), and Little Women (drawing upon the Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island during the Civil War). I’m so excited about all of these narratives, and cannot thank Emily enough for reaching out to Tasha for this particularly exciting opportunity!

  Tasha is going to rely upon lots of historical research and focus on lines from Emily Brontë’s classic that haunted her since her school days. What if Heathcliff and Cathy were both half-Indian? What if they were white-passing enough to be taken back to England, but not enough to be welcomed into this white, elitist society? What if the “gibberish” language Nelly says they spoke to each other was just another language, the language from home?

  When Tasha’s idea began to take shape, my own mind was blown. Everything I knew about this narrative in my academia was blown to pieces, and I cannot wait for her to blow your mind too!

  Congratulations, Tasha!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 1 Comment | Tagged deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Tasha Suri, Fantasy

  Posted at 12:48 pm by Laura, on January 17, 2020

  

  I’m excited to share that Tasha Suri (Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash) is coming out with a brand new epic fantasy trilogy beginning with The Jasmine Throne in 2021!

  [From Orbit’s blog] Inspired by the history and epics of India, THE JASMINE THRONE follows a captive princess and a servant in possession of forbidden magic as they become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from a tyrant king. With her signature “lyrical prose, intricate world building, beautifully imagined characters, and compelling immersive folklore,” (Booklist) Suri has created a sweeping tale about powerful women looking to claim their rightful inheritances, replete with grand and ancient magic, and set in a world where lush forests and crumbling temples have secrets at their hearts. We are so excited for you to read it next year!

  Last time I announced a deal for Tasha, I’d offered rep in August 2017. Flash forward two years and two books later to August 2019. Tasha submitted her option materials to Orbit, with plans to continue The Books of Ambha, but Orbit saw something more. This story can’t be contained in one book, they said. This story needs to stand on its own. This story, they said, is powerful.

  Of course I believe in Tasha’s ability to write grand stories so gut-wrenchingly beautiful it makes my heart ache. But hearing Orbit say that about her option materials for what was meant to be one novel spoke volumes: Tasha’s publisher believed in her too.

  When I shared the news to Tasha, it’s safe to say we were both astonished and overwhelmed in the best way. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Tasha said, “Okay…I could definitely do that. What if…” and the brainstorming began. A whole trilogy grew before our eyes, grand and beautiful and dark and epic and complicated and emotional. She resubmitted her option materials, and Orbit said yes. Yes, this trilogy is it.

  If you loved Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash, get ready. You just got a droplet of Tasha’s ocean of brilliance. Add The Jasmine Throne on your Goodreads TBR and start preparing yourselves now.

  Congratulations, Tasha!

  Posted in deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Lisa DeSelm, YA Fantasy

  Posted at 2:13 pm by Laura, on September 26, 2019

  

  Deal Announcements feature my most recent deal as an agent and the story behind it. Writers and readers should experience how an agent knows when they’ve struck gold and sign an author, the beginning of the journey to publication.

  I’m thrilled to share the news that Lisa DeSelm’s The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice will be hitting shelves in Fall 2020!

  Lauren Knowles at Page Street acquired Lisa DeSelm’s YA fantasy, The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice, a gender-swapped retelling of Pinocchio meets Frankenstein. Pirouette is tasked to build an assassin for the tyrant of Tavia, but when she realizes his schemes dabble in dark magic, she aims to take control of the strings before the next blue moon. Publication is set for fall 2020; Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.

  Once upon a time…

  In the fall of 2017 I received a query about a rather twisted tale, brimming with dark, gothic vibes. In fact, what drew my attention most was Lisa’s twist on a Pinocchio retelling. Most fairytale twists I receive in my inbox take on princess tales––Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, to name the most common––so she stood out among the rest for tackling a unique tale, twisting it, and tossing in the Frankenstein vibes. Yes, please.

  YA fantasies are popular, and the market is flooded with them. There’s some special spark necessary in order to win a prized spot on a publisher’s list. We were so close to selling this novel multiple times over the next…gosh, almost two years! But just like dating, you have to find the exact right editor in order to really make the project shine. We needed someone who devours twisted tales, who luxuriates in the gothic, who isn’t afraid to tap into moral and emotional dilemmas, who finds the humor and bright spots of the novel and sees that hope at the end for a better world. We needed someone who loves beautifully constructed sentences and thoughtful dialogue, who feels immersed in the world and understands it from the first page, who realizes that teens want adventure and depth to their choice books just like adults.

  Lauren is it. One phone call with her, and Lisa and I knew Lauren would be the perfect one to usher Piro and her crew onto shelves.

  And the rest…is history.

  Congratulations, Lisa! You’re going to be a published author!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 4 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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