YALITCHAT Members Sweep 2012 Young Adult Library Services Associations Honors

Congratulations to John Corey Whaley, the 2012 winner of Booklist's Michael L. Printz award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature and the William C. Morris YA Debut Award for WHERE THINGS COME BACK.

"Straightforward, yet increasingly complex, this novel masterfully weaves together themes of brotherhood, friendship, loss and religious obsession," said Printz Award Committee Chair Erin Helmrich

Congratulations also to: Rae Carson, William C. Morris YA Debut finalist for THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS and Maggie Stiefvater 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor Book and Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production finalist for THE SCORPIO RACES.

Tier 2 Charity Anthology Writing Contest 

Closes February 29, 2012

Enter the Tier 2 Writing Contest of dark retellings of Mother Goose rhymes. Win a chance to have your short story featured in an anthology releasing in October alongside authors like Claudia Gray, Francisco Stork, Michelle Zink, Heidi R. Kling, Cyn Balog, Shannon Delany, Gretchen McNeill, Sarwat Chadda, Karen Mahoney and more! 

Learn more about the contest, and enter.

Submissions Panel News
Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary is currently closed for submissions and will only be accepting queries through the YALITCHAT.ORG Submissions Mailbox.

Webinars Coming in February

Self-Editing and Revision: February 11, 2012
90-minute interactive intensive focusing on building the skills you need to master self-editing techniques of a more advanced nature. 

Finance for Writers: February 25, 2012

YALITCHAT.ORG is offering a course for members and non-members who want to learn how to get their financial lives in order. Whether you are a writer, agent, freelance editor, etc., you need to understand how your career impacts your bottom line. With tax season upon us, you will also learn what you can deduct, how to file and how to classify your business. You have questions? We have answers via a half hour of straight-forward instruction followed by a half-hour of questions and answers. 

News and Events at YALITCHAT.ORG

In addition to YALITCHAT events, we post partner events, workshops, conferences, book releases, and chats of interest to YA writers.  Check out the Events Tab on the homepage to see what's coming up both online and across the country.  Lots of great events have already been posted, and more are added each week.  

If you have an event you would like us to post, please contact Jessica Capelle at membership (at) yalitchat.org or via her YALITCHAT.ORG member page.

February sees three new members of the the Submissions Mailbox Panel (formerly Agent Mailbox)!

Welcome to Nicole Langan of Tribute Books. Nicole graduated from Marywood University and time spent as an associate editor for a local magazine before setting up a publishing company - in of all places - Archbald, Pennsylvania - where she was born and raised. She loves the behind-the-scenes process of creating your book cover, formulating an attractive layout for your pages, coordinating blog tours to announce your book launch - that's what gives her a thrill. 

Nicole says the best part of her job is "when you see your book for the first time on Amazon.com or when you read your first positive review. I love to see people realize a dream they thought to be impossible."

Tribute Books celebrates its 8th year in 2012 as an independent publisher for independent writers. It provides e-publication and book promotion for writers with an entrepreneurial spirit. Tribute Books is currently accepting young adult manuscripts for ebook publication in 2012. Submission requirements are available on their website.

Welcome to Heather Howland of Entangled Publishing. Award-winning young adult author Heather Howland began editing in the legal, industrial, and technical sectors eight years ago while working as a Production Manager. She has since honed her fiction editing skills as a freelancer and as the former acquisitions editor of a small romance publisher. Heather regularly hosts craft chats and teaches editing workshops for various organizations. She holds a BS in creative writing and psychology, which she channels into her love of dark, romantic fiction. Find her on Twitter at @HeatherHowland.

Heather loves all subgenres of YA, especially darker, twisting plots with a literary voice, and contemporary YA reminiscent of Stephanie Perkins and Jennifer Echols. In adult romance, she enjoys Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Lora Leigh-style contemporary, accessible sci-fi, quirky fantasy, and unique paranormal series that present fresh takes on familiar tropes such as best friends to lovers, love triangles, heroes falling for their best friend's forbidden little sister, and tight-knit groups (Navy SEAL teams, fire departments, roommates, brothers, etc.). While she'll look at anything with a fantastic voice, Heather generally avoids cozies, urban fantasy, historical, hard sci-fi, high fantasy, shifters, zombies, and Plain Jane heroines.

Finally, welcome Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency. With an English degree from Stanford University and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from The University of Chicago, Jill has marketed everything from sneakers to cereal at Leo Burnett Advertising, LA Gear, Mattel, and at her own consulting company, LAUNCH! New Product Marketing. Jill is also a children's book author and poet.

Jill accepts e-mail queries only, no snail mail, for Chapter Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult books. Please email your query plus the first 10 pages of your manuscript to QueryJillCorcoran@gmail.com.

To see what Jill is currently looking for please see her blog here: http://www.jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/p/jills-publishers-marketplace-page-i.html

Congratulations to John Corey Whaley, the 2012 winner of Booklist's Michael L. Printz award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature for WHERE THINGS COME BACK. 

Congratulations to Maggie Stiefvater, whose book THE SCORPIO RACES was a 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor Book.

Catherine Stine will be co-teaching a writing workshop in June on the sunny island of Seriphos this summer. Find out more on her blog at: http://catherinestine.blogspot.com/2012/01/dreamy-writing-workshop-on-island-of.html

Stephanie Winkelhake is now represented by Marie Lamba of The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. 

Helene Dunbar is now represented by Melissa Jeglinski of The Knight Agency. Her novel, GHOST LIGHT, landed her the agent, but another of her novels, IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, will also be represented. Both works came through the First Pages group on YALITCHAT.ORG.

Darby Karchut's FINN FINNEGAN, (MG), in which a modern teenage boy apprentices with a legendary Celtic warrior to battle the hobgoblins infesting their suburban neighborhood, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, for publication in 2013.

Jolene Perry's KNEE DEEP, about a teenage girl who is torn in between two guys; the guy she's promised her life to, whose sudden random outbursts are starting to leave bruises mentally and physically; and the guy who she can be herself with, watch girlie movies with, and confide in, her best friend, again to Nicole Langan at Tribute Books, for publication in May 2012, by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group.

Jolene Perry's NIGHT SKY, featuring a teenage boy who feels like his whole world is crumbling around him when his father leaves his mother for another woman and his girlfriend leaves him for another guy; and he thinks he's found a distraction in a fling with a teenage Native American girl and soon realizes that she's anything but a distraction, to Nicole Langan at Tribute Books, for publication in March, 2012, by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group.

Marion Jensen's ALMOST SUPER, pitched as SAVVY meets THE INCREDIBLES, about two brothers in a family of superheroes who must team up with the girl they thought was their enemy to defeat the real super villains in town, despite having new powers that are total duds, to Andrew Harwell at Harper Children's, in a two-book deal, in a pre-empt, in a very nice deal, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (World English).

Congressman Luis Gutierrez's STILL DREAMING: My Puerto-Rican Journey from the Streets of Chicago to the Halls of Congress, covering his rise to become the nation's foremost Latino elected official and champion of immigrants, to Alane Mason at Norton, by Ayesha Pande at Ayesha Pande Literary.

Kristin Miller's VAMP APPEAL, the third book in the VAMPIRES OF CRIMSON BAY series, to Esi Sogah at Avon Impulse, by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates.

Kerry Schafer's BETWEEN and WAKEWORLD, about a woman who must venture into that dangerous place between dreaming and waking where dreams are real, in order to fight a sorceress bent on altering reality, to Susan Allison at Ace, in Penguin's first acquisition from their Book Country site, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency.

Printz Honor author A.S. King's REALITY BOY, in which an infamous reality TV child star, now a damaged teenage boy, meets a girl who forces him out of his angry shell before they run away and send their dysfunctional families a list of demands that must be met in order for them to come back, to Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown Children's, for publication in Fall 2013, by Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (World English).

Lauren Conrad's collaborator on the #1 NYT bestselling L.A. CANDY trilogy Nancy Ohlin's THORN ABBEY, pitched as a modern paranormal retelling of Daphne Du Maurier's REBECCA set at an exclusive boarding school, in which a shy new student falls in love with a mysterious boy whose dead, perfect ex-girlfriend may not be so dead (or perfect) after all, to Annette Pollert at Simon Pulse, in a two-book deal, by Lydia Wills and Nora Spiegel at Lydia Wills (world).

French rights to Erin Bow's PLAIN KATE, to Scholastic, by Celeste Fine at Folio Literary Management, on behalf of Emily van Beek, in association with the Michelle Lapautre Agency.

World French rights to Erin Bow's PLAIN KATE, to Alice Editions, by Celeste Fine at Folio Literary Management, on behalf of Emily van Beek, in association with the Michelle Lapautre Agency. 

Book Releases - Now Available

Submissions Panel members Tribute Books have two new releases: Just released this January, THE PRIEST AND THE PEACHES by Larry Peterson. 

It's a humorous historical fiction novel set in the 1960s in the Bronx as five newly orphaned siblings try to stay together as a family. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cheer. You can't help rooting for the Peach kids. 

Want to get a feel for the story?
Please visit: www.ThePriestandthePeaches.com

UNTIL NEXT TIME: THE ANGEL CHRONICLES BOOK 1 by Amy Lignor. How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make  mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world
that's ripping them apart.

February Releases

2/1--Dies Irae by Christine Fonseca
2/7--Dead to You by Lisa McMann
2/10--Veiled Virtues by Jan Fischer Wade
2/14--Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
2/21--A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton
2/28--Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby 

Deal news reported by Publishers Weekly. Visit www.publishersweekly.com.

Enter the Tier 2 Writing Contest of dark retellings of Mother Goose rhymes.
Win a chance to have your short story featured in an anthology releasing in October alongside authors like Claudia Gray, Francisco Stork, Michelle Zink, Heidi R. Kling, Cyn Balog, Shannon Delany, Gretchen McNeill, Sarwat Chadda, Karen Mahoney and more! 

Learn more about the contest, and enter.

 February 1 - Trends. What are the current trends in YA and should you follow suit?

February 8 - Valentine's Day - we're chatting with the author of WHY WE BROKE UP, Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) and illustrator Maira Kalman. To celebrate our love for you we're giving away prizes which include: copies of the book, Valentine's Day sweets, DVD's of  The Break Up and more! Daniel Handler will be tweeting from @YALITCHAT, so be sure to follow us.

February 15 - Mastering POV (Point Of View).

February 22 - International Chat, 3 PM EST, no evening chat.

February 29 - 2K12 Debut Author chat. Join 20+ debut authors for giveaways and more. Guests include: Suzanne Lazear, Nina Berry, Brigid Kemmerer and Kate Walton.

Help us make FORBIDDEN a bestseller by ordering it in the first weeks of its release! While you're at it, enter our contest to win cool Forbidden swag. Email me at: authorsyriejames@gmail.com with proof of purchase (copy of receipt) from any bookstore or online retailer, and FORBIDDEN BESTSELLER in the subject line. For each copy you purchase, your name will be dropped into the hat! 

Contest closes at 11:59 pm on Feb. 14, 2012.

EDUCATION GRANT

Available for Teachers and Librarians who are members of YALITCHAT.ORG. Educators join YALITCHAT.ORG's Tier 2 membership for $25/annually though it is NOT necessary to do so in order to qualify for the EDUCATION GRANT. 

Apply for a grant for use on classroom supplies, technology purchase, author visit, etc. Grants available in amounts of $50.00 per member. Five available per membership year. NB: Educators (regardless of membership level) qualify for FREE classroom supplies at beginning of each semester. Join our EDUCATORS group for more info. 

HARDSHIP GRANT*

Want to expand your horizons and connect with others in the industry but just don't have the funds? YALITCHAT offers TWO types of Hardship Grants and is available to individuals who desire to join YALITCHAT, SCBWI, RWA, RWAYA and other related organizations but need help doing so. 

YALITCHAT Membership Grant 

Covers the cost of a full year's membership in YALITCHAT.ORG or $30.00 per grantee.
There are 5 grants available for the 2011-2011 Membership year (July-July).
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $150 (5 GRANTS).

YALITCHAT.ORG OTO Hardship Grant*

Covers the cost to JOIN any Other Trade Organization in disbursements of $25 per grantee.

There are 4 available for the 2011-2012 membership year (July-July). You MUST be a Tier II member of YALITCHAT.ORG in order to qualify for this grant. 

BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $100 (4 GRANTS).

MARKETING SUPPORT GRANT*

 Are you a newly published author in need of marketing support materials for a new release? How about an author about to head on tour in need of giveaways and promo items? Do you need to purchase more ARCs from your publisher to get exposure for your book? Need money to get that new website off the ground? We can help.

As of January 2012 we have given away $600 in grants towards supporting published members in promoting their books! 

The 2012/2013 grant season opens in July. There will be five grants available or $100 per person/grantee. Grants are available to Tier II members only.

BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $0 

QUICK LEARNING GRANT*

Up to $50 toward any learning initiative such as a webinar, online course, conference, etc. You must be already registered for said initiative and have already paid in full. Must be writing or publishing industry related.
$250.00 USD year available total and $50 per grantee.
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $200 (4 GRANTS).

Want to learn more about grants or need an application? Please send an email to grants at yalitchat (dot) org.

*Available to Tier 2 Members ONLY!