It’s almost time for our first GOLD submission opportunities for 2021! Our 2021 Little GOLDen Book members will be able to choose one of these two agents to submit their manuscript to in February. (If you are a SILVER member, you may use this info for research. Check out our How to Use 12 x 12 Featured Agent Posts article here.)
Jennie Dunham of Dunham Literary will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members February 1-15. Adria Goetz of Martin Literary Management will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members February 16-28. Jennie’s profile appears first, followed by Adria’s. Please read BOTH and then decide who would be the best fit for your work.
Jennie Dunham – Dunham Literary Management
A little bit about Jennie:
“Jennie Dunham has been a literary agent in New York since May 1992. In August 2000, she founded Dunham Literary, Inc. She represents literary fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Her clients have had both critical and commercial success. Books she has represented have appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers list in adult hardcover fiction, children’s books, and children’s book series. Her clients have won numerous awards including: New York Times Best Illustrated Book, The Schneider Family Award, Boston Globe Horn Book Honor, and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist.”
We asked Jennie what she’s looking for in picture books. Here’s what she had to say:
Jennie has been a Featured Agent for the past six years. You can read our previous profiles on Jennie here, here, here, here, here, and here. Here are a few updated resources for Jennie:
- Follow Jennie on Twitter
- Interview on Spirit of a Story
- Video Interview with the Writers League of Texas
- Check out the Dunham Literary website
Adria Goetz – Martin Literary Management
A little bit about Adria:
Adria Goetz is a Literary Manager with Seattle-based Martin Literary & Media Management. She primarily represents picture books, middle grade, young adult, Lifestyle books, quirky gift books, as well as everything under the Christian umbrella.
Her mission statement shares that she looks for books that delight readers, that help inspire wonder and imagination, that foster deep empathy and compassion for our fellow human beings, that provide rich character representation of marginalized people groups, that take the reader on an adventure, that uncover fascinating stories from history’s footnotes, that explore issues of faith and how to apply Christ’s teachings to our own life, that celebrate women and the female experience, that ask nitty gritty questions and don’t settle for easy answers, that make people disappointed when they have to close the book and go to bed, and books that add a touch of magic to readers’ lives.
A few books Adria has worked on include: the magical coffee table book THE COMPENDIUM OF MAGICAL BEASTS, written by Melissa Brinks and illustrated by Lily Jones (Running Press, 2018); the picture book RICE FROM HEAVEN, written by Tina Cho and illustrated by Keum Jin Song (Little Bee Books, 2018), the picture book WHEN DAY IS DONE by Natalee Creech (Sparkhouse Family, 2019), and the middle grade series THOSE DREADFUL FAIRY BOOKS by Jon Etter (Amberjack, 2019).
Adria is a 2016 graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course in New York City, a six-week intensive course on all aspects of book, magazine, and digital media publishing. She is also a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.A. in English with a creative writing emphasis.
Adria lives in an old Victorian home in Tacoma (which she hopes dearly is haunted with a few friendly ghosts) with her husband Alex and their two darling kittens, Maple and Mulberry.
When asked what she’s looking for in picture book submissions, Adria replied:
“I’m always excited to review submissions, so I hope nobody hesitates to query me with whatever they’re currently really excited about. You can find my very obnoxiously long and detailed manuscript wishlist at adriagoetz.com. I’m always looking for stories with clear concepts, commercial hooks, charm, heart, and/or humor. Right now I have three specific types of picture books I’m looking for:
- Humor! I welcome anything from a dry subversive wit, to loud potty humor, to anything in between. Some of my favorite humor-driven picture books include THE BAD SEED series, THE BIG BED, DRAGONS LOVE TACOS, WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES, WHY?, WHERE BONE?, ROT: THE CUTEST IN THE WORLD, DANDY, and MISS HAZELTINE’S HOME FOR SHY AND FEARFUL CATS.
- Magical stories! I love magical adventures, and stories that feel mysterious and special and grand. Some of my favorite books in this vein are THE NIGHT GARDENER, OCEAN MEETS SKY, THE BEAR AND THE PIANO, THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE, THE STARKEEPER, and LIGHTS ON COTTON ROCK.
- Own Voices stories! I want to work with a diverse swath of creators who are writing stories that haven’t previously been prioritized by publishers. Some of my favorite books in this vein are HAIR LOVE, EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS, THE OCEAN CALLS, AMY WU AND THE PERFECT BAO, UNDER MY HIJAB, PARKER LOOKS UP, and the upcoming HALAL HOT DOGS.
I’m not looking for: sports stories, meta stories, and NF PB biographies.”
Adria has been a Featured Agent previously. You can find our profiles on her HERE, HERE, and HERE. Here are some resources for Adria:
- Follow Adria on Twitter
- Adria’s Manuscript Wishlist (#MSWL)
- Interview on Literary Rambles with her client G.K. Schmidt
- Tina Cho shares how Adria helped her with graphic novel debut
Remember: Little GOLDen Book Members may only submit to ONE of these agents. Please choose the agent who is the best fit for you and your manuscript. Look for submission guidelines in the Submission Station on the 12 x 12 forum.
Submissions will only be accepted for Jennie Dunham from February 1-15 at 6pm EASTERN/3pm PACIFIC.
Submissions will only be accepted for Adria Goetz from February 16-28 at 6pm EASTERN/3pm PACIFIC.
Please double check the times for your time zone on your submissions. Anything received before or after the submissions window is open will be disqualified and you will not be able to submit again this month.
Remember, it is NEVER okay to submit your manuscript twice. Contact Kelli if there is a problem with your submission.
Good luck!
5 Responses
I’m not a GOLD member, but I loved learning more about both of these amazing agents. Thank you, 12×12!
I am not a GOLD member, but it was fun to get to know these lovely agents!
I am finally a Gold Member and appreciate these past articles. Thank you 12×12!