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February 2017 12 x 12 Featured Agents

Jennie Dunham & Stephanie Fretwell-Hill – 12 x 12 February 2017 Featured Agents

Little GOLDen Book members of 12 x 12 will be able to choose one of two agents to submit their manuscript to each month.

Jennie Dunham of Dunham Literary will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members February 1-15. Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox Literary will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members February 16-28. Jennie’s profile appears first, followed by Stephanie’s. Please read BOTH and then decide who would be the best fit for your work.

GOLD members: Please check the Submission Station section of the forum for additional instructions from each agent.

Jennie Dunham

A little bit about Jennie from the Dunham Literary website:

“Jennie Dunham has been a literary agent in New York, New York since May 1992. In August 2000 she founded Dunham Literary, Inc.

She has been a member of AAR (Association of Authors Representatives) since 1993. She served on the Program Committee and was Program Committee Director for several years. She was also a member of the Electronic Committee.

She started her career at John Brockman Associates and then Mildred Marmur Associates. She was employed by Russell & Volkening for 6 years before she left to found Dunham Literary, Inc.

Her clients have been New York Times bestsellers and have won awards such as Boston Globe Horn Book Honor, New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, the Charlotte Zolotow Award, and International Reading Association Award. Her agency represents children’s books for all ages from novelty and picture book through middle grade and young adult as well as literary fiction and non-fiction for adults.

She frequently speaks at writers conferences and events.”

Here is what Jennie is looking for in picture books today: “I like humor and whimsy, but I like picture books with strong sense of story that is age-appropriate. I like quirky, interesting characters, and I like books to be character-driven. Perhaps most important, I look for a strong, unusual voice.

I like creative non-fiction that sheds new light on a topic or shows a different perspective than readers have seen before.
In both fiction and non-fiction I like diverse characters from less-represented cultures and heritages and stories that are unique to them.”
Jennie was a 12 x 12 Featured Agent in 2015 and 2016. Please read our previous profiles on Jennie HERE and HERE. Below are some updated online resources for Jennie:
  • Jennie was an agent at Picture Book Summit in 2016. See a quick video HERE.
  • Julie captured this video just for 12 x 12:


Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox LiteraryStephanie Fretwell-Hill

A little bit about Stephanie from the Red Fox Literary website:

“Stephanie started her publishing career in 2004 at Walker Books Ltd. in London, where she sold foreign language rights. Working in a design-led company with legendary artists such as Helen Oxenbury and Lucy Cousins sparked her love of illustration, while her sales role gave her an international perspective on children’s publishing.

In 2011, Stephanie moved back home to the United States, where she joined Peachtree Publishers as an editor. During her four years there, she acquired fiction and non fiction picture books, middle grade, and young adult titles. Her acquisitions received such honors as YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, Parents’ Choice Awards, and numerous starred reviews from major trade magazines.

As the newest agent to join Red Fox Literary, Stephanie represents both authors and illustrators of board books, picture books, middle grade, and young adult. She will consider stories in any genre, but looks for a strong voice, rich and multi-layered plots, and stylish, classic, or quirky illustrations. Most of all, she loves anything that really makes her laugh.

Stephanie lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her English husband, brand new baby girl, and a border collie named Rooney. When her nose isn’t in a book, she can often be found changing diapers, renovating a house, traveling someplace new, or cooking dinner.”

Here’s what Stephanie is looking for in picture books:

“I represent fiction and non-fiction picture books. I look for a clear story arc and prefer prose to rhyme. I like character-driven stories, humor, irreverence, and sometimes a little darkness, but I always look for heart. I shy away from saccharine sweet stories and heavy-handed messages. In non-fiction, I prefer a narrative style and look for big ideas expressed in a child-friendly way. I like history, biography, STEAM topics, and social justice, among other things.”

Here are more resources about Stephanie:

Please note 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.

Submissions will only be accepted for Jennie Dunham from February 1st – February 15th at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

Submissions will only be accepted for Stephanie Fretwell-Hill from February 16th – February 28th at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

Good Luck!

Want to make sure your submissions are tip-top? Grab this 7-Step Submissions Checklist.

It’s not too late become a 12 x 12 member! To submit to our agents in 2018, you have to be a member in 2017. Join the challenge here.

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13 Responses

  1. While I am not currently a GOLD member, it is generous of the 12 x 12 folks to share this information about Jennie and Stephanie! I am curious what STEAM topics are though? Hmmm…a little research is in order 🙂

    1. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. It’s what all my manuscripts focus on, and as an engineer I’m happy to help you with your own STEAM story. Let me! 🙂

    2. Steam is the new standard for teaching in schools . It used to be STEM. =SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATH. T hey added art – STEAM. .You can look up the standards for art and develop books to help teach them.

  2. STEAM I think is Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math subjects.

    I, too, am not yet a GOLD member (next year), but I really appreciate this information about these two agents. Thank you for including us SILVER members.

  3. I appreciate the information these two agents shared with us.
    I watched the video on Finding Your Niche.
    I also printed the Picture Book Submissions Checklist.

    1. Hi Maria – I should probably know this but can’t seem to find it – where do I find the finding your niche video?

  4. Love the video with Jennie Dunham. Thanks for including that, Julie! I had to laugh, because the second story I wrote in my children’s writing journey was definitely the start of a middle grade novel, so I’ve been there. The story is currently in a (computer) drawer, percolating while I master the craft of picture book writing. Saving my lessons in middle grade writing for further down the line!

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Interested in Joining the 12x12 Challenge?

Financial Need Scholarship Guidelines

All applications will be accepted via email only between November 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023 at kelli@juliehedlund.com.

Subject line of the email:

  1. 12 x 12 Financial Need Scholarship
 

Please include the following in the body of the email:

  1. An autobiographical statement and career summary in 250 words or fewer.
  2. A short statement describing the nature of the financial need/circumstances in 250 words or fewer.
  3. A sample query letter for the manuscript you are submitting with your application.
  4. Pitches for two additional completed picture books.
 

 Attached to the email:

  1.  The full text of one picture book manuscript, attached as a Word document named as FIN_YourFirstName_YourLastName_Title_of_Manuscript.doc (or docx).