GOLD members! Let’s spring into April submissions! Our 2021 Little GOLDen Book members will be able to choose one of these two agents to submit their manuscript to in April. (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.)
Mary Cummings of Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members April 1-15. Rick Margolis of Rising Bear Literary will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members April 16-30. Mary’s profile appears first, followed by Rick’s. Please read BOTH and then decide who would be the best fit for your work.
Mary Cummings of Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises
A little bit about Mary:
For fourteen years Mary Cummings was Education Director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. At the Loft she curated an annual Festival of Children’s Literature, and hired judges for the McKnight Award in Children’s Literature from among the nation’s top editors of children’s books. On many occasions, she hired Betsy Amster to teach workshops at the Loft and, in 2008, joined Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises to bring contacts and expertise in children’s lit. Many star-reviewed, inspiring books later, and more in the pipeline—she’s still having lots of fun!
Houses she’s sold book projects to include, among others:
Little, Brown; Abrams; Knopf; Henry Holt; Imprint; Holiday House; F,S,G; Viking; David Godine; Walker; Feiwel & Friends; Philomel; HarperCollins; Chronicle; Candlewick; and Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster.
Check out client profiles on the agency website, amsterlit.com, and articles on Mary’s website, cummingskidlit.com, to learn backstory on books; how she works with clients; what kinds of manuscripts excite her; some mistakes she sees (every day!) in query letters and in writing; and more.
We asked Mary what she’s looking for in picture books. Here’s what she had to say:
“I’m looking for stories with a clear beginning, middle, end structure, and engaging characters. I’d like to see friendship stories, humor themes, and good night stories. A Thanksgiving story would be great, and I also always like to see holiday stories from recent immigrant cultures. Lyrically written non-fiction on science and natural world themes are also welcome. Be careful about rhyming (see articles on cummingskidlit.com) and avoid meta narration. I welcome both authors and author/illustrators to submit.”
Rick Margolis of Rising Bear Literary
A little bit about Rick:
For nearly 15 years, Rick Margolis worked for School Library Journal, the world’s largest reviewer of books for young readers. As SLJ ’s executive editor, he had the pleasure of interviewing many remarkable children’s book creators, including Kate DiCamillo, Mo Willems, Katherine Paterson, Gene Yang, Rita Williams-Garcia, Rebecca Stead, and Jon Klassen. One of the best parts of Rick’s job was writing a monthly interview column, which highlighted new and promising authors (like John Green and Suzanne Collins) who went on to have amazing careers. And for some reason, almost every year Rick was able to predict the winner of the Caldecott Medal, which honors the year’s best-illustrated book.
To make a long story short, five years ago Rick launched Rising Bear Literary Agency, specializing in what he most loves: picture books, early- and middle-grade fiction, and young adult literature. Rick is constantly looking for outstanding picture books and novels for kids and young adults. He represents everyone from award-winning authors and illustrators, such as Gary D. Schmidt, Kate Banks, Ron Koertge, and Jennifer Yerkes, to gifted newcomers. Rick is especially attracted to people who have something to say to children and teens, and he admires creative risk-takers who aren’t afraid to try something new or to shake things up.
When asked what he’s looking for in picture book submissions, Rick replied:
“I like to be surprised, and I’m a sucker for great writing and stories that are truly kid-friendly. I don’t have any particular style in mind for picture books, and I’m open to both fiction and nonfiction.”
Rick has been a Featured Agent in two previous years. You can see our past profiles here and here. Here are some resources for Rick:
- Rising Bear’s website
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 Mary Cummings from April 1st at 8am ET/5am PT through April 15th at 6pm EASTERN/3pm PACIFIC.
Submissions will only be accepted for Rick Margolis from April 16th at 8am ET/5am PT through April 30th 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!
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