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March 2020 Agents - Melissa Nasson and Allison Remcheck

Melissa Nasson and Allison Remcheck – 12 x 12 Featured Agents March 2020

March submissions begin on Sunday! 2020 Little GOLDen Book members of 12 x 12 will be able to choose one of two agents to submit their manuscript to each month.

Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer Content will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members March 1-15. Allison Remcheck of Rosemary Stimola Literary Studio will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members March 16-31. Melissa’s profile appears first, followed by Allison’s. Please read BOTH and then decide who would be the best fit for your work.

Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer ContentMelissa Nasson – Rubin Pfeffer Content

A little bit about Melissa:

“Melissa Nasson has spent her life living in and around Boston, attending college at Boston University (Go Terriers!). While studying at Boston University School of Law, she realized that becoming a literary agent would combine her passion for books with her legal background, and she began interning at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, and later at East-West Literary Agency and Rubin Pfeffer Content. After taking the bar exam in 2012, Melissa worked as a foreign rights intern at Perseus Books Group before starting as contracts director at Beacon Press. Now, she continues her work at Beacon Press while actively building her list as an associate agent at Rubin Pfeffer Content. Melissa loves dogs, craft beer, making pickles, tending to her tiny vegetable garden, and her pet tortoise, Norton.”

We asked Melissa what she’s looking for in picture books. Here’s what she had to say:

“I’m very interested in picture books by author-illustrators at the moment. In all picture books, I’m seeking humor, misfits, quirkiness, subversive themes, and unexpected twists. I’d be excited to see nonfiction picture books with a creative angle. I’m not a good fit for bathroom humor, rhyming texts, didactic themes, or series.”

Melissa was a Featured Agent in previously. You can see our profile on her HERE. Here are a couple updated resources for Melissa:

Allison Remcheck 200x300

Allison Remcheck – Stimola Literary Studio

A little bit about Allison: 

“Allison has known what she wanted to be when she grew up—ever since the age of eight when she read in the back of a Baby-Sitters’ Club book that the author, Ann M. Martin, was an editor before she became a writer. She had no idea what the word “editor” meant—but she knew it had to be a person who read a lot, and she knew she wanted to work in publishing. She’s so lucky to say that she has only ever worked with books—a journey that has taken her from a library, to a bookstore, to a publishing house, and finally to the Studio—and books, particularly those for children, have been her lifelong passion. She believes there is simply nothing better in the world than putting the perfect book in a child’s hand. But there is something extraordinary in nurturing a book from the start, and seeing it find its place in the world. To Allison, being an agent is a bit like a treasure hunt to find the books that speak to her most easily. She finds herself drawn to voices that speak for themselves, stories that only the author can tell, and books that reflect the lives of every child—especially the ones told least often.”

When asked what’s she looking for in picture books today, Allison said,

“I am interested in sparse-of-text, art-driven picture books–#ownvoices are a plus. Non-fiction manuscripts about little-known events or characters (again, highlighting diverse people is also a plus). Anthem-like, impeccable rhyming stories (as in The Gruffalo). Quirky funny concepts, and high-concept pitches (as in Boss Baby); beautiful writing about poignant moments in a child’s life, and books that combine funny with sweet. I am not interested in books that rhyme for the sake of it, fairy-tale or folk tale retellings (unless they are little-known and #ownvoices), toilet humor, “milestone” stories (such as first day of school), or concepts that have become too trope-y (unless the concept is turned on its head in a compelling way)–such as books about eating vegetables or brushing teeth.”

This is Allison’s first year as a 12 x 12 Featured Agent. Here are some resources for Allison:

  • Follow Allison on Twitter
  • Find Allison on the Stimola Literary Studio website
  • 12 x 12 Member Shannon Stocker is one of Allison’s clients. See her How I Got My Agent story HERE.
  • Another heart-warming How I Got My Agent story about Allison HERE. This one is from Zack Smedley.

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. Look for submission guidelines in the Submission Station on the 12 x 12 forum.

Submissions will only be accepted for Melissa Nasson from March 1st – March 15th at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

Submissions will only be accepted for Allison Remcheck from March 16th – March 31st at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

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.

March into this month’s submission with confidence! You got this!

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

 

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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).