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

Rick Richter of Aevitas Creative Management will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members October 1-15.  Mary Cummings of Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises will be accepting picture book submissions from 12 x 12 GOLD members October 16-31. Rick’s profile appears first, followed by Mary’s. Please read BOTH and then decide who would be the best fit for your work.

GOLD members: Be sure to the Submission Station section of the forum for additional instructions from each agent. Read carefully, there are some different instructions this month.

Rick Richter

A little bit about Rick from the Aevitas Creative Management website:

“Rick Richter recently represented New York Times bestseller Tough as They Come by Sgt. Travis Mills and Priscilla Gorilla by Barbara Bottner and Michael Emberley. He currently represents diverse selection of children’s author/illustrators and adult nonfiction, including reporters from The Boston Globe and The Washington Post.

Richter was a founding employee and then president of the prestigious children’s publisher Candlewick Press. He then served over a decade on the Executive Committee of Simon & Schuster in the roles of President, Sales and Distribution and President and Publisher, Children’s Books.

Based in Boston, Richter is most interested in children’s books of all ages, narrative nonfiction in the areas of history, music and musicians, sports and sports celebrities, self-help, comedians as authors, big think books on controversial social policy, and men’s fiction.”

Here is what Rick had to say when asked what he is looking for in picture books today:

“I’m looking for character led and funny picture books, also for non-fiction titles featuring well known but less well covered diverse or historical topics.”

Rick was a 12 x 12 Featured Agent in 2015. Please see our previous profile on Rick HERE.

Here some recent references for Rick:

• 12 x 12 member Johnell DeWitt has a fantastic interview with Rick HERE.
• Find Rick on Twitter.
• Publishers Weekly Article on the merger of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth (agency listed in Rick’s profile in 2015) and Kuhn Project forming Aevitas Creative.

Mary Cummings

A little bit about Mary from the Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises website:

“Our associate Mary Cummings represents fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry for children and teens, from picture books to middle grade and young adult novels, including contemporary and historical, humor, mystery, fantasy, and multi-cultural. She is particularly seeking middle grade novels as well as picture books with strong story arcs, a spunky central character, and warmth, humor, or quirky charm. In literary nonfiction, her areas of interest include picture book biographies as well as lyrically written science, nature, mindfulness, and social awareness issues.

Cummings served for fourteen years as education director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she organized an annual festival of children’s literature and selected judges for the prestigious McKnight Award in Children’s Literature. She represents both career writers and newcomers.”

When asked what she’s looking for in picture books submissions, Mary said, “I like work with heart, with warmth. I don’t like clever or ironic (but sometimes I do like quirky). I prefer non-rhyming texts. Short is usually better than long. I’m looking for fiction, poetry and lyrically written nonfiction, some topics: picture book biographies; social awareness; a story about quieting down, about mindful behavior. I’d like to see a spunky, highly self-confident, smart, resourceful kid as a solo character (series potential).”

Here are a few resources for Mary:

• Mary was featured on Agentopia. (Note: This is geared toward YA, but it will still give you a good feeling of what Mary likes and doesn’t like, especially in query letters.)
• 12 x 12 member Ariel Bernstein’s How I Got My Agent Post featuring Mary is HERE.
• A query letter that worked for Ariel Bernstein on Sub It Club.
• How Kim McPherson got Mary as her agent.

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.