Mansion Street Literary Mgmt

Agency Announcement: Michelle Witte, Client and Agent!

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:18:01 +0000

Mansion Street Literary Management is thrilled to announce that Michelle Witte has joined the agency. Michelle will be primarily representing Young Adult and Middle Grade works.

As a new literary agent, Michelle Witte brings with her a wealth of experience, not only with juvenile fiction, but with the publishing industry as a whole. Over the past seven years, she has worked in a variety of positions that encapsulate the various stages of a book’s publication, from the idea and writing stages, to editing, design and production, bookselling and publicity.

Michelle began her career as a journalist, first reporting and then later copy editing for the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second largest paper in the state. From there, she transitioned with her editing skills to nonfiction publisher Gibbs Smith, where she oversaw creation, editing, and production of more than thirty titles, including children’s activity, humor, gift, cookbooks, and a smattering of other topics from blacksmithing to green living.

In her spare time she writes on a variety of topics and genres, though her great love is young adult fiction. Her first book, The Craptastic Guide to Pseudo-Swearing, will hit stores on June 26, 2012.

As a literary agent, she will utilize her knowledge of publishing and books to benefit authors both established and new. With her background in editing, she has a keen eye for quality prose and storytelling. But it is her overall experience as a reader, writer, editor, and bookseller that guides her as she searches for enthralling new writers and manuscripts.

Mansion Street Literary Agency was founded by Jean Sagendorph, a 20 year veteran of the entertainment and licensing industry. Mansion Street represents brands, charities, designers, cookbooks, humor, children’s, and with the addition of Michelle Witte, middle grade and young adult books. For more information, please visit mansionstreet.com.

Michelle’s contact information:

Trade: michelle@mansionstreet.com
Prospective Authors: querymichelle@mansionstreet.com

Holy Cow, It’s The Craptastic Cover!

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:36:55 +0000

The cover art for Michelle Witte’s The Craptastic Guide to Pseudo-Swearing has just been revealed.

Craptastic will be in stores on June 26, 2012.

Deal Announcement! Paul Thurlby’s Wildlife

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:06:31 +0000

The follow up to Paul Thurlby’s wildly popular Alphabet book has been sold to Templar (UK)/Candlewick (US).

WILDLIFE will be in stores Spring 2013.

What the critics said about Paul’s first book (Alphabet):

Is there any new way left to present the alphabet? The answer is “yes”, as this graphic artist demonstrates when he applies his retro style to the ABCs. . . . Skillfully constructed and cleverly composed, it’s an awesome alphabet book that adults will also appreciate.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

As is the custom with most such books, we travel in orderly fashion from A to B to C and onward, but here most letters take the shape of an object or idea-or the object or idea takes the shape of the letter, depending-with results that are both surprising and refreshing.
—Wall Street Journal

Each of Thurlby’s letters is meticulously conceived – he often uses old books and pieces of paper for backgrounds, and his art has a very stylized, retro feel.
—PRI’s The World

About the Author

Paul Thurlby graduated from University of Buckinghamshire and became a full-time illustrator, whose graphic style is instantly recognizable. He is a regular contributor to many publications, including THE GUARDIAN, THE TIMES, THE INDEPENDENT, and THE BIG ISSUE. Paul Thurlby lives in England.

Deal Announcement! Dawn Sokol’s Doodle Circle

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:57:35 +0000

Dawn Sokol’s DOODLE CIRCLE has been sold to Abrams’ Stewart, Tabori & Chang CRAFT.

Doodle Circle is an interactive journal for girls in a round-robin format meant to encourage girls to be creative and foster camaraderie. The book will be in available Fall 2013.

Read more about Dawn Sokol and her Doodle books at her website.

Deal Announcement! Super Smutty Sign Language

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:30:30 +0000

Kristin Henson’s Super Smutty Sign Language has been sold in a pre-empt to Macmillan’s St. Martin’s Press.

Super Smutty Sign Language will be published Fall 2013. Mansion Street Literary Management co-agented this deal with Stonesong Press.

Want to know how to say “Hooray!” in sign language?

Put your hands in the air like Kristin and shake them around. Hooray, you just signed!

Catch Kristin on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 show.

The founder of MSLM is hearing impaired and looks forward to picking up some awesome new phrases to show off at Book Expo America!

Teddy Bear

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:25:08 +0000

The world’s most lovable (and cuddly!) porcupine has landed at Mansion Street Literary Management.

Teddy Bear has been featured on ABC News, CBS News, Huffington Post, MSNBC and more.

More news soon!

Pottery Barn Kids!

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:02:55 +0000

Kim Siebold stopped by the Pottery Barn Kids store in Edina, MN the other day. Guess what she found!?

Starry Night, Hold Me Tight of course! The book is available at Pottery Barn Kids’ stores across the country.

Starry Night was written by Jean Sagendorph and illustrated by Kim Siebold.

Deal Announcement! Sagendorph & Sheehan’s Ice Box Cakes Cookbook

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:38:55 +0000

What’s that? You don’t know how to make your Grandmother’s ice box cake? Fear not!

Jean Sagendorph and Jessie Sheehan have been whipping up magic in the kitchen. This cookbook will excite both new and seasoned chefs. Newbies can start the book on the Easy Peasy level and slowly work their way up to the Ice Box Rock Star level.

The Ice Box Cakes Cookbook will be released by Chronicle Books in April 2014.

Deal Announcement! Hovey’s LEGACY

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:20:01 +0000

Mansion Street Literary Management has sold Hollister Hovey’s LEGACY to Rizzoli.

Porter Hovey will provide (fabulous!) photographs. A Spring 2013 release is planned.

The Wall Street Journal On Paul Thurlby’s ALPHABET

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:13:09 +0000

Thrilled to see Meghan Cox Gurden’s article in WSJ. The Wall Street Journal called Paul’s book “a stylish take on the traditional abecedarian primer”.

FULL ARTICLE HERE.