Publishing Deals

We’re happy to announce the following, honest-to-goodness success stories — Big Sur Writing Workshop alumni who landed publishing deals by presenting their manuscript to agents at a  previous workshop. 

Brace yourselves – there are a bunch!

• Jennifer Castle has sold four YA novels to Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins, beginning with her debut, THE BEGINNING OF AFTER. She is represented by Andrea Brown Literary Agency (ABLA) agent Jamie Weiss Chilton.

• Shannon Messenger landed a six-figure deal at Simon and Schuster for “The Keeper of the Lost Cities” and is represented by ABLA agent, Laura Rennert.

• Chris Howard came to a December workshop and met his agent, Laura Rennert and his editor, Mallory Kass from Scholastic there and his debut novel was published Fall 2012 entitled “Rootless.” (Mallory Kass will be at March 2013 workshop.)

• Kathryn Fitzmaurice came to Big Sur and was signed by ABLA agent, Jennifer Rofe. Her first novel, “The Year the Swallows Came Early” was published by HarperCollins and she has two other novels out.

• Denise Doyen was signed by Jennifer Rofe and has several picture books published now by Random House, including the successful picture book “Once Upon a Twice.”

• Sara Etiene attended the workshop, found an agent and has been published by Putnam.

• Workshop participant Veronica Rossi found an agent and got a mid six-figure deal for her book published by HarperCollins.

• Lisa Schulman polished her manuscript and published “League of Strays” with Abrams.

• Elle Cosimano signed with one of the industry’s top literary agents, and her first novel, “Dead Blue” recently sold in a two book, six figure pre-empt to Kathy Dawson of Dial/Penguin Books for Young Readers.  Read her full testimonial about her fantastic experience at the workshop here.

• Tamara Ireland Stone attended the Big Sur Writing Workshop in December 2012 where she had the opportunity to work with agent, Caryn Wiseman.  Three months later, her time travel romance, “Time Between Us” sold at auction in a two book, six-figure deal to Lisa Yoskowitz of Disney-Hyperion (who’s on the March 2012 meeting faculty!)   Since then, Caryn has closed deals nine countries, solid audio rights, and my story has been optioned for film.   Suffice it to say, it’s been quite a year for this newbie author!  Read her fantastic testimonial here!

• Kim Culbertson, Big Sur Writing Workshop alumni, her YA novel “Songs for a Teenage Nomad” was recently picked up by Daniel Ehrenhaft, the senior editor at Sourcebooks, to be reissued in hardback under their new young adult imprint FIRE for fall of 2010.  The imprint will also publish her second YA novel “Traveling Instructions” for the spring of 2011.

• Jennifer Laughran from ABLA (and workshop faculty member) recently sold the middle grade mystery “The Wig in the Window,” Kristin Kittscher, who attended Big Sur in 2010, to HarperCollins (to be edited by former Big Sur faculty editor Rosemary Brosnan!)”

• Rebecca Wolf, attendee from 2005 on her sale of “Rockabye” to editor Brooke Warner at Avalon Books, sold by agent, Laura Rennert.

• Congratulations to Christina Meldrum! After attending the Big Sur Writing Workshop a couple of years ago, Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. sold a two book, six-figure deal with Alfred A. Knopf for Christina!  We can’t wait to see the books and have Christina attend as faculty.

• Harry Haines for signing a two novel deal with Mayhaven Publishing.

• Jeff Stone’s half-million dollar deal with Random House for the “The Five Ancestors” series.

• Elizabeth Shreeve, who has now sold two picture book manuscripts to Front Street/Boyd’s Mills Press, including “Oliver at the Window.”

• Crystal Allen, from the December 2008 workshop, who just sold a two-book, six-figure deal to HarperCollins with agent, Jennifer Rofé, from Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.

Who will be the next success story?

If any other former attendees have sales as a result of attending the workshops, please e-mail Magnus at magnus@henrymiller.org!