Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 10h

I'll be participating in DVpit today! While I'm currently closed to unsolicited queries, I've opened a temporary link on QueryManager specifically for this pitch event. If I like your DVpit post, that's an invitation to query me: querytracker.net/query/paulaa...

Query Paula Weiman at ASH Literary

querytracker.net

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 20h

You absolutely don't have to approach writing your picture book manuscripts with this level of academic pedantry! But if you're struggling to improve a rhyming manuscript, this branch of rigorous poetic analysis is helpful.

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 20h

If you attended and heard me refer to the meter in The Cat in the Hat as trochaic tetrameter, I misspoke--that should have been anapestic tetrameter. Anapests are two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. Trochees are one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.

Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 1d

I'm leading a (free, online) craft talk on writing picture books tomorrow night through the Orange County Library System. Come listen to me climb on my soapbox about poetic scansion and common picture book pitfalls: attend.ocls.org/event/14071115

Writing Rhyming Picture Books that Sell

Literary agent Paula Weiman will discuss the craft of writing picture books, with a focus on considerations for rhyming picture books.

attend.ocls.org

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 1d

I'm leading a (free, online) craft talk on writing picture books tomorrow night through the Orange County Library System. Come listen to me climb on my soapbox about poetic scansion and common picture book pitfalls: attend.ocls.org/event/14071115

Writing Rhyming Picture Books that Sell

Literary agent Paula Weiman will discuss the craft of writing picture books, with a focus on considerations for rhyming picture books.

attend.ocls.org

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Reposted by Paula Weiman

#DVpit - Diverse Voices Pitch @dvpit.bsky.social · 7d

#DVpit is 1 week away!

We're excited to have over 70+ Agents & Editors committed to participate & boost marginalized creators from dozens of literary agencies and publishing imprints!

For the next week we'll be having a #DVparty to get hyped up for the event!

more info: dvpit.carrd.co

#writersky

#DVpit 2025 has 70+ Agents & Editors committed to participate & boost marginalized creators from the following literary agencies and publishers:
Andrea Brown Lit
Ash Literary
Azantian Literary Agency
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
Folio Literary Management
Gallt & Zacker Literary
Gelfman Schneider Literary
Hachette
Grand Central Publishing
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Harper Collins
Harlequin
Hanover Square
HG Literary
Inked in Gray Press
Jill Grinberg Literary
Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency
Macmillan
Feiwel & Friends
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Roaring Brook Press
Saturday books
Wednesday books
Mad Woman Literary
Neighborhood Literary
New Leaf Literary & Media
Open Book Literary
Page Street Publishing
Park, Fine & Brower
Penguin Random House
Ballantine
Berkley
Delacorte
Labyrinth Road
Penguin Workshop
Viking
Root Literary
Simon & Schuster
Aladdin
Atheneum
Atria
McElderry
Sheldon Fogelman Agency
Sourcebooks
Stonefruit Studio
Triada US
Writers House
Zando

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Reposted by Paula Weiman

PicantePit 🌶 @picantepit.bsky.social · 9d

As we are one day away from #PicantePit, here is the list of all the agents who will be participating across both X and 🦋☁️

Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our form!

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 11d

I'm in awe of your rollerskating powers

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 16d

Thank you for being my official countdown!

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Reposted by Paula Weiman

The Ugly Machine @theuglymachine.bsky.social · 20d

Marching out into the deep woods and telling the first fae I see my whole and true name, I'm fuckin done here time to go

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Reposted by Paula Weiman

Lillian Hochwender (a.k.a. Lillie) @ligerlillie.bsky.social · 22d

The thing about being an artist is that sometimes you’ll have a really silly/cursed image enter your head and spend hours of your life drawing it. Hours you’ll never get back.

A drawing of Kathy from the comic strip Kathy (a white woman with brown hair and droopy eyes) dressed in a gown with puffy sleeves standing next to Heathcliff the orange cat from the comic strip Heathcliff. Heathcliff is wearing a black waistcoat. They’re standing against a foggy background with trees and red outlined letters say Wuthering Heights, an homage to the poster for the new Emerald Fennel film adaptation of the 19th century novel. Smaller black text above has the author’s name, Charlotte Brontë.

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

A couple of my evergreen wishlist items are heists, labor rights, trans joy, and thoughtful fairy tale adaptations. I'm also open to being surprised by something that's not listed above! Check out ashliterary.com#submissions for more information about the kinds of projects I represent.

#mswl
/🧵

ASH Literary

A full service Children's & YA literary agency

ashliterary.com

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I'd really love to work on a YA suspense novel this year! I'm looking for stories that aren't murder mysteries, but instead follow a teenager trying to tackle an unjust system in their local community.
#mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I want to read a YA contemporary novel that dives deep into teenage bisexual angst. Something like The Last True Poets of the Sea, or Don't Let It Break Your Heart (though now that I think of it, I'm not sure if any of those characters are bi... that's the vibe, though).
#mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I'd love to read some YA or adult horror stories from indigenous voices, and more broadly, horror stories that use a speculative lens to examine topics of racial identity.
#mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

Bonus points for YA rom-coms:
-butch love interest
-autistic protagonists
-former athletes rediscovering their identity after an injury or health crisis that ends their career within the sport
-protagonist thinks they're nemeses and love interest thinks they've been flirting for years
#mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I haven't received as many YA rom-coms as I'd like yet. I want stories that are heavy on the com, and have subplots with a lot of depth that inform the development of the rom. #mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I'm on the hunt for an exciting anti-colonialist YA or adult fantasy. Something along the lines of Skin of the Sea, So Let Them Burn, or Babel. #mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I'd love a middle grade mystery that reminds me of The Westing Game, Blue Balliet, Lemony Snicket, or Varian Johnson #mswl
🧵/

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

Reminder that I'll be closing to queries in two weeks! There are a lot of exciting projects already in my inbox that I'm looking forward to reviewing, but there's still time for #amquerying authors to send me a few more.

Non-comprehensive thread below of some concepts I'd really like to see. 🧵/

Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · Aug 14

I've decided to close my query inbox at the end of September. I will likely reopen to unsolicited queries in spring of 2026. I'm excited to dig into the queries I've already received, and #amquerying authors, you have 6 more weeks to send me your work for consideration!

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

Maybe it's the golden glow of memory, but I don't remember the injuries being this intense when I was a kid! But I also didn't have to keep my limbs healthy for any major athletic competitions.

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 23d

I went rollerskating today and immediately fell SO hard (didn't even make it to the rink) that a parks employee rushed over and offered to replace my skate rentals with rollerblades.

So much respect for roller derby players, I don't know how they manage at speed while knocking each other over.

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 27d

Maia K. Nolan(-Partnow) @maiaknp.bsky.social · 28d

Some professional news: Very happy to share that I have signed with @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social at @ashliterary.bsky.social! I’m super excited about their vision for my book and can’t wait to get to work.

ashliterary.com#maianolan

Screen grab of Maia K. Nolan’s author listing on the ASH Literary website

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Reposted by Paula Weiman

Amal El-Mohtar @amalelmohtar.com · 28d

Simply the best slide I have ever seen in a powerpoint presentation care of @premeemohamed.com’s talk at @banffcentre.bsky.social re: Putting the Science in Science Fiction

Text mounted on a screen reads as follows:

WHAT IS SCIENCE FICTION?

1. DOESN'T MATTER
2. WHO CARES
3. MARKETING DEPARTMENT'S PROBLEM
4. NOT YOURS

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Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · 28d

I'll be running an interactive workshop on Nailing Your Comp Titles next week with WIFYR's Virtual Writing Intensive. I heard there are a few online slots left:
www.wifyr.com/2025-writing...

Virtual Writing Intensive 2025 | Writing And Illustra

www.wifyr.com

Paula Weiman @tinyfairyhunter.bsky.social · Aug 28

I can confidently say that you are experiencing an above standard amount of muscle pain for being 40