We all miss Carole Blake a lot at Blake Friedmann, and obviously the office is not the same without her. But we know she would have wanted us to pull together to carry on her brilliant legacy. And that’s just what we’re doing.
I am actively looking to grow my list this year. I was so fortunate to work so closely with Carole, and learned a great deal from her mentorship. Under Carole’s watchful eye, my confidence grew and I felt that in 2016 I really started to prove myself. Last year I picked my projects carefully and did well, so this year I feel I have a bit more freedom to take risks and pursue a wider variety of projects that fit my passions.
I am particularly looking for:
Book club books
Less genre fiction and more general fiction
High concept stories
Still love a psychological thriller with a difference, and also love more procedural crime stories (especially with female or diverse leads)
Contemporary stories that feel millennial
Books with characters in their twenties – a Cold Feet for Millennials would be good.
Not interested in period pieces – I’m looking for contemporary settings, or even a bit of speculative fiction along the lines of Station Eleven, Margaret Atwood, The Mandibles, The Power.
I love a blend of genres – something like The Robber Bride which is mainly domestic in setting but with a slightly fantastical twist
Middle grade projects – something adventure-y, or detective-y in particular, or humour
In YA, I’d love a more literary project but looking for anything contemporary. I’m not interested in YA fantasy – the market for that is very hard in the UK, everyone is publishing US-originated fantasy
At Blake Friedmann we’re particularly interested in diverse voices and I’m looking for writers from a range of backgrounds often not well-represented in publishing.