Louisa Onome’s REVENGE ARC, in which a group of teen girls at a kickboxing gym decide to get revenge on a boy who wronged them, until it turns out things are more complicated than throwing the first punch, illustrated by ONeillJones, to Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop, in a six-figure deal, at auction, for publication in fall 2025, by Claire Friedman at Inkwell Management for the author, and by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the illustrator (world English). (Posted February 2023)
Former journalist Jess H. Gutierrez’s A PRODUCT OF GENETICS (AND DAY DRINKING), a collection of humorous essays about coming of age through the oddest jobs, misadventures in queer love, and parenting fails; sharing tales of a woman who feels like a cheerful dumpster fire even with a seemingly ideal set-up with a fire captain wife, two kids, and a mortgage, to Emi Ikkanda at Tiny Reparations Books, in a pre-empt, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (NA). (Posted January 2023)
Grace Reilly’s FIRST DOWN, BREAKAWAY, and STEALING HOME, the Beyond the Play series of connected standalone romance novels, where four siblings who each play a different sport at an elite level grapple with the love for the game and the love for their hearts against the backdrop of their university, to Bethany Strout at OrangeSky Audio, at auction, in a four-book deal, for publication in 2024, by Claire Draper at the Bent Agency (world English). (Posted January 2023)
Pura Belpre Honor and author of FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN and the forthcoming ANDER & SANTI WERE HERE Jonny Garza Villa’s CANTO CONTIGO, a rivals-to-lovers contemporary story in which the star of his hometown mariachi group transfers schools in senior year and expects to be handed the lead vocalist spot of his new group; what he gets instead is a tenacious current lead with a very familiar (and very kissable) face, to Sylvan Creekmore at Wednesday Books, with Tiffany Shelton editing, for publication in winter 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted October 2022)
Cherry Zong’s RED, a twisted version of Little Red Riding Hood, pitched as Tangled meets Princess Mononoke, where Red lives in a forest that has been dying for years and her grandmother instructs her to hunt the monsters at the cause of the decay, until she meets a wolf-girl she should kill, but can’t; as she begins to develop a relationship with her, Red begins to uncover the somewhat sinister truth behind everything she’s ever known, to Jean Lucas at Andrews McMeel, for publication in 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted October 2022)
Emery Lee’s CAFE CON LYCHEE, to Astral Cultural (Brazil), by Tassy Barham at Tassy Barham Associates, on behalf of Claire Draper at the Bent Agency. (Posted September 2022)
Trisha Kelly and Jess Lome’s THE NOT-SO SECRET LOVE LIFE OF WINNIE FRANKLIN, a contemporary YA graphic novel pitched as a Nora Ephron movie meets Bloom, a teenage girl thought she could skate by unnoticed until her love letter to the most popular girl in school is posted on her high school’s confession page; when the president of the Queer Club offers to fake date to take the spotlight off, she jumps at the chance, but will she be able to avoid real feelings developing, to Elizabeth Lazowski at Chronicle Children’s, for publication in 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted September 2022)
Elaine Tipping’s PATHWAYS: CHRONICLES OF TUVANA, a queer fantasy epic that takes place in a world under siege by an ancient empire bent on restoring its perceived rightful control, following a small band of characters and the journey they take to become heroes, pitched as perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings, The Adventure Zone, and Monstress, to Brett Israel at Dark Horse, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted September 2022)
Emily Riesbeck and Bayleigh Underwood’s LUCKY 555, a queer sci-fi YA graphic novel pitched as The Expanse meets Paper Girls, where the citizens of the sky resign themselves to a slow, miserable decline, and a self-centered orphan teen meets a stowaway android who is hiding a secret that could turn the sky upside down, but her wealthy and domineering father won’t let her—or his secret—go that easily, to Charlotte Greenbaum at Amulet, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted September 2022)
Emery Lee’s CAFE CON LYCHEE, to Cross Cult (Germany), by Kathrin Nehm at Thomas Schlueck Agency, on behalf of Claire Draper at the Bent Agency. (September 2022)
Cohost of the Queer Kids Stuff YouTube series and TED speaker Lindz Amer’s HOORAY FOR HE, SHE, ZE, AND THEY!, a celebration of pronouns and gender euphoria, illustrated by Kate Alizadeh, to Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster Children’s, for publication in 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the author, and by Mandy Suhr at Miles Stott Agency for the illustrator (world). (Posted June 2022)
Stacey Chomiak’s STILL STACE: MY GAY CHRISTIAN COMING-OF-AGE STORY, to Bethany Strout at OrangeSky Audio, by Claire Draper at the Bent Agency (world English). (Posted April 2022)
Dresden Douglas’s GIRLS GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES, a debut middle grade graphic novel pitched as a sapphic Lizzie McGuire, about a young girl who begins to feel flustered and tongue-tied around other girls while struggling to tune out the voice of an excitable little figment who manifests all her innermost thoughts, to Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press, at auction, for publication in 2023, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted September 2021)
Diverse author Shachi Kaushik’s DIWALI IN MY NEW HOME, about a girl’s nostalgic experience celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, in the United States for the first time, illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon, to Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books, with Andrea Hall editing, in a nice deal, in a pre-empt, for publication in fall 2022, by Lynnette Novak at The Seymour Agency for the author, and by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the illustrator (world). (Posted September 2021)
MEET CUTE DIARY author Emery Lee’s CAFE CON LYCHEE, a dual pov enemies-to-lovers contemporary romcom following rival sons of competing family businesses–a Puerto Rican bakery and an Asian American cafe–who form an unlikely alliance running an underground coffee and boba shop at school after a new fusion cafe threatens their parents’ stores, to Alexandra Cooper at Quill Tree, for publication in summer 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted July 2021)
Shea Fontana and artist Agnes Garbowska’s KENZIE’S KINGDOM, about a teenage girl who is less than content to work at her family business, a castle-turned-tourist stop, when an out-of-his-own-time knight-in-training appears, and the only way to send him back is for a princess to properly knight him; too bad the 21st century is light on princesses, colored by Sil Brys, to Rebecca Taylor at Wonderbound, for publication in summer 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted June 2021)
Queer Kid Stuff host, activist, and TED speaker Lindz Amer’s THE RADICAL NOTION OF QUEER JOY: THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT GENDER AND SEXUALITY, a guidebook for progressive adults who want to create queer-positive spaces for today’s kids but don’t know how, to Sylvan Creekmore at St. Martin’s, for publication in fall 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted June 2021)
FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN Jonny Garza Villa’s ANDER AND SANTI WERE HERE, pitched as ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE meets THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR, in which a nonbinary teen muralist falls for the newest waiter at their family’s taqueria, sparking a romance made complicated when ICE shows up and the love interest is a potential target, to Sylvan Creekmore at Wednesday Books, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted April 2021)
NYT-bestselling author Alyssa Cole and illustrator ONeillJones’s REJECT SQUAD, pitched as a Sleeping Beauty-inspired YA fantasy romance in which a perfectionist princess powered by rage is hexed, placing her kingdom and her life in jeopardy, unless her newfound friends (the magical hot messes of the reject squad) and the irritating boy she’s betrothed to can help her save herself, to Tiara Kittrell at Balzer & Bray, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2024, by Lucienne Diver at The Knight Agency for the author, and by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the illustrator (world English). (Posted March 2021)
Blue Jaryn’s PAYDEN’S PRONOUN PARTY, featuring a child’s quest for the best pronouns and a party for celebrating the perfect match, illustrated by Xochitl Cornejo, to Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids, for publication in fall 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the author (world). (Posted February 2021)
Anna Kopp and artist Gabrielle Kari’s THE MARBLE QUEEN, a Sapphic YA graphic novel with sword fighting, political intrigue and magic, where the princess needs a marriage alliance for the welfare of her kingdom, but she unknowingly accepts a proposal from a mysterious kingdom, having come not from the prince, but the recently coronated queen, to Brett Israel at Dark Horse, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted February 2021)
Leslie Barnard Booth’s A STONE IS A STORY, answering the question “where do rocks come from?”, illustrated by Marc Martin, to Nicole Fiorica at Margaret K. McElderry Books, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the author, and by Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions for the illustrator (world). (Posted January 2021)
Queer cartoonist Samantha Benc’s LAST SHIP TO MARS, a speculative YA graphic novel set on a deteriorating Earth that follows an aspiring scientist’s relationship with a humanoid android—a connection that will forever alter the course of her life, forcing her to choose between abandoning her planet for a better life on Mars or working to rescue the only home she’s ever known, to Mark Podesta at Holt Children’s, at auction, for publication in winter 2024, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted January 2021)
Detroit-based illustrator and designer Oli Franey’s MONSTER CRUSH, pitched as BEETLE AND THE HOLLOWBONES meets Teen Wolf, in which a 16-year-old closes herself off from the world after her parents split, until she meets a girl; as the two of them fight off school bullies, the girl accidentally reveals her ability to transform into a monstrous beast, and reveals the world of monsters, to Brett Israel at Dark Horse, for publication in 2023, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted December 2020)
Creator of #TheKentTest and culture critic Clarkisha Kent’s FAT OFF, FAT ON, a humorous memoir about a fat Black woman, telling the story of how a fat body isn’t a cosmic punishment and is one you can grow into, how sometimes family doesn’t always mean home, and sharing ill-fated love affairs of the bisexual kind, to Lauren Hook at Feminist Press, for publication in fall 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted November 2020)
Creator of BLOODLUST AND BONNETS Emily McGovern’s TWELVE PERCENT DREAD, about two 20-something women living in 10-minutes-in-the-future London who are doing their best to navigate an anxiety-inducing modern world characterized by relentless technological advancement, looming climate catastrophe, political turmoil, and systemic prejudice, to Brett Israel at Dark Horse, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency, on behalf of Nicola Barr (world, excl. UK). UK rights to Paul Matrinovic at Picador, by Nicola Barr at The Bent Agency. (Posted October 2020)
Emily Riesbeck and illustrator NJ Barna’s THE PIRATE AND THE PORCELAIN GIRL, in which a girl, cursed with porcelain skin and on the run from a zealous knight, has to put her trust in a disgraced pirate captain to reunite her with her ex-girlfriend in a faraway city; together, they bicker across the high seas, dodge nefarious obstacles, and accidentally fall in love, lettered by Lucas Gattoni, to Amanda Ramirez at Simon & Schuster Children’s, in a very nice deal, at auction, for publication in fall 2022, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted August 2020)
Author of LOVE ON THE HUDSON KD Fisher’s THE SECRET INGREDIENT, in which two very different female chefs in small-town Maine find a way into each other’s hearts and families, to Kerri Buckley at Carina Press Adores, for publication in November 2020, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted June 2020)
Author/illustrator Cait May and author Trevor Bream’s debut ANOTHER KIND, the story of six cryptid kids in search of a new place to call home, to Rose Pleuler at Harper Alley, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2021, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted May 2020)
Jonny Garza Villa’s FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN, an #OwnVoices debut pitched as SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA meets One Day at a Time, about a Texas high school senior who accidentally comes out to the world on social media and must now juggle the joy of first love and fear of his socially conservative father finding out before he’s ready, to Carmen Johnson at Skyscape, at auction, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world). (Posted April 2020)
Author and illustrator Stacey Chomiak’s STILL STACE: MY GAY CHRISTIAN COMING OF AGE STORY, an illustrated memoir about her teenage and young adult years of wrestling with her gay Christian identity, trying to become “ex-gay,” and ultimately finding peace, to Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2021, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world English). (Posted March 2020)
Taylor Rouanzion’s debut RAINBOW BOY, in which a gender nonconforming boy explains why he can’t choose a favorite color, illustrated by Stacey Chomiak, to Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books, in a nice deal, for publication in September 2020, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency for the illustrator (world). (Posted November 2019)
Claire Draper 