JABberwocky Wrapped: 2024 in Review – JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc

Hello readers, writers, and lovers of books! We can hardly believe it’s December already but time slows for no literary agent. As has become tradition, this is our end-of-year wrap-up on all of the exciting news and amazing projects we got to work on in 2024!

JABberwocky hit a huge milestone this year — it’s our 30th anniversary! What started as a one-person business in Joshua’s apartment has blossomed into an agency with twelve full-time employees and a lot of client books on our shelves (like, a lot) across many genres and styles. We’re very proud of the work we do and the authors we represent, and we thank you all for the support throughout the years. To another 30 years!

Brandon Sanderson has had even more of a whirlwind year than usual! The Tor edition of THE SUNLIT MAN debuted at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list, and marks the final of the four initial Secret Projects to publish. He also broke out in a new genre altogether and published his first picture book, THE MOST BORING BOOK EVER, which was illustrated by award-winning graphic novelist Kazu Kibuishi — it was boring indeed to hear it landed at #2 on the NYT bestseller list! And that’s not even counting WIND AND TRUTH, the highly anticipated finale of the Stormlight Archive series (or at least, the first arc), which was an instant #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller!

The JABberwocky team, each holding a copy of Brandon Sanderson's WIND AND TRUTH, which released on 12/6/24. Back row, L to R: James Farner, Christina Zobel, Eddie Schneider, Brady McReynolds, Christy Admiraal, Bridget Smith. Front row, L to R: Valentina Sainato, Susan Velazquez-Colmant, Joshua Bilmes, Arielle DeVito, Lisa Rodgers — *^{The JABberwocky team celebrating the release of Brandon Sanderson’s WIND AND TRUTH}*

Emily Rath also earned a spot on the NYT bestseller list, hitting #8 with the release of PUCKING SWEET, the third installment of the sweet n’ spicy Jacksonville Rays series. Speaking of romantic books in the New York Times, Rebecca Fraimow’s sci-fi rom-com LADY EVE’S LAST CON was listed as one of the Best Romances of 2024, dubbing its titular character as “diamond-sharp and dazzling, an unforgettable showstopper of a heroine.”

But the accolades don’t stop at the New York Times! Samantha Mills’ THE WINGS UPON HER BACK received four starred reviews from each of the major trade reviewers, being called “an absolute must-read,” “a triumphant debut novel,” and more. The Los Angeles Times raved about Lilliam Rivera’s TINY THREADS, noting that “Rivera’s talent is formidable enough to make the book’s big questions as engrossing as its horrors.” And it wouldn’t be an accolades list without Silvia Moreno-Garcia, whose newest novel, THE SEVENTH VEIL OF SALOME, was chosen as a Good Morning America Book Club selection. Silvia was also deemed “a master of her craft” by Kirkus, “a hypnotic racounteur” by the Washington Post, and “the ultimate writing chameleon” by Cosmopolitan, among other praise (okay, yes, also including the NYT).

Earlier this year, THESE BURNING STARS by Bethany Jacobs won the 2024 Phillip K. Dick Award! The novel was also nominated for the Dragon Award and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. In the summer, Robin Gow’s DEAR MOTHMAN won the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Book! Gow was also nominated for Best LGBTQ+ Poetry for faer poetry collection, LANTERNFLY AUGUST. Most recently, Charlaine Harris once again won the Best Alternate History category at the 2024 Dragon Awards for ALL THE DEAD SHALL WEEP, marking her second win for the Gunnie Rose series.

We also want to give an enormous shout-out to our debut authors of 2024! Traditionally publishing a first book can be equal parts exhilarating and nerve-wracking, and these writers handled the processes of publication like pros. Congratulations to Tyffany D. Neiheiser, Samantha Mills, Katrina Emmel, MJ Wassmer, Riley August, and Catelyn Wilson on your fantastic debut novels!

Not Dead Enough by Tyffany D. Neiheiser
The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills
Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses by Katrina Emmel
Zero Stars Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer
The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August
All the Devils by Catelyn Wilson

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In film news, horror bestseller Grady Hendrix is, as always, a hot commodity onscreen. Legendary Entertainment is continuing to develop their adaptation of HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE, and we’re very excited that HBO has picked up bestselling novel THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES! After a four-year stint with Hulu, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC is now back on the market. And Hallmark has released two new Young Aurora Teagarden films (“A Lesson in Murder” and “Death at the Diner”), the second and third installments of the prequel movie series to Charlaine Harris’s wildly popular Aurora Teagarden cozy mystery series.

Our foreign rights team has also had a busy year, with over 155 translation rights sales and 70 audio rights sales made! Significant five- and six-figure sales include dramatic audio rights to Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Projects, UK rights to Catelyn Wilson’s forthcoming LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP, Polish rights to Brandon Sanderson’s WIND AND TRUTH (sold in eight languages and counting!), French rights to Emily Rath’s Tuonela Duet duology, and German rights to Elizabeth Helen’s Beasts of the Briar series. JABberwocky once again returned to the UK for the London Book Fair this year with president Joshua Bilmes, subsidiary rights director Susan Velazquez, and subsidiary rights associate Christina Zobel in attendance. And after a six-year hiatus, the agency attended the Bologna Book Fair in person this year with Susan representing our children’s and YA list!

While we bid our farewells to this year, our team is looking ahead to 2025 with excitement! Here are some of the forthcoming books from JABberwocky clients to look forward to:

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Rebellious Grace by Jeri Westerson
Motheater by Linda H. Codega
Miserere by T. Frohock
Stone Certainty by Simon R. Green
Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell
The Contest by Jeff Macfee
Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein
Destiny’s Way by Jack Campbell
The Last Days of Good People by A.T. Sayre
Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff
The Only Song Worth Singing by Randee Dawn
The Country Under Heaven by Frederic S. Durbin
One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji
The Bi Book written by AJ Irving
If Wishes Were Retail by Auston Habershaw
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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And that is a wrap! 2024 has been a stellar 30th year for JABberwocky, and we’re very grateful to have spent it working on books and projects that we’re passionate about. Thank you to all you readers, writers, editors, publishing professionals, and generally lovely folks for your support of our hardworking clients and their work.

We’ll see you next year!

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Client books published in 2024:

January:

King & Kayla: The Case of the Downstairs Ghosts by Dori Butler

The Twilight Queen by Jeri Westerson

Knights of Breton Court by Maurice Broaddus

Not Dead Enough by Tyffany D. Neiheiser

Rendezvous with Corsair by Jack Campbell

Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass

February:

Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green