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Check out the link to Joel's Books's article on the top 9 YA thriller books for 2022 (so far). Spark is on the list! 
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(1) Cooke McDermid (Toronto, Ontario) Cooke McDermid is a full-service literary agency representing authors in many genres in Canada, the US and throughout the world. Their team consists of 9 literary agents. When you do the submission, you will need to select an agent you want to work with, keeping in mind their requirements on their bio. Submission guideline link: CookeMcDermid Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear from them within 12 weeks, you can assume that they are not interested. (2) Donaghy Literary Group (Aurora, Ontario) Donaghy Literary Group has agents and team members who are located in Canada and the US. They provide full-service literary representation to their clients and they seek young adult and adult novels. Before submitting your query, you should check the agents’ bio and find the agent that is best fit for your project. Submission guideline link: Submission Guidelines (donaghyliterary.com) Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear from them within 6 months, you can email the requesting agent directly. (3) The P.S. Literary Agency (Oakville, Ontario) The P.S. Literary Agency is a full service literary agency that started in 2005. They represent both fiction and non-fiction in a variety of categories, including YA. Submission guideline link: Submission Guidelines - P.S. Literary Agency (psliterary.com) Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear from them in 4-6 weeks, it means they are not interested in representing your work. (4) Westwood Creative Artists (Toronto, Ontario) Westwood Creative Artists has been around for a long time and has six full-time agents. They prioritize submissions from prospective clients whose perspective have traditionally been underrepresented in publishing. They also specialize in representing Canadian authors. Submission guideline link: Submission Guidelines - Westwood Creative Artists (wcaltd.com) Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear from them in 12 weeks, it means that your query is unsuccessful at that time. (5) Helen Heller Agency (Toronto, Ontario) Red Deer Press encourages Canadian talent from across Canada, writers and artists. Red Deer Press is a small Canadian publishers distinguished by its children’s and young adult program, and it publishes children’s picture books, contemporary YA fiction, adult fiction and non-fiction. Submission guideline link: Work With Us — Helen Heller Agency (thehelenhelleragency.com) Consideration timeline: Not specified. (6) The Rights Factory (Toronto, Ontario) The Rights Factory started in 2004 and has a roaster of over 15 agents whom you can read their bio and determine which one may be a good business partner for you. Submission guideline link: AGENTS | The Rights Factory Consideration timeline: Not specified.  After submitting the query to agencies/agents and my manuscript to the publishers, I could only wait for a response. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back from anyone. If your goal is to get published, there are different ways to get there.
If you have enjoyed reading the following books or watching the following movies, you may also like my debut novel, Spark, as they share some similar themes. (1) Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer This story explores what happens to a family in northeastern Pennsylvania when their world changes forever. An asteroid hits the moon, knocking it into a closer orbit. This causes all kinds of disasters that bring the world to a halt. Miranda (16), her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. But as they start to run out of food and water, and without electricity and heat, Miranda and her family struggle to survive. (2) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel In an event called “the collapse,” a deadly flu epidemic sweeps the globe and kills most of the world’s population. The plot revolves around a few main characters and offers glimpses into their lives both before the collapse and during the nineteen years that follow. (3) The Road by Cormac McCarthy A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other. (4) How It Ends directed by David Rosenthal Will and his future father-in-law go on a journey from Chicago to Seattle to look for Will’s fiancé Samantha after a super volcano eruption along the the West Coast and they lose contact with her. (5) The Day After Tomorrow directed by Roland Emmerich Jack Hall, a climatologist, goes on a journey from Washington, D.C. to New York City to reunite with his son when a sudden superstorm plunges the earth into a new Ice Age. (6) Contagion directed by Steven Soderbergh After returning from an overseas business trip, Beth Emhoff dies from some type of flu. Her young son dies later the same day. Around the world, people are dying from a mysterious virus. The CDC and the World Health Organization race around the clock to find patient zero and a cure for the virus.  How is Spark similar to the above books and movies?Spark follows 18 years old Becky and her companions on a journey from Langley, BC to Winnipeg, MB after an earthquake in BC. As it is set in the near future, some of today's predictions about the future become reality in the book, such as flooding of coastal cities and extreme weather conditions. The main character, Becky, and her companions are faced with many challenges as travel towards Winnipeg, including a new virus. For more information about Spark, please return to the home page.
The plr programAs per the Public Lending Right’s website, the average payment for eligible authors in 2020-2021 was $4,500. Even if your book is purchased by only one library, consider applying! Registration is due May 1 of each year for results and payout the following February. What is the PLR Program?
 LibraryHow to get your books into the library?
Check your local library's website of call them. I called the Calgary Public Library’s hotline and asked if they would consider adding my book, Spark, to their collection. After the call, the library sent me an email outlining the questions I need to answer in order to be considered. I answered the questions and that was it. I didn’t hear back from the library but when I checked the library’s catalogue a week later, they’ve ordered 2 copies of my book. I was very thrilled and grateful. If you live in Calgary and would like to read my book, Spark, you can borrow it from the Calgary Public Library shortly: Spark | Calgary Public Library | BiblioCommons (1) Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario) Annick Press is an independent children’s publisher in Toronto. Annick Press publishes books for toddlers to young adults. Their YA novels tends to range from 50,000 to 70,000 words. Submission guideline link: Submission Guidelines | Annick Press Submission requirements: First chapter, synopsis and cover letter Consideration timeline: They didn't mention a timeline. They are unable to respond to every submission individually. (2) Dancing Cat Books (Toronto, Ontario) Dancing Cat Books accepts submissions for middle grade fiction and non-fiction, and young adult fiction and non-fiction, and they only publish Canadian authors. Submission guideline link: Submission | DCB (dcbyoungreaders.com) Submission requirements: Complete manuscript with word count indicated, synopsis (no more than 200 words), author bio, full contact information Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear from them within three months of submitting your materials, you can assume that they are not interested in pursuing publication. (3) Douglas & McIntyre (Madeira Park, BC) Douglas & McIntyre has been around for over 50 years, and they published books that have won many national and international awards. They accept manuscripts in many genres, including YA. Submission guideline link: Submission Policy – Douglas & McIntyre (douglas-mcintyre.com) Submission requirements: Cover letter, complete manuscript, book summary Consideration timeline: They didn’t mention a timeline. (4) ECW Press (Toronto, Ontario) ECW stands for Essays on Canadian Writing, and they started in 1974. They publish about 50 new titles each year in every genre of commercial and literary works. Submission guideline link: ECW Press | A Canadian Indie Book Publisher | Publishing Curiously Compelling Books Since 1974 Submission requirements: Cover letter, brief bio, 15-25 pages of the manuscript Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear back from them within two months, you can assume they are not interested in pursuing publication. (5) Red Deer Press (Markham, Ontario) Red Deer Press encourages Canadian talent from across Canada, writers and artists. Red Deer Press is a small Canadian publishers distinguished by its children’s and young adult program, and it publishes children’s picture books, contemporary YA fiction, adult fiction and non-fiction. Submission guideline link: Manuscript Submissions | Red Deer Press Submission requirements: Query letter, 3 sample chapters Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear back from them within six months, you can assume they are not interested in pursuing publication. (6) Tidewater Press (Toronto, Ontario) Tidewater Press publishes both fiction and nonfiction accounts of advocates, pioneers, immigrants and activists. They publishe 4-5 titles per year. Submission guideline link: Submissions | Tidewater Press - Accepting manuscripts from Canadian authors Submission requirements: Meet the criteria of Tidewater Press publishing mandate, 500 words max synopsis, manuscript Consideration timeline: They didn't mention a timeline. They are unable to detailed feedback to authors in their reply. (7) Tundra Books (Toronto, Ontario) Tundra Book Group consist of Tundra, Puffin Canada and Penguin Teen Canada. Penguin Teen Canada is an imprint for YA books. Submission to any of the three publishers is through Tundra Books. Submission guideline link: Submissions - Tundra Book Group (tundrabooks.com) Submission requirements (for YA fiction): Cover letter, complete manuscript Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear from them within six months of submitting your materials, you can assume that they are not interested in pursuing publication. (8) Yellow Dog (Winnipeg, Manitoba) Yellow Dog is an imprint of Great Plains Publications Ltd. and it publishes contemporary and historical fiction for middle grade and teen readers across North America. Submission guideline link: Submit | Great Plains Publications Submission requirements: Cover letter, brief bio, one page synopsis or outline, 2-3 sample chapters for fiction Consideration timeline: If you don’t hear back from them within six months, you can assume they are not interested in pursuing publication.  I didn’t hear back from any of these publishers, unfortunately. But perhaps you will when you do your submission! There are many other Canadian and international publishers out there, so do your own research as well. As Spark is set in Canada, I simply decided to only submit my manuscript to Canadian publishers. I’ve also summitted queries to 6 Canadian literary agencies/agents, and will share those agencies/agents with you in another post.
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