IPMG Manuscript Needs

We are currently accepting the following types of manuscripts:

Accepting Latina writers for English language commercial fiction with characters who are middle-to-upper-class, middle-aged, with white-collar, professional careers. Seeking fiction that mirrors a reality of Latino life in the U.S. that has not yet been accurately represented in the media fully. Think Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale but with Latina characters.

Accepting young adult/teen Latina commercial fiction. Seeking fiction that is comical yet poignant coming of age story for teens. Main character is Latina, though story should appeal to a broad range of teens from other ethnicities in much the same way that My Big Fat Greek Wedding appeals to people of all ethnicities. The narrative struggle could center on main character’s attempt to reconcile her Hispanic heritage with the ways of the modern world.

Accepting manuscripts for fresh, hip fiction. Searching for a Latina Bridget Jones Diary or the next Dirty Girls Social Club. Accepting manuscripts for contemporary commercial women's fiction, chick-lit, and sophisticated young adult novels. The audience: teens, not children. The story must be set in America and center around a confident, young Latina heroine.

Accepting manuscripts that are action adventure romance line featuring a strong, savvy, sexy heroine who always saves the day and gets her man along the way. Main character can be of any American heritage. The story must contain an emotionally complex heroine whom female readers can identify and empathize with from start to finish. The heroine should have some special skill or talent. That skill can be physical, like weaponry or martial arts, or it can be intellectual. The heroine can be anything from a forensics investigator determined to solve a recent murder at any cost, to a super-spy on a mission to save the world from destruction. She can be an ordinary woman called into an extraordinary situation, like a flight attendant who must suddenly rely on her survival training to keep her fellow plane crash survivors alive. Some authors who have created heroines with the elements we are looking for are J.D. Robb, Maureen Tan, Janet Evanovich, and Lindsay McKenna. Compare great movie and TV heroines for inspiration, such as Jennifer Garner in Alias, Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight, the female forensic scientists of CSI: Miami and CSI: Las Vega, and Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. The manuscript should contain 80-90,000 words, and the p.o.v. should be first or third person. The manuscript should be told primarily from the heroine's point of view, as this is her story. Please limit use of other points of view to instances where the story absolutely cannot be told from the heroine's point of view. Settings can be urban, rural, and international—there are no limits here. The time period should be contemporary, though futuristic stories are also welcome. A strong, likeable and emotionally complex heroine who either has (or discovers she has) a unique skill or ability. A high stakes situation or element of high risk that the heroine must overcome. A compelling romantic subplot that ends in a satisfying way. Though not every book needs to end in marriage, there should be some commitment at the story's end to take the relationship to the next level, whether that be a first kiss, a new emotional and/or sensual awareness between the couple, or marriage. The would-be hero may arrive on the scene in chapter one, or he might not be so apparent at first. Whatever his role, his romance with the heroine should be tension-filled, and ultimately, fulfilling.

Accepting manuscripts for Latina/Latino children's literature. The story goal is to produce a book that Latina/Latino children can identify with and that all children can enjoy. Author/artist success examples include David Diaz’s The Pot that Juan Built and Robert Casilla’s First Day in Grapes. Manuscripts will be published in both English and Spanish and English/Spanish bilingual editions. Manuscripts (story/picture/art) focused on Latina/Latino children developing their reading skills. Compare the work of successfully published Latina/Latino writers and artists such as Pat Mora, Omar S. Castañeda, D.H. Figueredo, and Tony Medina. Artists include David Diaz, Robert Casilla, Felipe Davalos, Pablo Torrecilla, Enrique O. Sanchez, and Paula Barragán. Writer/illustrators include Lulu Delacre, Hector Viveros Lee, and Loretta Lopez. Accepting picture books for elementary school aged Latina/Latino children and stories for middle school readers. For both age groups, genres include fiction (realistic fiction and historical fiction) and nonfiction (biography, science, and other nonfiction topics as long as they have a Latina/Latino focus). We are particularly interested in character driven stories; that is, we look for projects in which people play a strong role in the story. This applies to both fiction and nonfiction. We prefer that a child be the main character, especially in fiction, although stories about adults or stories that cover the entire life of a person are also of interest. We are looking for unique stories about people/topics that have not been published before for children. We are NOT seeking folklore or animal stories. A manuscript that will catch our attention is one that is well written and has believable characters, a compelling plot, and a satisfying ending. The manuscript should be professionally presented and fit within Latina/Latino focus. Writers should research the topic of their story thoroughly and study the competition to see if other books are published on the subject. If it is a popular topic, then a writer should make sure his or her approach is unique, or it will fail to garner interest.

Accepting children's books by new Latina/Latino novelists. Seeking outstanding fiction for middle-graders (ages 8 to 12) and young adults (ages 12 up), in English, that features Latino and Latina protagonists.

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