2026 New Visions Award

The New Visions Award page says:

“Established in 2012, the New Visions Award is given biennially to an unpublished writer of color or Native/Indigenous writer for a middle grade or young adult manuscript. The contest will be open this year, 2026, from April 21, 12:01 a.m. to June 30, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Novel and graphic novel manuscripts may be FICTION, NARRATIVE NON-FICTION, or WORKS IN VERSE for middle grade readers ages 8 to 12 and young adult readers ages 12 to 18.”

The awards page also says:

“New Visions Award winners receive a standard publication contract, including Lee & Low Books’s basic royalties and an advance in the amount of $15,000.

Winners are also given close publishing mentorship as they work to develop their book for publication.”

Check the Contest Rules Page for word count and submission information.

Copyright © 2026 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Bestselling Author Now #kidlit Agent

The Handspun Literary webpage says: “Justina Ireland (she/they) joined Handspun in 2026 as a junior agent. She is also an award winning and New York Times bestselling author of numerous books as well as a writer of both comics and television.”

The agency submissions page also says: “She loves meticulous worldbuilding and complicated characters and is currently looking for well executed speculative fiction in most categories. She is drawn to Middle Grade and Young Adult that asks complicated questions without talking down to a reader.”

Check her author website to see more about her writing.

Copyright © 2026 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.