Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Valiant | Tagged: Agent, Audrey Meeker, graphic novel

Audrey Meeker's Middle Grade Volleyball Graphic Novel, Last One Picked

Audrey Meeker was an Assistant Editor at Valiant Entertainment from 2021 to 2022. Now, she is a fully-fledged graphic novelist.

Audrey Meeker was an Assistant Editor at Valiant Entertainment from 2021 to 2022. Now, she is a fully-fledged graphic novelist. She is announcing her second middle-grade graphic novel, Last One Picked, about 14-year-old Annabeth, who gets thrown into the world of volleyball with no experience, no friends, and no knee pads and must learn to enjoy the sport despite her insecurity around her body.

Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has bought world rights to Last One Picked and publication is scheduled for winter 2027. Audrey Meeker's agent Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management negotiated the sale,

Audrey Meeker is a graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she acquired her BFA in Sequential Art and minor in Creative Writing. Her first graphic novel, Swing, which Bleeding Cool reported on in 2021, , is now to be published this October, also from Fewel And Friends, so they must like this a lot to sign Audrey up to a new graphic novel before this one has gone on sale.

"Debut author/illustrator Audrey Meeker playfully explores complicated friendships, gender norms, and navigating other people's expectations in this charming middle grade graphic novel. Marcus McCalister wants to fit in. So much so that he's still playing on a soccer team with his childhood friend Ted, despite not liking soccer―or Ted―all that much. Izzy Briggs wants to stand out. Being labeled the "weird kid" for her bold fashion choices is the price an aspiring designer must pay for a life of greatness―but being confident isn't always easy. So when Izzy and Marcus are paired together to perform a swing dance routine for a gym project, it's no surprise that everything goes up in flames, including their grade in the class. Until their gym teacher proposes a deal: if the pair performs the swing routine in the upcoming talent show, they'll receive extra credit and a passing grade. They accept. . . but Izzy has her own proposal for Marcus: this time, she gets to be the lead."

Feiwel and Friends states that it is is a "publisher of innovative children's fiction and nonfiction literature, including hardcover, paperback series, and individual titles." And that their list is "intended to be eclectic and combines quality and commercial appeal for readers ages 0-16. The imprint is dedicated to "book by book" publishing, bringing the work of distinctive and outstanding authors, illustrators, and ideas to the marketplace" and Feiwel and Friends say they are defined and guided by their principle "Our books are friends for life".

Root Literary is a boutique, future-focused literary agency, that says they represent "award-winning, bestselling, and up-and-coming authors, illustrators, and graphic novelists." They state that they are "committed to helping their clients confidently define and redefine their vision of success while they build a lasting body of work and a meaningful career, and  do so by advocating, empowering, educating, negotiating, problem-solving, and revenue-generating in innovative ways to support our clients' creative work." As agents, they say they "blend business acumen and proven skills for identifying talent with a nuanced, hands-on, and powerfully-effective approach to literary representation—and all with good humor and an eye toward sustainable creator wellness along the way."

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