Calling Literary Agents, Publishers

My new book, Professor Komagum: Finding Peace and Losing My Sanity in Uganda, has been completed. The author, Steven Youngblood, is searching for literary agent representation and then a publisher.

A query letter below explains a bit more about the book. If the query letter interests you, please click here to link to a lengthier and more detailed book proposal. This proposal does not contain any chapters. To request Chapters 1-2, or if you have other questions or comments, email me- mailto:steve.youngblood@park.edu

Literary Agent Query Letter: Professor Komagum

Dear Literary Agent/Publisher:

These are the first two paragraphs from my new book:

"It wasn’t the first time that Phillip hit Harriet, but it would be the last.

Phillip, Harriet, and their six children ages 5-14 lived in rural Kyenjojo district, about a 45 minute drive from Fort Portal in western Uganda. To call their place isolated would be an understatement—you turn off of the main Kampala-Fort Portal highway, drive a few miles down a dusty, rutted dirt road, then park and set out on foot. On a cool day, the hike over bucolic hills and around banana groves might take 20 minutes, but on a hot, sunny day like the one when we visited, the stroll is closer to 25 minutes."

While the story of Phillip, Harriet, and their kids would take center stage during my ten months living in Uganda, they certainly wouldn't provide the only interesting tales. Indeed, my Ugandan (mis)adventures are nothing if not consistently engaging. These adventures are also a bit schizophrenic, since they range from terrifying (terrorist bombings) to silly (bats, bugs) to poignant (Phillip, Harriet, and the kids) to uplifting (journalists banding together to prevent media-induced violence). Yet, this was the reality of my life in Uganda, a reality reflected in Professor Komagum: Finding peace and losing my sanity in Uganda.

I strongly believe that there is a market for this book, and that the public’s appetite for travel and narrative adventure stories like this one is nearly insatiable. Indeed, a quick perusal of Amazon indicates enough interest to support thousands of titles in the travel and biography genres. There are even more than 10,000 Uganda-themed books listed, and thousands of others listed in related categories. Professor Komagum will appeal not only to readers of these comparable works, but to anyone interested in the broader themes of journalism, peace, or social work.

I can provide a good platform through which the book can be marketed and sold. I’ve written stories and columns for international audiences (Baku, Azerbaijan Sun; Chisinau, Moldova Observer) and local readers (Parkville, Missouri Luminary). I have a good following on my blogspot page , where you can find audio, video, and photo materials from Uganda. I'm also on Twitter, where I’m relatively new ( @PeaceJourn ). I am a tenured associate professor (broadcast journalism) at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. I have taught extensively abroad for sponsors such as the U.S. State Department, USAID, UNICEF, and People to People International. I recently returned home from Uganda, where I directed and taught a $270,000 State Department/USAID project.

To view my full book proposal, including more about the book, marketing ideas, and comparable titles, please click here.

If your agency is interested in representing Professor Komagum, I would love to hear from you. Please send me a message via email: steve.youngblood@park.edu.

Thank you,  Steven Youngblood