Agents

The following agents have agreed to share their considerable expertise at the Writer’s Digest Conference East ever-popular Pitch Slam. Be sure to consult their short bios, included here, to determine which of these agents might be likely prospects for your own work—and well worth adding to your Pitch Slam wish list.



Bernadette Baker-Baughman
Victoria Sanders & Associates
Bernadette represents children’s and adult books. On the children’s side, she represents picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction, and graphic novels for all ages. On the adult side she is looking for commercial fiction, magical realism, fiction with fantastical elements, women’s fiction, thriller, and historical. Light sociology, social commentary, and pop culture books appeal to her nonfiction sensibilities.



Regina Brooks
Serendipity Literary
Regina is the author of Writing Great Books For Young Adults (Source Books) the forthcoming title You (Really) Should Write A Book: Writing, Selling And Marketing Your Memoir (St. Martin’s Press). She is drawn to subjects like science, humor, politics, psychology and self-help, pop culture, health, women’s issues, parenting, cooking, alternative spirituality, business, technology, children’s middle grade and young adult literary and commercial fiction and any new topics, and always interested in new and emerging writers.



Danielle Chiotti
Upstart Crow Literary
Danielle represents contemporary women’s fiction, narrative nonfiction, humorous tales and young adult & middle grade fiction.



John M. Cusick
Greenhouse Literary
John specializes in young adult and middle grade fiction, with a special interest in humorous and adventurous books for boys, light fantasy, sci-fi, and thrillers.


Sara D'Emic
Talcott Notch Literary
Sara is looking for adult and young adult fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, and thrillers. She also is interested in mainstream or literary adult fiction.



Laura Dail
Laura Dail Literary Agency
Laura has represented almost every kind of book over her 15 years in the industry. She's especially interested historical and high concept fiction – young adult, middle grade, and general adult -- and authoritative nonfiction, including history, pop culture, cooking and health.



Kaylee Davis
Dee Mura Literary
Kaylee is actively seeking to build her client list in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, and young adult; bonus points if there are elements of steampunk, coming-of-age, urban fantasy, espionage, social commentary, or counter culture. Kaylee is drawn to exciting, thought-provoking stories with a fresh perspective that explores what it means to be human. She is happy to work with new and emerging writers.



Jennifer De Chiara
Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Jennifer seeks children's books for all ages and all genres, including picture books, middle-grade, and young adult, particularly middle-grade and young adult mysteries and edgy young adult. She also seeks adult fiction and nonfiction in a wide range of genres, including literary fiction, commercial fiction, mysteries, thrillers, celebrity biographies, memo, humor, psychology/self-help, advice/relationships, parenting, health and fitness, women's issues, men's issues, pop culture, film and television/entertainment, social issues, science, politics, spirituality, cookbooks, history, the arts, design, architecture, fashion, photography, advertising & its history, and how-to books in every category. Actively seeking new illustrators for children's books.



Adriana Dominguez
Full Circle Literary
Adriana represents works for children and adults. On the children's side, she is looking for picture books, middle grade novels, and literary young adult novels. On the adult side, she is looking for literary and women's fiction. In the area of non-fiction, she seeks pop culture, and how-to titles geared toward women of all ages, written by authors with rock-solid platforms. She is not accepting short stories, poetry, romance, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal, or Spanish language only submissions. 



Rachael Dugas
Talcott Notch
Rachael specializes in adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction. Her adult fiction interests include women's fiction, romance, historical, and paranormal. She is also interested in nonfiction, especially cookbooks, memoir, and material relating to the performing arts.



Rachel Ekstrom
Irene Goodman Literary
Rachel's decade of experience working in the publicity departments at St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Penguin’s Dutton and Gotham imprints has given her an insider’s view of the publishing industry. With a knack for book promotion, she’s honed her skills building the careers of debut authors and #1 New York Times bestsellers. Rachel is passionate about a variety of genres, including young adult, women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and the occasional quirky work of nonfiction. She's looking for books that will make her heart beat faster than it does when she's biking through Manhattan traffic.
 
 



Linda Epstein
The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Linda is actively seeking middle grade, young adult and adult fiction. She is interested in realistic contemporary, historical, fantasy, and science fiction manuscripts, both literary and commercial. She is drawn to quirky, character driven stories with a distinctive voice. Above all, she’s looking for extraordinary writing.



Diana Finch
Diana Finch Literary Agency
Diana represents many journalists and has good success recently with books about environmental issues, business (both narrative and how-to), politics - especially the progressive kind - sports and science. In fiction, she looks for a distinctive voice and strong storytelling. One of her newest clients is a YA novelist with a fantasy dystopian trilogy, and she is happy to say that she signed a novelist from the 2012 Writer’s Digest Pitch Slam.



Sylvie Frank
Paula Wiseman Books
Sylvie Frank (editor, Paula Wiseman Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) is looking for middle grade fiction, especially projects that are character driven and realistic. She is generally not looking for high fantasy or sci-fi. Additionally, she is looking for funny picture books and picture book nonfiction.



Evan Gregory
Ethan Ellenberg Literary
Evan is looking for horror, mystery, thrillers, science-fiction, fantasy, literary and women’s literature. He also accepts children’s books, including picture books, early readers, and middle grade, as well as young adult. In narrative nonfiction, he’s looking for a wide range of subjects, including arts, cinema, photography, biography, business, cooking, health, history, nature, family, politics, science, sports, and travel.



Katie Grimm
Don Congdon Literary
Katie represents vivid literary fiction, transportive historical fiction, upmarket women’s fiction, cohesive short story collections, lurid mysteries & thrillers with exotic or historical settings, high-concept young adult, and middle grade with heart and humor. For nonfiction: offbeat narrative nonfiction, history, multicultural, memoir with distinct voice, and counter-culture.



Dawn Michelle Hardy
Serendipity Literary
Dawn is actively seeking to represent a broad range of projects. Most recently, she joined the team at Serendipity Literary Agency as an agent looking to acquire nonfiction self-help, motivational and empowerment, women's fiction, relationship, pop culture, leadership and non-denominational spiritual titles. Feel free to contact her in reference to any nonfiction subject.



Janine Hauber
Sheldon Fogelman Agency
Janine is open to picture books through YA. She is most drawn to stories with a strong emotional core that influence the way readers view the world, themselves, and the people around them. She is also fond of complex characters and relationships, unique cultural perspectives, and stories with a touch of humor, romance, or both.



Christa Heschke
McIntosh & Otis
Christa is actively looking for picture books, middle grade and young adult projects and is currently building her list. She is a fan of children’s novels with a romantic angle, and strong, quirky protagonists. Within YA, She is interested in fantasy (urban and high) horror, thrillers/mysteries, steampunk and contemporary fiction, but is open to exploring other genres. As for middle grade, Christa enjoys humorous contemporary, adventure and magical realism for boys and girls.



Shira S. Hoffman
McIntosh and Otis, Inc.
Shira is interested in a broad range of fiction and nonfiction in the adult and young adult markets and is currently growing her list. Her primary interests include commercial fiction, literary fiction, women’s fiction, romance, urban fantasy, science fiction, horror, and dystopian. She is particularly interested in projects that cross genre boundaries or combine genres elements in new and interesting ways.



Emily Keyes
L. Perkins Agency
Emily focuses on young adult and middle grade fiction of all types and genres. She is also looking to expand her list into a range of commercial adult fiction genres, including women's fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels. She is looking for writing with a strong voice and point of view.



Marie Lamba
Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Marie is seeking young adult and middle grade fiction, along with general and women's fiction and some memoir. Books that are moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome. She is not interested in picture books, science fiction, or high fantasy (though she's open to paranormal elements), category romance (though romantic elements are welcome), nonfiction, or in books that feature graphic violence.



Sarah LaPolla
Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Sarah represents both adult and young adult fiction. For adult books, she is looking for literary fiction, magical realism, psychological mystery, and literary horror. On the young adult side, she is looking for contemporary fiction, mystery/thriller, science fiction, magical realism, and horror. Regardless of age range or genre, Sarah is drawn to edgy themes, engaging narrators, and strong characters.



Sarah Levitt
The Zoë Pagnamenta Agency
Sarah is looking for smart narrative non-fiction, popular science, "ideas" books, biography, cultural/social history, memoir, and voice-driven literary fiction.



Jim McCarthy
Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
Jim specializes in commercial fiction from adult through middle grade. He is particularly interested in women’s fiction, underrepresented voices, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, and anything unusual or unexpected. In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction, humor, memoir, and paranormal nonfiction.



Sean McCarthy
Sheldon Fogelman Literary
Sean specializes in children’s books, and represents everything from picture books to middle grade to young adult (and everything in between).



Paula Munier
Talcott Notch Literary
Paula seeks mystery/thriller, science fiction, fantasy, romance and young adult. For nonfiction, she seeks memoir, humor, pop culture, health & wellness, cooking, self-help, pop psych, New Age, inspirational, technology, science, and writing.



Kimiko Nakamura
Dee Mura Literary
Kimiko is looking for contemporary fiction, narrative nonfiction, women’s lit, young adult, fantasy, paranormal romance, mystery, satire, memoir, spirituality, and health.  She also loves books that make our daily lives more enjoyable, cookbooks that she can read like the Sunday morning paper, and inspiring stories of people making their mark on the world.




Kristin Nelson
Kristen Nelson Literary 
Kristin is looking for a good story well told.  How you tell that story doesn't need to fit in a neat little category.  Young Adult, commercials novels, women's fiction, romance, science fiction and fantasy. 



Dana Newman
Dana Newman Literary
Dana is an independent literary agent based in Los Angeles.
She focuses on practical and narrative nonfiction books in the areas of memoir, biography, business, parenting, lifestyle/wellness (health, mind body spirit, fitness), and popular culture by authors with a substantial platform. On the fiction side, she looks for character-driven stories of interest to women that are both literary and commercial. 



Gina Panettieri
Talcott Notch Literary
Gina represents a full range of adult and children's fiction and nonfiction, with a particular interest in young adult fantasy, young adult realistic fiction, middle-grade humor, adult mystery and thriller, women's fiction, cookbooks, memoir, history, popular science, parenting, true crime and health and fitness.



Jessica Regel
Jean V. Naggar Literary
Jessica represents children's book writers and a select list of adult writers. In children's books, she represents young adult and middle grade writers of all genres, but specifically fiction with genre elements, such as fantasy, paranormal, gothic, horror, suspense, magical realism, romance, or humor. In adult books, she represents novels that bridge the gap between literary and commercial. She especially likes humor, modern love stories, international fiction, and quirky/edgy fiction. She also represents nonfiction titles in the humor and memoir genres.



Megan Reid
Emily Bestler Books
Meg entered her current editing role after working on a list of commercial titles at Touchstone. Meg is acquiring literary, women’s, and historical fiction (especially books with a dash of romance or sci-fi/fantasy) and voice-driven narrative nonfiction focusing on the arts, travel, fashion, and current events



Michelle Richter
St. Martin’s Press
Michelle represents fiction (specifically book club fiction, literary fiction, and well-crafted women’s commercial fiction). She also seeks thrillers and mysteries—particularly amateur sleuth, police procedurals, and cozies. Nonfiction categories of interest include: memoir, biography, pop culture, animal, sociology/social trends, economics/business, science, health, humor, food writing, narrative nonfiction, books about books/reading. Her personal interests lead her to enjoy fiction or nonfiction set in Ireland, Russia, Boston, or Baltimore.



Eric Ruben
The Ruben Agency
Eric is currently most interested in young adult, all romance, erotica, LGBT, mystery and more. He does not want screenplays, picture books, children’s, short stories, novellas, graphic novels or poetry. What’s currently hot does not matter. First and foremost, he's looking for good writing.



Rita Rosenkranz
Rita Rosenkranz Literary
Rita seeks adult nonfiction, including health, history, parenting, music, how-to, popular science, business, biography, popular reference, memoir, cooking, spirituality, sports and general interest titles. Rita works with major publishing houses, as well as regional publishers that handle niche markets. She looks for projects that present familiar subjects freshly or lesser-known subjects presented commercially.



Katharine Sands
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary
Katharine likes books that have a clear benefit for readers’ lives in categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or popular culture. For compelling reads in faction, memoir and femoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed; for fiction, she wants to be compelled and propelled.



Eddie Schneider
JABberwocky Literary Agency
Eddie is the VP of his agency and specializes in literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and young adult and middle grade fiction (both realistic and Sci-fi/fantasy). He also seeks nonfiction topics, including science, history, and narrative.




Erica Rand Silverman
Sterling Lord Literistic
Erica specializes in all categories of children’s books, ranging from picture books to young adult, with an affinity for realistic fiction. Her adult nonfiction categories include parenting, education and family/DIY.



Jessica Sinsheimer
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary
Jessica is most excited about finding literary fiction, women’s fiction, thrillers, speculative fiction, and edgy young adult fiction. With nonfiction, she seeks psychology, parenting, and works that speak to life in the 21st century.



Nicole Sohl
Thomas Dunne Books
Nicole represents all kinds of nonfiction projects.



Anna Sproul-Latimer
Ross Yoon Agency
Anna represents adult nonfiction. She seeks authors who explore new frontiers, uncover hidden histories, and embed themselves in unusual places -- journalists, top bloggers, performers, theologians, or scientists. Here are alphabetically-organized keywords she uses to describe herself: airplanes, Americana, Bill Bryson, death, England, Gene Weingarten, Jezebel, Jim Henson, @LongReads, Mary Roach, MervynPeake, New York magazine, Pitcairn Island, pop culture, psychology, rock music, the Simpsons, Sloane Crosley, weird, William Langewiesche.



JL Stermer
N.S. Bienstock
JL is currently seeking both fiction and nonfiction. On the fiction side she'd love to see both commercial and literary fiction as well as graphic novels. On the nonfiction side, she is looking for cookbooks and food-related narratives, prescriptive health, diet, and fitness, how-to, reference, narrative nonfiction, current events-related projects and all things pop-culture (science, business, technology, art, music, humor, crafts, DIY).



Amy Stern
Sheldon Fogelman Agency
Amy's represents anything in children's literature, from picture books through young adult



Rachel Stout
Dystel and Goderich Literary
Rachel is excited to take on new clients to build her small, but well-loved list. She’s especially interested in thought-provoking YA, quirky literary fiction and magical realism as well as character-driven historical fiction.



Kari Stuart
ICM Partners
Kari represents authors in the adult and children's markets. Her focus in children’s is YA fiction, and she is particularly interested in thrillers, cautionary tales, dystopian fiction, and magical realism. In the adult marketplace, she is looking for narrative nonfiction – especially adventure and sport narrative nonfiction, lifestyle books, cookbooks and food memoirs, thrillers, commercial women’s fiction.



Suzie Townsend
New Leaf Literary & Media
Suzie represents adult and children's fiction. She is actively looking to build her list. In adult, she's specifically looking for romance (historical and paranormal), and fantasy (urban fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, epic fantasy). In children’s, she loves young adult (all subgenres) and is dying to find great Middle Grade projects (especially something akin to the recent movie SUPER 8).



Joanna Volpe
New Leaf Literary & Media
Joanna is re-opening to submissions in the spring and on the lookout for solid fiction in the following genres: women's fiction, thriller, horror, speculative fiction, literary fiction and historical fiction. Joanna prefers her fiction dark, in tone, style and even in humor. Some recent reads that she enjoyed are: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, World War Z by Max Brooks, The Breach by Patrick Lee, and The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas.



Roseanne Wells
Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency
Roseanne is interested in narrative nonfiction, science (popular or trade, not academic), health, history, true crime, religion, travel, food/cooking, and similar subjects. She also seeks strong literary fiction, YA, sci-fi, fantasy, and detective mysteries (more Sherlock Holmes than cozies).



John Willig
Literary Services, Inc.
John and his colleagues are primarily interested in prescriptive and narrative nonfiction. Besides business and financial investing topics, we promote exceptional writers in the health, sports, history, true crime, science, reference, careers, and personal growth categories.



Terrie Wolf
AKA Literary
Terrie represents adult fiction including upmarket romance and women’s, multi-cultural, men’s, new western, and the occasional mystery, thriller or suspense offering. She’ll also consider literary works that might lean a tad to the commercial side and all levels of children’s books. Her nonfiction interests include food/celebration, lifestyle, faith, memoir, empowerment, narrative and pop culture. Dare to thrill her.



Jason Yarn
Paradigm Agency
Jason has a diverse list and is currently seeking narrative nonfiction and commercial middle-grade, young adult and adult fiction in the areas of thrillers/suspense, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, military/espionage, and literary fiction.



Kathleen Zakhar
Harold Ober Associates
Kathleen is looking for young adult (contemporary and fantasy), quirky middle grade, non-fiction picture books, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and horror novels. She has a special place in her heart for sweeping love stories, inventive world-building, repurposed folklore, and dark comedy.



Helen Zimmerman
Zimmerman Agency
Helen seeks nonfiction projects to do with health and wellness, relationships, popular culture, women’s issues, lifestyle, sports, and music as well as memoirs. She also is open to reading keep-her-up-at-night fiction.