Agents confirmed for Pitchfest

Currently looking for: Currently looking for: (Always looking for BIPOC, diversity of all kinds, and LGBTQ+!!!)

Illustrators: Board book, picture book, illustrated MG, illustrated covers for kid lit and adult.

Picture books: fiction and nonfiction picture books (non-rhyming preferred).

MG genres: contemporary, magical realism, contemporary/grounded fantasy, horror.

YA genres: romcom, romantasy, fantasy, magical realism, horror.

NA genres: contemporary romance, romcom, romantasy

Adult fiction genres: horror, dark romance, contemporary romance, romcom, romantasy, and women’s fiction

I’m not looking for: thrillers, mysteries, romantic suspense, historical fiction, literary fiction, poetry, novellas, sci-fi, or epic fantasies.

Adult nonfiction genres: memoirs, narrative, spirituality/New Age, self-help, health/fitness, parenting/family, motivational/inspirational, business, celebrity, lifestyle, pets, psychology, relationships & dating, and true crime. You must be an expert in the field and have a platform. What kind of platform do you need for nonfiction? Are you a celebrity with a story to tell? An expert in the field (doctor, CEO, trainer, psychologist, etc.)? Do you have a direct route to the consumer? Are you a social influencer or public speaker?

I love dark and suspenseful, mysterious twists, unique worlds, light and funny, a good love story, and lots of voice.

About Lynnette:

Lynnette Novak is an agent at The Seymour Agency. Prior to joining The Seymour Agency, Lynnette spent seventeen years freelance editing. She worked with new writers, advanced writers, as well as New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Lynnette earned a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba, where she specialized in English and French. She excelled in Advanced Creative Writing in university and studied writing for children and teens through the Institute of Children’s Literature. She was a Pitch Wars mentor in 2015 and 2016. Both her mentees acquired an agent. Lynnette has since closed her editing business and is excited to bring her passion for the written word to agenting. Although Lynnette was born and raised Manitoba, Canada, she now lives in Minnesota with her husband, twin girls, and many pets. Her personal interests include reading, writing, exercising at the gym (okay, that’s a love/hate relationship), working on an assortment of crafts, all things having to do with animals (if she could own a farm, zoo, and animal shelter, she would), and enjoying time with family and friends.

Learn more about Lynnette and The Seymour Agency!

If multiple agents at Booker Albert Literary are participating, please keep in mind you may only query one agent at the agency at a time. If you receive multiple requests from agents at the agency, please choose the agent you think might be the best fit to query first. Once you receive a pass from that agent, you may submit to another at the agency.

Currently looking for:

Fantasy/Romantasy: immersive and adventurous, dark captivating stories like FROM BLOOD AND ASH or filled with humor and tension like ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN

Romance:fake dating, second chance, rom-coms that carry strong messages and heartful HEAs

Speculative: magical or mystical twists on the real world, stories that make you think about every piece of the puzzle

Young Adult:

Eco-Fiction: in today’s world (not dystopian), teens battling climate change or actively searching to save a species from extinction

Contemporary: relatable, everyday situations teens go through. Heartfelt, underlying messages or overall just a fun and feel-good read. Romance plot or self-discovery/coming-of-age. Would love to see a strong theater rom-com!

Thriller: edge of your seat who dunnit murder mystery, the vibes of Cruel Summer and ONE OF US IS LYING, new settings and immersive experiences like LIARLAND

Fantasy: fairy tale retellings, underrated stories like TREASURE PLANET and THE SWAN PRINCESS

Middle Grade:

Mystery: Nancy Drew for young readers, ensemble cast, found family, discoveries and treasure

Contemporary: coming of age, family-oriented, struggles with friendships, feelings, finding our place in the world, school competitions

Fantasy: fresh and diverse takes on mythology or cultural stories

Andie doesn’t represent: picture books, nonficton, poetry, historical fiction, horror, sci-fi. Not a fit for heavy religious elements, vampires, pirates/ships/water settings, and AI or VR characters/plots.

About Andie:

Andie Smith is a Junior Agent at The Booker Albert Literary Agency and a member of the AALA. She is also a writer and editor of multiple genres. Andie has previously served as a writer and editor for several local newspapers and magazines in Central Florida and is the Founder of Sun & Spines Editorial, where she offers a variety of editing services for authors. When she’s not agenting, she’s spending time with her husband and two kitties or hanging out at Disney World. Andie is currently open to Children’s and Fiction genres noted below. As an autoimmune advocate, Andie would love to see stories with MC’s embracing life through all disabilities, from those that are more obvious to invisible ones.

Learn more about Andie and The Booker Albert Agency!

Currently looking for:

Romance

Heart-rending love stories in most sub-genres (no erotica)

Romcom

Romantic suspense

High-concept middle grade and YA

Adult fiction including:

Commercial

Humorous, or harsh and sobering contemporary

Low fantasy, Urban fantasy, Paranormal

Unusual re-tellings

Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Nonfiction:

Proposals from authors with a robust platform

High-profile crime memoir

Whistleblower memoir

True crime

Narrative nonfiction on the subjects of space, science or medicine. No end-of-life nonfiction

She's not currently acquiring picture books, upmarket fiction, literary fiction, poetry, horror, sword & sorcery fantasy, high fantasy, YA with issues (drug use, suicide, rape, pregnancy, eating disorders, etc).

About Colleen and MacGregor and Luedeke Literary:

Colleen is a literary agent at MacGregor and Luedeke Literary. She's a disabled veteran who worked in space launch, and she holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a focus in Biotechnology and a Bachelor of Science in German with a minor in International Business, both from Penn State. With over a decade of experience in the publishing industry, Colleen has worked at a couple literary agencies as an agent and PR manager. She’s also hosted numerous “Pitch Perfect” and “Rejection Correction” workshops on Facebook and at conferences nationwide and mentored several authors one-on-one through online pitch contests such as Pitch Wars. As an author of young adult fantasy and memoir, Colleen has a deep appreciation for the bond between an author and their art as well as a keen understanding of the PR world, having been featured in People Magazine, on Inside Edition, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson and on 20/20.

Since 2006, we at MacGregor and Luedeke (formerly MacGregor Literary) have served fiction and nonfiction authors in the general and Christian markets. We represent a range of genres, and we work with award-winning, bestselling authors as well as authors who are making a smaller—but still significant—splash in the market.

Learn more about Colleen and MacGregor and Luedeke Literary!

Currently looking for: Platform driven nonfiction projects, suspense and mystery, psychological horror, romance and women's fiction (selectively). Selectively considering NF for middle grade and fiction for middle grade and young adult (mainly in the above genres)

What I'm not the best fit for in 2025: Not signing picture books; not looking for memoir, sci-fi, epic fantasy. Not looking for fiction/nonfiction involving violence against women or alcoholism.

About Jacqui and The Tobias Agency:

Jacqui is a Senior Literary Agent and Head of the Adult Department at The Tobias Literary Agency and the author of Law and Authors: A Legal Handbook for Writers.

The Tobias Literary Agency is a full-service literary representation firm established in 2016. We specialize in shepherding writers and artists from dream to reality. Our literary agents are nimble and fierce with a collaborative spirit. We take a 360-degree view of our clients' intellectual property. Each project receives a targeted plan for execution of sub rights (film/TV, foreign translations, first serial, graphic novel adaptations, and more).

Learn more about Jacqui and The Tobias Literary Agency!

If multiple agents at Booker Albert Literary are participating, please keep in mind you may only query one agent at the agency at a time. If you receive multiple requests from agents at the agency, please choose the agent you think might be the best fit to query first. Once you receive a pass from that agent, you may submit to another at the agency.

Currently looking for:

Fun young adult and middle grade contemporary, sci-fi, and fantasy

Contemporary romance (please no cheating or abuse)

Strong, funny, intelligent characters

Well-developed friendships

Please note that while it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, she tends to shy away from novels with trigger topics, such as suicide and any type of abuse. Jordy is NOT accepting picture books, non-fiction or screenplays at this time.

About Jordy:

Jordy Albert is a Literary Agent and co-founder of The Booker Albert Literary Agency. She has a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University, and a M.A. from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Jordy is looking for young adult across genres, and sci-fi, and fantasy. She's also looking for contemporary romance (please no cheating or abuse). She’s drawn to strong, funny, intelligent characters, and well-developed friendships. Please note that while it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, she tends to shy away from novels with trigger topics, such as suicide and any type of abuse. Jordy is NOT accepting picture books, non-fiction or screenplays at this time.

Learn more about Jordy and Book Albert Agency!

Currently looking for:

All types of horror, especially gothic horror, dark academia, feminist horror and body transformation horror.

Literary and upmarket book-club novels - especially if they focus on working-class people going through difficult circumstances

Fiction from Irish writers, especially if they fit one of the other genres listed. Think Claire Keegan, Louise Kennedy or Anne Griffin

Crime, thrillers and suspense. Either cosy (e.g Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans or Richard Osman-esque), blackly comic (like My Sister, the Serial Killer) or intelligent and inclusive (Gillian Flynn vibes).

Novels that feature a 'beat the system' narrative

Novels featuring time-travel or parallel universes (think Life After Life, This is How You Lose the Time War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time or The Summer of Impossible Things

Novels set in the real world but featuring magic. Think Rivers of London, Thread needle, A Discovery of Witches or The Gifts.

Cosy fantasy like Legends and Lattes, T J Clune or books about magical bookshops

Commercial fiction set during the Second World War, like The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or The Midwife of Auschwitz

I recently loved The Last List of Mabel Beaumont and would love an 'older person going on a journey', a more recent Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window

Somewhat niche request for 'pet fiction', the next Alfied the Doorstep Cat or A Dog's Purpose

Bonus points for novels with a disabled protagonist or written by someone with a disability or chronic illness

Not looking for:

Children's fiction of any kind

Non-fiction

Traditional epic fantasy

Space opera

Romantasy

Straightforward romance

About Louise:

Louise Buckley has worked in publishing for well over a decade. She was inspired to enter the publishing industry after completing an MA in Creative Writing and then spent a hugely enjoyable year working as a bookseller for Waterstones, wishing that she could have a hand in publishing books. After a year working at Dorling Kindersley, she then spent almost five years working in the commercial fiction division at Pan Macmillan, where she published a mix of commercial bestsellers and award-winning authors. Most recently, she was an Associate Literary Agent at Zeno Agency Ltd. As an agent she represented a roster of commercial and literary fiction, including Anne Griffin’s When All is Said, which spent five weeks at number one in Ireland and sold into 17 territories. In January 2024 she joined the Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency as Associate Literary Agent.

Learn more about Louise and Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency!