Agents confirmed for Pitchfest
or Head over to the Pitchfest Information page.
Amy Nielson, Purcell Literary Agency
Currently looking for:
- LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent space across all age ranges
- MC’s embracing life through all disabilities, from those that are more obvious to invisible ones
She's not looking for epic Fantasy, high-concept Sci-Fi, or historical family sagas.
About Amy:
Amy Nielsen spent nearly twenty years sharing her love of books with young readers on the other side of the writing aisle as a youth librarian. Daily immersion in story took root, and she started penning her 2024 YA debut, Worth It, behind her checkout desk. She left the library after her youngest son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and began writing full-time. She also began working with other authors helping them to elevate their craft and go on to pursue publication deals. While she will always enjoy pursuing her own writing goals, helping other authors has become a passion. She is honored to now serve as an associate literary agent at The Purcell Agency.
Andie Smith at the Booker Albert Agency
Currently looking for:
- adult romance
- adult fantasy
- adult speculative
- YA contemporary
- YA eco-fiction
She is not looking for horror, historical romance, poetry, religion, picture books, middle grade, or nonfiction.
About Andie:
Andie Smith is a Junior Agent at The Booker Albert Literary Agency where she started out as a Literary Intern in 2022. 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 currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration. When she’s not agenting, she’s spending time with her husband and two kitties or hanging out at Disney World.
Colleen Oefelein at MacGregor and Luedeke Literary
Currently looking for:
- Romance:
- Heart-rending love stories in most sub-genres (no erotica)
- Romcom
- Romantic suspense
- High-concept:
- Middle grade
- Young adult
- Adult fiction:
- 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:
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 & 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!
Jackie Kruzie, Literary Associate with Focused Artists
Currently looking for:
- Adult Fiction
- Commercial
- Contemporary
- Gothic
- Graphic Novel
- Historical Fiction
- Horror
- Humor
- LGBTQ+
- Magic
- Mystery
- Science Fiction
- Thriller
- Western
- Women’s Fiction
- Children’s Fiction:
- Board Book
- Chapter Book
- Graphic Novel
- Middle Grade
- Picture Book
- Young Adult
About Jackie:
Jackie has a master’s degree in library science and as a former librarian and current literacy advocate, she knows the positive impact books have on an individual and a community. She has taught numerous workshops on writing and literacy at writing and library conferences nationwide and is eager to usher relevant high-quality books to eager readers.
She is a writer in her own right, and the author of The Lousy Layup, a graphic novel published by Capstone Publishing, and a contributing chapter in Serving Patrons with Disabilities published by The American Library Association. Her chapter titled Talk With Me received national recognition and was featured in American Libraries Magazine.
Jacqueline Lipton at The Tobias Literary Agency
Currently looking for:
Jacqui's tastes are broad and wide ranging across kidlit through adult writing
- mystery/thriller/suspense space across all age groups (MG through adult)
- platform-driven and engaging non-fiction (again MG through adult)
- sci-fi and magical realism selectively
She is not seeking authors of picture books at this time and she is not the best fit for epic fantasy/high fantasy or stories featuring animal protagonists.
About Jacqui:
Jacqui Lipton is a Senior Agent at the Tobias Literary Agency as well as a publishing attorney/consultant. She is also the author of Law and Authors: A Legal Handbook for Writers and Our Data,Ourselves: A Personal Guide to Digital Privacy. She grew up in Australia and moved to the UK and then to the United States at the turn of the millennium. She was always an avid reader with eclectic tastes and brings that eclecticism to her agenting. More information about Jacqui is available at: jdlipton.com and thetobiasagency.com/jacqueline-lipton
About The Tobias Literary Agency: Founded by agent Lane Heymont in 2016, The Tobias Literary Agency specializes in all Intellectual Property matters in the publishing industry, from the seed of an idea to the day a book hits the shelves. A full-service literary agency headquartered in New York City with satellite offices in Boston, Nashville, and soon-to-be Los Angeles, The Tobias Literary Agency represents established and debut authors.
Jordy Albert at Booker Albert 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 holds a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University, and a M.A. from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She has worked with Marisa Corvisiero during her time at the L. Perkins Agency and the Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Louise Buckley, Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency
Currently looking for:
- 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 interested in:
- 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 Buckley, Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency !
Lynnette Novak at The Seymour Agency
Currently looking for:
- Always looking for BIPOC, diversity of all kinds, and LGBTQ+!!!
- In adult fiction:
- thriller
- psychological suspense
- horror
- mystery (traditional and amateur sleuth)
- In young adult fiction:
- horror
- rom com
- thriller
- romantic fantasy
- magical realism
- In middle grade fiction:
- contemporary
- horror
- magical realism
- mystery
- contemporary/grounded fantasy
- In Picture Books:
- fiction and nonfiction picture books (non-rhyming preferred)
- Adult nonfiction genres
- memoirs
- spirituality/New Age
- self-help
- health/fitness
- parenting/family
- motivational/inspirational
- business
- celebrity
- lifestyle
- pets
- psychology
- relationships & dating
- 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?
About Lynnette:
Lynnette Novak is an agent at The Seymour Agency and is currently building her client list.
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.
.jpeg)
Tamanna Bhasin, Assistant Agent at The Rights Factory
Currently looking for:
- Adult:
- fantasy
- historical fiction
- romance
- YA/MG:
- fantasy
- historical fiction
- Not interested in:
- AI-generated manuscripts
- Manuscripts that would be classified as belonging to the “Christian” sub-genre
- Memoirs
- Short story collections
- Space-themed fiction
- WWII books. I am okay with books set during the war period, but not books that deal with the war specifically
- Manuscripts over 120,000 words
About Tamanna:
Tamanna Bhasin is an Assistant Agent at The Rights Factory. Holding a BA in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto, she joined The Rights Factory as an Associate Editor in 2020. With a meticulous eye for detail cultivated through her prior editorial work, Tamanna seamlessly transitioned into publishing—combining her love for reading with her desire to identify compelling manuscripts across genres. As a literary agent, she is dedicated to diverse narratives and seeks stories that resonate long after the final page has been turned.