Editors and publishers confirmed for Pitchfest
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Helen H. Wu at Yeehoo Press
Currently looking for:
- Children's picture books.
- Fictional stories with non-fiction back matter, STEAM, self-discovery, team work, hands-on experience.
About Helen:
Helen H. Wu is a children’s book author and illustrator, as well as a translator and publisher. She is the author of TOFU TAKES TIME and LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL. Helen is the Publisher of Yeehoo Press, an independent children’s book publisher based in San Diego, California. Fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, Helen loves to share stories that empower children to understand the world and our connections.
About Yeehoo Press:
Yeehoo Press is devoted to crafting delightful, enchanting, and socially conscious children’s books and products, bringing joy to readers and customers worldwide. Yeehoo books are published in English in the U.S. and in simplified Chinese in mainland China.
Holly Ingraham at Alcove Press and Crooked Lane
Currently looking for:
For Alcove Press, Holly is looking for:
- upmarket women’s fiction,
- book club fiction with a commercial hook
- family dramas,
- witty rom-coms
- cozy romantasy
On the Crooked Lane side, she is looking for:
- high-concept thrillers with strong female protagonists,
- locked room mysteries,
- amateur sleuths, and
- psychological suspense.
Overall, she is especially drawn to complex family dynamics, female friendships, motherhood, and moral dilemmas, as well as diverse casts and underrepresented voices. Holly would love to receive projects perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, Jesse Q. Sutanto and Rachel Hawkins.
About Holly:
Senior Editor Holly Ingraham is an award-winning editor with over fifteen years of industry experience. During her career, she has worked at BookEnds Literary, spent ten years as an in-house acquisitions editor for St. Martin’s Press, and launched Holly Ingraham Editorial in 2018. She joined Alcove Press and Crooked Lane Books in early 2022.
Jess Verdi at Alcove Press and Crooked Lane
Currently looking for:
- For Alcove:
- laugh-out-loud and swoony commercial rom-coms
- romantasy with a strong hook
- stories exploring gender and sexuality in fresh ways
- novels featuring complex family and/or racial dynamics
- feminist/progressive narrative nonfiction
- feminist/progressive suspense and thrillers
- For Crooked Lane:
- feminist and progressive thrillers
- suspense—edgy and sexy are great but nothing too dark or gory
For all novels, regardless of genre, a commercial, "selling" hook is paramount.
About Jess and Alcove Press:
Senior Editor Jess Verdi joined Alcove Press and Crooked Lane Books in 2022, after well over a decade in commercial fiction and romance editorial, including six years as Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster. An author herself, Jess has a 360-degree view of the publishing industry, and enjoys working with authors to bring exciting, thought-provoking, and heartstring-tugging stories to the world. Throughout her career, it has been of the utmost importance to Jess to work with BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other historically marginalized voices to bring their work to the publishing landscape—and this remains truer than ever! Jess would love to see projects ideal for fans of Abby Jimenez, Kiley Reid, Tia Williams, Alexis Hall, Mia Sosa, and Lev AC Rosen.
Josh Gregory at Albert Whitman
Currently looking for:
- picture books
- chapter books
- middle grade
- young adult fiction
I’m especially drawn to stories that focus on creativity, self-expression, and breaking with norms—books that encourage readers to push themselves in new directions, challenge preconceived notions, and pursue any goals they might have, no matter how seemingly out of reach. I want to read about characters who come from diverse backgrounds or have unique perspectives, who think outside the box and aren’t afraid to be different.
I appreciate a strong authorial voice and unconventional approaches to storytelling, but I gravitate toward characters and situations that are rooted in reality. That said, I’m not entirely opposed to fantastical settings or speculation about the future, so long as there are strong connections to real-world concerns. And while I’m not terribly interested in overtly comedic books, I am a firm believer that there is room for a little humor in even the most serious subject matter.
About Josh:
A lifelong reader and accumulator of books, Josh Gregory has equal appreciation for a good story and a nice-looking cover. Before joining Albert Whitman, he spent more than 10 years writing and editing children’s nonfiction.
Learn more about Josh and Albert Whitman
Michael Dolan at Winding Road Publishing
Currently looking for:
- Horror
- Mystery/Thrillers
- Science Fiction
- Romance
- Young Adult
- Historical Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- We also welcome non-fiction submissions as well.
About Winding Road Publishing:
Winding Road Stories is a traditional book publisher that was founded with the aim of developing the manuscripts of emerging writers from all genres/backgrounds to create ambitious books. Nearly all of the projects we develop have an eye toward film/television.
Learn more about Michael and Winding Road Publishing!
Taylor Gelderman at Sourcebooks
Currently looking for:
- Fiction
- Fantasy – high, epic, urban, dark, cozy, folklore-inspired, etc.
- Romantasy
- Contemporary Romance
- LGBTQ+/queer fiction and/or romance
- Dark Academia
- Nonfiction
- New takes on contemporary issues with a narrative slant
- Self-care
- Mental Health: burnout/stress, anxiety, inner-child/healing, boundaries
- Neurodivergence
- Guided journal, sticky notes, calendars (open to adapting existing work into “Other” format)
- Right Now Please Don’t Send Me…
- Children’s fiction/nonfiction
- YA (unless there is crossover appeal)
- Historical fiction
- True crime
- Spiritual/religious/inspirational fiction or nonfiction
She is particularly passionate about diverse works, and is on the lookout for books with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent characters and by authors with these identities.
She acquires for the imprints Sourcebooks (Nonfiction) and Casablanca (Romance).
About Taylor and Sourcebooks:
Taylor is an Assistant Editor at Sourcebooks, the #1 woman-owned and the #7 overall publisher in America! After graduating from the University of Iowa and the Denver Publishing Institute in 2021, she started at Sourcebooks as the first Calendar/Other Editorial Assistant. In just 2 years, she expanded her role to include Romance, Fantasy, and Nonfiction – a combination of all her favorite things because she, of course, can’t choose just one! When not editing, you can find her romancing Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, losing hours to Archive of Our Own, or doing deep dives on Zuko’s redemption arc, Lord of the Rings lore, or disappearances in national parks.
Sourcebooks’ mission is to reach as many people as possible through books that will enlighten their lives. We are a company bound together by the idea that Books. Change. Lives.
For us, it means a passion for books and a dedication to the belief that books change lives. It means innovative publishing, where every book is personal and every author’s voice has a place. And it means not being afraid to say “I don’t know” and forging a new path when we have to.
We are a group of passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic book lovers, and we are committed to helping readers experience each book.
Tess Jones, Egret Books
Currently looking for:
- fiction
- sweet romance
- book club fiction
Some books she's enjoyed are Book Lovers, the Bridgerton Books, City of Girls, Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series, Crazy Rich Asians, Where’d You Go Bernadette, The Vanishing Half, and Bridget Jones Diary.
About Tess:
Tess Jones is the owner and lead editor at Egret Lake Books, a small, indie publisher based in the greater Seattle area that publishes women’s fiction, poetry, fiction, and romance. Egret Lake Books currently has five new books in production. Our books are available as paperback and ebook on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books and other retailers.
Tova Seltzer, Editor, Holiday House
Currently looking for:
- picture books only in:
- literary fiction
- high-concept nonfiction
She values lyrical/”voicey” prose with each word carefully chosen, and above all, seeks to be surprised by a fresh idea or an unconventional approach. She's especially looking for books that are story-forward and have a strong narrative arc, whether fiction or nonfiction. She's also partial to books touching on art and design (triple points for architecture/interior design).
About Tova and Holiday House:
Tova Seltzer (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Neal Porter Books, an imprint of the boutique children’s publisher Holiday House, Inc. Since joining NPB in 2022, she has been honored to aid in the creation of numerous critically acclaimed picture books, such as Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith’s My Baba’s Garden, Carin Berger’s In the Night Garden, and Nikki Grimes, Jerry Pinkney, and Brian Pinkney’s A Walk in the Woods. She lives in Jersey City with a black cat named Temerity.