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MWA Annual Conference 2020 Agents
Annual Conference 2022
Literary Agents & Small Press Editors
Agents and editors will be featured on panels, available for networking at lunch, and will offer critiques and pitch opportunities on Saturday and Sunday. Critiques for the first 10 pages from a work in progress will be available for $75. Agent pitches are $25 each.
Pitches: You may purchase up to 2 pitch sessions. MWA members can also get a free pitch opportunity, in addition to two purchased piches. Simply add one or more pitches to your registration, and use the coupon code FREEPITCH.
Pitch and critique signups are available during registration. These opportunities sell out fast, so don't wait too long to register and sign up. If you are only attending one day of the conference, be sure to select an person who will be present that day. You may not sign up for a pitch or a critique for a day you are not registered for the conference.
Please review profiles below and research each agent or editor (visit agency and press websites, twitter, http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/, online interviews, etc.) to find someone who would be a good fit for your work. Agents and editors are listed according to the day they will be attending.
If the person you are interested in is sold out, you may add your name to a waiting list in case something becomes availabile. To do so, please send email to [email protected] with the agent's name and whether you are looking for a critique or pitch. Please know that openings are unlikely, but we will notify wait list people on a first-come first-served basis should something become available.
Saturday, October 15
Agent: Adam Schear, DeFiore and Co. Literary
Agent: Jacqui Lipton, The Tobias Literary Agency
Jacqui Lipton is a Senior Agent and Head of the Adult Department at the Tobias Literary Agency, having previously helmed her own agency, Raven Quill Literary. She is also a publishing consultant/attorney and the author of "Law and Authors: A Legal Handbook for Writers" (University of California Press, 2020) and "Our Data, Ourselves: A Personal Guide to Digital Privacy (University of California Press, forthcoming, 2022). She represents a little bit of everything from adult down to middle grade and has a soft spot for nonfiction with unusual and intriguing perspectives. She also particularly enjoys the mystery/suspense and romance genres. Jacqui accepts queries exclusively via Query Manager: https://querymanager.com/query/jacquilipton.
https://www.thetobiasagency.com
Agent: Kiele Raymond, Thompson Literary
Kiele Raymond is a Senior Agent at Thompson Literary Agency, representing bold new voices in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. Her list includes critically acclaimed and award-winning writers such as Lee Matalone, Ari Braverman, Peace Adzo Medie, Nichole Perkins, Destiny O. Birdsong, Candice Wuehle, and Katie Barnes. Kiele received her B.A. in Anthropology and English Literature from Johns Hopkins University and her M.A. in the Humanities from the University of Chicago before working as an editor at Simon & Schuster. She is particularly interested in narratives set in and around the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the American Southwest.
https://thompsonliterary.com/
Agent: Lauren Bieker, Fine Print Literary
After a brief career in the fashion industry, Lauren made her move to publishing as an intern for agent Paige Wheeler. She moved to FinePrint to assist with day-to-day administrative tasks, but is now an agent and has been actively developing her client list.
Lauren is looking for commercial and upmarket women’s fiction and some well-crafted and differentiated YA novels. She is also open to select science fiction, as well as high concept and literary fiction works. She appreciates great storytelling and is a “sucker” for outstanding writing and convincing characters. While primarily interested in fiction, she will consider nonfiction proposals. She is looking for #ownvoices stories, Feminist lit/#MeToo stories, and LGBTQIA+ authors in both fiction and nonfiction. Her goals is to "hold the mic" for authors to tell their stories and be a helpful support system.
Lauren writes during her free time and has been published on various online platforms. She has attended many writing workshops and intensives, including the National Academy of Writing’s intensive at Cambridge University in the UK.
https://fineprintlit.com/
Agent: Leslie Truex, Blue Ridge Literary
Leslie Truex started writing by accident. After starting a career website in 1998, she wrote two traditionally published non-fiction books. Later, she transitioned to writing fiction, penning over a dozen romance and mystery books. Now, as an agent with Blue Ridge Literary Agency, her goal is to use her experience as an author to help writers navigate the publishing world. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club, finishing up her last year as the president. When she’s not writing or agenting, she enjoys reading, chocolate and coffee, often together, and is a planner and journal fanatic.
http://www.blueridgeagency.com/
Agent: Margaret Danko, Paper Over Board-Irene Goodman Agency
Originally from the heart of the south, Margaret Danko received her BA from Oberlin College and her MFA from Temple University before moving into agenting with Paper Over Board at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. A lover of the dark, the quirky, and the fantastical, Margaret has a keen eye for projects that take unexpected turns or are told from unusual perspectives. She believes that all books should move their readers, and she is passionate about empowering authors to engage and inspire.
https://www.paperoverboard.com/
https://www.irenegoodman.com/
Sunday, october 16
Agent: John Rudolph Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
Editor: Kevin Atticks, Apprentice House Press
Kevin Atticks, DCD. Kevin is the director of Apprentice House Press at Loyola University Maryland. Kevin holds a masters in environmental journalism from CU-Boulder, a doctorate in communications design from University of Baltimore, and a bachelors in journalism and music composition from Loyola University Maryland.
Apprentice House—the nation’s first and only student-run, campus-based book publisher—seeks a wide variety of thoughtfully written, well-developed manuscripts, and we welcome works from all authors who adhere to our submission guidelines and who support our goal of providing experiential learning opportunities. Note: We do not generally accept poetry, manuscripts marketed at the children’s or self-help markets, or works that have been previously self-published.
https://www.apprenticehouse.com/
Agent: Margaret Danko, Paper Over Board-Irene Goodman Agency
Editor: Michael Tager, Mason Jar Press
Agent: Tessa Shaffer, Corvisiero Agency
Tessa represents screenwriters for the Film & TV side of the agency as well as a small, select number of authors in various genres from Middle Grade to Non-Fiction. She has a passion for finding cinematic books, developing adaptations, and bridging the two industries for the clients of Corvisiero Literary Agency.
https://www.corvisieroagency.com/
Panels
SATURDAY: What Makes a Great Query Letter?
Query letters are the gateway to getting an agent to represent your work. Our agent panel will discuss what makes a great hook, what needs to be included in a query, and what annoys them in the letters they receive.
Bring a query letter to the conference and it might be selected to have our expert panelists provide live feedback.
SUNDAY: The First Page: How to Get an Agent’s Attention
A panel of our guest agents will discuss what they look for when they read the first page of a book. Topics will include the importance of the opening sentence, how much needs to be included in the first page, and what to avoid in that important introduction.
Bring a sample first page and it may be selected for a live critique by our panel of experts.
Register Now to reserve a pitch or Critique spot!
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