Jenniea Carter

Jenniea is the Literary Manager and agent at New Leaf Literary and Media. She champions stories that invite readers to learn, laugh, and feel deeply. She’s especially drawn to projects that hold space for healing generational trauma, often through the power of love, joy, and resilience.

Jenniea has served as an ESL teacher in Japan/ NYC and a bookseller at Kinokuniya Bookstore, where her days were shaped by conversations around language, identity, and the magic of finding the right story at the right time. Jenniea brings care, curiosity, and a fierce commitment to every collaboration, and served as the secretary for People of Color In Publishing.

For detailed information: https://www.newleafliterary.com/people/jenniea-carter/

Genres:

Fiction:

Lydia Caudill

Lydia Caudill is an agent with Andrea Hurst Literary Management. She started as an editorial intern in 2022 and quickly transitioned into a full-time role as a literary scout and editorial assistant. Now sporting the agent hat, Lydia is excited to build a diverse client list of her own and partner with authors to craft and share meaningful stories that leave a lasting impact on readers.

Originally from a rural town in Eastern Kentucky, Lydia developed an early passion for reading and storytelling. She is a graduate of NC State University, where she earned her B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. When she’s not editing or reviewing submissions, you can find her supporting live music, stamping her national parks passport, or spending time with her much-beloved dog, Rocky.

For detailed information: https://andreahurst.com/about-us/ 

Genres: 

Fiction

Cole Hildebrand

Cole Hildebrand began his career as an assistant editor at YesYes Books, where he went on to become managing editor for the press, involved in manuscript acquisitions, event planning, website design and publicity for YesYes Books' list, which includes works by authors such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Justin Phillip Reed, Danez Smith, and many others.

He joined JVNLA in 2021, where he has worked with authors such as Carl Safina, Emily Ruth Verona, and Antonia Murphy, while assisting with international rights, film rights, and contracts, as well as handling the Australia/New Zealand market.

Cole earned his BA in English from Lewis & Clark College and his MA in English and American Literature from New York University.

For detailed information: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/cole-hildebrand/

Genres:

Fiction:

dANIELe hUNTER

Daniele Hunter (she/her) is a queer, chronically ill, disabled junior agent in the children's department at McIntosh & Otis. She started at McIntosh & Otis in 2016 as an intern and has been there ever since.

Daniele has a BA in English with concentrations in Literary Criticism, Poetry, and Creative Writing from Drew University. Before agenting, she held various odd jobs in the publishing industry, from proofreading to teaching and working on literary journals. She's a member of the American Association of Literary Agents. She’s also on the board of Literary Agents of Change and co-directs their Fellowship program.

For detailed information: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/daniele-hunter/

Genres:

Fiction

Rene J. Kooiker

René Kooiker joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (DG&B) as Digital Coordinator and Junior Literary Agent in 2026, following stints in book-to-screen scouting, magazine editing, and academia. He consulted on new fiction for major clients in Hollywood and was Assistant Editor at The Yale Review. He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Yale University and a French and English B.A. from Amherst College. Having grown up in the Netherlands, he also lived in Avignon and Paris, France.

René is actively building his list. He loves reading fiction that has potential to be adapted for the screen. For non-fiction, he will consider previously untold or marginalized histories, research-driven narrative, incisive or funny essay collections, and smart cultural criticism for a broad audience.

For detailed information: https://www.dystel.com/rene-kooiker

Genres:

Fiction

Shari Maurer

Shari graduated from Duke University with a degree in English and studied Dramatic Writing at NYU. Following a stint at The Children’s Television Workshop on international productions of Sesame Street, she published both novels and non-fiction and worked as a writer and editor. Shari has also written Parenting & Lifestyle columns for several websites. A mother of three, she lives in New York with her husband.

For detailed information: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/shari-maurer/

Genres:

Fiction

Amber Rodenbo

River City Siren Press is a small press/ indie publishing company situated in the Richmond, Virginia area. Founders Amber and Donald Rodenbo each bring unique qualities to the team. Amber is a published author with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and a career background in teaching young writers, literary magazine editing, technical editing, and creative design. Amber is also a book cover designer, book formatter, and overall lover of all things books and publishing. Donald is the tech wizard, website designer, jack-of-all-trades business support for River City Siren Press. River City Siren Press is dedicated to author autonomy and authors' rights, giving authors complete freedom over their works from the cover design to book formatting.

For detailed information: https://www.rivercitysirenpress.com/

Genres:

Fiction

Rose Conway

Rose Conway is a literary agent at Confluence Literary Agency seeking upmarket and smart commercial fiction with inventive structures, emotional depth, and distinctive voices for the adult market. Her list focuses on stylistically subversive and thematically layered fiction: work that leads with artistry and allows deeper themes to emerge naturally. Prior to joining Confluence Literary Agency, she worked in hybrid publishing managing editorial assignments, and she continues to offer direct consultation and coaching for new and established authors on their publishing options through Foreword Literary Consulting, LLC. She holds a Masters in Publishing from London College of Communication and lives in Columbia, Maryland. 

For detailed information: https://www.rosefrielconway.com/

Genres:

Fiction

Tara Kimberly

Tara is a self-diagnosed Romantasy addict and loves diving into lush worlds with complex characters and messy interpersonal relationships that teach us about our own lives. Prior to joining D4EO, she had a decade-long career as a $60M+ real estate agent, investor and coach. Interest in querying her debut novel introduced her to the world of publishing. She wants to work with authors that dare to dream of massive success & the work ethic to get there. With a strong background in social media marketing herself, she is looking for authors who are eager to grow their own marketing efforts. Tara is interested in books with a focus on strong female characters and all-consuming stories.

For more information: https://tarakimberly.my.canva.site/query-wish-list

Genres

Fiction

Shari Maurer

Shari graduated from Duke University with a degree in English and studied Dramatic Writing at NYU. Following a stint at The Children’s Television Workshop on international productions of Sesame Street, she published both novels and non-fiction and worked as a writer and editor. Shari has also written Parenting & Lifestyle columns for several websites. A mother of three, she lives in New York with her husband.

For detailed information: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/shari-maurer/

Genres:

Fiction

Mason ROwlee

Mason Rowlee joined DeFiore & Company in 2023. He previously worked as an assistant literary scout at Jenny La Plante, Inc., where he developed an eye for the type of books that appeal to international publishers and film production companies. He also interned at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, CBS Television Production, McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency and Gotham Writers Workshop. Originally from rural Upstate New York, he is a graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill. 
Mason only represents adult books. He is seeking innovative, boundary-pushing literary fiction, engrossing upmarket and commercial fiction, and nonfiction that amplifies traditionally underrepresented voices in publishing. He is particularly interested in working with queer authors.

For detailed information: https://www.defliterary.com/agents/mason-rowlee

Genres:

Fiction

Jamie Ryu

Jamie Ryu worked for “Big Five” publishing powerhouses Macmillan and HarperCollins before forging her own path as the founder of Contrarian Publishing. With ample editing experience and a degree in comparative literature from New York University, she is well-equipped to help writers unlock the full potential of the stories they’re meant to tell. She is a proud queer Korean American woman.
Contrarian Publishing is a Brooklyn-based publisher focusing primarily on romance, thriller, and speculative genres across all ages. They’re proud of a fair hybrid business model that incentivizes cooperative success. Above all else, Contrarian publishes titles with profound messages at their cores and champions authors of marginalized backgrounds.

For detailed information: https://www.contrarianpublishing.com/

Genres (Mostly adult):

Fiction