PITCH YOUR BOOK TO A LITERARY AGENT:
These one-on-one pitch meetings at the 2023 Seattle Writing Workshop are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind. More 2023 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open. We have seen many, many writers sign with agents after connecting after our conferences.
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Jenna Land Free is a literary agent with Folio Literary. Jenna is seeking nonfiction only (no fiction). She is drawn to books that help us see longstanding issues in entirely different ways. From politics, to end-of-life care, to parenting, education, travel, and history, Jenna looks for ideas that break us out of the mold and change the way we think. She’s also interested in stories that challenge us to be better citizens, and better humans. Learn more about Jenna here.
Amy Levenson is the founding literary agent of Blue Heron Literary. She represents: mainstream literary and commercial fiction, and nonfiction in the areas of memoir, biography, narrative nonfiction, popular culture, and cookery. She is actively seeking non-fiction, especially with topics in heath and nutrition, cookbooks, lifestyle and popular culture. She is especially drawn to new trends or new takes on old favorites, strong voice and dynamic platforms, and is always susceptible to a good solid tug on the heart strings. Learn more about Amy here.
Garrett Alwert [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent at Emerald City Literary Agency. Garrett is looking for smart, funny, contemporary stories with fresh voices, a strong hook and awesome dialogue. He enjoys romance and stories that focus on friendship, family, and all the ways those relationships come together. He also likes well paced psychological thrillers as well as stories with unique story structures and timelines. He is actively looking for projects by POC authors or with LGBTQ+ themes. Learn more about Garrett here.
Anjanette Barr [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a Literary Agent at Dunham Literary, Inc. Anjanette has an eclectic reading taste and a love for literature that “baptizes the imagination” (C.S. Lewis) and begs to be shared. She loves genre and popular fiction with substance, and literary and nonfiction titles infused with living ideas that leave readers with a new desire to immerse themselves in the subject matter. This could look like an historical fiction that uses captivating detail and relatable characters to bring times-gone-by to life, or it could be a SF/F world that highlights virtues like empathy and self-sacrifice. A romance set in a place so vivid she feels she’s traveled there and wants to take up the protagonists hobbies will definitely get her attention. In nonfiction she is looking for well-researched biography written in beautiful literary prose, popular science and other disciplines titles that make lay-people enchanted and invested in topics previously over their heads, and memoir with the ability to connect diverse readers. She’s also interested in books that shed light on poverty and justice in a new way. She prefers picture books that are winsome and pleasant to read aloud. Particular interests of Anjanette’s are the exploration of culture, history, faith, myth, fine arts, and nature. Learn more about Anjanette here.
Rae Loverde [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is an agent assistant at Donald Maass Literary Agency. At the 2023 SWW, she will be acting as a literary scout — taking pitches at the workshop on behalf of one or multiple co-agents at her agency. Her co-agent Cameron McClure is seeking the following: projects that combine genre style plotting with literary quality writing. She’s up for anything speculative, and is interested in seeing science fiction and fantasy, mystery and suspense, horror, and projects with multi-cultural, international, environmental, and LGBTQIA+ themes. Learn more about Rae and her co-agents here.
Leslie Varney [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent and co-president of Prentis Literary. She specializes in adult speculative fiction — science fiction and fantasy — for adults, young adult, and middle grade. Leslie has also established herself as a specialist in genre-bending fiction, enthusiastically representing authors whose works defy easy classification. “I am pleased as punch that now I get to help authors bring new worlds, new ideas, and new magic to the literary world. I will always love the oral story-telling tradition, but my appreciation for the written work knows no bounds and I love being a part of bringing that passion to new readers.” Learn more about Leslie here.
Kate MacGregor [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is part of the team at MacGregor & Luedeke Literary Agency. Kate is the agency’s in-house editor, and is happy to take pitches at the 2023 SWW on behalf of several co-agents actively building their client lists. If Kate thinks that a writer-attendee has a book that a co-agent will enjoy, she will request materials from the attendee, and then pass those submission materials directly to the best agent at the agency. On behalf of co-agent Alina Mitchell, Kate is taking pitches for: nonfiction proposals including memoir, biographies, how-to, elementary & secondary education topics, religion/spirituality, narrative nonfiction, and new perspectives in history, arts & culture. On behalf of co-agent Elisa Saphier, Kate is taking pitches for: Elisa is open to most genres, as long as the novel or memoir is well-written, but she is partial to character-heavy stories that tell her something about herself or the world around her. She is hoping specifically to represent marginalized writers and their stories. On behalf of co-agent Colleen Oefelein, Kate is taking pitches for: Colleen is looking for romance–heart-rending love stories in most sub-genres (no erotica) and romantic suspense, as well as young adult and adult fiction: harsh and sobering contemporary, low fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, unusual re-tellings, suspense and thriller. In nonfiction, she’s interested in proposals for high-profile crime memoir, whistleblower memoir and narrative nonfiction on the subjects of science or medicine. Learn more about Kate here.
Kjersti Egerdahl is the editorial director for Amazon Original Stories, which “brings unforgettable short fiction and nonfiction to Kindle.” Amazon Original Stories publishes single-sitting reads (5-20K words) from bestselling authors, acclaimed storytellers, and new voices. Stories are available in ebook and audio, free with Prime. Kjersti is interested in a wide range of adult categories: everything from twisty thrillers to immersive memoirs to conversation-starting science fiction and fantasy, and even some YA with strong adult crossover appeal. She is often commissioning for thematic collections. Learn more about Kjersti here.
Chelsey Emmelhainz [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent with Copps Literary Services. Chelsey is building a highly selective list, focused mainly on adult fiction and nonfiction. Regardless of genre, she is always looking for authentic storytelling and to elevate diverse voices. Fiction: Chelsey loves high-concept adult fiction that expertly weaves complex, layered conflicts into a fast-paced narrative. She wants to see what your characters do when pushed to their limits. Her target genres include: horror, supernatural thriller, suspense, mystery, romance, and upmarket commercial fiction. Nonfiction: While drawn to adult narrative nonfiction that features strong storytelling and author voice, Chelsey is ultimately seeking projects that aim to entertain while they educate. She gravitates toward American history, hidden history, true crime, platform-driven nonfiction in the social sciences (especially concerning politics, feminism, and social justice), as well as deep dives into specific subjects with a prescriptive approach, aiming to help the reader live a better life. Learn more about Chelsey here.
Nicole Kimberling is a novelist and the senior editor at Blind Eye Books. Wish List: We publish science fiction, fantasy, mystery and thriller featuring LGBT+ protagonists so that’s what I’d like to see. Learn more about Nicole here.
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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2023 Seattle Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2023 SWW on our event calendar.
That event is the 2023 Online Florida Writing Workshop, May 12-13, 2023, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.
This means that 2023 Seattle attendees can have access to pitching all those online Florida event agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online May 2023 FWW. (That said, if you want to formally register for the FWW and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Seattle attendees.)
If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Seattle. Following the SWW one-day conference on April 29, 2023, we will be in touch with all Seattle attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2023 FWW (May 12-13). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.
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More 2023 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.
These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.
(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings.)