This page will be updated as more faculty members
are confirmed for the 2026 Seattle Writing Workshop.
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Chuck Sambuchino (@chucksambuchino) is a freelance editor, bestselling book author, and former longtime staffer for Writer’s Digest Books. For many years he edited the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog was one of the largest blogs in publishing, and he wrote the platform guidebook CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM.
He is the co-director of Writing Day Workshops writers conferences, and he has taught at more than 175 writers conferences throughout his career. He is the co-coordinator of the Seattle Writing Workshop.
His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck’s books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss,New York magazine, and many more media outlets. All his latest books are about pickleball, including ULTIMATE PICKLEBALL, a 2026 tear-off desk calendar due out in August 2025 (Sellers Publishing). His picture book, GOODNIGHT, PICKLEBALL, released from Hachette in August 2025, was carried in Target, and hit the USA Today bestseller list.
He is a successful freelance editor of queries, synopses, and manuscripts—seeing dozens of clients get agents or book deals following his consultations/edits. He loves meeting new writers.
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Aimee Hardy is an editor for Running Wild Press and the author of Pocket Full of Teeth, which won a Silver Falchion in 2025.
She has a passion for storytelling and has been published in various literary magazines, including Writer’s Digest, Killer Nashville Magazine, and Stone Coast Review.
She has a B.A. and M.A. in English from National University. When she’s not editing or writing, she loves traveling and hanging out with her family.
At the 2026 event, Aimee is offering add-on manuscript critiqued for attendees.
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Kat Kerr is a literary agent with Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Kat joined Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2019. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in English in 2009 and is drawn to literary and commercial voices within the adult and YA markets, as well as adult nonfiction. Kat feels strongly about supporting programs like We Need Diverse Books and is passionate about creating space in this industry for those from historically marginalized communities. She is actively seeking to grow her client list and is particularly hungry for magical realism, literary leaning speculative and science fiction, women’s fiction, YA works with a lot of heart, and narrative nonfiction with something to say.
At the 2026 event, she is teaching a class and also meeting attendees one-on-one.
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Sorche Fairbank is a literary agent and the founder of Fairbank Literary.
A small, selective agency and member of AAR, the Author’s Guild, the Agents Round Table, PEN, and Grub Street’s Literary Advisory Council, Fairbank Literary Representation is happily entering its nineteenth year. Clients range from first-time authors to international best-sellers, prize winning-journalists to professionals at the top of their fields.
They can be found with all the major publishers, as well as in the New York Times, The Boston Globe, Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Granta, Best American Short Stories, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Glimmertrain, and more.
At the 2026 event, she is teaching a class and meeting attendees one-on-one.
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A.J. Van Belle (they/them) is a literary agent at the Booker Albert Literary Agency.
They are also a writer of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children, an editor, and a biologist. They have a BA in art with a minor in English from Columbia College, an MA in anthropology and an MS in biology from California State University, and a PhD in biology from Boston University.
A.J. welcomes queries from marginalized writers. They’re currently seeking MG and YA in all genres, and adult literary, general, historical, thriller, and women’s fiction. (Their list is currently full for adult sci-fi / fantasy / horror but they may reopen to these genres in the future.) In nonfiction, they’re seeking fresh ideas in science, popular science, self-help, and health/wellness from authors with established platforms. As a scientist who has published NSF-funded research in ecology, they welcome queries from authors whose expertise links with evolution, ecology, statistics, microbiology, and biogeoscience
You can find A.J. on socials @ajvanbelle.
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Swati Hegde is a romance and YA author, as well as a freelance editor, mindset coach, and self-proclaimed coffee shop enthusiast. She lives in Bangalore, India, and can often be found at the nearest café with a hot mug of tea or singing her favorite songs off-key at karaoke night. She looks forward to a long career bringing Indian stories and voices to light.
Swati is represented by Rachel Beck at Liza Dawson Associates. Her debut romance novel Match Me If You Can is out now from Penguin Random House, with forthcoming books Can’t Help Faking in Love releasing in February 2025 and As Long as You Loathe Me releasing in 2026.
Find her on Instagram @SwatiHegdeAuthor and Twitter @SwatiHWrites.
At the event, Swati is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Wesley Chu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve published novels, including Time Salvager, The Rise of Io, and The Walking Dead: Typhoon. He won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. His debut, The Lives of Tao, won the Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Award.
Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, worked as a model and stuntman, and summited Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Paula, and two boys, Hunter and River.
At the event, Wesley is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Eve Porinchak is an author, as well as a former literary agent.
At the workshop, Eve is offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
Since earning degrees in Biology and Psychology from UCLA, Eve has lived all over the planet and spent much of her time in and out of jail – as a creative writing teacher for teen inmates. A former agent with Jill Corcoran Literary Agency, Eve also attended medical school, served as a social worker with foster youth and homeless populations, and taught everything from first grade to college courses.
Eve writes stories featuring youth she feels have been underrepresented in children’s literature, such as those born into gang life, the abandoned, and the incarcerated who – ironically – have the most fascinating tales to tell. Her first book, the critically acclaimed ONE CUT – a haunting nonfiction story with a juvenile justice bent – launched Simon and Schuster’s new young adult true crime line, Simon True.
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Tayler Hill is an editor, author, and publishing professional based in Toronto, Ontario. She works with Inimitable Books, Rising Action, and also runs her own editing company, where she help authors bring their stories to life across Adult, Middle Grade, and Young Adult genres.
“I have a background in both creative writing and publishing, and I’ve also spent time working at a literary agency, which gave me great insight into what makes a manuscript stand out in today’s market. Whether a writer is submitting to agents or planning to self-publish, I love helping them shape their work into the strongest version it can be.
“For me, editing is about more than just fixing grammar or tightening prose — it’s about partnering with the author to make sure their voice shines. I know how personal and vulnerable sharing your writing can be, and I approach every project with care, compassion, and a deep respect for the story you’re trying to tell.”
At the 2026 event, she is offering add-on critiques to attendees.