Agents Attending Washington Writers Conference 2015

Whether you have a proposal or a manuscript ready, or are close enough to want to become familiar with the process of the pitch, the Washington Writers Conference gives you the chance to sit with three agents for five minutes each.

Don't miss the 9 AM Panel, "How to Pitch Agents," for first-hand advice from agents on how to pitch most effectively.

We have both new and returning agents this year, and their interests run the gamut. Please become familiar with them through our bios (below) and their links. Please also be aware that the agents scheduled may change between now and the day of the conference.

Sitting with an agent, summarizing your work, and listening to a critical response are significant parts of the career of a professional writer. Take advantage of this opportunity! It may be the best part of your day!
 

Marilyn Allen, Allen O’Shea Literary Agency

Marilyn Allen is founder and partner in the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency which focuses on nonfiction works. Before starting the agency she held senior positions for several publishers including Penguin Books, Simon & Schuster and culminating as the Associate Publisher and Senior Vice President for Harper Collins.

She represents adult nonfiction works, especially prescriptive health, self-help, parenting and body-mind-spirit. She is also looking for cookbooks, crafts, pop culture, celebrity memoirs, business narratives, pop science and interesting blog-to-books and lifestyle titles. For more information: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/AllenOShea/

 

Amanda Mecke, AMecke Co Literary Agency

Amanda Mecke is an independent literary agent based in Litchfield, Connecticut. She represents non-fiction on history, media, and science, most recently Stephen Grant’s COLLECTING SHAKESPEARE: The Henry and Emily Folger Story, which was reviewed by Michael Dirda on the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Her other clients’ published books include, The Physics of Nascar,The West Without Water , and Revolutions in Communication.  She is a founding team member of the ebook crowdfunding website, Unglue.it.  She will consider historical fiction and hard science fiction.  For more information, email her at [email protected]. Amanda earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from UCLA.  Before starting her own agency, she worked for 25 years in New York, at Bantam/Random House, the University of California Press, and Harcourt, where she worked on books by Daniel Goleman, General Norman Schwarzkopf, George R.R. Martin, Oliver Sacks, Arlie Hochschild, Eudora Welty, and Ivan Doig, among others.

 

BJ Robbins, BJ Robbins Literary Agency

BJ Robbins established her Los Angeles-based agency in 1992 after a multi-faceted career in book publishing in NY, first in publicity at Simon & Schuster and later as Marketing Director and then Senior Editor at Harcourt. Her agency represents quality fiction, both literary and commercial, and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in narrative history, memoir, biography, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine and health. Clients include NY Times bestselling authors and award-winning writers such as J. Maarten Troost, James Donovan, John Hough, Jr., Max Byrd, Nafisa Haji, Stephen Graham Jones, and Deanne Stillman. A member of AAR, Ms. Robbins has led workshops at UCLA Extension, UC Irvine Extension, The Writer’s Pad, and at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Fiction Workshop.  She is looking for fiction and nonfiction projects of literary merit that are fresh and original. For further information visit http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/bjrobbins/

 

Noah Ballard, Curtis Brown, Ltd

Noah Ballard is an agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd. He received his BA in English from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and began his career in publishing at Emma Sweeney Agency where he sold foreign rights for the agency in addition to building his own client list. Noah specializes in literary debuts, upmarket thrillers and narrative nonfiction, and he is always on the look-out for honest and provocative new writers. Noah has appeared across the country at graduate programs and writing conferences speaking about query letters, building nonfiction platforms and submission etiquette. He lives in Brooklyn. For more information about Noah, visit http://www.curtisbrown.com/agents/noah-ballard/

 

Diana Finch, Diana Finch Literary Agency

While I love to represent a wide variety of books, I do have a particular enthusiasm for narrative nonfiction, memoir and journalists who are writing about current events. I opened my own agency in 2003 after nearly 18 years with the Ellen Levine Literary Agency. What I'm looking for: Fiction: with strong story-telling, including YA, although I am very selective. I have two novels out on submission now, one dystopian YA; Nonfiction: narrative, history, science (I love math!); Politics - especially the progressive kind; environmental books of all kinds; business; memoir.  Most of my clients, writing all of the above, are journalists. 

Best known projects include The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and Armed Madhouse  by Greg Palast; Caught Inside: A Surfer's Year on the California Coast by Daniel Duane; The Math Gene by Keith Devlin; Intern Blues by Robert Marion, M.D., Sex Tips for Straight Women From a Gay Man by Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman. For more information, visit: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/dianafinch/

 

Elizabeth Kaplan, Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency

Elizabeth has represented numerous critically acclaimed and best-selling authors throughout her 20-year career as a literary agent. She is known for the sharp insights and editing skills she brings to the development of successful projects and authors’ careers.  She works tirelessly to connect individuals, and to find the right home for each project. After graduating from the University of Michigan, Elizabeth moved to New York City and began her publishing career as the assistant to Jim Silberman, the founder of Summit Books. Elizabeth worked as an editor at Summit for three years before moving on to assist another publishing legend, the literary agent Sterling Lord. Before beginning her own agency in 2002, she worked as an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, and the Ellen Levine Agency. Elizabeth’s main areas of focus include: literary fiction, young adult fiction, narrative nonfiction (especially issue-based books), history, biography, food writing and cookbooks and memoir. For a sampling of her wide and varied list, visit http://elizabethkaplanlit.com/index.php/agents
 

Sorche Fairbank, Fairbank Literary Representation

Since establishing Fairbank Literary Representation in 2002, Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank has had the pleasure of working with a dynamic and varied list, representing best-selling authors, Edgar recipients, award-winning journalists, and of course one of her favorite kinds of client – the debut author. Tastes in novels tend toward literary fiction, international voices, and women’s voices. On the nonfiction side, books that tackle current events and topical and societal issues with a narrative treatment. She has a strong interest in women’s voices and class and race issues, quality lifestyle books (food, wine, craft, design), memoir that goes beyond the me-moir, humor, gift books, and pop culture. 

Authors and books represented by Fairbank Literary include: O. Henry Prize winner Charlotte Forbes; former LA Times Cairo Bureau Chief Jeffrey Fleishman; Edgar winner Rex Burns, Matthew Frederick and his best-selling 101 Things I Learned series;  Eudora Welty prize winner Miroslav Penkov (East of the West), Essayist Jessica Handler; New Yorker cartoonist Drew Dernavich; Sharron Kahn Luttrell, author of Weekends With Daisy. Humor and gift book clients include Chuck Sambuchino (How To Survive a Garden Gnome Attack), Terry Border (Bent Objects empire), and Carl Warner (Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes).  

For updated information on Sorche Fairbank and Fairbank Literary, their clients, and recent deals: www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SorcheFairbank

 

Jessica Regel, Foundry Media

Jess is a literary agent at Foundry. She represents all genres of young adult and middle grade books, as well as adult general fiction, women’s fiction, and a select list of adult nonfiction (memoir, humor, pop culture). She’s particularly interested in books that are “conversation starters” and novels that bridge the literary-commercial divide, combining a high-concept with beautiful writing. She is not looking to represent practical non-fiction, adult genre fiction (science-fiction, westerns, etc.), or picture books. Her recent sales include: WHAT BELONGS TO YOU (Thomas Dunne Books), a love story between two unlikely people—a strong-willed girl and a tattooed motorcycle riding ex con with a heart of gold—and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives; CHAMPAGNE BABY (Ballantine), a memoir about a young French woman with all the pedigree (born into a family of winemakers) but none of the interest, discovering her passion for wine on American soil, and the YA debut NEVER EVER (Viking), inspired by the dark mythology of Peter Pan, it is the story of a girl who is invited by a handsome stranger to a secret island where no one grows old, but she soon discovers that something sinister is going on. For more information, visit www.foundrymedia.com/team/jessica

 

Emily Keyes, Fuse Literary

Emily S. Keyes is a literary agent at Fuse Literary. She joined Fuse Literary in 2013 after working as an agent at the L. Perkins Agency for 2 years. Before that, she worked in the contracts department of Simon & Schuster, Inc. and graduated from New York University’s Center for Publishing. She is looking primarily for young adult and middle grade novels of all stripes—from quirky literary books to engrossing commercial reads. She also does a few adult projects in the women’s fiction, science fiction, fantasy, pop culture and humor genres. Please no poetry, adult literary novels, short stories, picture books or screenplays. For more information, see: www.fuseliterary.com/emily-s-keyes/

 

Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary

Michelle Richter is an Associate Agent at Fuse Literary. She came to Fuse after eight years at St. Martin’s Press, where she edited Melissa Joan Hart’s MELISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL, among others, and worked on a variety of fiction and nonfiction.

Michelle is seeking fiction including book club reads, literary fiction, well-crafted women’s commercial fiction, thrillers, and mysteries (amateur sleuth, police procedurals and smart cozies). In nonfiction, she’s seeking fashion, film, television, science, medicine, sociology/social trends, and economics. She has a soft spot for stories set in Boston, Ireland, and Russia. For more information, see: www.fuseliterary.com/michelle-richter/

 

Gina Maccoby, Gina Maccoby Literary Agency

Gina Maccoby is a New York literary agent representing authors of literary and commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction for adults and children, including New York Times bestselling and award-winning titles. First and foremost she is captured by an engaging narrative voice; across all forms she is looking for strong storytelling and fresh perspectives. In fiction she is looking for upmarket novels, mysteries and thrillers, middle grade and young adult.  Areas of interest in nonfiction include history, biography, narrative journalism, current events and popular science.  

Gina is a member of the AAR.  She is serving her fourth term on the AAR Board of Directors and is a member of both the Royalties and Contracts Committees. She belongs to the SCBWI and is a long-time member of the Authors Guild. Prior to establishing her own agency in 1986 she was a literary agent at Russell & Volkening for six years where she handled her own clients as well as first serial, foreign and movie rights for the agency.   Gina grew up mostly in Northern California and graduated with Honors from Harvard College.

 

Gerrie Sturman, Goldfarb and Associates


Goldfarb and Associates has been representing authors since 1966. Its principal attorney is Ronald Goldfarb, an author of 13 books himself and literary agent for hundreds of authors. With offices in DC and Miami, Goldfarb’s clients are prize-winning writers, mostly of non-fiction. He is in Who’s Who in America and in Law and other prestigious organizations. He was long time general counsel to WIW and remains counsel to AWP. Goldfarb and Associates specializes in serious non-fiction and in unusual and limited cases, special fiction. Associates Robbie Anna Hare and Gerrie Sturman also handle a select list of clients. No children’s literature. No science fiction.

For more information, visit: www.ronaldgoldfarb.com

 

Cara Mannion, Harold Ober Associates

Cara is a junior agent at Harold Ober Associates. Originally hailing from the sunny beaches of Florida, Cara earned a graduate certificate from New York University’s prestigious Summer Publishing Institute after graduating with two degrees in journalism and English from the University of Florida. Before joining the agency industry, she worked in editorial at Entangled Publishing’s new adult imprint. At Harold Ober, she gets to explore both the book business and the film and television worlds as she assists with selling motion picture rights.

Cara is actively building her client list and seeking young adult and adult commercial fiction within the romance, paranormal, science fiction, and historical fiction genres. She particularly enjoys strong female protagonists, juicy love triangles, subversive conspiracy plots, and opening lines that make you want to jump headfirst into the book. For more information and submission guidelines see: www.haroldober.com

 

Lisa Hagan, Lisa Hagan Literary

LISA HAGAN began her literary career with Paraview Literary Agency in 1993 and purchased the agency in 1999. She has shepherded many books to the New York Times Bestseller list, among other notable lists. Her clients include scientists, doctors and experts in their fields of health, ground breaking science, climate change and environmental issues. She also represents non-fiction properties such as self-help, spirituality, travel and business titles. She is most interested in developing book and television projects for the rapidly growing cultural creative audience. For more information, visit http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/LisaHagan

 

Roger Williams, New England Publishing Associates

Roger S. Williams has worked in publishing for over 35 years. He has been a bookseller, library sales rep, Manager for Independent Retailers at Bantam Doubleday Dell, co-owner of a bookstore a developer of one of the industry’s first websites, and V.P. of Field Sales at Simon and Schuster.  Roger comes to agenting from many publishing industry perspectives. In 2009, he hung his shingle as agent, and in August 2010, Roger bought New England Publishing Associates. NEPAgency, mostly non-fiction; specifically History and Military History, with and emphasis on American History, Biography, or Autobiography, "Big Think" Business Concepts, Marketing, Communications and Consumerism, Current Events, Politics, Popular Culture, and Social Policy

Medicine and Health, Body, Mind & Spirit, Psychology and Family Relationships, The Sciences, Religion, Nature, and the Environment, Language and Reference, Sports.  He will consider some fiction; historical and/or thrillers; and books for your readers. More information can be found at www.nepagency.com/submissions. You can also see some of our recent releases on our Pinterest bulletin board.

 

Paul S. Levine, Paul S. Levine Literary Agency

Paul S. Levine ”wears two hats”–he is a lawyer (www.paulslevine.com) and a literary agent (www.paulslevinelit.com).

Mr. Levine has practiced entertainment law for over 31 years, specializing in the representation of writers, producers, actors, directors, composers, musicians, artists, authors, photographers, galleries, publishers, developers, production companies and theatre companies in the fields of motion pictures, television, interactive multimedia, live stage, recorded music, concerts, the visual arts, publishing, and advertising. In 1996, Mr. Levine opened the Paul S. Levine Literary Agency, specializing in the representation of book authors and the sale of motion picture and television rights in and to books. Since starting his literary agency, Mr. Levine has sold over 100 fiction and non-fiction books to at least 30 different publishers and has had many books developed as movies-for-television and feature films.

The fiction which Mr. Levine represents tends to be commercial—thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, “soap opera” in the vein of Danielle Steele or Jackie Collins, and literary fiction. The non-fiction which he represents also tends to be commercial—self-help, how-to, relationships, memoirs, health, women’s issues, pop culture, new age, and business. For both fiction and non-fiction books, his biggest successes have been with authors who originally self-publish their books and then wish to have their books republished by a major publishing house.

For the film screen, he represents a wide range of scripts, from romantic comedies to thrillers to historical epics. In television, Mr. Levine mainly represents writers and producers of true life-story movies-for-television, as well as the subjects of those docudramas. He also represents writers and writer-producers of network and non-network series television, both dramas and comedies, as well as reality shows, game shows, talk shows and the like.

 

Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Regal Hoffman & Associates

Claire Anderson-Wheeler is an associate agent at Regal Hoffmann & Associates LLC, New York. She is Irish and grew up around Europe, moving Stateside in 2011; her previous homes include Anderson Literary Management, New York, and Christine Green Author’s Agency, London. Her list covers a range of fiction (literary; “book club” and historical fiction; YA and MG) and non-fiction (biography, historical, “big picture” science, and some memoir). Recent sales include WE’VE ALREADY GONE THIS FAR (Holt), a linked short story collection set in a working-class Massachusetts town dominated by the legacy of the Iraq war, THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME (St Martin’s Press), the story of a neurotic young lawyer, an ethereal soap actress, and a prisoner on death row, and PERDITA (Merit Press) which sees a high school junior from a troubled family embarking on a different kind of murder investigation, and turning up some difficult home truths in the process. At the moment Claire is particularly interested in seeing broad-interest non-fiction (history, popular science, cultural commentary from an expert perspective); middle-grade and high-concept young adult fiction, and literary fiction with a good hook – but this is not an exhaustive list! For further information please see her profile at http://www.regal-literary.com/submissions/

 

Regina Ryan, Regina Ryan Publishing Enterprises

Regina Ryan has been the head of her own independent literary agency company for some 37 years, principally handling adult nonfiction. She has a strong editorial background, including being an editor at Alfred A. Knopf, and editor in chief of Macmillan Adult Books, the first woman ever to hold that position in a major hardcover publishing house.

Her areas of interest are wide-ranging and eclectic and include narrative nonfiction, natural history (particularly birds), science (particularly the brain), gardening, women’s issues, psychology, health, wellness, self-improvement, lifestyle, history, food, popular reference and memoir.

 Her recent titles include The Sugar Season, What's Wrong With My Houseplant? The Thinker's Thesaurus, 3rd edition, So You Think You Know Baseball?, The Peterson's Guide to Bird Sounds of North America,  Amazing Natural Spectacles, Jewish Wisdom, Hair: A Human History, Bountiful Bonsai, Dragon Songs, The Roof at the Bottom of the World. 

 

Dawn Michelle Hardy, Serendipity Literary Agency

 

Dawn Michelle Hardy is looking for memoirists who can capture a larger narrative through their personal story, author platform and strong hook; MFA grads penning lyrical, ambitious fiction set between two real geographical locations (i.e. 100 Foot Journey, Americanah, Til the Well RunsDry). Heavily connected music, sports and pop culture enthusiasts with a‘hip’ idea from an untold vantage point. Sharp, witty, humorous self help for millenials. Best-in-class professionals speaking to society at large (The New Jim Crow; Daring Greatly). Some of her work includes a previously self published memoir that garnered SyFy Channel docu-series fame (Forgotten Burial: A Restless Spirit’s Plea from Beyond the Grave by Jodi Foster); a highly anticipated narrative on NBA 16-time Allstar Allen Iverson written by Washington Post sports journalist and a insiders narrative on the Seattle Seahawks winners of the2013-14 NFL Superbowl. For more information, contact www.serendipitylit.com/index.php/agents

 

Victoria Lowes, The Bent Agency

Victoria Lowes is a literary agent at The Bent Agency. She joined The Bent Agency in 2012 after graduating from The City University of New York: Queens College and completing internships at Serendipity Literary and The Carol Mann Agency.

Victoria is seeking a wide range of novels including historical fiction, literary fiction, romances of all types, mysteries, thrillers, commercial women’s fiction, suspense and young adult. For more information please go to: www.thebentagency.com/agent_victoria_lowes.php

 

Beth Phelan, The Bent Agency

Beth Phelan is a literary agent at the Bent Agency. She’s a graduate of New York University and has held positions at the Scott Waxman Literary Agency (now the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency) and Howard Morhaim Literary. Beth is actively building her list and represents all genres of young adult fiction, select middle grade, romance, thrillers and suspense, and general fiction. She is also seeking cookbook projects and other select nonfiction in pop culture and humor. Her favorite stories push boundaries and explore character and emotion, but are told with humor and light. Some recent sales include LUCKY FEW (S&S Children’s), a YA inspired by Harold and Maude; ALL THE RIGHT PLACES (Berkley), a dynamic love story set within a family-owned denim company; and BUTTER & BROWN SUGAR (Random House Appetite), a recipe collection of modern takes on vintage desserts. Unfortunately, she’s not right for picture books or chapter books, short stories, poetry, or serious nonfiction. To check out more recent sales from the Bent Agency, please visit the blog and for even more information you can find them on their website. Beth tweets her Manuscript Wish List and more at @beth_phelan.

 

Kirsten Carleton, Waxman Leavell Agency

Before joining Waxman Leavell in 2014, Kirsten Carleton worked at SobelWeber Associates. She holds a B.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration from Amherst College, and a Graduate Certificate in Publishing from the Columbia Publishing Course.Kirsten is currently seeking upmarket young adult, speculative, and literary fiction with strong characters and storytelling. She is drawn to books that capture her attention early on with a dynamic plot, and innovative storytelling that blends or crosses genres. In particular, she’s interested in literary takes on high concept world building; diverse characters in stories that are not just about diversity; antiheroes she find herself rooting for; characters with drive and passion; girls and women in STEM fields; settings outside the US/Europe; well-researched historical settings; YA noir/thriller/mystery; stories that introduce her to a new subculture and make her feel like a native. For more information, visit www.waxmanleavell.com or follow her on Twitter:@kirstencarleton

 

Cassie Hanjian, Waxman Leavell

Prior to joining Waxman Leavell in 2014, Cassie Hanjian held positions at the Park Literary Group, where she specialized in author support and foreign rights, and at Aram Fox, Inc. as an international literary scout for publishers based outside the United States. She holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from the University of South Florida, a Graduate Certificate from the University of Denver's Publishing Institute and an M.S. in Publishing from Pace University. In fiction, Cassie is actively acquiring page-turning New Adult novels, plot-driven commercial and upmarket women's fiction, historical fiction, psychological suspense, cozy mysteries and contemporary romance. In nonfiction, she's looking for projects in the categories of parenting, mind/body/spirit, inspirational memoir, narrative nonfiction focusing on food-related topics and a limited number of accessible cookbooks. For more information, visit www.waxmanleavell.com or follow Cassie on Twitter: @cjhanjian

 

Helen Zimmermann, Zimmermann Literary Agency

Helen started her publishing career about twenty years ago in the marketing department of Random House. She soon became the Director of Advertising and Promotion for one of their divisions, The Crown Publishing Group. After twelve years she moved to New York's Hudson Valley, where she worked at an independent bookstore as the Author Events Director.

She founded the agency in 2003 and enjoyed early success with the New York Times bestseller Chosen by A Horse. Her experience working at a large publishing house and an independent bookstore gives her a unique and invaluable insight into each project that she works on. She is well aware of the value of in-house buzz, online marketing, store placement, social media, author platform, etc. and works hard to make sure all of these marketing components are in place for each and every project.

She is currently looking to acquire non-fiction in the areas of memoir, pop-culture, women's issues, music, sports, and relationships. She does acquire some fiction, the only requirement for that being that it keeps her up at night! Visit www.ZimmermannLiterary.com for more information.

 

 

The Washington Writers Conference, which takes place Saturday, April 25, 2015, at the Bethesda Marriott at Pook's Hill in Bethesda, Md., offers a full day of insightful conversations and panels with professional writers, agents, and publishers, along with an opportunity for aspiring authors to present their projects to an agent during face-to-face, one-on-one pitch sessions.

Find the full schedule of events here.

Check out the bios of our extraordinary panelists here.

A complete listing of agents and their bios are here.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE HERE.