Kara Grajkowski is a literary agent with 3 Seas Literary Agency. “As an elementary classroom teacher turned elementary behavioral interventionist, I am always looking to expand my classroom library with high-interest, low-readability books. If I can see my students and their interests in the project, it is a good fit for my classroom and a better fit for my query box. Please send me #OwnVoices stories!” She seeks all types of middle grade and young adult books (with the exception of fantasy and time travel). She represents picture books, especially funny titles or those that highlight the beauty in diversity, community, and childhood. “I (very selectively) take new adult rom coms. Fresh takes on traditional narratives are a plus for me, but I really look for sharp, witty storytelling. In nonfiction, I would love any nonfiction about education/issues in schools or mental health/trauma. No memoirs, please!” Learn more about Kara here. 

Rachel Estep is a literary agent with D4EO Literary Agency. She is seeking: literary fiction; mainstream fiction; all types of middle grade and young adult (especially that centers underrepresented voices); voicey, high-stakes psychological thrillers; stories that mess with your head in the best way; gothic fiction that blends deep senses of foreboding with modern themes; true crime projects that dig deeper than the headlines and center empathy alongside the horror; queer romcoms that bring the banter, the swoon, the spice, and a whole lot of heart; historical fiction driven by complex, unforgettable women in the style of Marie Benedict. Learn more about Rachel here.

Sorche Fairbank is a literary agent and the founder of Fairbank Literary. Our tastes tend toward literary and international fiction; voice-y novels with a strong sense of place; big memoir that goes beyond the me-moir; topical or narrative nonfiction with a strong interest in women’s voices, global perspectives, and class and race issues; children’s picture books & middle grade from illustrator/artists only; quality lifestyle books (food, wine, and design); pop culture; craft; and gift and humor books. We are most likely to pick up works that are of social or cultural significance, newsworthy, or that cause us to take great delight in the words, images, or ideas on the page. Lately we have been doing extremely well in the humor/gift/pop culture category, international fiction, and children’s picture books by illustrator artists, and we’d love to take on more projects in those categories. Above all, we look for a fresh voice, approach, story, or idea. Learn more about Sorche here.

Jenna Satterthwaite is a literary agent with Storm Literary Agency. In adult fiction, she seeks psychological and domestic suspense full of twists; murder mystery, cozy or traditional, contemporary or historical, serious or humorous, hijinks welcome and big family drama very welcome.; fantasy – cozy with low stakes, high/epic, portal and romantasy; rom-coms and romance – in particular I’m interested in POC voices in romance, body-positive romance, LGBTQ+ romance, and adventure romance; women’s fiction / beach reads; science fiction with a human connection; speculative stories rooted in the present that has that one, addictive speculative twist; upmarket and book club fiction. In nonfiction, she seeks voicey memoir (platform a plus);  the next big ex-evangelical voice, and both feminist and LGBTQ+ voices in the Christian context; spiritual deconstruction / reconstruction; self-help from an “expert” millennial or Gen Z voice; and books highlighting alternative approaches to death (living funerals, death doulas, at-home body care, etc.). In young adult, she likes fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, suspense, speculative, and horror.  In middle grade, she reps graphic novels, fantasy with series potential, contemporary stories that explore the multicultural / multilingual experience; and horror. In picture books, she’s only looking for author-illustrators and is very select. Learn more about Jenna here.

Chelsea Moyer is a literary scout with The Tobias Agency. She is taking pitches on behalf of Tobias agent Jacqui Lipton. Jacqui’s tastes are broad and eclectic. She loved (and still does) everything from a good murder mystery to space opera to contemporary romance and everything in between. She also loves nonfiction projects with a compelling narrative voice. Jacqui represents authors of fiction and nonfiction from middle grade through to adult, as well as selected projects for younger readers (picture books, chapter books etc.) She is currently focusing on developing her adult fiction and nonfiction lists and particularly enjoys mystery/crime, romance, how-to books, and compelling contemporary novels. She is not currently seeking high fantasy, and considers science fiction selectively. Learn more about Chelsea here.

Tess Callero is a literary agent with Europa Content. Tess joined the agency in 2019 after spending four years at Curtis Brown. She is a highly editorial agent who specializes in building platform-driven proposals from the ground up with clients across the nonfiction space, from self-development and business, to mind/body/spirit, health/wellness, and more. Tess also represents mystery, thriller, suspense and romance authors in the adult fiction space. She is on the Board of the AALA and is the Chair of the Media and Digital Innovations Committee. Learn more about Tess here.

Marcy Posner is a literary agent with Folio Literary. She is “looking for distinctive voices in the commercial space, but I am really not interested in genre or super literary fiction.” She seeks: thrillers, psychological suspense, historical fiction, women’s fiction, mystery, YA (contemporary, historical, romance, mystery), middle grade (contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy, historical, mystery), narrative nonfiction, cultural/social issues. journalism, nature and ecology, psychology, and women’s issues. Learn more about Marcy here.

Hailey Stephens is a literary agent with Rosecliff Literary. In general, Hailey is only looking for Adult novels, but she will selectively take on Middle Grade books if the manuscript will inspire a passion for reading. She would also love to champion authors from rural areas, especially authors from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and/or any other community that tends to be overlooked in rural areas. (This doesn’t mean the manuscript itself has to be based in a rural setting, although she always appreciates a good rural horror.) For Literary, Upmarket, and Contemporary fiction, Hailey wants vivid stories that pull the reader in right away, immersing them in the work the author has created. For thriller and horror, she wants stories that linger in the corners of the mind, with characters that feel like they’re in the room with the reader (for better or worse). Hailey will also selectively take on Adult Romance, and is hopeful there are still love story tropes out there that can be discovered or re-explored in a way that redefines the genre. In nonfiction, she is looking for both trade and literary proposals. She is especially interested in memoirs that play with the concept of time and structure. Learn more about Hailey here.

Miriam Cortinovis is a literary agent with The Ki Agency. In general, Miriam is eagerly looking for everything and anything speculative (fantasy and science fiction) across most age ranges — adult, young adult, and middle grade. Similarly—for horror, thriller, gothic, and historical, they would love to champion manuscripts that utilize the speculative to challenge, endanger, and transform the psyche anew. Miriam takes an interest in young adult contemporary novels that draw on their fascination with American high school from immigrant perspectives and with summer camps/adventures. Miriam is also on the lookout for selective works of literary fiction and creative nonfiction. For everything listed above, they’re also highly interested in novellas. Learn more about Miriam here.

Vicky Weber is a literary agent with Creative Media Agency. In adult and young adult fiction, she seeks: horror, psychological suspense, thrillers, commercial, upmarket, historical, women’s fiction, romance, fantasy (dark/high/epic), magical realism, speculative, and paranormal/supernatural. In middle grade and picture books, she seeks highly giftable, commercial fiction with a strong voice—stories that feel like they always should have been on the shelf. Learn more about Vicky here.

Christine Goss is a literary agent with FinePrint Literary Management. Christine is drawn to stories with high stakes and tension. The first pages must draw her in with action and curiosity. Lyrical writing, along with emotionality, physicality, and interiority, are all key components Christine looks for in a manuscript.  Christine is generally interested in romance, historical fiction, book club fiction, upmarket, dystopian, graphic novel, and fantasy. Nonfiction and graphic novels covering a specific range of topics are also of interest. She is also open to most young adult. Championing marginalized voices is important to Christine as she seeks to include BIPOC, LGTBQ+, and neurodivergent (and more) authors on her list. “I am looking to uplift, support, and highlight marginalized voices.” Learn more about Christine here.

Des Salazar is a literary agent with Metamorphosis Literary. They seek: Romance, Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, New Adult, Science Fiction, and Young Adult. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Des Salazar holds an MFA in Fiction having completed a thesis containing translations of stories and poems from an archived journal and reflection essays. Learn more about Des here.

Tommy Dean is an agent with Rosecliff Literary. In fiction, he seeks psychological thrillers, full-throttled suspense, mysteries with active and motivated main characters, and novels of crime with anti-hero main characters. He is interested in books with clear stakes and inevitable but surprising endings. He’s interested in stories that make him forget the outside world, that are super-charged with sensory experiences, with characters fighting to understand their pasts. Give him your characters with secrets, past loves, past crimes, and past mistakes that lead to unique stories. Learn more about Tommy here.

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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Writing Workshop of Chicago attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 WWOC on our calendar.

That event is the 2026 (Online) Chesapeake Writing Workshop, August 14-15, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches. This means that 2026 WWOC attendees can have access to pitching all those online Chesapeake WW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online August 14-15, 2026 event.

(That said, if you want to formally register for the August online Chesapeake Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Chicago attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Chicago. Following the conference on June 20, 2026, we will be in touch with all Chicago attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 online CWW (August 14-15, 2026). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.