PITCH YOUR BOOK TO A LITERARY AGENT:
These one-on-one pitch meetings at the online 2023 Writing Workshop of Chicago 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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Vicky Weber is a literary agent with The Purcell Agency. She is seeking: Picture Books (anything heartfelt, educational, or lighthearted); Young Adult (fantasy, mystery, horror, thriller, suspense); Middle Grade (fantasy, mystery, magic); and Adult Fiction (fantasy and thrillers). Vicky specializes in picture books. She wants to be dropped into the moment and experience the story alongside the characters. She is always seeking underrepresented authors, BIPOC, LGBTQ+. Learn more about Vicky here.
Lucy Hamilburg is a literary agent at The Hamilburg Agency. Lucy is looking for picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction. As a former middle school teacher, she knows what flies off the shelves and is always seeking novels, graphic novels, lyrical prose, and picture books that make kids and young adults laugh out loud and simultaneously pull at their heart strings She is open to all genres and categories within kidlit books — including fantasy, suspense/thriller, romance, contemporary, humor, paranormal, historical fiction, and everything in between. Learn more about Lucy here.
Kaylee Zou is a literary agent with Williamson Literary. What the agency represents: Nonfiction: history, sports, science, environmental, biographies, travel, culture, adventure, educational, motivational (i.e. work that informs or inspires social change or advocates for women and BIPOC). Give thought to your author platform and develop a strong marketing section for your book proposal. Adult Fiction: upmarket, contemporary, literary, and commercial; character-driven women’s fiction, book club fiction, domestic suspense, adventure, international, upbeat, feel-good, dark and dangerous, fiction with fantastical elements or magical realism, poignant social commentaries, humor, satire, new takes on old tropes. Pitch us writing that sings rather than tells, take us on an emotional journey, build vivid scenes for us, craft strong voices and unusual and unforgettable settings (we love stories where place is a character too). Any subject is welcome. Learn more about Kaylee here.
Elizabeth Jackson is a Christian fiction acquisitions editor at Tyndale House Publishers. Elizabeth acquires fiction for adult Christian/inspirational readers, and is open to reviewing proposals for these audiences in the following categories: Women’s fiction (historical or contemporary); Southern fiction (historical or contemporary); Contemporary romance and contemporary rom com; Historical fiction (including dual-timeline fiction); and Suspense. Learn more about Elizabeth here.
Lori Colvin is a Literary Agent with Birch Literary. She is seeking: If a book doesn’t grab Lori on the first page, she generally won’t read any further, so bring out your best right away. Lori’s looking for fresh viewpoints in multiple genres, including women’s fiction, Thriller, Book Club Fiction, Mystery (but no Cozy), and more. Things she’s not seeking at the moment: Romance, MG, or PB. If you can make Lori laugh, cry, gasp, or stay up all night reading, you may be a good match. Learn more about Lori here.
Elisa Moles is a literary agent with Painted Fire Literary Agency. She is seeking: Especially interested in upmarket fiction. “In one word, what defines fantastic fiction narrative? Consequences. Consequences give structure. And stories with cohesive and creative structures, true to each writer’s background and voice, stand the test of time beyond the trendy topics and gimmicks of the day. I especially love psychologically complex characters. I’m looking for distinctive and compassionate voices who are telling organically unexpected stories in a wide variety of styles and genres. Surprise me.” Please do not pitch: nonfiction, poetry, children’s books, middle grade, YA, graphic novels, screenplays, westerns, horror, nihilist, or erotic work. No previously self-published works please. Learn more about Elisa here.
Elana Gibson is an associate editor & acquisitions manager for CamCat Publishing. We publish adult (over 18) and YA (9th-12th grades), novel-length genre fiction. We’ll look at any good tale, but what we want to see most urgently revolves around these genres: Mystery /Thriller, and Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Paranormal, Horror, Adventure, Western. Learn more about Elana here.
Tina P. Schwartz is a literary agent and founder of Purcell Agency. She is seeking: middle grade fiction, young adult novel, some Women’s Fiction (mostly book club), contemporary realistic fiction, romance, coming of age stories, #ownvoices, and LGBTQ stories. Schwartz is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). Learn more about Tina here.
ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2023 Writing Workshop of Chicago attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2023 WWOC on our event calendar.
That event is the 2023 (Online) Carolina Writing Workshop, July 7-8, 2023, which will have 25-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.
This means that 2023 WWOC attendees can have access to pitching all those online Carolina agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online July 2023 Carolina event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the Carolina WW and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a deep 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 Chicago one-day conference on June 24, 2023, we will be in touch with all Chicago attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2023 Carolina WW (July 7-8). 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.)