Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Maria Vicente of P.S. Literary

Maria Vicente is a senior literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency.

Maria represents bold and innovative books for kids, teens, and curious adults. Her favorite books to work on show readers something new about the real world or invite them into new worlds they never want to leave.

In her 8 years at PSLA, Maria has launched the careers of many authors and illustrators and is known for being an early advocate of the growing graphic novel market in trade publishing. With a B.A. in English from Carleton University and a B.Ed. from Western University, she puts her teaching background to use hosting workshops about the publishing industry and supporting her fellow agents at PSLA. Maria lives in New Brunswick, Canada, reading and selling books from the Atlantic Ocean shore.

Maria is acquiring fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages. She is looking for: literary fiction and upmarket speculative fiction (fantasy, magical realism, horror); young adult novels; middle grade novels; illustrated picture books; illustrated graphic novels, graphic memoirs, and graphic nonfiction; and narrative nonfiction for kids, teens, or adult readers about culture, arts and entertainment, history, and science topics. She welcomes and encourages submissions from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled creators.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Katie Reed of Andrea Hurst & Associates

Katie Reed is a literary agent with Andrea Hurst & Associates.

Katie began her career in publishing with Andrea Hurst Literary Management while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in English and has worked in the publishing field for over a decade. As a literary agent, Katie loves discovering new talent, building lasting connections with her authors, and working diligently to represent books readers will love.

Katie currently works as an agent and literary scout, and is looking for compelling, standout projects to champion. She is open for submissions in the following genres:

  • Commercial Women’s Fiction with a strong hook and market appeal
  • Historical Fiction (Favorite authors include Ruta Sepyts, Kate Quinn, Kristin Hannah, Taylor Jenkins Reid)
  • Women’s Suspense/Thriller (especially with unreliable narrators or an ending with an unforeseen twist)
  • Fiction with a fantastical angle (a la The Midnight Library by Matt Haig)
  • Retellings, similar to Circe by Madeline Miller
  • Young Adult Contemporary or Fantasy
  • Middle Grade

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Vicky Weber of The Purcell Agency

Vicky Weber is a literary agent with The Purcell Agency.

Vicky is a former elementary school teacher turned children’s book author. In addition to her own publications, she runs At Home Author, a coaching and consulting company that teaches current and aspiring authors how to get their books published and marketed for success.

She is seeking:

1. PICTURE BOOKS: Anything heartfelt, educational, or lighthearted.
2. YOUNG ADULT: Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Suspense,
3. MIDDLE GRADE: Fantasy, Mystery, Magic
4. ADULT: Fantasy and Thrillers.

Vicky specializes in picture books. She wants to be dropped into the moment and experience the story alongside the characters.

Picture Book Wishlist:

  • Stories by underrepresented authors, both fiction and nonfiction. I especially love bilingual books.
  • Books that are educational (fiction or nonfiction) in a way that makes learning fun, especially if they are musical in some way.
  • Lighthearted, playful humor with heart.
  • Familiar storylines with a fresh twist or perspective
  • Rhyming stories must be exceptionally well written with perfect meter.

She also loves Young Adult and Fantasy.

ALWAYS SEEKING: Underrepresented authors, BIPOC, LGBTQ+

No erotica, romance, or memoirs please. Vicky is not the best fit for potty humor, graphic novels, or nonfiction adult books.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Mindi St. Peter of BAMbooks

Mindi St. Peter is a literary manager at BAMbooks.

In fiction, she seeks: Action/Adventure, Children’s, Commercial, Crime, Domestic Thriller, Erotica, Family Saga, Fantasy, General, Graphic Novel, Historical, Historical Horror, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary, Middle Grade, Mystery, New Adult, Picture Books, Poetry, Psychological Thriller, Romance, Thriller, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult.

In nonfiction, she seeks: Biography, Humor, Illustrated, LGBTQ, Memoir, Pop Culture

Favorite sub-genres: Contemporary Romance, Contemporary YA, Literary Middle Grade, Magical Realism, Narrative Nonfiction, Psychological Thrillers

Please do not pitch anything you have already independently or self-published.

Mindi taught herself to read at the age of three. She then demonstrated her newfound ability to her mother by climbing into her lap and reading to her from the Sunday comics. Mindi has been a voracious reader ever since.

Knowing how much reading was a positive and important part of her life made Mindi want to pass that gift on to as many people as she could. This is what made her decide to be a teacher of tiny humans. After getting her B.A. in Sociology, she went on to get her teaching certification and then her Masters of Science in Education. She has been teaching for 21 years.

Mindi is no stranger to the entertainment industry. For as long as she can remember, she has been surrounded by authors, voiceover artists, musicians and actors. She has been getting her feet wet in the entertainment industry for a few years now and is now ready to marry her unique abilities and aforementioned voracity so that she may help authors get their books into the hands of the perfect publishers. BAM Management is the perfect home for Mindi because she has the perfect balance of skill, a love for artists and a tenacity to see a book project from concept to completion.

Mindi lives in Huntington Beach, CA with her husband Dan, their two daughters Abigail and Juliana, and their bearded dragon named Thomas. They enjoy spending time with each other at home, on the beach, or traveling and three out of four of them love to read 😉

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kelly Peterson of Rees Literary

Kelly Peterson (she/her) is a literary agent with Rees Literary.

Kelly is a West Chester University graduate with a B.S.Ed in English and Literature. She worked as a Junior Literary Agent for two years before moving to Rees Literary Agency, continuing to champion her authors and the manuscripts she loves. Kelly seeks books in various genres within Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult age ranges. She is very interested in representing authors with marginalized own voices stories, witty and unique characters, pirates, witches, and dark fantasies.

In Middle Grade, she’s looking for:

Fantasy and sci-fi

Contemporary that touches on tough issues for young readers

In YA, she’s looking for:

Genres from contemporary, to high fantasy, to sci-fi (not the space kind) to paranormal (all the ghost stories, please!) and historical all the way back to rom-coms.

In Adult, Kelly represents:

Romance, fantasy, and sci-fi

Kelly is excited to expand her client list and find new authors who have a strong story to tell.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Paul S. Levine of Paul S. Levine Literary

Screen Shot 2019-09-27 at 1.36.26 PM.pngPaul S. Levine is a literary agent and the founder of Paul S. Levine Literary. He is also an attorney.

His fiction interests include adventure novels, mainstream fiction, mysteries, romance, thrillers, and women’s fiction.

His nonfiction interests include business/commerce, pop culture, how-to, self-help, politics/law, relationships, and sports.

Paul has sold more than 250 fiction and nonfiction books.

As an entertainment lawyer, Levine has written the legal contracts for several books adapted as movies-for-television. With over thirty-seven (38) years of experience in the entertainment and book industries, Levine is one of the few lawyers on the West coast who also understands the world of book publishing; as such, he is able to act as both literary agent and publishing attorney for his clients.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Mara Cobb of Martin Literary Management

Mara Cobb is a literary agent with Martin Literary Management.

On my fifth birthday, I read two Junie B. Jones books in one sitting. It wasn’t long after that when my grandmothers, both voracious readers, took it upon themselves to hunt for books I would love just as much as the Junie B. series. By age six, I was reading Nancy Drew mysteries. At seven, I was working my way through the Bobbsey Twins and Little House in the Big Woods, followed by Little Women. My favorite books have always been those that keep me on the edge of my seat in excitement and those that allow me to feel the full scope of human emotions as I read late into the night.

After earning my master’s degree in English, achieving over fifty publications, and serving as the editor-in-chief for a small literary journal, I completed a year-long publishing internship learning the ins and outs of Martin Literary Management. I am thrilled to become part of the MLM family and am most excited about coming alongside fresh and seasoned writers to help them reach their full potential.​

Currently, I am looking for Adult Nonfiction and Women’s Driven Fiction. For Women’s Driven Fiction, I am particularly interested in books with strong female heroines who are in their 20s. The gap between YA Fiction and Adult Fiction is one that I am passionate about continuing to bridge. I also am looking for Christian Fiction, Christian Romance (think Hallmark-style), and Christian YA.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Morgan Hughes of FinePrint Literary

Morgan Hughes is a literary agent with FinePrint Literary.

Morgan is seeking middle grade and young adult fantasy / adventure with a particular interest in graphic novels. She is also interested in YA, new adult, and adult romance. She loves unique narratives, strong voices, and impressive world-building, but is also drawn to small town vibes and sports settings. She is currently not seeking picture books, science fiction, thrillers/mysteries, or nonfiction.

She believes that books can change the world and is committed to discovering and uplifting underrepresented voices.

Morgan attended Texas Tech University and earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English literature. Morgan was previously an intern and agency assistant at Pippin Properties before joining FinePrint Literary.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Stephanie Winter of P.S. Literary

Stephanie Winter is a literary agent with P.S. Literary.

Stephanie holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto in English Literature and an M.A. in English: Issues in Modern Culture from University College London. She is looking for diverse, inclusive voices in a variety of spaces. Stephanie particularly appreciates strong characters who bend stereotypes, genders, and more.

Stephanie is primarily acquiring across three pillars: adult fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. She’s actively seeking titles with diverse and inclusive representation that offer smart, culturally aware, and enriching narratives. In fiction, she particularly enjoys commercial and upmarket projects (rom-coms, thriller/suspense, etc.) that offer millennial and/or queer-affirming perspectives. In nonfiction, she’s on the hunt for pop culture, cultural criticism, millennial business and finance, narrative nonfiction, how-to, and lifestyle projects.

Overall, she’s looking for stories that will engage with and change the way we view the world around us.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kat Kerr of Donald Maass Literary

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.

Submission Interests:

Literary and Upmarket Fiction:

Kat is drawn to strong, character-driven works with rich, literary prose. She loves books that make her think and have a strong emotional pull.

Contemporary
Women’s Fiction
Multicultural Lit
Speculative
Magical Realism
Family Sagas
YA

Favorite Books: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, About a Boy by Nick Hornby, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, The Leavers by Lisa Ko, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen, anything by Amy Tan

Commercial Fiction:

For the commercial market, Kat is looking for high concept, voice-driven works with a close POV and well-developed, distinct characters.

Select Science Fiction and Fantasy
Women’s Fiction and Rom-Coms
YA (all genres)

Favorite Books: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Crazy Rich Asians trilogy by Kevin Kwan, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow, Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce, I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee

Nonfiction:

Narrative nonfiction and journalistic non-fiction tackling current affairs and social justice issues, particularly covering topics of racism, immigration, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equality, and poverty
Select biographies and memoirs

Do NOT pitch:

– Plots/themes centering around unresolved trauma
– Previously published or self-published works
– MG, Chapter books, picture books
– Novellas, short stories, or poetry collections
– Military/war stories
– Westerns