2026 Agents/Editors

Agent

Ritu Anand, D4EO Literary Agency

Bio: Ritu Anand has been a passionate storyteller since childhood. Caught and admonished for writing—under her desk—during a math class, she recalls being highly inconvenienced. Inspiration had struck from within and there was little else she could have done to curtail it. Today, Ritu has earned the recognition of being an award-winning author of Kara’s Dreams, a picture book about being resilient in the face of adversity. She gives tremendous credit to the various teachers at Mater Dei Convent, who, in the formative years of her life, laid an impression upon her.

No good story should ever be filed away but be shared, she believes. And that is why she has chosen to champion voices yet unheard. Ritu is excited to represent writers of kidlit, literary fiction, general fiction and historical fiction.

She joined D4EO Literary Agency in Spring 2023. As a writer herself, she is on the same page with other writers and applauds their creativity.

For submissions, email a word file to: ritu@d4eo.com.

Kidlit: Picture Books, Middle Grade and YA novels.

Literary Fiction: Drama, Fairy Tales and Fiction in Verse.

General Fiction: Women’s Fiction, Drama, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Satire, Tragedy.

Historical Fiction: Women’s Historical Fiction, Historical Romantic Fiction and Historical Fantasy.

Diverse and Underrepresented Voices are encouraged to submit.

Looking for:  She is most interested in representing kidlit, cozy mystery thrillers, family crime, historical fiction and women’s fiction.

Not looking for: Please do not submit sci-fi or paranormal to her.

Agent

Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates

Bio: Caitlin Blasdell has been a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates since 2002, focusing on commercial fiction.  Before becoming an agent, she was a senior editor at HarperCollins Publishers.  A graduate of Williams College, she lives in Westchester with her husband, four sons, and an ever-expanding flower garden.

Looking for: She is looking for quality commercial fiction, which to her means a strong plot, memorable voice, clean prose, and, ideally, a good hook.  Her specialties include science fiction and fantasy, romance and women’s fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction.  She also handles a few select middle grade and YA authors and a very few nonfiction titles.

Her clients include Adam Plantinga (THE ASCENT and HARD TOWN), Nicola Solvinic (THE HUNTER’S DAUGHTER), Constance Fay (CHAOS), Scott Hawkins (THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR), Jo Nichols (THE MARIGOLD COTTAGES MURDER COLLECTIVE), Charles Stross (the Hugo-Award-winning Laundry series), and Rebecca Zanetti (New York Times-bestselling author of the Laurel Snow thriller series.)

Agent

Alicia Brooks, Martin Literary Management

Bio: Alicia Brooks began her publishing career over 25 years ago as an editorial assistant at Penguin USA (Dutton/Plume).  She advanced to an assistant editor position at Nan A. Talese/Doubleday where she worked with groundbreaking authors, including Margaret Atwood, Pat Conroy, and Ian McEwan. She then became an editor at Picador/St. Martin’s Press where she edited over 40 hardcover titles and several trade paper original titles, including Good Morning America Book Club Pick Noelle Howey’s DRESS CODES: OF THREE GIRLHOODS — MY MOTHER’S, MY FATHER’S, AND MINE, Nega Mezlekia’s award-winning NOTES FROM THE HYENA’S BELLY, and Jaclyn Moriarty’s FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA, an ALA Best Book of the Year and YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
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She became a literary agent at The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency in 2019. Her client list included categories such as Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction from writers with diverse backgrounds, Self-Help, Pop Culture, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Book Club Fiction, YA Fiction, Horror, and Historical Fiction. She represented Boyah J. Farah, author of the earth-shattering memoir AMERICA MADE ME A BLACK MAN (Harper/Nominated for the NAACP Image Award and NPR Best Book of the Year), Kathleen S. Allen, author of the YA Gothic Horror novel THE RESURRECTIONIST (Roaring Brook) Jennifer Sherman Roberts’ THE VILLAGE HEALER’S BOOK OF CURES: A NOVEL (Lake Union/Named an Editors’ Choice by the Historical Novel Society and named a First Reads Editors’ Pick by Amazon) and Sofia Romero, author of the linked story collection WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WHO WE ARE (Blackstone/Shortlisted for the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction).

Alicia graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in English and Philosophy. She has a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in the Teaching of English Grades 7-12.  She was raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Manhattan with her writer husband, Michael Londra, and their cat, Tut Baby.
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Looking for: Narrative Nonfiction from writers with diverse voices; Memoir with big concepts; Self-Help; Pop Culture; Social Justice; Literary Fiction; Book Club Fiction; Thrillers; Historical Fiction; Horror; Romance; YA Fiction and Non-fiction.

Agent

Jon Cobb, Hannigan Getzler Literary (HG Literary)

Bio: Jon Cobb is a Literary Agent at Hannigan Getzler Literary. Prior to joining HG Literary in 2016, he completed a master’s degree in Publishing: Digital and Print Media at NYU. He joined HG Literary to assist partner and agent Josh Getzler on a wide variety of titles in fiction and nonfiction.

Looking for: Jon is looking for Mysteries, Thrillers, Horror, Speculative, Grounded Sci-Fi, and Fantasy. He represents across age groups, Middle Grade, YA and Adult. He’s particularly looking for stories written by authors of diverse and underrepresented backgrounds; high-concept, 15-minutes-in-the-future speculative thrillers; and bold, creative, genre-defying mashups—Ocean’s 11 across timelines, Grey’s Anatomy but make it magic, The Bourne Identity during a family reunion. Something with clear genre appeal but with an unheard-of twist.

Not Looking For: True crime; Non-fiction; traditional cozy mysteries; straightforward CIA or military thrillers; Trump allegories.

Agent

Claudia Cross, Folio Literary Management

Bio: Advocate, adviser, ally, coach, counselor, and negotiator: an agent, at times, can play one or all of these roles in the literary life of an author. In responding to the changing needs of the writers she represents, Claudia brings to each a high level of individualized attention. She began her career at William Morris, and then joined Sterling Lord Literistic, where she worked for just over a decade before joining Folio and becoming a partner. She has worked with a range of authors in both fiction and nonfiction, from CEOs, chefs and debut writers to New York Times bestsellers. Among the diverse clients she represents are the literary Estate of Mother Teresa; entrepreneur and designer Emily Ley; art historian and Renoir scholar Barbara Ehrlich White; and novelists Rachel Gibson and Christina Lynch.

Looking for: For thrillers specifically, she is looking for compelling female characters; modern espionage with a classic feel, and stories involving people going about their daily lives who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

Agent

Ginger Curwen, Julia Lord Literary Management

Bio and photo coming soon!

Agent

James Farner, JABberwocky Literary Agency

Bio: James Farner (he/him) is an Agency Assistant for JABberwocky Literary Agency, directly assisting COO Brady McReynolds. He was born and raised in the Midwest, received his bachelor’s degree in English writing and religious studies from the University of Oklahoma (where he interned with award-winning literary magazine World Literature Today), and moved to New York City to attend The New School for Social Research’s Liberal Studies master’s program. He started at JABberwocky as an intern in 2019 and became full-time in 2021.

James grew up reading epic fantasies and sweeping space operas, but these days the majority of his reading is in the mystery/thriller space. When he’s not reading, his minimal free time goes to keeping up with the best TV series and listening to podcasts in the tech-adjacent, pop-culture sphere.

Looking for: I’m looking for novel-length works of Adult Fiction in the mystery/crime/thriller genres, with a particular interest in murder mysteries and whodunnits. I’ll consider projects with speculative elements, but generally ones you’d still expect to see in the mystery section of a bookstore, not the SFF shelves.

Not looking for: I am not open to Children’s, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Short Stories (including collections), Poetry, Graphic Novels, or Nonfiction.

Agent

Liza Fleissig, Liza Royce Associates

Bio: Liza Fleissig is a founder of the Liza Royce Agency, a cross-platform company providing development, representation, and strategic career management for clients in all media. LRA’s goal is to represent clients in all stages of their careers, from the most established to those still developing their craft. A former trial partner in a NYC based litigation firm, Liza brings decades of negotiating experience to the field, and along with strong connections rooted in publishing, film and television, she provides bespoke services on a multi-dimensional level.

Clients: Karia Rouda, Elise Hart Kipness, Jon Lindstrom, Robert Bailey, Isabella Maldonado, Sara DiVello, Retired FBI Agent Jerri Williams, Estate of Marc Olden, among others.

Looking for: Psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, mystery/suspense, crime fiction, medical thrillers (would love the next Quincy/Scarpetta generation) – basically a fresh way in to tried-and-true concepts – female narratives with complicated histories/family/friendships always welcome.

Not looking for: YA, sci/fi/fantasy, crazy presidents, Russia/China, covid/pandemic stories, traditional CIA/terrorist, mob/cartel, military thrillers (unless author is/was military).

Agent

Renee Fountain, Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management

Bio: President of Gandolfo, Helin & Fountain Literary Management, Renee C. Fountain is a publishing industry veteran. Renee spent five years working for the CW Television Network as a book scout and story analyst for the scripted television division.

During her decade-long tenure with major publishing houses Harcourt Brace and Simon & Schuster, Ms. Fountain brokered film and television options, and had the great fortune of working with some of the best writers and illustrators in the publishing world.

Over the years, Renee has been lucky enough to discover wonderful crime thriller writers, such as Jonathan Fredrick’s Cain City series, Sarah Cain’s The 8th Circle; and Michel Logan’s Hell’s Detective.

Looking for: Renee is looking for all types of adult and YA fiction and non-fiction. She prefers: mysteries, thrillers, horror, dark/urban/contemporary fantasy, rom-com, humor, pop-culture, narrative, prescriptive and commercial non-fiction.

Not looking for: She DOES NOT represent screenplays, previously published books (in any capacity), science fiction, space opera, cli-fi, historical fiction, post-apocalyptic, middle grade, picture books, erotica, poetry, novellas, short story collections, anything with strong political, religious views, or featuring viruses, terrorist, and/or epidemics.

Agent

Ariele Fredman, UTA (United Talent Agency)

Bio: Ariele Fredman comes to UTA from Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, where she was most recently Deputy Director of Publicity and Marketing, working across genres to launch bestselling campaigns for blockbuster authors such as Colleen Hoover, Lisa Jewell, Janet Evanovich,Jennifer Weiner, Fredrik Backman, Rebecca Serle, and Zakiya Dalila Harris. Over her 15+ years in publishing, she has launched over 50 New York Times bestsellers, including eight number-one books.

Her mission at UTA is to help build the commercial fiction program, drawing on her unique understanding of the publishing landscape and what drives readers to both buy and then talk about their favorite books.

Looking for: Ariele is looking for character-driven commercial and upmarket fiction that will make her cry; mystery/thriller/suspense with an incredible, unique, or weird hook and a last-page jaw dropper; romance with a relatable main character and witty dialogue; and novels about women’s inner lives that straddle the line between commercial and literary. She loves a strong sense of place. Her favorite novels are those you want to savor but end up reading in a day, and tension amongst characters — in any genre — is a win. She would love to find more romantic suspense as well as authors in the vein of one of her favorites, Lisa Jewell. She’d also like to hear from a diverse range of voices and backgrounds.

Not looking for: She is not in the market for extremely cozy or PI-led novels at the moment.

Agent

Doug Grad, Doug Grad Literary Agency, Inc.

Bio: Doug’s path on the road to publishing may have been set early. His first job in the industry came in 1978, walking up and down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan wearing a sandwich board advertising a new novel during the 1978 New York City newspaper strike. The next year, he took creative writing at Stuyvesant High School with Frank McCourt, nearly two decades before McCourt won the Pulitzer Prize for Angela’s Ashes. Doug opened the Doug Grad Literary Agency, Inc. in 2008. A third generation New Yorker and 25-year resident of Brooklyn, Doug moved to Salem, Massachusetts in 2021, where he is learning incantations and spells to influence the publishing gods.

After starting at Simon & Schuster as an assistant to the assistant of Michael Korda, 2026 begins Doug’s 40th year as a publishing professional. An editor with imprints at Simon & Schuster, Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins for 22 years, Doug acquired and edited fiction and nonfiction bestsellers. On the nonfiction side, Doug has worked with astronauts, generals, war heroes, gangsters, cops, politicians, sports stars, journalists, musicians, historians, and humorists. It’s never boring, and it keeps him out of the saloons!

As an agent, Doug has represented such clients as New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction Jeff Shaara; New York Times bestseller Kerri Rawson (daughter of serial killer Dennis Rader, known as BTK); New York Times bestselling WWII historian Larry Alexander; Grammy-winning jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hugh Shelton, baseball great Darryl Strawberry and true crime/mob writer Michael Benson, among others. In the mystery/thriller genre, Doug represents two-time Agatha Award and four-time Lefty Award winner Ellen Byron (and her alter-ego Maria DiRico); Jerome Preisler, author of the NET FORCE series created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik; New York Times bestseller David L. Robbins; psychological suspense writer Debbie Babitt; thriller writer Matthew Betley; and espionage novelist A.J. Chambers.

Looking For: On the fiction side, Doug’s looking for mysteries (cozy, contemporary or historical), all stripes of thrillers with interesting voices.

Not looking for: Children’s picture books, middle grade, YA, science fiction, fantasy.

Agent

Mitch Hoffman, Aaron Priest Literary Agency

Bio and photo coming soon!

Agent

Elizabeth Kracht, Kimberley Cameron & Associates Literary Agency

Bio: Elizabeth Kracht is a literary agent with Kimberley Cameron & Associates and the author of The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript. She also works as a freelance developmental editor coaching authors.

Elizabeth represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction, and she brings to the agency experience as a former acquisitions editor, freelance publicist, and writer. Elizabeth’s websites can be viewed at: www.elizabethkracht.com and www.kimberleycameron.com.

Looking for: In fiction, she represents thrillers, mysteries, literary, commercial, women’s, and historical. In nonfiction, she is interested in finding true crime, investigative journalism, narrative/creative nonfiction, prescriptive, voice- or adventure-driven memoir, high concept, science, spirituality, sexuality, self-help, and pet stories.

Not looking for: Elizabeth is not looking for screenplays, previously published works, high finance, or business books.

Agent

Julia Lord, Julia Lord Literary Management

Bio and photo coming soon!

Agent

Sandy Lu, Book Wyrm Literary Agency

Bio: Sandy Lu founded Book Wyrm Literary Agency after working as a literary agent for more than a decade at other boutique agencies, including Peter Rubie Literary Agency, Anderson Literary Management, and the L. Perkins Agency. Her client list includes Amazon, Barnes  & Noble, Publishers Weekly, and USA TODAY bestsellers, Stoker Award, Hammett Prize, and Anthony Award nominees, Goodreads Choice Awards finalists, and New York Times Best of the Year recipient.

Sandy is seeking stories that will draw her in with a unique voice, make her miss her bedtime with a thrilling plot, and characters that will stay with her long after she turns the last page. Bonus points if you can make her laugh out loud or unable to hold back tears. She especially loves historical fiction, atmospheric world building, and anything dark, twisted, or with a supernatural bent. She favors unreliable narrators and serpentine plots that will keep her guessing till the end. And her white whale is a great spy novel set in early 20th century Shanghai.

Looking for: mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, science fiction, fantasy, historical  fiction, upmarket women’s fiction, YA, family saga, rom-coms, historical true crime, biography, and narrative nonfiction on history, science, psychology, and food.

Not looking for: picture books, graphic novels, screenplays, memoir, contemporary true crime, parenting, sports, political/religious/military thrillers, westerns, erotica, or poetry.

Agent

Hayley Nusbaum, Gersh

Bio: Hayley Nusbaum coordinates the Publishing and Media Rights Departments for the Gersh Agency. Hayley finds material across genres for all Gersh’s book and media rights agents, for both publishing and film representation. She has a full-service approach with her clients, negotiating both film and publishing deals. She also supports top clients across the agency with IP pursuits.

Looking for: Literary fiction, suspense, thriller, upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, speculative, horror, sweeping romance, narrative non-fiction.

Not looking for: Young adult, middle grade, spy books.

Agent

Lee O’Brian, Looking Glass Literary & Media

Bio and photo coming soon!

Editor

Melissa Rechter, Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks

Bio coming soon!

Agent

Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary

Bio: Michelle Richter is a Senior Agent at Fuse Literary, which she joined from St. Martin’s Press. Crime fiction is her true love, from police procedurals to domestic suspense to thriller. And let’s not forget heists and con artists. She’s rarely found a British or Scandinavian crime show she couldn’t get wrapped up in. Recent favorite authors include Eli Cranor, Ruth Ware, S.A. Cosby, P.J. Vernon, Halley Sutton, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden.

Looking for: She is currently looking for suspense, thriller, amateur sleuth, traditional mystery, police procedural, commercial women’s fiction, and book club reads. She loves a strong voice, character-driven fiction, dual timelines, family secrets, sister/friend stories, lots of twists, and unreliable narrators. LGBTQ, BIPOC, and disabled voices are very welcome.

Not looking for: She is not looking for WWII or pre-20th century historical fiction; private investigators; political, military or espionage thrillers; science fiction/fantasy; poetry; YA or middle-grade fiction; memoir. Stories with human or drug trafficking, sexual assault or abuse, religious themes or characters aren’t a good fit for Michelle’s list.

Clients: E.A. Aymar, L.A. Chandlar, Kyra Davis, Kellye Garrett, Tara Laskowski, Alan Orloff, J. Todd Scott, Carl Vonderau, Erica Wright.

Agent

Hannah Schofield, LBA Books

Bio: Hannah Schofield is an award-winning literary agent based at LBA agency in London, who represents a broad list of commercial and book club fiction, with select YA and non-fiction.

With work experience in literary scouting and foreign rights, she always brings an international eye to her reading and works with authors from all over the world. Hannah also reckons she’s the only Luxembourgish literary agent – but she probably wouldn’t swear to it!

Looking for: She loves big hooks, strong voices, pacy reads, and ‘all the feels’, but is mostly looking for books that enthrall, across any genre.

Agent

Ellen Scordato, Stonestong

Bio: Ellen Scordato is a partner in Stonesong with more than 35 years’ experience in trade book publishing. She started at St Martin’s Press, then Charles Scribner’s Sons and Random House, where she learned from some of the best in the business. She joined Stonesong as a partner in 2002, where she initially specialized in four-color and packaged titles. After 20 years she returned to her first, best love, genre fiction, and currently represents Jennifer Williamson, S. K. Golden, Victor Sulhammont, Elena Hartwell [Taylor], and Alex Myers, among others. A Wellesley College graduate with a B.A. in Classics and Art History, she lives in Manhattan with a husband and a couple of literary cats.

Looking for: Ellen is looking for fast-paced contemporary and historical mysteries and thrillers with charismatic protagonists and fresh settings with the potential for series.  She’s a fan of dark academia, hard-boiled heroines, and clever police procedurals for today’s readers, but she’s not looking for cozy mysteries, horror, or comedy. She’ll read submissions set in the literary world, but if it’s in a tried-and-true setting (writing conference, bookstore, etc.), she’d like to see something innovative or an unexpected twist.

Editor

Shawn Reilly Simmons, Level Best Books

Agent

Charlotte Sunderland, Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management

Bio: Charlotte Sunderland is an Associate Literary Agent at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management. After a decade in Los Angeles, she comes to books from a film background, having worked at Creative Artists Agency, wiip studios, and as the Creative Executive to actor and producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Charlotte is looking for upmarket and cinematic fiction with compelling characters, tight plots, and page-turning prose that can expand into film and television. A native New Yorker, Charlotte graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies.

Looking for: She is particularly interested in self-sabotaging heroines and morally ambiguous characters, dysfunctional families, unreliable narrators, ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations, and humorous takes on conventionally dark subjects.

Editor

Krishan Trotman, Legacy Lit (Hachette Book Group)

Bio: Krishan Trotman is the Vice-President, Publisher of Legacy Lit. She joined Hachette Books in 2016. In 2020 she launched Legacy Lit, an imprint dedicated to books that give voice to issues, authors, and communities that have been marginalized, underserved, and overlooked. This includes BIPOC authors, all women, and any group that they believe deserves a spotlight. The imprint is committed to promoting equality, equity, and inclusion for all people. The books are bold, mission-driven commercial works. In celebration of the imprint’s fifth year anniversary, they are launching a fiction line.

Krishan has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Essence Magazine, New York Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, and more. She is known as “The Beyoncé of Books.”

Looking for: Thrillers, Domestic Suspense, Crime Fiction, Women’s Fiction, True Crime, Horror, Mystery. Keen interest in BIPOC authors and underrepresented voices.

Note: Krishan will ONLY be at PitchFest from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Note on editors/publishers: This editor/publisher accepts unagented manuscripts and may directly request your manuscript.

Agent

Ann Leslie Tuttle, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC

Bio: Ann Leslie Tuttle joined DG&B in 2017 after working for 20 years at Harlequin Books where she most recently was a Senior Editor. At Harlequin, she was fortunate to work on an extensive and varied list of bestselling and award-winning titles in romance and women’s fiction. She is actively acquiring women’s fiction, contemporary romance, romantasy, thrillers, mysteries, and narrative nonfiction geared for a female audience. She received her B.A. degree from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. from the University of Virginia. Finding and nurturing talented new and established writers has always been Ann Leslie’s passion.

Looking for: I am drawn to stories set in the South, thrillers, mysteries, MG and YA, narrative nonfiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction and romance.

Not looking for: I am not looking for dystopian or science fiction.