Featured Agents
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST
The genres listed by each agent’s name are general; please closely read the entire profile of each agent who considers work in your genre to ensure that they will consider work in your subgenre or category.
For example: an agent who is listed under Fiction may represent literary fiction, speculative fiction, and thrillers, but may not represent upmarket fiction or other types of crime fiction. Another example: an agent who is listed under Nonfiction may represent only memoirs that connect with larger social issues, but may not be interested in literary memoirs, or may not represent any memoirists at all.
To find the best possible fit, MWPA recommends that before registering, prospective attendees read agents’ profiles on our website and also do some research into their agencies, as well as their clients. Please note that for Pitch Plus sessions, agents will provide feedback and advice regardless of whether or not they are interested in representing a writer, as long as they represent writers in the same genre as the manuscript being pitched (for example, an agent representing only literary fiction would not be helpful for a writer pitching a crime fiction manuscript).
PITCH 2023 agents are available for either Quick Pitch, or Pitch Plus, as specified below. They may represent the following (very general) genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, YA, Middle Grade, and Picture Books. Please click HERE for a handy explanation of the differences between the fiction categories literary, upmarket, and commercial.
If an agent who interests you is listed as “full/wait list only,” please email Meghan Sterling at programs@mainewriters.org to be added to the wait list.
PITCH 2023 will take place on Saturday, September 23 at the USM Glickman Library in Portland, Maine. Registration options and instructions can be found HERE.
QUICK PITCH AGENTS—7 SPOTS LEFT!
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Sarah Levitt (Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir)
Sarah Levitt represents critically acclaimed fiction and nonfiction writers. Her list includes journalists, academics, historians, scientists, and musicians, among others. Levitt graduated summa cum laude as a University Honors Scholar and Founders’ Day Award recipient from New York University, with a BA in Classics and English literature. Prior to joining Aevitas, Levitt was as an agent at The Zoë Pagnamenta Agency, where she also handled contracts and foreign rights.
As an Aevitas agent based in New York, she is most interested in narrative nonfiction in the areas of popular science, big ideas, history, humor, pop culture, memoir, and reportage, in addition to voice-driven literary fiction with a bold plot and fresh, imaginative characters. She’s excited by strong female and underrepresented voices, the strange and speculative, and projects that ignite cultural conversation. Sarah is available for Quick Pitch sessions only.
Looking For: I’m open to story-driven adult nonfiction and fiction. On the nonfiction side: narrative nonfiction in the realm of popular science, big idea books, cultural or micro or little-known histories, or that combine a personal thread alongside a larger investigation into a thing. I’m not looking for straight memoir, but am open to what I like to call memoir plus; i.e. part memoir, part X (where X is telling a larger story beyond the personal), which wouldn’t be shelved under “memoir” in a bookstore, say.
As for fiction, I’m a sucker for any retelling of myth, folktale, or fairytale, but am looking for imaginative, plot-driven fiction for upmarket/literary readers that engages with deeper social issues and/or transports the reader away into another world.
NOT Looking For: Children’s (i.e. YA, middle grade, picture books), straight genre fiction be it romance, sci-fi, and beyond (unless it’s trespassing bounds in a zeitgeisty way targeted to primarily general readers; i.e. literary horror).
Featured Clients: Phuc Tran, Ruha Benjamin, Adam Chandler, Amelia Possanza, Ly Tran, Eliese Colette Goldbach, Claire L. Evans, Suzanne Scanlon, Anjali Sachdeva, Marc Bojanowski
Dean Lunt (Northeast Focused Fiction, Nonfiction, Childrens, YA, MG)
Dean L. Lunt was born in the Maine island fishing village of Frenchboro, a member of the eighth generation of Lunts that called the remote island home. He attended the island’s one-room school and Mount Desert Island High School before earning a dual degree from Syracuse University. Following graduation, he worked as an award-winning newspaper reporter in three New England states for nearly twelve years, and later worked as a freelance writer, editor and project manager. Lunt founded Islandport Press in 2000 and has since edited or published more than 200 books, most tied in some way to the culture and heritage of Maine or New England. Lunt also founded Islandport Magazine in 2017 and has written two nonfiction books, Hauling by Hand and Here for Generations. His fourth book, Speaking Maine, will be released in October 2020. He has two daughters and now lives in Yarmouth with his wife, Michelle. Dean is available for Quick Pitch sessions only.
What We Are Looking For: We are a regional publisher. We publish books about the Northeast. Submissions should reflect a New England sensibility and primarily be set in and tell stories about this region, as well as characterize the culture and people. We specialize in nonfiction, but also consider fiction, gift, and other trade titles, including food, humor, mystery, picture books, story books, middle grade chapter books, and young adult titles.
What We Are Not Looking For: Previously self-published books, poetry, fantasy, thriller, self-help, craft, erotica, and science fiction.
Featured Authors: Ruth Moore, Reza Jelali, Anna Crowley Redding, John Duncan, Astrid Sheckles
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Cynthia Brackett-Vincent (Fiction, Genre Fiction: Romance, Mystery, Crime, Literary and Historical)
Cynthia Brackett-Vincent is Encircle Publications’ Lead and Acqusitions Editor. She holds a BFA in creative writing from the University of Maine at Farmington, co-edited Women on Poetry: Writing, Revising, Publishing & Teaching (McFarland) which was named “One of 100 Best Books for Writers” by Poets & Writers magazine, has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has had poetry and non-fiction essays published in venues such as The Penman Review and Yankee. She serves as treasurer for the Haiku Society of America. Cynthia is available for Quick Pitch sessions only.
Looking For: We are looking for mystery (cozy/hard-boiled/noir, all sub-genres including crime fiction), literary fiction, and historical fiction. Although we enjoy bringing out new authors, we love to welcome those who have published previously with success, those who may have a series going and are possibly looking to pitch their work to a new publisher. We appreciate working with authors who have great social media/website visibility.
NOT Looking For: We are not looking for children’s, horror, memoir (or any non-fiction), or fantasy.
Featured Clients: Scott Lipanovich, Al Lamanda, Matt Cost, Anne Britting Oleson, BJ Magnani, Saralyn Richard, and Leslie Wheeler
PITCH PLUS AGENTS
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Amy Bishop (Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, YA)
Amy Elizabeth Bishop joined DG&B in 2015 after interning for them in 2014. At DG&B, she's cultivating a wide-ranging list in upmarket and book club fiction, expert-driven narrative nonfiction, and select YA, with a special interest in BIPOC voices. Her list includes titles such as The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim (a Reese's Book Club selection and NYT bestseller), The Red Palace by bestselling author June Hur, and Girly Drinks by Mallory O’Meara (a James Beard Award winner). Before diving into the world of publishing, she graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Creative Writing. Though she grew up upstate, she currently resides in Woodside, Queens. You can find her on Twitter at @amylizbishop. She is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking For: Upmarket/book club fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, women’s fiction, YA of all stripes and sizes, projects with a mystery or thriller element (but not PI/hardboiled mysteries or crime/political thrillers—less David Baldacci and James Patterson and more Jane Pek Lucy or Lucy Foley). In nonfiction: narrative nonfiction, history, science, cultural criticism, social issues.
NOT Looking For: Picture books, middle grade, Civil War/Vietnam War/WWII books, science fiction/fantasy, graphic novels, short story collections.
Featured Clients: Nancy Jooyoun Kim (NYT bestseller, Reese Witherspoon book club pick), Mallory O’Meara (Hugo and Locus award nominee; James Beard Award winner), June Hur (bestseller, Edgar Award nominee)
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Iris Blasi (Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir)
Iris Blasi, an agent at Arc Literary Management, has close to two decades of experience in publishing, working in multiple facets of the industry. Prior to becoming a literary agent, she was Marketing Director and Senior Editor at Pegasus Books. She has held editorial, marketing, publicity, and consulting roles at Random House, Pegasus Books, Union Square Press, Open Road Media, literary PR firm Hilsinger-Mendelson, and consulting firm Idea Logical, Inc. She has worked on best-selling and award-winning books by authors including Lawrence Block, Rachel Carson, Michael Dirda, Erica Jong, Ira Levin, Alexandra Silber, Jerry Stahl, Gloria Steinem, Charles Strouse, and Fay Weldon. She graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in English and dual minor in American Studies and Gender Studies and she holds a master’s degree from New York University in Humanities and Social Thought, with a thesis on the life and legacy of the American writer Dawn Powell. Her writing on books, arts, and culture has appeared in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Dow Jones Publishers Weekly, BUST Magazine and more. She is a volunteer for the award-winning nonprofit The Telling Room, currently mentoring in the Young Emerging Authors Fellowship. She is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking For: On the fiction side, I am presently seeking literary and commercial fiction with a strong voice. I am also seeking upmarket mysteries and thrillers. I am seeking nonfiction in the categories of biography, memoir, history, science/nature, pop culture, cultural criticism, current events, politics, and narrative nonfiction.
NOT Looking For: YA.MG, Childrens
Featured Clients: Lawrence Block, Rachel Carson, Michael Dirda, Erica Jong, Ira Levin, Alexandra Silber, Jerry Stahl, Gloria Steinem, Charles Strouse, Fay Weldon.
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Audrey Crooks (Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir)
Audrey Crooks is an Associate Agent at Trident Media Group. She joined the agency in 2020. Previously, Audrey was an intern at the Frances Goldin Literary Agency, a bookseller, and from 2017-2018 she lived in Jordan, working for a nonprofit serving Gazan women refugees. Audrey’s academic background is in poetry and Middle Eastern Studies. She is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking For: Fiction: Literary novels, short story collections, grounded speculative fiction, select upmarket/genre fiction with a literary bent. I am drawn to smart, voice-driven stories with a sense of humor and style, that explore gender, language, identity, built and natural environments, and/or systems of power in creative and compelling ways. Nonfiction: select memoir, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, and human-centered journalistic deep-dives, with particular interests in food and dining, fashion, nightlife, dance, the cultures of the contemporary Middle East, and the American South.
NOT Looking For: Books for young readers (picture, middle grade YA, new adult), high fantasy, graphic/manga. Prescriptive nonfiction and self-help.
Featured Clients: Frankie Barnet, Rachel Ephraim, Bridget Garrity, William Horn
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! Sara Crowe (Fiction, Nonfiction, YA/MG Fiction, YA/MG Nonfiction, Childrens)
Sara is a Senior Agent at Sara Crowe Literary, where she represents books for children and adults. She began her career at The Wylie Agency, and worked in foreign rights for 8 years. Her clients include Newbery and Printz winners, New York Times Bestselling authors, and debut authors. She loves finding new talent to champion and nurturing and developing careers.
Looking For: Adult: literary fiction, rom/com, nonfiction. Children's: PB, MG, YA, fiction and nonfiction. Particularly looking for more MG and YA nonfiction, contemporary MG, graphic novels.
NOT Looking For: Poetry, rhyming picture books, adult sci-fi/ fantasy
Featured Clients: S.K. Ali, Erin Entrada Kelly, Veera Hiranandani, Varian Johnson, Nina LaCour, Jonathan Maberry
Marc Gerald ( Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir)
Marc Gerald is the founder of Europa Content, a literary management and production company, based in Brooklyn, with previous stops at UTA and The Agency Group. The co looks after the careers of creators and authors who often enjoy colorful day jobs, but who value the world of books, and want to put big, important stories in the universe with ambition and purpose. Our list tilts heavily towards non fiction (80%-20%) and often depends upon platform but we love finding the unexpected author who can make us question our assumptions and throw the weight of our company behind making them a star. He is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking for: I am interested primarily in elevated genre (suspense, locked room mystery, and psychological horror, near future fantasy) with a clear hook and beautiful, direct writing; memoirs from unexpected , under-reported places; self-development.
NOT Looking For: Deep fantasy with complex world building, sci fi, anything too abstract, children's or picture books.
Featured Clients: Kevin Hart, Questlove, 50 Cent, Norman Reedus (all of these folks write fiction), Jade Chang, Eddie Huang, Ashley and Jaquavis, Terry Miles ( Rabbits), Old Gods of Appalachia, Steve Rinella [The Meateater)
Kim Lindman (Fiction, Nonfiction)
Associate Literary Agent Kim Lindman joined Stonesong as an assistant in 2018. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Kim studied English Literature with a subfocus in Journalism at Seattle Pacific University, where she worked as a copyeditor. Since moving to the NYC area, she has worked as a distillery tour guide, and a researcher for the United Nations, among other things. She is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking For: In fiction, Kim is looking for: literary and upmarket novels for adults. In those categories, she particularly likes magical realism or books in the intersection of contemporary and speculative or mystery/suspense. Her favorite reads convey a strong sense of place, explore fresh viewpoints, and inspire conversation.
In non-fiction, Kim is looking for: platform- or expertise-driven cookbooks, cocktail books, investigative journalism, social justice, social science, pop science, pop culture, self-help and wellness. While she is primarily drawn to books with practical elements and actionable takeaways, she is also looking for narrative non-fiction that adds perspective and nuance to broad topics or makes niche subjects accessible and engaging for a general audience.
NOT Looking For: Kim does not represent poetry, romance, or historical fiction. She is not considering any YA or kidlit.
Featured Clients: Danielle Bayard Jackson, Lecia Michelle, Beth Demmon
FULL—WAITLIST ONLY! James Mustelier (Fiction, Genre Fiction, YA, MG)
After completing my MFA in creative writing at The City College of New York, Mustelier joined the Bent Agency where I'm both a literary agent and in-house editorial consultant. In adult fiction, he is looking for mystery, horror and speculative fiction with literary quality writing and big hooks, and in YA & MG, he is looking for mystery and speculative fiction, especially irreverent retellings of fairy tales, myths, and historical events. He is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking For: I’m looking for a range of commercial and literary fiction. In adult fiction, I want horror, mystery and grounded speculative fiction. In YA and MG, I’m interested in horror, mystery and irreverent retellings of fairy tales, myths, and historical events.
NOT Looking For: I’m not looking for romance, domestic thrillers, high fantasy or space opera.
Featured Clients: Andy Ruffell, Honey Watson, Joel Morris
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Sophie Pugh-Sellers (Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir)
Sophie joined The Gernert Company in 2019, and holds a BA in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from Barnard College. Raised in Oakland, California and Charlottesville, Virginia, her literary palate is as eclectic and complex as her two hometowns. She is looking for both fiction and nonfiction projects, particularly innovative takes on classical narrative elements and stories told by radical new voices. All of her favorite writing includes characters, language, and worlds so powerful that she misses them long after closing the book. She lives in Washington Heights.
Looking for: Literary and Commercial Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir
NOT Looking For: Children’s, YA, MG, Romance
FULL-WAITLIST ONLY! - Mary Alice Stewart (Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, YA. MG, Childrens)
Mary Alice Stewart’s work is included or forthcoming from No Tokens, Washington Square Review, The Nervous Breakdown, Joyland, and elsewhere. She received both her undergraduate and MFA in Fiction from Bennington College. She has worked as an Assistant Agent with Annie DeWitt at The Shipman Agency for three years. Mary Alice is from Maine, some people in Maine may also know her as “Molly.”. She is available for Pitch Plus sessions only.
Looking For: We want work that feels urgent, not responsive, not dense with abstract jargon. We work best with independent writers and artists that are invested to the work itself and the writing community at large. We work against the contemporary pressure to make “content”; the writers we represent consider craft carefully and are never seen as content makers to us, but artists. We are drawn to the unique ways one sees and attends to the world. We require specificity and precision. Annie and I love this quote of Susan Sontag’s, “Love words, agonize over sentences. And pay attention to the world.”
NOT Looking For: We represent authors who work in many genres and hybrid forms so it can be hard to draw lines in the sand. That being said, majority of our clients would be categorized as either literary fiction or creative nonfiction. Regarding genre works, such as fantasy or historical fiction or biography or science fiction or YA or young readers or upmarket, we will always consider and have signed clients that I’d define as “plot-driven.”However, if you aren’t a writer who is looking at your work word by word, sentence by sentence, as much as plot, we won’t be the best champion of your work. A lot of what we look at, we consider based on how we are experiencing market trends. This may mean prioritizing certain genres at certain times.
Featured Clients: Alexander Chee, Patricia Smith, Ramona Ausubel, Laura Van Den Berg, Jonathan Escoffery, Shelia Heti