St. Paul Writing Workshop:
April 5, 2025
In-Person Writers Conference 

PITCH YOUR BOOK TO A LITERARY AGENT:

Catherine Hedrick-Armstrong [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA). Cathie is seeking adult fiction submissions in the following areas and genres: romance, domestic suspense, psychological suspense, horror fiction, mystery, historical fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, and book club fiction. Learn more about Cathie and her wish list here.

Vicky Weber [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] 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.

Jake Lovell is a literary agent with Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. He is actively looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. He is interested in upmarket fiction, with an emphasis on: Gothic, horror, thrillers, westerns, military, and speculative fiction (supernatural, paranormal, UFOs, etc…; think Jordan Peele or 10 Cloverfield Lane). When it comes to fiction, he loves dark stories that cause readers to question turning off the lights before bed. On the nonfiction front, Jake is especially interested in working with historians, up-and-coming scholars looking to transition to trade readership, journalists, doctors, veterans, and people with unique takes on important issues. Think: Freakonomics, Outliers, A Molecule Away From Madness, Columbine, American Sniper, Empire’s Workshop, and The Fact of a Body. (Jake is NOT looking for: romance, fantasy, Sci Fi, YA, or children’s books.) Learn more about Jake here.

Liv Ivanov [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent with Creative Media Agency. In adult fiction, she seeks: Coming-of-age; Women’s Fiction; Contemporary/Upmarket Fiction; Mystery/Thriller (Spies & Espionage, Small-town settings and eerie atmospheres, Race against time, Whodunits); Dark Academia; LGBTQ+; Science Fiction (anything from a light touch of sci-fi to dystopian to space-based settings to a full on space opera; Slipstream; Magical Realism; and Fantasy. In adult Nonfiction, she likes: Nature-Related Memoir. In Young Adult and Children’s Books, she likes: Contemporary/Upmarket, LGBTQ+; Mystery/Thriller; Science Fiction; and Fantasy. As an agent, I’m looking for character-driven stories, compelling premises, fantastically immersive settings, and most of all — I want to find that next unputdownable story I can’t stop raving to my friends and family about. Learn more about Liv here.

Sarah Gerton [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent with New Leaf Literary + Media. Sarah is seeking fiction and select narrative nonfiction for middle grade, young adult, and crossover adult readers. She’s eager to read YA and MG fiction of all genres; on the adult side, she is primarily interested in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Across the board, she gravitates toward unforgettable characters and striking prose. Learn more about Sarah here as well as her wishlist specifics. 

Christine Goss [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] 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.

Brittany Torres Rivera [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is an editorial assistant with Graywolf Press, and is taking pitches on behalf of her imprint. Graywolf seeks poetry, memoirs, essays, novels, translations, and short stories. “Our editors are looking for high quality literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that combine a distinct voice with a distinct vision. Our editors seek out and solicit promising work from authors that they encounter in the pages of magazines, at writing conferences, and in other venues.” Learn more about Brittany here.

Laura Zats [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent with Headwater Literary. (Note: Concerning the 10-minute “pitch” appointments at the event, Laura’s agency handles these opportunities in a specific way. In her own words: “Headwater, as a policy doesn’t do traditional pitch sessions, but we DO perform consultations, where we meet with anyone and answer questions & give feedback, rather than just give a yes/no.”) Laura represents young adult books, science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, literary fiction with speculative elements, and select contemporary and historical fiction. “I particularly love to work on books that appeal to readers of different genres or subgenres—if you’re pitching something that crosses multiple areas of my list, I want to see it!” Learn more about Laura here.

Michael Croy is a literary agent with Northstar Literary. Michael is interested in acquiring general/mainstream fiction – stories told with heart and humor that have a strong sense of place with characters you quickly cheer for (or against!). Recent fiction favorites like Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison, When All is Said by Anne Griffin or The Bear by Andrew Krivak. On the narrative nonfiction side he is looking for thoughtful pop culture commentary, or cultural history, think Valeria Luiselli’s powerful Tell Me How It Ends, or Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties, or This Woman’s Work by Sinead Gleeson and Kim Gordon. Sports biographies that are less about sport and more about personal struggles to overcome political, cultural, or physical hurdles – think of Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss. Learn more about Michael here.

Erik Hane is a literary agent with Headwater Literary. He is seeking: literary fiction, political nonfiction, history (especially American), literary nonfiction & essays; and popular science. At Headwater, Erik’s client list features some of the sharpest and most essential critics, artists, novelists, journalists, essayists, and commentators working today. His projects reliably find homes across a diverse swath of the publishing industry, from Big-5 commercial publishers to prestigious independent houses to university presses. He is looking for writers whose work—in both style and rigor—is up for the challenge of saying something indispensable about our increasingly chaotic world. Learn more about Erik here.

Optional Manuscript Critique Options

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the workshop’s former instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Florida Writing Workshops attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees will either 1) get an in-person meeting at the workshop, if the faculty member is attending the live event, or 2) get a 10-minute phone call with the faculty member, and have notes passed along via email, if the critiquer is not attending the live event. Options:

• Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SF/F, urban fantasy (virtual critiques): Faculty member Wesley Chu, a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Women’s fiction, contemporary/mainstream fiction, literary fiction, young adult, and memoir (virtual critiques): Faculty member Kimiko Nakamura, a literary agent and writing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Fantasy (both YA and adult), fantasy romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction (virtual critiques): Faculty member Shauna Golden, a former agent, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
• All types of adult fiction (except erotica); all types of young adult fiction and middle grade; Christian fiction; screenplays and TV scripts (virtual critiques): Faculty member Jaimie Engle, a screenwriter and writer, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
• More critique options possibly forthcoming.