Apply for The Verge
Industry Engagement Day
Publishing industry professionals will respond in real-time to pitches for picture books, novels, and long-form nonfiction, giving writers valuable insight into what's working and how they can sharpen their pitch.
Online event - July
Writers submit a book pitch and get live feedback from top literary agents and editors.
cost
đź’ˇ faculty may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.
$250 for Non-Members with a Pitch
$185 for CTC Members with a Pitch
$175 Without a Pitch
Picture Book Palooza I
Sam Farkas
Literary Agent, Jill Grinberg Literary Management
Sam Farkas grew up in South Jersey and attended the College of William & Mary, where she received her B.A. in History and English. She worked in the rights division at Penguin where she was involved in major international publishing events for authors such as John Green, Anna Dewdney, and more before she joined the JGLM team in 2018. She represents a wide variety of children’s and adult fiction with an emphasis on genre fiction. When not reading, she enjoys cooking comfort meals, dabbling in artsy hobbies, and snuggling with her two cats. She lives in New York City.
Manuscript Wishlist ✨
In Young Adult and Middle Grade, I am open to all genres, but I have a special fondness for voice-driven contemporary, often with a speculative twist; historical with modern sensibilities; fantasy that pays homage to tropes while still feeling fresh; tightly plotted thrillers, mysteries, and horror; the very strange, and the very funny.
In picture books, I'm seeking stories that kids want to read again and again. I'm seeking books with BIG characters who have the potential to carry a series; that play with perspective; and/or that make me laugh or cry (bonus points if they can do both).
Interested in: PB/MG/YA
Bonnie Swanson
Agent, FinePrint Literary Management
Bonnie Swanson (the agent not the cartoon character!) is a retired elementary school teacher who lives in Southern Illinois. A Member of AALA and the SFWA, she represents authors who cover all the age groups from picture books through adult manuscripts. She has a husband, three grown children, two bonus daughters, one granddaughter (who she doesn’t spoil AT ALL!) and three fur-babies who think they need to eat all the cat food all the time.Sam Farkas grew up in South Jersey and attended the College of William & Mary, where she received her B.A. in History and English. She worked in the rights division at Penguin where she was involved in major international publishing events for authors such as John Green, Anna Dewdney, and more before she joined the JGLM team in 2018. She represents a wide variety of children’s and adult fiction with an emphasis on genre fiction. When not reading, she enjoys cooking comfort meals, dabbling in artsy hobbies, and snuggling with her two cats. She lives in New York City.
Manuscript Wishlist ✨
Always on the hunt for underrepresented authors. (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, etc) I have very eclectic tastes and sometimes don’t know what I’m looking for until I read it. However, there are a few consistencies in what I like/don’t like.
Adult/YA Likes: I’m dying for a good speculative psychological horror mystery! (Think a gender-bent/gay Sherlock Holmes, set in Middle Earth or outer space, with all the creepy feels of Silence of the Lambs!) Normalized queerness where it isn’t the focus of the plot or subplot. I’m a sucker for a good romantasy (HEA required). Issue-driven stories that address timeless social issues and the people who fight to change them, stories where the underdog wins, non-traditional characters who feel real (even if they are in outer space or an anthropomorphic animal), accessible literary prose.
I am being highly selective for PB right now, but I would love multigenerational/found family stories. No rhyming please.
DISLIKES: stories with violence against women/children/animals, erotica, misogyny, alpha males
Interested in:
PB/YA
Jin Soo Chun
Assistant Editor, Atheneum Books
Jin Soo Chun (first name “Jin Soo”) joined Atheneum in 2024 and assists Reka Simonsen. Previously, she worked in book marketing at Ecco and in the fashion and restaurant industries. Jin Soo enjoys working on middle grade, YA, graphic novels/nonfiction, and picture books across all genres.
In her free time, you can catch her watching Korean variety programs, reading manga/manhwa, or nerding out on Succession, Severance, Beef, Insecure, Bob’s Burgers, Schitt’s Creek, Ponyo, the Spider-Verse movies, Hunter x Hunter, Blue Eye Samurai, and When Harry Met Sally.
Manuscript Wishlist ✨
For picture books, she is drawn to books that celebrate the complex interior worlds of children and mischievous stories that make readers feel like they’re a partner in crime as they tag along with the protagonist on misadventures. In MG and YA (graphic and prose), she loves vividly imagined stories full of heart and humor and is especially partial to narratives propelled by an unforgettable, diverse cast of characters ranging from the spunky and spirited to the devious and terrible.
Jin Soo delights in dynamic, cinematic storytelling that balances lively dialogue and emotionally stirring prose, and overall, she’s a big fan of books that humanize characters through their flaws and mistakes and allow for growth without compromising the essence of who the characters are.
Interested in: PB/MG/YA
