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


$185 for CTC Members (opens May 22nd)

$250 for Non-Members (opens May 29th)

We hosted our first-ever Pitch and Play: Industry Engagement Day in 2023 to connect writers with agents and editors reviewing pitches in real time.

Through pitch sessions and more, several agents signed folks and offered R&Rs, fulfilling the event mission to get writers their YES or NO, plus direct industry feedback they could use to grow.

At the following years' Engagement Days we saw numerous direct requests to see more from our talented authors, resulting in multiple book deals and agent offers.

Now this popular event is back!

Panels: 
📆 July 18, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM CENTRAL

Overview of Industry Engagement Schedule:

**Throughout the day, agents and editors will say whether they are interested in seeing more based on each pitch. The Writing Barn team will facilitate those requests with writers after the event.


Event 4: Market Analysis and Take Away Panel

  • Agent  Kelly Thomas at Serendipity Literary Agency
  • Agent Alex Land at Mad Woman Literary
  • Agent Lindsey Aduskevich at Martin-Newens Literary Management
  • Agent Kayla Cichello at Upstart Crow
  • Moderator: Author Bethany Hegedus






Industry Faculty attending this panel include:


3:15-4:15pm CT

Finally, we end the day with our fourth panel which is a Market Analysis and Take Away Panel (3:15-4:15pm CT) open to all attendees! This panel will not include pitches but instead will be a moderated Q+A panel with Bethany and panelists on specific takeaways and market insights from the day. There will be time to ask your questions and synthesize the comments and requests made. 





Event 1: Picture Book Palooza I

  • Agent Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management
  • Agent Bonnie Swanson at FinePrint Literary Management
  • Editor Jin Soo Chun at Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)






Industry Faculty attending this panel include:


9:00am - 11am ct

We begin the event with our first panel, Picture Book Palooza I (9:00-11:00AM CT), where we will read pre-submitted Picture Book Pitches to the attending panel faculty. Faculty will respond in real time to whether they wish to see a full query. ALL PB GENRES (Fiction, NF, Info-fiction) 25 pitches max.





Event 2: Novels and Longform Nonfiction

  • Editor Carina Licon at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
  • Agent Jenna Satterthwaite at Storm Literary Agency
  • Agent Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management






Industry Faculty attending this panel include:


11:15 – 12:45pm CT

We’ll continue the day with our second panel, Novels and Longform Nonfiction (11:15 – 12:45pm CT) where we will read pre-submitted pitches for all longform projects (Chapter Book, MG, YA, Adult, NF Longform) to the attending panel faculty. Faculty will respond in real time about whether they wish to see a query and some pages. (This includes fiction and nonfiction MG, YA, and Chapter Books) 25 pitches max.






Event 3: Picture Book Palooza II

  • Agent Shulokhana Khan at Scholastic
  • Agent Analia Cabello at Andrea Brown Literary Agency
  • Editor Erica Finkel at Abrams






Industry Faculty attending this panel include:


1:30-3pm CT

We will then move into another PB focused panel with our Picture Book Palooza II Panel (1:30-3:00pm CT) where we will read pre-submitted Picture Book Pitches to the attending panel faculty. Faculty will respond in real time about whether they wish to see a full query. ALL PB GENRES (fiction, NF, info-fiction)
25 pitches max.







Signing up for your panel:

When choosing a panel, make sure to choose the genre you most want to submit a pitch for. Detailed pitch instructions will be sent once you register. All submitted pitches will be read during the panel and evaluated by faculty. If an Agent or Editor requests to see more you will be notified of how and when to do so. *If you can’t attend live no worries! Your pitch will still be read and evaluated by faculty. 

  • Picture Book Palooza I Panel: ALL PB GENRES (25 pitches max)
  • Noteworthy Novel and Longform Nonfiction: Chapter Book, MG, YA, Adult, NF Longform (25 pitches max)
  • Picture Book Palooza II Panel ALL PB GENRES (25 pitches max)

How It Works:

  • Register for the event and choose which panel you want to submit your pitch for (specific pitch requirements and submission instructions will be sent upon registering).
  • Attend the event live or catch the replay (your pitch will be read and evaluated by faculty regardless of attendance).
  • Faculty will respond in real time about they want to request a full query based on a specific pitch. WB staff will facilitate these requests with these writers after the event. 
  • Watch replays for insights and submission opportunities. (ALL ATTENDING FACULTY will be opening to submissions from event attendees for a brief window. This is outside of any direct requests.)
  • Check out our Industry Event FAQ at the bottom of this page for any questions about logistics, replays, submission ops, etc.

Participating Event Faculty:

Picture Book I
  • Agent Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management
  • Agent Bonnie Swanson at FinePrint Literary Management
  • Editor Jin Soo Chun at Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)

Novels & Longform
  • Editor Carina Licon at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
  • Agent Jenna Satterthwaite at Storm Literary Agency
  • Agent Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management

Picture Book II
  • Editor Shulokhana Khan at Scholastic
  • Agent Analia Cabello at Andrea Brown Literary Agency
  • Editor Erica Finkel at Abrams

Market Insights
  • Agent Kelly Thomas at Serendipity Literary Agency
  • Agent Alex Land at Mad Woman Literary
  • Agent Lindsey Aduskevich at Martin-Newens Literary Management
  • Agent Kayla Cichello at Upstart Crow 

Critique-Only Guests:
  • Agent Assistant Katie Hopkins at Pippin Properties (Sub opp Holly McGhee)
  • Editor Anna Luketic at Sourcebooks Xplore

Full Day Event: $185 (CTC MEMBERS ONLY)

Includes:
  • Submit a pitch to the panel of your choosing! Your guaranteed to be shared aloud with faculty. Faculty will provide direct passes/requests to see more in the panel (limited supply per panel.)
  • Total access to all of Saturday’s panel discussions jam-packed with insights from industry professionals.
  • Submission opportunities after the event with all of the attending Agents and Editors for a brief window of time after the event. (Information sent out post event.)
  • Opportunity to purchase an add-on for a PB manuscript or 8 pages of a MG/YA/Adult novel manuscript to your chosen editor/agent.
  • Access to replays of all panels for up to 60 days after the event. Even if you can’t attend live we will still read your pitch aloud and alert you to any requests to see more. 
  • Synthesized insights and takeaways from Creative Director Bethany Hegedus.




Add a Written Critique with an Editor or Agent!

To better accommodate busy summer schedules, we’re piloting written critiques instead of 1:1 Zoom sessions with faculty. 

We are evolving to make sure:
âś” More writers can receive feedback
âś” Faculty can offer more than the usual 10 spots if they want
âś” Lower cost means more options

With this add on, you will submit a piece for a formal critique of a work in progress (one full-length picture book manuscript [250-750 words], NF PB manuscript [1200 words including backmatter], 1 Full PB Dummy, or 8 pages of Chapter Book/MG/YA double spaced.)

After the event, you will receive a feedback letter and in-line comments on your manuscript.  

Frequently Asked Questions