Agent Regina Brooks
Regina Brooks
Ms. Regina Brooks is the founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency in New York, New York. Her agency is the largest African American owned agency in the country and has represented and established a diverse base of award-winning clients in adult and young adult fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. Her authors have appeared in USA Today, the New York Times, and the Washington Post as well as on Oprah, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSBNC, TV One, BET, and a host of others. In 2015, Publishers Weekly nominated Regina Brooks as a PW Star Watch Finalist, and she was honored with a Stevie Award in Business. Writer’s Digest Magazine named Serendipity Literary Agency as one of the top 25 literary agencies. Formerly, she held senior editorial positions at John Wiley and Sons (where she was not only the youngest but also the first African American editor in their college division) and McGraw-Hill.
She was named Woman of the Year by The National Association of Professional Women, A New York Urban League Rising Star Award winner, and a finalist for the StevieTM Award for
When Regina’s not agenting, she’s gardening, fishing, and flying her own plane (always in a dress).
Editor Emily Settle
Emily Settle (she/her) is an editor for Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Born and raised in downstate New York, she studied journalism at Lehigh University and later earned an M.S. in Publishing from Pace University. When she’s not reading or taking yet another picture of her calico cat, you can find her either volunteer firefighting or at the archery range attempting to be Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn.
I acquire a little bit of everything! I’m predominantly looking for commercial, high-concept speculative YA fiction— historical, sci-fi/fantasy and horror—and picture books, and graphic novels, nonfiction and middle-grade on a limited basis. My first priority across the board is finding inclusive stories written by authors from underrepresented backgrounds.
GENERAL MSWL
- Historical novels from underrepresented perspectives—the kinds of stories you would never hear about in a typical Eurocentric history class. Stories set in South America, Africa, and Asia or an Indigenous nation particularly wanted. Especially interested in historical that has some other subgenre going for it as well (i.e. murder mystery, fantasy elements, zombies, etc.)
- Action-packed, cinematic adventures. Bonus points if romance is not the endgame, though I’m fine with romantic plots that portray positive, non-toxic relationships and don’t overshadow the Bigger Problem. I also love complicated characters with redemption arcs that feel earned.
- In picture books, commercial, kid-friendly stories that young readers want to come back to over and over again. Especially anything that can make me laugh out loud!
- I’ve also been doing more IP projects in various genres, so if you have authors interested in that kind of work, let me know! I keep a running database of names and writing samples.
SPECIFIC MSWL
- Asexual / aromantic / aspec protagonists.
- Non-issue-y disability rep (visible or invisible disability), especially limb difference and neurodivergence.
- High fantasy that’s not super complex or end-of-the-world serious—something that gives me silly Dungeons & Dragons vibes. High fantasy, low stakes! Think Legends & Lattes for teens.
- YA paranormal about a siren and an asexual character immune to their powers—platonic friendship preferred, but would also be open to a romantic take!
- Solarpunk / lunarpunk YA or MG prose or graphic novel.
- Indigenous stories, particularly pre-colonization era, either realistic or fantastical.
“ANTI” MSWL
I am currently not looking for:
- Chapter books
- Contemporary MG / YA
- “Spicy” upper YA / New Adult
- Anthologies
If you are unsure of whether to send me something, or would like a recommendation for who on the F&F team would be the best fit to receive something, please feel free to ask!
ABOUT FEIWEL & FRIENDS
Award-winning publisher Jean Feiwel launched FEIWEL AND FRIENDS in Fall 2006 with the New York Times-bestselling debut picture book, On the Night You Were Born (Nancy Tillman’s books have since sold over 15.5 million copies). In May of 2007, she founded SQUARE FISH, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group’s trade paperback imprint, known for its innovative repackaging of the bestselling Ruby Red trilogy and classic backlist titles including Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Natalie Babbit’s Tuck Everlasting. On September 30, 2013,, she launched SWOON READS, a groundbreaking new imprint dedicated to finding and publishing original YA fiction, including Aiden Thomas’ New York Times-bestselling works Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods.
As an imprint, FEIWEL AND FRIENDS is known for publishing successful debut authors Marissa Meyer (the #1 New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles series), Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (instant New York Times bestseller Ace of Spades) and Eva Chen (New York Times bestseller I Am Golden). With the assistance of VP Associate Publisher Liz Szabla; executive editor Anna Roberto; senior editors Holly West and Kat Brzozowski; editors Emily Settle, Rachel Diebel, and Foyinsi Adegbonmire; and assistant editor Brittany Groves, FEIWEL AND FRIENDS has been successful in a broad range of publishing—from bestselling chapter book fiction (My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish, Andy Griffiths’ Treehouse series) to celebrity picture books (Channing Tatum’s The One and Only Sparkella, Taye Diggs’ Chocolate Me!, Jimmy Fallon’s 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas, Vanessa Bayer’s How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear, Leslie Odom Jr.’s I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s The Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles), to commercial graphic novels such as Bounce Back by Misako Rocks! and DnDoggos by Scout Underhill. FEIWEL AND FRIENDS’ list also features a wide variety of established award-winning authors: Newbery award-winner Katherine Applegate, author of New York Times bestsellers Crenshaw, Wishtree, Willodeen, and Odder; Ann M. Martin, author of Rain Reign; and Matthew Cordell, author-illustrator of Wolf in the Snow, winner of the Caldecott Medal. FEIWEL AND FRIENDS, guided by creative director Rich Deas, has also been lauded for its beautiful and distinctive packaging.
FEIWEL AND FRIENDS, SQUARE FISH, and SWOON READS are part of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
Our books are friends for life.
Agent Jacqui Lipton
Jacqui Lipton joined The Tobias Literary Agency in 2022 after helming her own literary agency, Raven Quill Literary, for a number of years previously. She loves all things books and publishing and has been an avid reader since elementary school. Her tastes were always broad and eclectic. She loved (and still does) everything from a good murder mystery to space opera to contemporary romance and everything in between. She also loves nonfiction projects with a compelling narrative voice.
Her background is also eclectic. At university (yes, in Australia and England they call it “university”), she studied law, psychology, drama, languages, and information technology. She practiced as a banking and finance attorney in Australia, and has worked as a law professor in Australia, the U.K. and the United States where her teaching and writing has focused on laws relating to the publishing industry, digital technology law, copyright, trademark, privacy, and defamation. She is the author of LAW & AUTHORS: A LEGAL HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS (2020, University of California Press) and OUR DATA, OURSELVES: A PERSONAL GUIDE TO DIGITAL PRIVACY (2022, University of California Press).
She holds an M.F.A. in Fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts and regularly teaches classes on writing and on legal aspects of publishing around the country.
Manuscript Wish List: Jacqui represents authors of fiction and non-fiction from middle grade through to adult, as well as selected projects for younger readers (picture books, chapter books etc.) She is currently focusing on developing her adult fiction and nonfiction lists and particularly enjoys mystery/crime, romance, how-to books, and compelling contemporary novels. She is not currently seeking high fantasy, and considers science-fiction selectively.
Agent Mara Cobb
On my fifth birthday, I read two Junie B. Jones books in one sitting. It wasn’t long after that when my grandmothers, both voracious readers, took it upon themselves to hunt for books I would love just as much as the Junie B. series. By age six, I was reading Nancy Drew mysteries. At seven, I was working my way through the Bobbsey Twins and Little House in the Big Woods, followed by Little Women.
As an adult, I find myself picking up the same books that I snuck into bed and read long into the night with a handy-dandy flashlight. I’m still drawn to books with strong and feisty female protagonists. I’m drawn to plots that have curveballs and keep me glued to the page. I’m drawn to the unexpected and the different and the weird. I’m drawn to books that have me saying “just one more chapter” at 2 a.m. when I really should be sleeping.
Stories and the written word spill over into every aspect of my life. As a junior agent at Martin Literary Management, I have the honor of working with authors to ensure that each piece shines. I am currently seeking Christian fiction, clean romance (think Hallmark style!), adult nonfiction, women’s driven fiction (any genre except fantasy and horror), YA (any genre except fantasy and horror), MG fiction, and PBs.
As Junie B. said, “Books are my favorite things in the whole world!”
Find Mara’s Manuscript Wishlist here! Although Mara’s general query inbox is closed to picture book texts at the moment, she is accepting picture book submissions from Pitch & Play attendees.
Agent Michaela Whatnall
Michaela Whatnall (they/them) is an agent with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, where they have worked out of the West Coast office since 2019. They have a degree in English and linguistics from Emory University, completed the Columbia Publishing Course, and in 2023 they were selected as a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree. Prior to joining DGB, Michaela worked in school and library marketing for multiple publishers, which accounts for their strong interest in children’s literature, particularly middle grade and young adult fiction of all genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, historical, adventure, horror, and romance. In the adult fiction space, they are particularly seeking contemporary, speculative, and historical upmarket fiction, as well as character-driven, grounded fantasy. They are also open to select narrative nonfiction for both children and adults, graphic novels, and picture books.
Here is a link to my Manuscript Wish List, which gets into more specifics about what kinds of projects I’m looking for: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/michaela-whatnall/
Agent Jes Trudel
Jes Trudel is a Canadian editor and storytelling instructor who has taught workshops to thousands of people around the world. She’s been a guest presenter with SCBWI, the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, Write For Kids, and TSNOTYAW podcast, and has contributed to BoldFace, Children’s Book Insider, and the SCBWI blog. She founded WritingCommunity.ca and organizes writing-adjacent events in her local community.
At the moment, Jes is accepting queries for children’s literature only, including:
– Board books (BB)
– Picture books (PB)
– Chapter books (CB)
– Middle grade (MG)
– Young adult (YA)
Jes loves all styles of storytelling, including novels, graphic novels, novels in verse, wordless stories, and poetry/short story collections for kids.
In BB, PB and CB categories, she’s especially interested in high concept, commercial stories (I already have several clients who excel at quiet, lyrical stories). She loves both kid characters and animal characters. Jes prefers lyrical over rhyming texts, but if you do have a rhyming story, please make sure the meter is perfect and the rhymes are not cliche/forced.
Find more in-depth info on Jes Trudel’s MSWL here.
Agent Quressa Robinson
Quressa Robinson joined Folio Literary Management in 2022 after working at previous agencies, including the Nelson Literary Agency, and as an editor for five years. She is originally from San Francisco, but has been living in New York City for over a decade. As a New York based agent, she is eager to build her MG, YA, and Adult lists. When not curled on her couch reading, she plays video games, enjoys too much, TV–-mostly Sailor Moon and Avatar: The Last Airbender (Fire Nation)–eats delicious things, drinks champagne, hangs out with her very clever partner, and adds another “dramatic” color to her lipstick collection. Quressa is also a member of the 2017-2019 WNDB Walter Grant Committee and holds an MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction from Columbia University. In 2020, she was named a Publisher’s Weekly Star Watch finalist. In 2021 she was named an influential gatekeeper in Book and Film Globe’s inaugural Publishing Power 30 list alongside phenoms like Reece Witherspoon, Celeste Ng, and Lisa Lucas.
What Quressa is looking for:
- Modern-day blue stockings, BIPOC fangirls/fanboys, #blackgirlmagic, #carefreeblackgirls, #blackboyjoy, LGBTQ+, BIPOC falling in love, neurodivergent, and disabled BIPOCs as leads
- Middle Grade (contemporary, literary, and SF/F). Cute, quirky, charming, and fun. Along the lines of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, The Girl that Drank the Moon, the Pandava series, Hurricane Child.
- Young adult (contemporary, Rom Coms, and SF/F) *I have TONS of SF/F on my current list so I am extremely selective with this genre*
- Adult SF/F with strong genre-bending/crossover appeal. (Think the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. I’m also a fan of Anne Bishop and Naomi Novik. More recent books that I’ve loved: Trail of Lightning, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and Empire of Sand.)
- Passion projects in narrative nonfiction with a strong literary voice and commercial appeal (Wild by Cheryl Strayed, Black Man in a White Coat by Damon Tweedy, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi). Would love to see non-whitewashed cowboy stories; pop science by women, specifically women of color; and literary, voice-driven memoir with commercial appeal.
- Marginalized authors in all genres mentioned above. Inclusive narratives in all genres.
Editor Feather Flores
Feather Flores joined Atheneum in 2022 after four years at Chronicle Books. She works on smart, joyful picture books; middle grade romps with coming-of-age themes; distinctive, atmospheric graphic novels; and bold, open-hearted YA that reimagines everything our identities can be. Her list encompasses fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis on stories by, about, and for people from marginalized communities.
Across the board, Feather is drawn to upmarket, voice- and character-driven narratives with addictive plots and a solid command of their readers’ emotional responses. She champions books that depict the beauty and diversity of the human experience: the humor, the complexity, the curiosity, the magic. Anything that encourages young readers (especially queer readers and readers of color) to be more fully and unapologetically themselves, she wants to see it.
I acquire upmarket books with high-concept plots, nuanced themes, and arresting prose. My projects straddle the line between literary and commercial: books with enough hook to intrigue consumers on premise alone, that then deliver deeply memorable, beautifully-executed reading experiences. Across the board, my biggest considerations are always character (do they come alive on the page?), voice (is it atmospheric and compulsively readable?), and emotional depth (does it make my heart hurt/soar/sing? do the threads and themes build to something satisfying?)—in other words, how a story is told. This wishlist clarifies what a successful telling looks like for me, as well as detailing the premises, themes, and narrative elements I find most compelling with respect to what a story is about. The more of these present in any given project, the more likely I’ll fall in love with it.
Format-wise, I edit both fiction and nonfiction projects for the following audiences:
- Picture book (ages 4-9)
- Middle grade
- Young adult
- Graphic novel (all ages)
Feather edits from San Francisco, California. You can explore her (very) full manuscript wishlist at FeatherFlores.com.
Senior Editor Olivia Swomley
Olivia Swomley is an editor at Candlewick Press, working predominantly on nonfiction titles for the MITeen and MIT Kids imprints. In collaboration with MIT Press, the imprints publish engaging and ambitious books with a focus on STEAM themes for kids ages 0-18. Olivia especially enjoys editing books that celebrate discovery, creativity, and the intersection of art and the humanities with scientific content. Some of her projects include Star Sailor, the autobiography of a former NASA astronaut and Administrator; Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, a graphic novel series about two kids who use science as a superpower; Become an App Inventor, a guide to making apps from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab; and Discovering Life’s Story, a series on the history of biology. Olivia is a graduate of Haverford College, where she majored in Spanish and Comparative Literature and worked as a bookseller at Children’s Book World. She’s also a graduate of Hamline’s MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, where she won the T.A. Barron Fantasy Award and the Anne Tewes Schwab Award for her critical thesis, “Deathly Seduction: Monstrous Female Bodies in Young Adult Literature.” Olivia is from the Boston area; when she’s not reading, she’s thinking about her next meal or trying to convince her dog, Amanita, to stop chasing bunnies.
Agent Lori Steel
Lori began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian, later as a freelance editor and writing instructor. She has degrees in history, education, and an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), where she also received certification in the Picture Book, and was honored with the Alumni Gift Award. After graduating in 2012, Lori coordinated the VCFA Summer Residency Abroad (Bath, UK) for four years, initiated the kidlit writing class program at her local indie, Politics & Prose, and entered publishing as an Agency Assistant at Greenhouse Literary. She interned at two other kidlit-focused agencies before taking on her own clients first at Raven Quill Literary, then at Red Fox Literary. She founded SteelWorks Literary in 2024 with her talented list of authors, illustrators, and graphic novelists. Lori is a longtime member of ALA and SCBWI, and is a member of AALA where she serves on the Illustration Committee.
Her clients include both debut and award-winning authors, and she continues to seek diverse perspectives, literary approaches, and unique story experiences for her list. Lyrical language, compelling voices, evocative settings, and evergreen stories told with heart are areas of particular interest in any genre/audience.
What am I looking for?
For all projects, I seek stories with accessible, authentic, and unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience.
Across the board, I’m seeking:
- voice and character driven stories demonstrate a deep trust and respect for their readers
- fresh approaches to story structure; genre mash-ups
- magical realism and folklore
- historical and fantasy stories that hold a light up to contemporary issues
- themes of family and found family
- regional settings and voices
- authentic, diverse voices
- socio-economic diversity
Editor Sarah Rockett
Sarah Rockett has been working in the children’s publishing industry for more than a decade and truly believes that picture books have the power to change the world. She loves traveling, spending time outdoors, and—of course—reading. She lives in Michigan with her husband, young son, and lazy cocker spaniel. She is currently an editor for Sleeping Bear Press as well as for Cherry Lake Publishing and 45th Parallel school and library imprints. Sarah also works as a freelance copywriter, editor and project manager for creative and corporate projects. She has completed projects with ProQuest, Universal McCann, University of Michigan, Hudson Legal Offices and more.
Chris Ayala-Kronos
Chris Ayala-Kronos (they/them) has been an editor in children’s book publishing for more than a decade and a half. They are also the author of many books for young readers including the forthcoming UNDER ONE RAINBOW. In their free time, they are a dj, a weightlifter, a coach, and a loving pet parent of two dogs and a cat. They live with their spouse in Boston.