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 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 categories of literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction.
If an agent who interests you is listed as “Full/wait list only,” please email Nathan Conroy at programs@mainewriters.org to be added to the wait list.
PITCH 205 will take place on Saturday, September 20 in Portland, Maine. Registration options and instructions can be found HERE.
QUICK PITCH
KJ Grow
As Publisher of Islandport Press, KJ Grow brings over 20 years of experience in book publishing and bookselling to her role leading one of New England’s most distinctive independent publishers. Previously serving as Publisher of Shambhala Publications, where she expanded their mindful living and wisdom traditions lists, she has held leadership roles at Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Forbes Books. Her publishing career began as an intern at the esteemed literary nonprofit Graywolf Press, followed by completion of the Columbia Publishing Course and the Yale School of Management course for leaders in publishing. She holds a degree in English from St. Olaf College in Minnesota.
Originally from Montana, KJ now begins each day watching the sunrise from her home on Sebago Lake in Raymond, Maine—a contemplative practice that informs her work as a publisher and her deep connection to place. She is a passionate advocate for independent book publishing and bookselling, and is committed to publishing high quality books that are enduring, uplifting, and honor the vibrant literary heritage, culture, and communities of Maine.
Islandport Press publishes Maine- and New England-based stories, including Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, and Children's Books. Submissions guidelines
PITCH PLUS AGENTS
Marin Takikawa, The Friedrich Agency (Fiction, Nonfiction, YA)
Marin Takikawa is an agent and foreign rights director at The Friedrich Agency. Born in Tokyo and raised in Singapore and NYC, she joined TFA in early 2021 and now handles selling international rights for authors like Alison Espach, Jane Smiley, the Estate of Frank McCourt, in addition to representing her own list. She's looking for subversive, genre-bending literary fiction, intersectional narrative nonfiction, and voice-driven and literary-leaning YA. Her clients include National Endowment for the Arts, We Need Diverse Books, Tin House, Asian American Writers' Workshop, and New York Foundation for the Arts fellows.
Looking For: Literary fiction, speculative fiction, YA fiction, and narrative nonfiction.
Not Looking For: Commercial fiction, prescriptive nonfiction, high fantasy, or picture books.
Featured Clients: Lenika Cruz - author of forthcoming memoir Drown Sirena (Atria), Ruby Tandoh (as US co-agent) - author of Eat Up! and the forthcoming All Consuming (Knopf), Manuia Heinrich - author of forthcoming YA novel Salt Water Blood (Sarah Barley Books/S&S), Denise Soler Cox - author of the forthcoming What Will They Say? (Atria), Amanda Ajamfar, Kieran Mundy, Natalie Martell, alex terrell, Eren K. Wilson, and more.
Maggie Cooper, Aevitas Creative Management (Fiction, Nonfiction)
Maggie Cooper is an agent with Aevitas Creative Management, representing adult fiction and select nonfiction projects, with an emphasis on queer and trans stories and books that make our world weirder, kinder, more joyful or all three. Based in Boston, she holds a degree in English from Yale University, attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, and earned her MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she served as an editor for The Greensboro Review.
Looking For: In fiction, I’m seeking literary fiction, crossover speculative fiction, book club fiction, and romance with an emphasis on queer and trans stories; imaginative or high-concept hooks; humor and warmth. In nonfiction, I’m looking for narrative books about culture and power, untold histories of the arts and queer life, and giftable projects that will spark delight on bookstore front tables. I also represent graphic and comics artists in both fiction and nonfiction.
NOT Looking For: I don’t represent children’s or YA; crime novels or thrillers; hard science fiction or epic fantasy; or nonfiction in the health or business categories. I very rarely take on new memoir, especially without a reported or researched thread.
Featured Clients: Marisa Crane, Andrew Graff, Alice Murphy, Denali Sai Nalamalapu, Nancy Reddy, Carolyn Prusa, Nina Sharma
What's on your reading list/nightstand and what made you want to become an agent? Emily St. James’ Woodworking, Sanjena Sathian’s Goddess Complex, Shelly Jay Shore’s Rules for Ghosting, Erika Swyler’s We Lived on the Horizon, and Julia Elliot’s Hellions. I became an agent with the aim of helping writers build creatively satisfying and financially sustainable careers—and it truly never gets old seeing books go from a folder on a writer’s computer to the front table of my favorite indie bookstores.
Lauren Scovel, Laura Gross Literary Agency (Fiction, Nonfiction, YA & MG)
Lauren Scovel grew up outside of Seattle and graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing, as well as Theatre Studies. She began her publishing career as an editorial intern at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth (now part of Aevitas Creative Management). Lauren’s editorial work can be seen at The Millions and Pangyrus. She also worked as an indie bookseller for several years. Lauren is looking to amplify underrepresented stories and voices, and is especially interested in literary and upmarket-crossover fiction, narrative nonfiction, and contemporary children’s books (middle grade and young adult) with a timely, distinctive story, propulsive plot, and diverse cast of characters.
Looking For: Literary/upmarket crossover adult fiction (high-concept, propulsive plot with a literary execution), narrative adult nonfiction (journalism, cultural criticism, any singular, stranger-than-fiction story), contemporary middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction with timely, LGBTQ+, and/or STEM themes.
NOT Looking For: Genre fiction (mystery/thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, historical), serious nonfiction (biographies, histories), poetry, or picture books.
Featured Clients: Randall Horton, Tatiana Johnson-Boria, Lexi Pandell, Allie Tagle-Dokus, Kimm Topping, Karen Wilfrid.
What's on your reading list/nightstand and what made you want to become an agent? I always have too many books on my nightstand, but a sampling includes Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett, The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, and There Is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone. Like so many of us in publishing, I was an avid reader growing up, and dreamed about being able to work with books in some capacity, although I had no idea what an agent was or did! I started agenting after working for several years as an indie bookseller, so I loved the idea of being able to continue to sell books, just ones that aren’t yet published. I also loved the idea of delving into other facets of publishing that agents encounter day-to-day (contracts/legalese, royalties/payment math, research, etc).
Mary Krienke, Sterling Lord Literistic (fiction, nonfiction, memoir)
Mary Krienke is an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, where she began her publishing career nearly twenty years ago. She grew up on a farm in Nebraska and earned her B.A. in English and Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her MFA in Fiction from Columbia University and has a deep appreciation for dark chocolate; her other interests include film, television, art, and design.
Looking For: Adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, and select memoir, prescriptive, and illustrated projects. In both fiction and nonfiction, she looks for work that is brave and honest, sharp and nuanced, and with humor and heart, especially work that investigates culture, identity, sexuality, disability, and mental health. In fiction, she is open to a wide range of what may be considered grounded in the real and what may be grounded in the strange, and she loves work that explores the relationship between the two. In nonfiction, Mary responds to work that explores our experience of being in relation: to ourselves, to one another, to the material world, and to all we cannot see but strive to comprehend.
Featured Clients: Kavita Bedford, Betsy Bonner, Emily Boring, Nandita Dinesh, Stacy Austin Egan, Kristine S. Ervin, Kimberly Olson Fakih, Gina Fiore, Shelby Lorman, Vyshali Manivannan, Ashlee Piper, Betty Shamieh, Yana Tallon-Hicks, Sharon Sochil Washington, Ellen O’Connell Whittet, and more.
Elizabeth Pratt, Trellis Literary Management (fiction)
Elizabeth Pratt joined Trellis Literary Management after 1.5 years at Park & Fine Literary and Media. Prior to that, she worked at Universal McCann and The Wylie Agency. A graduate of the University of Michigan, where she studied history and English, and the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford, Elizabeth currently supports Michelle Brower and Stephanie Delman while actively building her own client list. Originally from East Lansing, Michigan, Elizabeth now lives in New York. She looks for fiction from diverse perspectives and emerging voices that takes something familiar and turns it on its head, recounts history from a different point of view, sheds light on something previously unnoticed, or makes us think about the world in a different way. Of particular interest to her are intergenerational family sagas, historical fiction, literary thrillers, books with surreal elements, and deep dives into the inner workings of human relationships.
Looking for: Character-driven literary fiction focused on the inner workings of complex relationships like CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS; INTERMEZZO; DETRANSITION, BABY; or TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW (think: anything messy and emotional, where the emotional journey drives the narrative); sprawling family sagas or chronicles of a life, with a historical bent, like THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B DU BOIS, THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, LITTLE GODS, A GRAIN OF WHEAT, or DEEP RIVER; fiction strongly grounded in place, where place is a character, like THE TURNER HOUSE, PEW, BROWN GIRLS, or even FUNNY STORY; fiction that dissects and attempts to understand grief, either directly or indirectly (loss of self, loss of a home, etc.), like TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM; mythological or folklore retellings like CIRCE or A THOUSAND SHIPS; novels that play with form or have unreliable narrators, like THE LOST DAUGHTER or TRUST EXERCISE; literary suspense/thrillers like THE SECRET HISTORY, IDAHO, or BEL CANTO; inventive, genre-bending horror (think: when horror serves a larger metaphorical purpose and is not just gratuitous killing) like THE HACIENDA; historical fiction that is gorgeously written, sheds light on something new, and (again) is character-driven, like WE NEED NEW NAMES or THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT; contemporary fiction with young female characters, and that is a bit weird & whacky, like MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES, THE FIRST BAD MAN, or CULT CLASSIC; high fantasy / romantasy that breaks with common tropes, is told in beautiful and purposeful prose, centers on underrepresented characters, incorporates intricate worldbuilding, says something new within the genre, and is sexy; genre-bending fiction that uses elements of genre to make a point about the primary narrative and themes of the book (think Margaret Atwood); story collections with elements of any of the above; debuts in any of the above categories! Anything from voices that have gone unheard! Anything from poets-turned-novelists!
NOT Looking For: Prescriptive nonfiction, memoir/biography, traditional thrillers, crime fiction, military/police procedurals, epistolary novels, children’s/middle grade/YA, books set during WWII, books about/with AI, books about/featuring the pandemic, anything centered on terminal illness (especially cancer), or anything where animals or children are hurt.
Featured Clients: Tennessee Hill (debut novel publishing May 6, 2025), Rebecca McKee (debut novel on submission), Natalie Kikić (debut novel on submission shortly), E.K. Sunseri (working on debut novel), Anna Reeser (working on short story collection & debut novel), Hilary Lahan (working on debut novel), and more.
Mariah Stovall (Fiction, nonfiction)
Mariah Stovall is an agent at Trellis Literary Management, which she joined upon its founding in 2021. She previously worked at the agencies Howland Literary and Writers House and the publishers Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Gallery Books. She represents adult literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction. Across genres, she gravitates toward outsiders and stylish, inventive storytelling. She's passionate about advocating for writers from underrepresented groups (including writers without MFAs). Mariah has done volunteer work with Periplus and the VIDA Count. She's based in Newark, New Jersey.
Looking For: Fiction: general literary fiction, historical, horror, soft sci-fi/fantasy. Nonfiction: biography, cultural criticism, essay collections, history, journalism, science
Not Looking For: Fiction: children's/middle grade/young adult, commercial fiction, hard sci-fi/fantasy, graphic novels, military thrillers, novellas, poetry, police procedurals, romantasy, or screenplays. Nonfiction: business, cookbooks, memoir, prescriptive/self-help, or religion/spirituality.
Featured Clients: Veronica Chapa, Catharina Coenen, Tom Comitta, Sonya Huber, Courtney Kersten, Samantha Kimmey, David Martinez, Lydia Mathis, Melissa Mogollon, Elizabeth Owour, Ziyad Saadi, Jodi M. Savage, Mai Sennaar, Navid Sinaki, Hannah Soyer, Nghiem Tran, and more.
Lori Galvin (Fiction, nonfiction)
Senior Literary Agent Lori Galvin, has been with Aevitas Creative Management since 2015. Prior to her agenting career, she was an editor at America’s Test Kitchen as well as Houghton Mifflin. She has also worked as a restaurant cook and ran a bed-and-breakfast in Maine. She lives in Massachusetts. Lori only accepts submissions through Query Manager: QueryManager.com/QueryLoriGalvin
Looking For: Novels with excellent writing and a propulsive plot. The writing should be of high quality throughout the manuscript--this doesn't necessarily mean the writing needs to be literary--I love commercial fiction too. Specifically seeking upmarket and literary thriller, mystery, suspense, and crime; supernatural thrillers, speculative thrillers, or thrillers with some horror (think horror for readers who don't typically read horror). I am also looking for elevated book club fiction & women’s fiction with emotional heft. And, I’m eager for socially engaged novels. I welcome all voices.
NOT Looking For:Memoirs, cookbooks, genre romance, fantasy, romantasy, sci-fi, biotech thrillers, military thrillers, novellas, short stories, screenplays, poetry, childrens, or young adult.
Featured Clients: Cambria Brockman, Tamara Miller, Jennifer Morita, Wanda M. Morris, Kwame Onwuachi, Nishita Parekh, and more.
What's on your reading list/nightstand?
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell, and Orbital by Samantha Harvey.
What made you want to become an agent? The ability/freedom to work on whatever I was drawn toward. (As an editor, you’re often encouraged to stay in one lane.)
Jessica Berg, Rosecliff Literary (Fiction, Nonfiction)
Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and founder of Rosecliff Literary. She represents bold, emotionally resonant fiction and nonfiction, often centered on ambition, survival, and untold histories. A multi-nominated writer with an MFA from Spalding University, she is represented by Amy Collins of Talcott Notch.
Looking for: I’m currently seeking both fiction and nonfiction projects with strong voice, emotional resonance, and something subversive at their core. In fiction, I’m drawn to genre-blending work—especially romantic suspense, speculative, gothic, and contemporary historical novels with commercial pacing and literary texture. I’m particularly excited by thrillers with isolated settings, horror across all subgenres, dark and spicy romance (including sports, monster, and new adult), and upmarket book club fiction with big feelings and big hooks. I’m always looking for stories from queer, trans, and BIPOC authors, especially those exploring identity, longing, ambition, or survival.
In nonfiction, I’m looking for narrative projects with a wide reach: untold histories, true crime, pop culture, women’s health, wellness and career books for women, and smart self-help or personal development. I’m especially drawn to military nonfiction and stories by women working in traditionally male-dominated spaces. Across all genres, I prioritize platformed authors, distinctive voice, and a compelling cultural throughline: projects that feel urgent, resonant, and unafraid to challenge the status quo.
Featured Clients: Lisa Roe, Janis Thomas, Trisha Blanchet, Christa Innis, Zach Powers, Katia Sinchenko, Lauren Corriher, Caitlin Cherise, Robin Brooks, Kirk Rafferty, TJ Stecker, Natalie Brown, Julie Cortland, and more.
Jenny Stephens (nonfiction)
Jenny Stephens is a literary agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc., which she joined in 2012 after starting her career as an intern with Islandport Press and Markson Thoma Literary Agency. She grew up in Harpswell, Maine, and studied English and film at Colby College in Waterville, and now lives in New Jersey with her husband and son.
Looking For: Nonfiction in a variety of categories including practical lifestyle projects; prescriptive books particularly in the wellness and mindfulness spaces; cookbooks; and narrative writing on environmental, social, and economic justice; natural sciences; history; food; and cultural criticism. For readers of all ages, Jenny is often drawn to illustrated books that inform and inspire through both text and image.
Featured Clients: Ariel Aberg-Riger, Andrea Bemis, Khiara Bridges, Paco de Leon, Ashley Erdely, Mary L. Gray, Debbie Hines, John Holl, Alicia Kennedy, Jillian Keenan, Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins, Ana Inciardi, Olivia McGiff and Sammi Katz, Daen Lia Kelly, Jeffrey Miller, Cecily Parks, Desmond Patton, Nicole Stott, and Wei Tchou. In addition, Jenny is honored to represent select literary estates on behalf of the agency, including the estate of National Book Award winning author Gloria Naylor and the estate of novelist Ken Kesey.
Jade Wong-Baxter (fiction, Nonfiction)
Jade Wong-Baxter joined the Frances Goldin Literary Agency in 2021, after spending three years at Massie & McQuilkin Literary Agents. She received her B.A. in English Literature and Chinese from Vassar College. Jade got her start in publishing at Writers House, W. W. Norton, and Folio Literary Management.
Looking For: In fiction, Jade is drawn to stories that combine a compelling voice with clear narrative momentum. She particularly enjoys coming-of-age narratives; novels exploring queer identity; stories set within a specific subculture or hidden world; grounded speculative (no high fantasy or science fiction, please); a strong sense of place; AAPI and Asian diaspora stories; and novels about immigrant families. In nonfiction: across genres, Jade enjoys projects that weave together specific personal narrative with a broader sociological curiosity. She is particularly looking for cultural criticism, social justice-oriented journalism, linked essay collections, and AAPI history or culture. Across all genres, Jade is seeking stories by and about people of color, as well as the perspectives of marginalized identities.
NOT Looking For: Children’s/YA; solo short story collections; prescriptive, high fantasy or scifi, romantasy.
Featured Clients: Chris Belcher (PRETTY BABY, Avid Reader; a 2022 Lambda Literary Award Finalist); Delia Cai (CENTRAL PLACES, Ballantine, 2023); Hannah Matthews (YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE, Atria, 2023); and Courtney Preiss (WELCOME HOME CAROLINE KLINE, 2024, a USA Today Bestseller).