COME TO CHICAGO WITH YOUR BEST PITCH!

The following agents will be at WFWA Chicago to take pitches, offer critiques, and participate in panels throughout the conference. Pitch and critique slots are limited and will be available to purchase at the time of registration, or at a later date.

10-minute pitch: $49

Query + 3-page critique (available until July 21): $85

Purchase these as part of your registration, or email [email protected] if you've already registered.

JESSICA ERRERA

AGENT

JANE ROTROSEN AGENCY

Jessica is a native New Yorker and graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. She has been with JRA since 2014 where she represents adult and young adult fiction in a variety of genres. Select clients include Liz Michalski, Erin La Rosa, Miel Moreland, and Victoria Wlosok.

Jessica is currently looking for speculative fiction, commercial women’s/book club fiction, all genres of YA/MG (especially diverse stories and graphic novels), contemporary romance, the occasional historical fiction or suspense novel, and anything that might be read in one sitting on the beach. She loves all things foodie, witchy, or quirky, especially books about books.

KAT KERR

AGENT

DONALD MAASS LITERARY AGENCY

Kat joined Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2019. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in English in 2009 and is drawn to literary and commercial voices within the adult and YA markets, as well as adult nonfiction. Kat feels strongly about supporting programs like We Need Diverse Books and is passionate about creating space in this industry for those from historically marginalized communities. She is actively seeking to grow her client list and is particularly hungry for magical realism, literary leaning speculative and science fiction, women’s fiction, YA works with a lot of heart, and narrative nonfiction with something to say.

JOANNA MACKENZIE

SENIOR AGENT

NELSON LITERARY AGENCY

Joanna MacKenzie is an Sr. Agent with Nelson Literary Agency where she represents authors writing for both the adult and children’s markets across all areas of fiction, poetry and select non-fiction projects. She is drawn to vivid, engaging writing and is particularly interested in high concept thrillers (with a soft spot for speculative and anything that challenges tropes) , voicey mysteries, dark academia, stories that straddle genres, and women’s fiction where the personal intersects with the world at large – if any of these are set in the Midwest, all the better. Across the board, she’s looking for works that highlight under-represented voices. Her authors are New York Times bestsellers, Edgar and Anthony Award nominees, and critically acclaimed storytellers.

ERIN NIUMATA

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & LITERARY AGENT

FOLIO LITERARY MANAGEMENT

Erin Niumata has been in publishing for over twenty-six years. She started as an editorial assistant at Simon and Schuster in the Touchstone/Fireside division for several years; then moved over to Harper Collins as an editor, and then she went to Avalon Books as the Editorial Director.

She represents commercial nonfiction, from prescriptive and practical to narrative and memoir, as well as a select list of fiction including mysteries, psychological thrillers, and commercial women’s fiction. Erin is recognized for partnering with her clients to support their long-term professional and personal goals and to incorporate their books into an overall brand strategy. She has high expectations of herself and her clients and thoughtfully manages her clients’ careers.

SHARON PELLETIER

SENIOR LITERARY AGENT

DYSTEL, GODERICH, AND BOURRET

Sharon Pelletier joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2013 after working in editorial at small presses and as a B&N bookseller, and was named senior agent in 2021. Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, Sharon has lived in New York since 2009, but loves visiting the Midwest and dreams of living by the ocean one day. Sharon’s list includes upmarket fiction of all sorts, from smart, complex women’s fiction; to unexpected suspense fiction and romance; to hearty, unforgettable book club fiction. She also occasionally takes on compelling, fierce narrative nonfiction by journalists, experts, or emerging voices with a promising platform. Visit her profile on MSWL for more info on her can’t-wait-to-reads!

ELAINE SPENCER

VICE PRESIDENT OPERATIONS / SENIOR AGENT
THE KNIGHT AGENCY

Elaine Spencer joined the Knight Agency in 2005. In her nearly two decades with the agency she has placed the domestic and translation rights to over five hundred titles. Placing works with every major publisher, her client list boasts NYT, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. She is a member of RWA, WFWA and the AALA.

She is currently acquiring women’s fiction across the spectrum, from contemporary to historical, from serious to whimsical. She enjoys unique voices, surprising revelations, sharp wit and humor, and emotional gut-punches. Elaine is also looking to acquire high-concept commercial fiction exploring all of the intersections of our culture, ripped-from-the-headlines page turners, mythical and fantastical reimaginings, stories woven around family dynamics, cozy and traditional mysteries, romantic comedies, and genre romances of all varieties. She is also interested in various platform driven nonfiction categories including lifestyle, pop culture, true crime, diet, business, parenting, sports, and women’s issues. You can learn more about her tastes at MSWL.

NIKKI TERPILOWSKI

AGENT

HOLLOWAY LITERARY

CARLY WATTERS

SVP & SENIOR LITERARY AGENT

P.S. LITERARY AGENCY

Carly Watters is a SVP and Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and the sitting VP of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.

Carly Watters has a BA in English Literature from Queen’s University and a MA in Publishing Studies from City University London. Her masters thesis was on the social, political, and economic impact of literary prizes on trade publishing. She began her publishing career in London as an assistant at the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency. Carly joined Toronto-based P.S. Literary Agency in 2010 and has sold over 100 books during her career. She represents award-winning and bestselling authors in the adult fiction and non-fiction categories, and select children’s books.

She is known for her long-term vision for her authors and being an excellent collaborator with a nose for commercial success. She has close ties to publishers in the major markets, is a member of the AALA, and works directly with film agents to option film and TV rights to leading networks and production companies. Her clients’ books have been translated into 40 languages, optioned for TV and film, adapted into podcasts, and have been on every bestseller list from coast to coast, including the New York Times, USA Today, the LA Times, the Washington Post, the Toronto Star, and the Globe and Mail. Carly is also an annual judge for the Women’s Fiction Writing Association Rising Star Award. Find her on Instagram and Twitter at @carlywatters.

The popular writing podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, for which Carly is the co-host, has over 1.3 million downloads.

Carly is interested in the following categories: Smart Book Club Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Upmarket Adult Fiction, Commercial Adult Fiction, Domestic Suspense, Literary Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Pop Science, Business and Psychology, Cookbooks, Unique Memoirs, Lifestyle Non-Fiction: health, wellness, relationships, parenting, lifestyle, Narrative Non-Fiction, Platform-Based Non-Fiction: must have demonstrable expertise and a quantifiable market

She does not represent SF/F, Middle Grade, Religious Texts, Poetry, Screenplays, or Novellas.