Meet the Agents & Editors: Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2021

Associate Agent Karly Caserza was born in the Phillipines and immigrated to Northern California as a child. She obtained her Business Mrketing degree and has been a Freelance Graphic Designer for over 10 years. In addition to designing a wide range of print and web promotional material for clients. Karly creates book covers for Short Fuse and promotional graphics for Fuse authors. Professionally, Karly began her career in the publishing industry as a reader for Tricia Skinner at Fuse Literary, a role that also included a spot on the production team of Short Fuse. Karly is also the Marketing Coordinator of the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. In her spare time, Karly has a deep love for characters with a strong voice and seeks out stories she can get lost in. Diversity in genre fiction is a major bonus. She specializes in middle grade and young adult genre fiction(fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary.)

Alison Knowles is the Associate Director of Acquisitions at North Atlantic Books, an independent nonprofit publisher based in Berkeley. In 2007 she started her publishing career with a brief stint in publicity at HarperOne, then moved to acquisitions at Wiley/Jossey-Bass, working on religion and spirituality titles as well as higher education titles, and in 2017 joined North Atlantic Books as a Senior Acquisitions Editor. Some recent books she’s proud of include: Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens; Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses by Sage Rountree and Alexandra DeSiato; and Climate–A New Story by Charles Eisenstein. She is looking for nonfiction books on health & wellness, psychology & self-help, and social justice & activism. When she’s not reading books, you can find her biking around Oakland, gardening on her back porch, or feeding her overly demanding cat.

Margot Maley Hutchison is a senior literary agent and the director of online courses for Waterside Productions, Inc. She has been in publishing since 1992 and has represented hundreds of books and generated millions dollars in revenue for her authors. She represents fiction and quality nonfiction on the following topics: health, fitness, diet, psychology, parenting, fitness, pop-culture, computers and business. Throughout her career at Waterside, Margot has worn many hats. She was a key organizer of the Waterside Publishing Conference, the leading technical publishing conference in the industry. As the head of the Waterside Foreign Rights department until 2002, she generated hundreds of licensing deals. Margot has created entirely new sales channels for authors in online instruction, corporate website assignments, training and creating apps. Some of the books she has recently represented include: Dr. Kellyann Petrucci’s Bone Broth Diet (Rodale Books) Talking to Crazy by Dr Mark Goulston (Amacom Books), Breaking the Trance: Survival Strategies for Parenting the Screen Dependent Child (Central Recovery Press), Self Esteem for Dummies by S. Renee Smith and Vivian Hart (Wiley Publishing), Grant Writing for Dummies by Bev Browning (Wiley Publishing), Teens Cook by Eimly and Lyla Allen (Ten Speed Press) and People Powered: How Communities Can Supercharge your Business, Brand, and Teams by Jono Bacon (Harper Collins), Stress into Strength by  (Harper Collins 2021)

Jane is currently an Acquisitions Editor for Mango Publishers, an innovative independent publisher that publishes some of the freshest, most distinctive voices of our time. Jane loves working with writers to help bring their ideas to life and to help give voice to a broad range of perspectives and experiences. She is actively seeking nonfiction works that combine beautiful writing with strong messages and narratives and that address current and timely topics in engaging and accessible ways.

She is looking for: Food & Lifestyle, Gift Books, History, Cultural and Social Issues, Current Affairs, Music, Nature/Ecology, Adventure,Gardening, Cookbooks, Parenting, Politics, Psychology, Anxiety, Investigative Journalism, Science, Self-Help, Travel, True Crime, Dating/Relationships, Women’s Concerns, Global Perspectives, Pop Culture

She will consider: Memoir (author must have a platform), Children’s picture books & middle grade from illustrator/artists onl

Michele Crim is the West Coast literary agent for Miller Bowers Griffin Literary Management, a boutique agency based in New York City. They represent authors such as Mark Bittman and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Cal Peternell and Mads Refslund, co-founder of Noma, and MBG recently signed Moby to do a cookbook for his new award-winning restaurant, Little Pine. They work with chefs, food, and lifestyle writers and also represent fiction and narrative nonfiction writers, worldwide. Among others, Michele now represents Yumiko Sekine, founder of the beloved international brand Fog Linen Work; Allison Arevalo, best-selling cookbook author with a new book, The Pasta Friday Cookbook, released in September of 2019; and Charleen Badman, James Beard nominee and celebrated chef-owner of FnB Restaurant and Bar in Scottsdale.

A MacDowell and Hawthornden Castle Fellow, Leland Cheuk is an award-winning author of three books of fiction, most recently the novel NO GOOD VERY BAD ASIAN (2019). Cheuk’s work has been covered in Buzzfeed, The Paris Review, VICE, San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere, and has appeared or is forthcoming in publications such as NPR, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, among other outlets. He is the founder of the indie press 7.13 Books, which publishes debut book-length fiction. 7.13 books is looking for quality works of fiction and short story collections, favoring literary comedies and genre-bending submissions as well as work from the queer and/or POC writing community.

Jennifer Chen Tran is an agent at Bradford Literary, joining in September 2017. She represents both fiction and non-fiction. Originally from New York, Jennifer is a lifelong reader and experienced member of the publishing industry. Prior to joining Bradford Literary, she was an Associate Agent at Fuse Literary and served as Counsel at The New Press. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Northeastern School of Law in Boston, MA, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Jennifer understands the importance of negotiation in securing rights on behalf of her authors. She counsels her clients on how to expand their platforms, improve on craft, and works collaboratively with her clients throughout the editorial and publication process. Her ultimate goal is to work in concert with authors to shape books that will have a positive social impact on the world—books that also inform and entertain.

Suzy Evans is a literary agent, attorney, and author who holds a Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley. In the adult market, she’s looking for narrative nonfiction, history, science, big idea books on controversial social issues, riveting, elegantly-written memoir (recent favorites include Barbarian Days and When Breath Becomes Air), self-help, parenting (bonus points for humor!) and small quirky books that make her smile and think about the world in new and surprising ways. On the children’s front, she’s seeking MG nonfiction, YA fiction that tackles difficult issues in bold, daring ways, and graphic novels that bring history, literature, and fascinating historical figures (think Socrates! Machiavelli! Hamilton!) to life. She’d also love to find a thriller that has “MOVIE!” written all over it. Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency 

Nancy Fish During her long career in publishing, Nancy Fish has worked in almost every iteration of the book business. Having been publicity and marketing director for major houses including  Farrar, Straus & Giroux, HarperCollins and Pereus as welll as small indies, freelance publicist and copywriter, and bookseller at legendary shops on both coasts, Nancy now manages the Path to Publishing Program, and all the writers programs, at Marin County’s three-store treasure trove, Book Passage. Ask her about them. Nancy is open to discussing all genres.

Jan Johnson is Publisher Emeritus at Red Wheel Weiser & Conari Press acquiring select books for each imprint. Before launching Red Wheel/Weiser, Johnson worked at Tuttle Publishing, HarperOne (when it was known as HarperSanFrancisco), Winston/Seabury Press and as an independent book doctor, rewrite editor and editorial consultant for corporate and independent publishers. Johnson has worked on many bestsellers including Codependent No More, Random Act of Kindness, Oprah pick The Book of Awakening and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

Brenda Knight began her career at HarperCollins, working with luminaries Paolo Coelho, Marianne Williamson and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Knight was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year in 2014 at the ALA, American Library Association. Knight is the author of Wild Women and Books, The Grateful Table, Be a Good in the World, and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. Knight is Editorial Director at Mango Publishing and acquires for all genres in fiction and nonfiction, LGBTQ as well as children and photography books. She is the immediate past President of the Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter, and an instructor at the annual San Francisco Writers Conference.

Born in Port-au-Prince, M.J. Fievre, B.S. Ed, is a longtime educator whose publishing career began as a teenager in her native Haiti. At nineteen years old, she signed her first book contract with Hachette-Deschamps for the publication of a YA book titled La Statuette Maléfique. Since then, M.J. has released nine YA books in French that are widely read in Europe and the French Antilles, and she is the author of the award-winning Badass Black Girl book series for tweens and teens (in English). As the ReadCaribbean program coordinator for the prestigious Miami Book Fair, M.J. directs and produces the children’s cultural show Taptap Krik? Krak! In addition, M.J. serves as the managing editor of DragonFruit, which publishes high quality children’s books, which connect with readers by paving the way to lifelong learning.

Laurie McLean,Partner, Fuse Literary, spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity agency and 8 years as an agent and senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco. Following her stint as the CEO of a successful Silicon Valley public relations agency bearing her name, Laurie was able to switch gears in 2002 to immerse herself in writing. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master’s Degree at Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism. At Fuse Literary, Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror, etc.) plus middle-grade and young adult children’s books.

Yaddyra Peralta is an acquisitions and developmental editor and acquires and edits books for Books & Books Press, FIU Business Press, and the Dragonfruit children’s imprint. Her focus is in the categories of literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, history, children’s and YA, and business, but is open to other genre suggestions, including books with a social justice bent.  A poet and essayist, her written work has appeared in Ploughshares,The Miami Herald, The Florida Review and various anthologies and she regularly partners with arts organizations to teach creative writing to writers of all ages. 

Randy Peyser sells non-fiction manuscripts in all genres and speaks nationally about how to get book deals. She also serves on faculty for CEO Space International where she teaches about writing book proposals. She is the author of The Write-a-Book Program; Crappy to Happy as featured in the movie, Eat Pray Love; and The Power of Miracle Thinking. Her clients’ books have been in Oprah and Time Magazines, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller Lists, in airport bookstores, Office Max and FedEx/Office stores, and on Hallmark TV. Her work is featured in: Healing the Heart of the World; The Marriage of Sex and Spirit; Secrets of Shameless Self-Promoters; and the national bestsellers, Networking Magic, Guerrilla Publicity, and The Profit of Kindness. AuthorOneStop.com.

Andy Ross opened his literary agency in January 2008. Prior to that, he was the owner for 30 years of the legendary Cody’s Books in Berkeley. The agency represents books in a wide range of subjects including narrative non-fiction, science, journalism, history, religion,  children’s books, young adult, middle grade, literary and commercial fiction, and cooking. However, he is eager to represent projects in most genres as long as the subject or its treatment is smart, original, and will appeal to a wide readership. In non-fiction, he looks for writing with a strong voice and robust narrative arc by authors with the authority to write about their subject. For literary, commercial, and children’s fiction, he has only one requirement– simple, but ineffable–that the writing reveals the terrain of that vast and unexplored country, the human heart.  www.andyrossagency.com,  www.andyrossagency.wordpress.com

Roger S. Williams, founder of The Roger Williams Agency, a Division of New England Publishing Associates, Inc., has worked in publishing for over thirty years as a bookseller and sales director at Bantam Doubleday Dell, and Simon and Schuster. His background has spanned a broad range of successful positions from many publishing industry perspectives. He has been involved in sales, marketing, merchandising, editorial, and product development. He has run and owned successful bookstores (both corporate and independent),  he has sold to traditional and special sales accounts, national retail, wholesale, mass market, and independent channels. Roger handles both fiction and fiction including narrative nonfiction and memoir. 

Anne Marie O’Farrell has been a literary agent for the past 29 years. She has been invested in growing and shaping the careers of the many talented and creative people with whom she has worked. She has accomplished this through her business as a literary agent and in her capacity as co-creator and owner of two other highly successful companies: a theatrical production company and a continuing education school in New York City. In 2008 she partnered with Denise Marcil to form Marcil-O’Farrell Literary, LLC. Anne Marie specializes in the nonfiction areas of human potential, personal growth, health and fitness, business, spirituality, sports, cooking, travel, gift, and quirky books. She is interested in representing books that convey and promote innovative, practical and cutting-edge information that will help people increase their self-understanding, maximize their careers, health and relationships, and expand their creativity and fulfillment.  Anne Marie sees the books she represents as a reflection of her personal values and taste.  Anne Marie proudly represents the world-renowned, best-selling Seth books including Seth Speaks and The Nature of Personal Reality by Jane Roberts. These books have sold more than eight million copies and have been translated into over fifteen languages.

Cristina Deptula is a former science and technology reporter and also the publisher of Synchronized Chaos Magazine, which showcases art and writing from around the world. Literary publicity is a way for her to serve others while satisfying her implacable curiosity! Authors, Large and Small helps authors to find their audience where the people already gather and reach them how they already communicate. We develop individualized outreach plans for each author’s project and continue working until we land mutually agreed-on results. As a large, national team we welcome all genres of writing and work with both traditionally published and self-published authors over traditional and social media. 

Kristen Moeller, MS, is an agent at Waterside Productions, the literary home of Eckhart Tolle, Neale Donald Walsch, Jean Houston and other luminaries. Previously, she was an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing and the executive publisher for Persona Publishing, a self-publishing imprint. With close to 30 years of training and experience in psychology and personal growth, she craves discovering new (mostly female) authors with real and gritty memoir or literary fiction about walking through the fires of life – exploring depths and darkness while maintaining a strong psychological base. A published author and a three time TEDx speaker, she has been featured on NPR, ABC, NBC, Fox News, the New York Times, Huffington Post and Tiny House Nation.