LYNNETTE NOVAK

Agent – Seymour Agency

Prior to joining The Seymour Agency, Lynnette spent seventeen years freelance editing. She worked with new writers, advanced writers, as well as New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Lynnette earned a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba, where she specialized in English and French. She excelled in Advanced Creative Writing in university and studied writing for children and teens through the Institute of Children’s Literature. She was a Pitch Wars mentor in 2015 and 2016. Both her mentees acquired an agent. Lynnette has since closed her editing business and is excited to bring her
passion for the written word to agenting.

Although Lynnette was born and raised Manitoba, Canada, she now lives in Minnesota with her husband, twin girls, and many pets. Her personal interests include reading, writing, exercising at the gym (okay, that’s a love/hate relationship), working on an assortment of crafts, all things having to do with animals (if she could own a farm, zoo, and animal shelter, she would), and enjoying time with family and friends.

Follow Lynnette:
Threads: @lynnette_novak
Blue Sky: @lynnettenovak.bsky.social

Wishlist

Currently looking for: (Always looking for BIPOC, diversity of all kinds, and LGBTQ+!!!)

Illustrators: Board book, picture book, illustrated MG, illustrated covers for kid lit and adult.

Picture books: fiction and nonfiction picture books (non-rhyming preferred).

MG genres: contemporary, mystery, magical realism, ontemporary/grounded fantasy, horror

YA genres: rom-com, thriller, romantasy, fantasy, magical realism, horror

Adult fiction genres: horror, contemporary romance, romcom, and romantasy

Note: I am not looking for: thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction, literary fiction, poetry, novellas, sci-fi, or epic fantasies.

Adult nonfiction genres: memoirs, narrative, spirituality/New Age, self-help, health/fitness, parenting/family, motivational/inspirational, business, celebrity, lifestyle, pets, psychology,
relationships & dating, and true crime. You must be an expert in the field and have a platform.

What kind of platform do you need for nonfiction? Are you a celebrity with a story to tell? An expert in the field (doctor, CEO, trainer, psychologist, etc.)? Do you have a direct route to the consumer? Are you a social influencer or public speaker?

She loves dark and suspenseful, mysterious twists, unique worlds, light and funny, a good love story, and lots of voice.

JOSH ADAMS

Agent – Adams Literary

Josh Adams, together with his wife Tracey, runs Adams Literary, a full-service boutique literary agency passionately committed to the representation of the finest children’s, YA, and adult talent, that they co-founded in 2004. 

A graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Business School, Josh represents a number of bestselling and award-winning authors, and particularly enjoys reading both contemporary realistic and fantasy middle-grade, YA, and adult crossover novels. When he’s not working, Josh enjoys watching films, traveling, and photography.

Photo credit: Abby Adams

Wishlist

I am primarily looking for a diverse and wide range of high-concept literary and commercial middle-grade, YA, and adult fiction, as I handle very few picture books and non-fiction projects. In particular, I enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, historical adventure, contemporary realistic, romantic comedies, and thrillers.

ALEX WOLFE

Associate Editor – Penguin Random House

Alex Wolfe is an associate editor who works on picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, and everything in between. She is particularly passionate about fiction that emphasizes humor, strong female characters, distinctive artwork, joyful stories, and anything weird, whimsical, and absurd! When not editing, you can usually find her listening to a comedy podcast, watching musical theater, or drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Wishlist

OVERVIEW:
I’m looking for commercial fiction that emphasizes humor, narratives from marginalized creators, strong female
characters, joyful stories, and anything weird, whimsical, and absurd!

PICTURE BOOKS

• Humor of all types – from fart jokes to witty word play, and everything in between (particularly puns).
• Joyful stories that pair cuteness with humor, with art that either inspires or makes me giggle.
• Love a twist ending to a book, or a story with a great kicker that turns the story on its head.
• Not one for sickly sweet or moral stories, but always here heartfelt stories in the vein of The Rabbit Listened.
• Books I love: Mr. S; The Book With No Pictures; Hair Love; The Day the Crayons Quit; The Bad Egg; Big
• My Books: Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes It Big; BubbleCat vs. DragonBear; Raindrops to Rainbow

MIDDLE GRADE / CHAPTER BOOKS / GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Anything silly and weird, that takes readers on a fast-paced adventure! Good character banter is a plus, too.
• Looking for magical realism, speculative fiction, light fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, and creepy, peculiar, atmospheric horror.
• Contemporary with engaging female characters (particularly a little troublemaker or class clown), friendship stories, or coming of age with a speculative twist, especially with characters from marginalized backgrounds.
• Highly illustrated! Mysteries, fast-paced and silly adventure stories, sci-fi/fantasy, and diverse stories.
• Genre-bending, breaking the fourth wall in a fun way, unique narrators or narration style.
• For chapter books: silly stories with a voice-driven main character or a pair of best friends ready to take on the world; prefer contemporary or light fantasy with worldbuilding that’s easy for kids to pick up quickly.
• For graphic novels: I’m very selective, but ideally looking for author/illustrators with distinctive commercial art style, fast-paced and silly adventure stories, cool and absurd new worlds to explore, fun magical stories.
• Books I love: Stand Up, Yumi Chung!; Eventown; Small Spaces; The Witch Boy; New Kid; Savvy; Skeleton Tree
• My Books: Tales to Keep You Up at Night; Zoo Patrol Squad; Area 51 Interns; Quantum Interstellar Sports League

YOUNG ADULT

• Very selective for young adult, but at the core, I’m looking for voice-driven novels with characters at banter level 10; humor is always key.
• Contemporary with engaging female characters, friendship stories (or breakups), coming of age with a speculative twist, stories from marginalized backgrounds with distinctive voices (but not issues books).
• Fast-paced urban fantasy, magical realism, light science fiction, stories filled with adventure.
• Authors I love: Becky Albertalli, Tracy Deonn, Kate Alice Marshall, Tiffany D. Jackson, Naomi Novik

ADDITIONAL INTERESTS:

• Theater, comedy, film, television, ballet, and the arts (I grew up doing musical theater and ballet!)
• Any books or characters that feel reminiscent of Phineas and Ferb
• Superheroes! Time loops! Magical competitions!
• Joyful Jewish stories, particularly about bar/bat mitzvahs
• I’m not interested in: Nonfiction, gory horror, hard sci-fi, ABC picture books, board books, novels in verse, true crime, or most historical fiction (one potential exception being if there’s a unique speculative twist)

LISA MANGUM

Editor – Shadow Mountain

Lisa Mangum has worked in publishing for more than twenty-five years. She has been the managing editor for Shadow Mountain since 2014 and has worked with several award-winning and New York Times best-selling authors.

Lisa is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels (The Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello), several short stories and novellas, and a nonfiction book about the craft of writing based on the TV show Supernatural. Her most recent book Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published. was released in November 2024.

She regularly teaches at writing conferences across the country as well as hosts a writing weekend twice a year in Capitol Reef National Park. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah.

Wishlist

• Historical Fiction
• Historical Romance
• Cozy Mystery
• Contemporary Middle Grade
• Middle Grade Fantasy
• Contemporary Young Adult
• Young Adult Romance/Fantasy

MICHAEL CARR

Agent – Veritas Literary Agency

Michael Carr is a literary agent with a background in editing and writing who represents writers in a variety of genres, with a special emphasis on historical fiction, mystery and suspense, and science fiction and fantasy. Michael works carefully with clients to produce the cleanest, most professional manuscripts and enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He speaks Brazilian Portuguese and Swahili, and before joining Veritas had professions as diverse as programming simulators for nuclear submarines and owning an inn in Vermont.

SHEYLA KNIGGE

Agent – High Line Literary Collective

Sheyla Knigge (SHAY-luh KUH-nig-gee) is a budding publishing professional who comes to the industry with a lifelong love of reading under her belt. Having worked under Victoria Marini since 2021 she has had the immense pleasure of perusing a variety of books that have gone on to do incredibly well and cannot wait to do the same for her own clients soon. With just over a year’s experience sleuthing through slush piles for the next best seller, she is itching to dive into more manuscripts with Highline Literary Collective. When she’s not working you can find Sheyla tucked away writing, getting more tattoos, or spending time with her family in the Appalachian Mountains.

Wishlist

Sheyla is very interested in books by marginalized creators who have yet to have the opportunity to have their voices heard particularly BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and other #OwnVoices as a fellow queer woman of color. She longs to see uplifting stories from these communities rather than ones that focus on the trauma that comes from being a part of them. Sheyla would love to see stories filled with myth, magic, and a healthy dose of smut when appropriate. Alternatively, she would love to see Percy Jackson-esque Middle Grade fiction; the type she can giggle along with as she reads them to her own children. Stories set in other lands, or other worlds tend to be her go to choice when reading so fill her inbox with them!  

KAMI HANCOCK

Managing Editor – Covenant Communications

With twenty years of editing experience, Kami has worked on everything from college dissertations to résumés to veterinary medical journals to books. She earned her BA in English from the University of Utah and helped launch a new veterinary journal and an online veterinary pharmaceutical database before starting at Covenant in 2015 and making a career out of her love of stories.

Wishlist

Currently accepting manuscripts Themed for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• Fiction
  • Historical
  • Fiction
  • Romance
  • Suspense
• Nonfiction
  • Gospel Teachings
  • Teaching Helps for Youth, Children, Ministering, New Converts
  • Inspirational
  • Self Help
  • Parenting/Family
  • Youth
  • Children
  • Gift and Art Books
  • Cookbooks with a Latter-day Saint theme

We will not consider works that have been self-published previously.

AMY MICHELLE CARPENTER

Monster Ivy Publishing

Amy Michelle Carpenter is the publisher of Monster Ivy Publishing. Monster Ivy Publishing emphasizes clean but edgy books. She also currently works with Vinci Books as a marketing buyer under world renowned marketer James Blatch. She received her MA in Publishing under NYT Bestsellers Kevin J. Anderson. She has a background in editing with Eschler Editing and is an author herself. 

Wishlist

COMING SOON