HOLLY WEST

SR. Editor – Feiwel & Friends

Holly West is a Senior Editor at Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. She has worked with authors such as Mo O’Hara (My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish); M.R. Fournet (Brick Dust and Bones); Tricia Levenseller (Daughter of the Pirate King); Manka Kasha (Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster); and Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys). She edits books for kids and teens of all ages, with a focus on fantasy, sci-fi and other genre elements, along with a few (mostly science, tech and video game related) non-fiction titles. In general, she’s drawn to books that feature smart kids and which combine magic, technology, and whimsy with snark and heart. She would almost always rather laugh than cry, and likes to describe her job as being a professional fangirl: it allows her to look through all the pop culture shared with her, find stories to fall deeply in love with, nitpick over them obsessively until they are as close to perfect as possible, and then shove them at other people with great enthusiasm.

Wishlist: I work on children’s books for all ages, picture books through YA, with a focus on fantasy, sci-fi and other genre elements. I like a bit of magic or cool sci-fi tech in my worlds and am less interested in straight contemporary stories. I would always rather laugh than cry, and am not the right editor for very dark stories, books that end in tragedy, or most issue books.  I’m always looking for diverse books and new voices, but tend to prefer stories where the identity is part of who the character is, but isn’t really the center of the story itself. For example, I’d love to see a main character with depression who still manages to defeat the dragon and save the day. And speaking of dragons, I’m very much in the market for a good dragon book. I’m also looking for shorter, tighter stories (especially in the middle grade space). 

COLE LANAHAN

Agent – Seymour Agency

As an agent, Cole Lanahan possesses a wide range of skills to offer her authors. Aside from being a published author of eight novels, Cole holds a degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State. Her past experiences include lobbying the United States congress for better mental health initiatives, leading a multimillion-dollar mental health nonprofit, creating strategic corporate partnerships, and implementing large-scale marketing campaigns. 

When she’s not traveling, Cole lives in the Midwest with her husband, daughter, four dogs, and twenty chickens. Her personal interests include reading, quilting, and performing with her acoustic band.

SANDRA PROUDMAN

JR. Agent – Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency

Sandra Proudman (she/her/ella) is a literary associate at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency who represents authors and illustrators across all age groups. She is also the editor of the YA anthology, RELIT: 16 LATINX REMIXES OF CLASSIC STORIES out February 6, 2024 from Inkyard Press; a contributor in the YA horror anthology, THIS HOUSE IS HAUNTED out spring 2024 from Page Street Kids; and the author of the YA fantasy, SALVACIÓN, out winter 2025 from Wednesday Books. When not busily immersed in all things publishing, you can find her spending time with her amazing husband and adorable toddler, catching up on all her shows, and taking care of her vegetable garden. Connect with her on social media @SandraProudman.

PENELOPE BURNS

Agent – Gelfman Schneider Literary

Penelope Burns began her career in publishing at Gelfman Schneider as an intern in 2012, and after a brief stint as a book-to-film scout, became a full time agent in 2015. She is particularly drawn to voice and captivating writing. 

Looking For: Mystery, Psychological Thrillers, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Adult/YA Crossover, YA, MG. Favorite reads of the last year include: Pachinko, I Have Some Questions for You, The School for Good Mothers, Crying in H-Mart, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, We Deserve Monuments, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafi, and Such Sharp Teeth. 

Not Looking For: Picture Books, Cozy Mysteries, Military Thrillers, Spy Thrillers, Historical Romance

Select Clients Include: Brooke Archer, Doug Cornett, Kwame Ivery, Em X. Liu, Ashton Noone, Emily Paxman, Alyssa Wees, Leah Vernon

PAM GRUBER

Agent – High Line Literary

Pam became a literary agent when she realized her favorite part of the publishing business was working closely with authors and artists, helping them to shape not only their stories, but also their careers. She got her start in publishing as an editor, working for over a decade at Hachette Book Group and went on to serve as the Editorial Director at children’s media startup Rebel Girls before shifting gears. 

As an agent, Pam aims to sign authors, not just individual books, and she believes in collaboration, communication, creativity, and mutual respect. Her clients write in all categories, from children’s and YA, to adult SFF and contemporary rom-com. She looks for work that is gripping from page one, whether that’s due to the voice, world building, or premise. She loves messy female protagonists, innovative twists on classic tropes, and getting swept away by fully realized worlds—be it the next town over or an imagined land unlike our own. She brings an inscrutable eye for detail to every book she gets her hands on, and her prior experience gives her insight into how editors think, and what they’re looking for. 

In her life outside of books (as if!), Pam is an aspiring art collector, avid window shopper, experimental baker, and Pilates enthusiast slowly fixing up the antique house she lives in with her husband, son, and feline familiars. 

LISA MANGUM

EDitor – Shadow Mountain

Lisa Mangum has worked in publishing since 1997. She has been the Managing Editor for Shadow Mountain since 2014 and has worked with several New York Times best-selling authors. While fiction is her first love, she also has experience working with nonfiction projects.
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. She has edited several anthologies. She currently lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy.

Her MSWL: Historical fiction, Women’s fiction, Historical romance, Contemporary middle grade, Contemporary young adult, Cookbooks.

KAMI HANCOCK

EDitor – Covenant

With nineteen years of editing experience, Kami has worked on everything from college dissertations to resumes to veterinary medical journals to books. Books are her favorite because they are the most challenging and the most rewarding. She’s been an editor with Covenant Communications for nine years, doing what she loves.

WISHLIST:

Genres we’re looking for:

• Contemporary: romance, suspense/mystery
• Historical: romance, suspense/mystery, general
• Nonfiction: inspirational, doctrinal
• We are particularly looking for inclusive works with Latter-day Saint content; however, we are also happy to consider any generally Christian works with a meaningful faith arc or works that do not feature religion but are wholesome and uplifting. We want depth of plot and strong characters.

We’re not looking for:

• YA, MG, sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural
• Family or personal histories, memoirs, self-help

AMY MICHELLE CARPENTER

Monster Ivy Publishing

Amy Michelle Carpenter is the publisher for Monster Ivy Publishing, a publishing house with award-winning, bestselling fiction. Michelle has a MA in Publishing where she studied under Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author in the Star Wars and Dune universes.

Monster Ivy is dedicated to clean fiction with a darker bite, rated PG-13 or less. We are happy to review anything that fits our guidelines. We will NOT accept erotica or nonfiction (except memoirs). We are especially on the lookout for Christian fiction, psychological thrillers, YA fiction (all genres), horror, and romance with a grittier tone. 

(or the wishlist is on their website: https://www.monsterivy.com/submissions)

ELI CLARK

Future House

When he’s not reading the latest thriller or sci-fi adventure, Eli Clark works with Future House Publishing to craft the very best sci-fi & fantasy stories by new authors. Uniquely positioned with their video game & animation sister company, Future House Publishing is all about telling stories that inspire us to be magnificent!

Future House Publishing is primarily interested in family-friendly adult sci-fi & fantasy book series that are rated PG-13 or less. We are not actively seeking middle grade manuscripts for publication, but are happy to review them and give feedback.