Agent or Editor? • How It Works • Submission Fees • Confirmed Agents • FAQ

SBWC’s Advance Submission program is an opportunity for conference participants to meet agents and editors, and receive individual feedback and instruction on their writing.

Agents and editors who have participated in the past return because they enjoy meeting with writers and hearing about their work. They know SBWC attendees consistently offer high-quality writing. Many of our students have been offered representation based on work the agents read during our conference.

If your manuscript is complete and polished, and you think you are ready for an agent to represent your work, read up on our agents and choose those who seem interested in your genre or already represent clients whose work you think is similar to your own.

Advance Submission is your chance to separate yourself from the thousands of other single-space, one-page, letters agents receive each year. Though SBWC has had many success stories, we make no promises of representation, nor further interest in your manuscript. We do, however, hope this is a rewarding and enlightening experience, and at the very least, an opportunity to make a personal and professional connection.

You must be a registered for the conference to participate. 

Agent or Editor?

Not everyone is ready for a meeting with an agent. If you have just finished your first draft or you have only written through chapter three, submitting to an editor will give you the best instruction. Our participating workshop leaders are wonderfully talented writers and editors, and their personal guidance will help prepare you and your manuscript for the professional world of agents and publishers. Often times, it’s their valuable instruction that sends our students on the road to publication.

 How it works:

1) Register and choose your readers either online by credit card, or by mail. We expect some agents and editors will fill their schedules quickly, so be sure to register early. You may submit to as many as five readers.

2) You will mail the first 15 pages of your manuscript to the conference by May 16th. If you have chosen multiple readers, you will include a copy for each reader.

3) Once you check into the conference on June 18th, we will give you the details of the meeting arrangements. Your reader will have read the pages before you meet, and will come prepared to talk about your writing. This is a one-on-one for 15 minutes, a chance for you to get personal feedback from an agent or editor.

 Submission Fees:

The cost for each submission will be $50, and you will be able to sign up beginning April 1st. Once you have signed up with an agent or editor, there will be no refunds given for any reason, so consider your choices carefully.  

2011 Agents:

Jamie Weiss Chilton—Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Paul Fedorko—N.S. Bienstock, Inc.
Michael Larsen—Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents
Toni Lopopolo—Toni Lopopolo Literary Management
Jill Marr—Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Stuart Miller—The Stuart M. Miller Co., Talent & Literary Agency
Dana Newman—Dana Newman Literary Agent
Elizabeth Pomada—Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents
Angela Rinaldi—The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency
Nephele Tempest—The Knight Agency
Ken Sherman—Ken Sherman & Associates
Sally van Haitsma—van Haitsma Literary

(Note: Please check back, as we will be adding more agents and editors in the coming weeks.)

Jamie Weiss Chilton—Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Jamie Weiss Chilton represents children's books exclusively, specializing in teen novels and picture books. For teens, she is interested in literary/commercial fiction with intense emotional content (character driven, not issue driven plots); smart thrillers and mysteries; science-fiction and futuristic fiction; surreal stories and magical realism. "I'm looking for a YA writer who is reinventing and re-envisioning the genre, the way Francesca Lia Block did with her Weetzie Bat series in the 1990s. I'm looking for the Lady Gaga of YA fiction." As for picture books, Jamie gravitates towards quirky, unique, character-driven texts and illustrations.

Jamie's career in children's books began in 1998, with an editorial internship at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, followed by positions as an Editorial Assistant and Assistant Editor at Bantam Delacorte Dell and Knopf & Crown Books for Young Readers, all divisions of Random House Children's Books. After returning to her hometown of Los Angeles, Jamie pursued her love of children's books in a new arena, as Conference Manager and Golden Kite Award Director at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) before joining the Andrea Brown Agency in 2008. 

**REQUEST: For picture books, the full manuscript text (which should not exceed 10 pages) is what I would like to see. If the author is also an illustrator, they can include two or three illustration samples. I do not need or want to see a picture book in dummy format (i.e., paged out into 32 pages). 

Paul Fedorko—N.S. Bienstock, Inc.

Having built his career on both the publishing and literary agency sides of the book business, Paul brings expertise working directly with established authors, new writers and personalities on both fiction and non-fiction projects.

Prior to joining Bienstock, Paul had been a literary agent at Trident Media Group for more than five years, ran The Paul Fedorko Agency and spent more than 20 years as a publishing and marketing executive at Bantam Doubleday Dell, Simon & Schuster and William Morrow working with many brand name as well as first-time authors.

"Having worked on both sides of the book business, my passion is helping authors develop their projects and partnering them with the right editor and publisher."

Born and raised in New Jersey, Paul graduated from St.Peter's College, currently resides in Manhattan and considers himself a native New Yorker.

Michael Larsen—Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Born and educated in New York City, Michael Larsen worked in promotion for Bantam, William Morrow, and Pyramid (later assimilated into Berkley). He and his wife Elizabeth Pomada started Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco in 1972. They are members of AAR and have sold books to more than 100 publishers. 



Mike is eager to find nonfiction books that will excite big and midsize houses: how-to’s, self-help, business, personal finance, popular culture, biography, current affairs, history, health, medicine, spirituality, inspirational books, trends, technology, the future, and other books with practical, social, or literary value.



He is the author of the third editions of How to Write a Book Proposal and How to Get a Literary Agent. With Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and David Hancock, he is co-author of the second edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work. The address for Mike's blog is http://michaellarsen.wordpress.com.

Toni Lopopolo—Toni Lopopolo Literary Management

Literary Agent, Toni Lopopolo, has a book-publishing resume that began in 1970 in the publicity dept of Bantam Books, where she publicized authors: Philip Roth, Barbara Cartland, Louis L'Amour, plus. When Macmillan offered Toni the title of Executive Editor, she published Judy Mazel's Beverly Hills Diet, Elvis 56 by Al Wertheimer among other hits. Next, Toni became executive editor for St. Martin's Press: 1981 to 1990, published Hot Flashes, Barbara Raskin, Rich and Famous, Kate Coscarelli, plus Elsa Lanchester, Herself, by Elsa Lanchester, & many more.

In l991, Toni opened Literary Management, sold books for authors Shelly Lowenkopf, Sol Stein, Lee Silber, Lillian Glass, Steve Duno, Nancy Baer, and others. Known for her Fiction Bootcamps, she uses unique methods that help first novelists master skills needed to write successful fiction, and helps nonfiction writers produce compelling narrative nonfiction, using fiction techniques. Toni’s noted for her popular lecture: The Ten Most Common Mistakes First Novelists Make. Toni Lopopolo Literary Management is located in Alexandria, Va. & Santa Barbara, CA.

Toni scouts novels for women over 45, Latina fiction, noir thrillers. Nonfic: personal journey, health, and business.  

http://www.lopopololiterary.com/

Jill Marr—Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Jill is an acquiring associate agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She has a strong Internet and media background as well as over 10 years of publishing experience. She wrote features and ads for Pages, the literary magazine for people who love books, and continues to write book ads for publishing houses, magazine pieces and promotional features for television.

Jill is interested in commercial fiction, with an emphasis on mysteries, thrillers and horror, women’s commercial fiction and historical fiction. She is also looking for non-fiction by authors who are getting their work published regularly in magazines and who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience. Jill is looking for non-fiction projects in the areas of self-help, inspirational, cookbooks, memoir (she especially loves travel and foodie memoirs), parenting, history, sports, current events, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music.

Jill is not looking for YA, children’s books, sci-fi, romance or anything involving unicorns.

http://www.dijkstraagency.com/

Stuart Miller—The Stuart M. Miller Co., Talent & Literary Agency

Stu Miller has been a successful literary and packaging agent in Hollywood and New York for over 40 years, representing fiction and non-fiction authors, screen and television writers, producers, directors, interactive multimedia creators and a broad range of intellectual property. His clients have included multiple winners of Oscar, Emmy, WGA, DGA, CableAce, People’s Choice, Golden Globe, and many other national and international awards. His great pleasure is finding and nurturing previously undiscovered talented writers and helping them to develop satisfying, rewarding careers. 

He’s primarily interested in original screenplays, commercial fiction and important non-fiction books with strong stories and engaging characters, in all genres except children, western, spiritual and fantasy.

**REQUEST: For screenplay submissions, I'd like to see the first act and a no more than 3-page outline of the balance of the script.

Dana Newman—Dana Newman Literary Agent

Dana Newman is an independent literary agent based in Los Angeles. Dana is also a business and intellectual property lawyer advising creators and companies on contracts, copyrights, trademarks, and licensing.

With years of experience as an attorney working in the entertainment industry during the transition from analog to digital platforms in film editing and audio recording, Dana is excited about the changes happening in publishing and enthusiastically embraces new technologies and ideas about books. She combines her professional insight, educational background (B.A. in Comparative Literature from U.C. Berkeley, J.D. from the University of San Francisco), and a lifelong love of reading to provide a sophisticated, innovative approach to her role as a literary agent. A believer in the power of books to shape our culture and impact lives, she enjoys working with authors who are passionate about their work and have something meaningful to share. From crafting proposals and polishing manuscripts through negotiating and managing contracts, Dana strives to create a holistic, long-term working relationship with her clients.

Dana is interested in practical and narrative nonfiction books in the areas of lifestyle and wellness (health, mind-body-spirit, self-help, and fitness), memoir, business, technology, parenting and popular culture.

Elizabeth Pomada—Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Elizabeth Pomada worked at David McKay, Holt Rinehart & Winston, and the Dial Press in New York City before moving to San Francisco in 1970 with her partner and husband, Michael Larsen. Together, they started Michael Larsen - Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents in 1972. Since then, they have sold books from hundreds of authors to more than 100 publishers. Elizabeth is a member of the Association of Author's Representatives, The Author's Guild, ASJA, WNBA and co-founder with Michael of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the Writing for Change conference. She travels extensively, speaking at conferences, universities and in front of other groups of writers.

She represents narrative non-fiction (memoir), adult commercial and literary fiction, women's fiction, romance, thrillers and mysteries. She loves to find promising new writers who are writing books that will interest New York publishers.

Angela Rinaldi—The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency

Angela Rinaldi is a literary agent and president of The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency. The agency was founded in 1994. Prior to starting the agency, she was Executive Editor at NAL and Bantam Books, Senior Editor at Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster) and started the book publishing program for The Los Angeles Times. She has been a member of the Literature Panel for the California Arts Council in addition to the board for PEN and the membership committee for AAR. 

She represents the eight million copy bestseller Who Moved My Cheese?  by Dr. Spencer Johnson (Putnam). Other titles on her list include Quirky, Yes -- Hopeless, No by Dr. Cynthia Norall (St. Martin’s), Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game by Dr. Joseph Parent (Doubleday), From Seed to Skillet  by Jimmy Williams and Susan Heeger (Chronicle), Blood Orange and The Good Sister by Drusilla Campbell (Grand Central Publishing), The Thyroid Solution by Dr. Ridha Arem (Ballantine), The Starlite Drive in by Marjorie Reynolds (Morrow).  

She is interested in commercial and literary fiction, upmarket contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, narrative non-fiction, food narratives, memoir, current affairs, and psychology, health books that address specific issues, business and career. 

Nephele Tempest—The Knight Agency

Nephele Tempest joined The Knight Agency in January, 2005, opening the Los Angeles office. As an agent, she works with a number of talented writers, assisting them to hone their skills and build their careers. In addition, she spends time developing the agency's Hollywood film and multi-media contacts. Nephele comes from a diverse publishing and finance background, having worked in the editorial department at Simon and Schuster, as a financial advisor, in the marketing and communications departments of several major New York investment firms, and as a freelance writer. Her experiences in sales, marketing, and writing provide her with insights into multiple aspects of the publishing industry.

Nephele belongs to the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She continues to actively build her client list, and is currently seeking works in the following genres: literary/commercial fiction, women's fiction, urban fantasy/paranormal, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, historical fiction, science fiction, and young adult fiction.

Ken Sherman—Ken Sherman & Associates

An agent for more than twenty years, Ken represents screen, television and book writers, and also sells film and television rights to books as well as life rights.

A few of Ken's clients include John Updike, David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars, Tawni O'Dell, whose first novel, Back Roads, became an international best seller and Oprah Book Club selection, Starhawk, considered the best-known witch in the world, Anne Perry, the world's best-known Victorian murder mystery writer and author of 50 books, and the estates of Luis Buñuel and John Hersey.

Ken maintains strong community involvement as well. He serves as an Arts and Cultural Affairs Commissioner in the City of West Hollywood, is a founding member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA) and is a member of both the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the International Advisory Board of the Christopher Isherwood Foundation.

I'd like to see fiction. Sometimes I handle non-fiction books. I'm open to all subjects, but not children's as much as adult fiction. Please include your bio.

Sally van Haitsma—van Haitsma Literary

In 2010 agent Sally van Haitsma founded van Haitsma Literary, a boutique agency located in Encinitas, California. Sally has represented, among others, the New York Times bestseller Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien (Simon & Schuster); America Libre and House Divided by Raul Ramos y Sanchez (Grand Central); Hick by Andrea Portes (Unbridled Books, screen adaption filming March 2011, starring Chloe Moretz); NATO 2.0: Reboot or Delete? by Sarwar Kashmeri (Potomac Books); Does this Mean You’ll See Me Naked? by Robert Webster (Sourcebooks); and International bestseller, The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian (HarperCollins). 

Actively seeking new authors, Sally is interested in commercial and literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, pop culture, education, business and current affairs.

She has a Masters in Communication from UC San Diego and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

**REQUEST: Ideally, I'd prefer 12 pages and a one-page synopsis.

www.vanhaitsmaliterary.com