Agents and Editors at the In-Person Conference in Las Vegas
Review general information about pitching and how to make your pitch a success.
Here are the agents available for you to meet if you are attending the in-person conference:
Jessica Berg is a literary agent at Rosecliff Literary, leveraging her extensive background as a developmental editor to champion new and emerging authors. She is actively building her list, focusing on compelling character-driven narratives with strong voices and unique settings. Known for her collaborative approach, Jessica works closely with authors to refine their manuscripts and strategically build their careers. Writers can submit their work via the submission guidelines on the Rosecliff Literary website. When not immersed in the next great novel, Jessica enjoys long runs and savoring piping hot tea. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents. In terms of historical fiction, she’s looking for: WWI historical fiction, historical fantasy/alternate history fiction, historical fiction set outside of Western Europe, Cold War historical fiction, and espionage crossover historical fiction.
Amy Bishop-Wycisk (why-zick) joined Trellis Literary Management in 2023 after eight years with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. In historical fiction, she’s especially keen to see historical mystery, alternate history, family sagas, time-slip fiction, and Gothic fiction and would love to see a Western from a Black or Indigenous author. Across the board, she’s interested in books written by underrepresented authors, especially from the AAPI community. Her authors’ books have been NYT, USA Today, and indie bestsellers, a Reese’s Book Club selection, James Beard Award and Edgar Award winners, and Book of the Month picks. You can find her on X at @abwycisk.
Ariele Fredman joined UTA from Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, where she worked across genres to launch bestselling campaigns for blockbuster authors such as Colleen Hoover, Fredrik Backman, Lisa Jewell, Jennifer Weiner, Rebecca Serle, Zakiya Dalila Harris, and Janet Evanovich. Ariele’s looking for character-driven commercial and upmarket fiction: family drama/coming of age, mystery/thriller/suspense with a last-page jaw dropper, historical fiction from unexplored time periods, romance with a relatable main character, totally unique hook, and witty dialogue (can be romantic suspense, romantic comedy, romantasy, straightforward, historical), and novels about women's inner lives that straddle the line between commercial and literary from a diverse range of voices and backgrounds. She also loves immersive YA across similar genres. A strong sense of place is key, and her favorite novels are those you want to savor but end up reading in a day because they are so unputdownable. Tension amongst characters that drives the reading experience—in any genre—is a win.
Mark Gottlieb is a senior vice president and prominent literary agent working at book publishing’s leading literary agency Trident Media Group in New York City. He has ranked highly among literary agents across the industry for overall number of deals and other individual categories. While at Trident Media Group, Mark Gottlieb has represented New York Times bestselling authors as well as major award-winning authors. He has optioned and sold numerous books to production companies and studios for film and TV adaptation. Mark Gottlieb greatly enjoys working with authors to help manage and grow their careers with the resources available at Trident Media Group. Utilizing his drive and intuition for discovering talented writers, he is currently expanding his client list of authors. As a literary agent he looks forward to bringing authors to the largest possible audience and enjoys a wide variety of historical fiction.
Shannon Hassan is an agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency with over a decade of experience representing authors of upmarket historical, book club, and suspense fiction, young adult and middle-grade fiction. Recent historical novels on her list include: USA TODAY bestseller Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh (Harper Muse), The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods (Doubleday), Daughters of Bronze by A.D. Rhine (Dutton), The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu (Lerner) and Over and Out by Jenni L. Walsh (Scholastic). She enjoys a range of eras, and looks for historical stories with a fresh perspective and big hook.
Amanda Jain is an agent at Bookends Literary. She came by her love of reading honestly, inheriting it from parents who always had books close to hand. She began her career in publishing at W. W. Norton, where she spent seven years before pursuing a Masters degree in history of the decorative arts. She rejoined publishing shortly thereafter at Inklings Literary Agency, and is excited every day to encounter new writers and their stories. Amanda currently reps adult romance, mystery, upmarket fiction, and science fiction & fantasy, with a special emphasis on historical fiction in all genres. She loves projects with a strong sense of place and those that create a completely immersive world. She is particularly interested in books that add something important to the conversation, that explore stories we haven’t yet heard, and that introduce new voices to our reading experience.
Melissa Rechter is the Editor and Acquisitions Manager at Crooked Lane Books and Alcove Press. She joined the team in 2019 and has had the pleasure of working with New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. She is looking for historical mysteries with a feminist bent or horror in historical periods. She is keen on 19th and 20th-century historical fiction and gothic or atmospheric writing. Some of her authors include Kate Khavari (A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons), Jenny Adams (A Deadly Endeavor), and Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez (a forthcoming historical romantasy, The Ones Time Forgot.)