Agents & Editors (2026)

• Pitch Sessions: One-on-one agent/editor appointments are available at no additional fee. You must have a finished manuscript to sign up for a pitch session. Spots are limited and are filled on a first-registered, first-assigned basis. Sign up for 8-minute pitch sessions when you register for the conference. Please note: A pitch session does not guarantee publication.
• Agents/editors will also be leading workshop sessions and participating in panel discussions. Bring your questions about the publishing process and hear these experts talk about the state of the industry.
• Agents and editors are also part of our Friday night read-and-critique sessions, where you can get feedback on your writing from industry pros.

Noah Ballard
Buchwald’s Publishing And Media Rights
Vice President of Media Rights & Publishing

Noah Ballard is Vice President of Media Rights & Publishing at Buchwald, where he represents authors and creators across book publishing and film, television and related media. Ballard focuses on the comprehensive development of storytellers, using publishing as a foundation to build long-term, multi-platform careers across traditional and emerging media. Prior to joining Buchwald, Ballard ran the Publishing & IP Team at Verve. He began his career at the Emma Sweeney Agency before moving to Curtis Brown, and has represented bestselling and award-winning fiction and nonfiction authors for over 15 years. Ballard was a 2021 honoree of Publisher’s Weekly Star Watch. He attended the University of Nebraska, and he is based in New York.

According to manuscriptwishlist.com, Noah is looking for contemporary-set literary fiction, literary noir, non-fiction exploring some weird/interesting facet of our world in a narrative way, and humor.

Reiko Davis
Defiore Literary Agency

Reiko Davis joined DeFiore in 2016. Before that, she was at Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency for four years. She grew up in Kansas City, received her BA in Comparative Literature and Art History from Brown University, and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course.

She represents both adult and children's books.

On the adult side, she's seeking literary and upmarket fiction as well as narrative non-fiction.

For adult fiction, she loves:

• Historical and contemporary novels set both in the U.S. and internationally
• Ambitious, multigenerational family sagas
• Novels that rewrite what it means to be an American today
• Stories set in our world with speculative or magical elements
• Offbeat novels with troubled but loveable protagonists
• Mystery, crime, and suspense novels with a literary edge to the writing
• Coming-of-age stories, especially later in life
• Linked story collections

For adult non-fiction, she loves immersive, investigative works of journalism, history that fills a gap on the bookshelf, and cultural criticism. She's drawn to compelling narratives that read like fiction or that use an intimate personal story as a lens for a larger issue or analysis. This especially includes works that explore social justice, the history and experiences of women and people of color, and contemporary culture. She is also on the lookout for true crime projects that shed light on larger societal issues. She does the very occasional book on writing craft.

For children's literature, Reiko is actively looking for middle grade projects that aren't afraid to tackle big questions or important emotional truths, and do so through remarkable storytelling, humor, and heart. In addition to MG novels, she has a soft spot for MG non-fiction in the areas of mental health, science, political activism, environmentalism, and narrative history. She loves works that empower kids to make a difference in their communities.

Reiko is not currently looking for YA or picture books. She does not represent genre category SFF, horror, or romance. Nor is she the best agent for practical non-fiction with a prescriptive bent.

Lisa Kastner
Running Wild Press

Lisa Diane Kastner is the Founder and Executive Editor of Running Wild Press. She’s been a writer and editor for more than twenty years. Featured in Forbes, she has her MFA in Creative Writing with concentrations in Fiction and Nonfiction from Fairfield University, her MBA from Pennsylvania State University, her undergraduate from Drexel University, and is also an alumni of Moorestown Friends Upper School. Lisa began Running Wild with the belief that we can change the world through storytelling. She is also the author of the CURE series, a thriller/magical realism/dark fiction world featuring Luna Metis and nefariously mischievous lycanthropes.

Chat with Lisa on Bluesky at @runningwildllc.bsky.social or Instagram at 60shadesofred or Twitter at @LisaDKastner or FaceBook (fieryredone) or TikTok @lisakastner843 or LinkedIn (lisa-kastener)

Lisa's Likes:

Great stories, great writing, writing in-between genres, laughter, joy, a collaborative effort, great food, great drinks, great music, art, travel, dancing from the heart, singing like no one is around, great friends and family.

Lisa's Disikes:

Negativity for negativity’s sake, offering problems without possible solutions, days so hot that she’d turn into a piece of burnt toast within moments of walking into the sunlight, okra.

Lawrence Knorr PhD, MBA
Founder & Chairman/CEO Sunbury Press

Lawrence Knorr has been involved with book publishing since 2000. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Liberty University, an MBA from Penn State University, a BA in Business and Economics from Wilson College (minor in History), and is a Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Lawrence’s 40+-year career in information technology, as a programmer, analyst, project manager, CEO, and Chief Information Officer, has prepared him well for the “Age of Content” – the era of eBooks, data integration, eCommerce, networks, and artificial intelligence. Lawrence has taught business and economics courses for over fifteen years at local colleges and is the author or co-author over forty books. He is also an award-winning digital artist. Lawrence often speaks or is a panelist at writers' conferences and book fairs. He also frequently presents history topics at historical societies and venues.

Sunbury Press is a rapidly growing publisher of a wide range of categories represented by six imprints. We typically receive approximately 2000+ proposals a year, publishing roughly 100 of them (about 5%). We choose to invest in those opportunities that we feel have the best chance in the current marketplace. We are always seeking new titles to publish including: history, historical fiction, mystery/detective, police procedurals, crime thrillers, horror, literary fiction, young adult, current events, science, reference, art history, ANY local/regional history, humor, spiritual/metaphysical, self-help, professional, memoirs, etc. If we didn’t mention your category — try us anyway!

Marie Lamba
Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Marie Lamba is a Senior Literary Agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency (jdlit.com), where she represents fiction and non-fiction picture books, middle grade, YA and adult works, plus graphic novels and memoir. Her clients have garnered awards, starred reviews, film deals and New York Times bestseller status. Marie is also author of the picture books Green Green: A Community Gardening Story (Farrar Straus Giroux), and A Day So Gray (Clarion), and of the young adult novels What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head, and Drawn. Her articles are in more than 100 publications, and she has been a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. She has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, and a book publicist, and has taught classes on novel writing and on author promotion. You can follow her blog at her website marielamba.com, follow her on Bluesky @marielamba.bsky.social, and like her Facebook page: Marie Lamba, Author.

Marie’s wish list:

Marie represents fiction and non-fiction for children and for adults. In the fiction category, she is currently seeking middle-grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, especially with diverse points of view. She also wants general adult fiction, women’s fiction, and graphic novels for adults. Marie represents a select number of established illustrators and picture book authors. She'd love to find an original rom-com that would inspire the next smart and funny chick flick. She loves contemporary as well as historical works, and she's always interested in a fresh non-gory ghost story for any age. She enjoys fantasy and speculative elements, and is on the hunt for unique and funny grounded romantasy. Marie is fascinated with hidden treasures, artifacts and with discovering ancient civilizations right beneath our feet. As a huge fan of folklore and fairy tales, she always enjoys those elements woven into a story in a unique way. Overall, books that are original, moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome.

In the fiction category, she is not interested in Christian fiction, horsey books, erotica, category romance (though romantic elements are welcomed in novels), or books that feature graphic violence.

Marie also represents non-fiction for children and for adults. For children’s, she's open to most non-fiction subjects, especially ones that fit into her interests (see above).

In the adult realm, she wants memoirs with strong voices and unique, inspiring stories (including foodie memoirs, or ones with a celebrity or pop culture connection). In non-fiction, she's seeking narrative non-fiction, pop culture, history (little known or unique view of well-known), science and technology for the rest of us, art, biography (especially unknown/little known sides of well-known people), parenting, cooking and food, health and wellness, lifestyle, advice and relationships, and personal finance.

Overall, she's especially looking for non-fiction that is inspiring and hopeful. Marie has a special interest in social justice, in titles that elevate and celebrate women and diverse people, and in books that aim to improve our society and help our environment.

Donovan Levine
Neighborhood Literary

Donovan Levine Donovan Levine is an associate literary agent and AALA member based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is currently closed for submissions except for conferences.

Donovan is looking for genre fiction, such as Mystery/Thriller, Historical, YA contemporary, and New Adult, as well as Narrative Nonfiction and Memoir, with a particular interest in underrepresented voices, untold multicultural stories, and any high concept or genre-bending works.

When not doing agent work, he can probably be found at a local dive bar cheering for Philly sports teams.