October 26-28, 2012
Westin Hotel, Bellevue, WA
Sponsored by the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America
Editors and Agents
2012 EDITORS
Amanda Bergeron - Avon and Impulse
Associate Editor Amanda Bergeron joined William Morrow as part of the Avon team in 2008. She acquires romance of most subgenres for both Avon and digital-first imprint Avon Impulse, but she is particularly on the lookout for contemporary romance. Some recent and upcoming titles on her list include A Town Called Valentine by Emma Cane, Somebody Like You by Candis Terry, Skies of Fire by Zoe Archer, and The Warrior Laird Margo Maguire. She also acquires historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction and the occasional general fiction project.
Carrie Jackson - Ellora’s Cave and Blush
Carrie Jackson joined Ellora's Cave in 2011, after a stint as an editor for another respected publisher. She's currently searching for big romances and spicy erotica in all subgenres. She's searching for well-written paranormal, contemporary, futuristic and horror romances. While she has a particular fondness for BDSM, menage and GLBTQ romance, any story with big emotions and beautiful writing will catch her attention. She lives in Ohio with a panoply of stubborn felines who dominate way too much of her time. www.jasminejade.com
Kelli Martin – Montlake Romance/Amazon
Kelli Martin has worked in book publishing for 15 years. She is Senior Editor at Amazon Publishing, where she acquires romance for Montlake Romance, as well as select commercial fiction for women. Prior to joining Amazon, Kelli was Senior Editor at Harlequin, worked her way up the editorial ladder at HarperCollins and worked as a Borders bookseller. Throughout her career, she has published bestselling, award-winning authors, as well as breakthrough fiction by emerging writers.
For Montlake, Kelli is looking for rich, sparkling romance in the following subgenres: contemporary, historical, paranormal and romantic suspense.
Liz Pelletier - Entangled Publishing
Liz Pelletier is the founder of Entangled Publishing, and is the co-founder and managing partner of Savvy Media Services, the parent company of Entangled, Savvy Authors, and Savvy Readers. She is both publisher and senior editor at Entangled, working with her own stable of authors, as well as overseeing the development and growth of the company's imprints, production, distribution, subrights, and marketing departments. Find her on Twitter at @Liz_Pelletier.
Melissa Ann Singer – Tor/Forge Books
Melissa Ann Singer is a Senior Editor at Tor/Forge Books, where she has worked for more than 25 years. She began her career in publishing at the ripe old age of 19, as an assistant in the science fiction and fantasy department at Berkley Books, and survived at least three corporate mergers before moving to Tor, where she began as the horror editor (while also editing a series of nonfiction books on parenting).
In the years since, Melissa has edited just about every category of genre fiction there is, from sf&f to western, from woman’s fiction to disaster thrillers, from historical fiction to police procedurals. She also “manages” the Tor/Forge editorial department, is the editor of the company’s email newsletter, supervises the graphic fiction publishing program, and goes too far too many meetings. Melissa is a 3rd-generation native of New York City, where she is currently raising a teenage daughter. In her wild youth she studied theatrical fencing and stage fighting and could periodically be seen slinging steel in Central Park, often while very oddly dressed.
Melissa is specifically looking for: Women’s fiction, both contemporary and historical, with and without romantic elements; Special interest in books with protagonists over 45; Disaster thrillers (natural or man-made); Urban fantasy/paranormal fiction (with and without romantic elements); Horror; “New adult” novels for readers in their mid-to-late teens who are ready to move on from YA/Teen fiction and aren’t quite sure where to go next (books should feature protagonists from late teens to mid-twenties), both general and speculative in nature. And other things as they catch her fancy… For short fiction in urban fantasy, paranormal, and horror visit http://www.tor.com.
2012 AGENTS
Rachel Ekstrom - Irene Goodman Literary Agency
Rachel Ekstrom’s decade of experience working in the publicity departments at St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Penguin’s Dutton and Gotham imprints has given her an insider’s view of the publishing industry. With a knack for book promotion, she’s honed her skills building the careers of debut authors and #1 New York Times bestsellers.
Rachel is passionate about a variety of genres, including young adult (contemporary and paranormal), women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance, historical fiction, and the occasional quirky work of nonfiction. She's looking for books that will make her heart beat faster than it does when she's biking through Manhattan traffic.
Alexandra Machinist - Janklow & Nesbit AssociatesAlexandra Machinist began her publishing career as a summer intern at Janklow & Nesbit. After practicing law and continuing her agenting career elsewhere, she has happily returned to her home. A voracious reader of all kinds of fiction, Alexandra considers her role as literary agent to be the ideal marriage of her loves and talents. She represents the gamut of fiction, as well as select non-fiction. Her authors are New York Times and national bestsellers including Christopher Farnsworth, Darynda Jones, Beatriz Williams, Thich Nhat Hanh and Jillian Lauren. Alexandra adores helping existing authors to shape and drive their careers forward, but she has not lost the taste for the treasure-hunt that is finding the next great debut.
She has a particular hankering for all types of high-concept commercial fiction, romance, young adult, literary suspense and anything and everything that grabs her on page one and doesn’t let her go until the last. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. She is a member of the New York Bar.
Nicole Resciniti - The Seymour Agency
Nicole Resciniti is an agent at The Seymour Agency. Nicole holds degrees in biology, psychology, and behavioral neuroscience. She is a member of AAR, RWA, ACFW, SWFRW, and MENSA, and dedicated to promoting the advancement of quality fiction and nonfiction material.
Nicole is co-writing THE SMART GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED for Smart Guides with Mary Sue Seymour. It is scheduled for release in May 2013.
For submissions, she is open to romance, inspirational fiction, mysteries/thrillers, women’s fiction, YA, MG, picture books, sci-fi/fantasy, UF and horror. No poetry, screenplays or erotica. Very select on nonfiction, and only with authors who have an established platform. For more information, visit the website: www.theseymouragency.com
Holly Root – Waxman Literary Agency
My favorite part of being an agent is the thrill of discovery. Being the first to experience a new world or a brand-new author simply never gets old. Couple that with the joy of sharing that wonderful book with editors and eventually readers and you’ve got the reason I truly love my job.
I’m drawn to well-told commercial novels in a variety of genres. I’m much more likely to keep reading if I know from that perfectly-executed first page that this character (or author, in the case of nonfiction) is someone who interests me, someone whose story I’d like to get lost in for the next two hours. I know I’ve found a winner when I encounter writers whose skills on the page make me know beyond any doubt that I’m in excellent hands.
I’m currently seeking middle grade and young adult fiction, women’s fiction (both commercial and upmarket), urban fantasy and romance. In romance, I’m primarily seeking single-title projects in contemporary, historical or paranormal. I also represent select nonfiction projects. I do not represent poetry, screenplays, picture books, thrillers, or erotica.
