PITCH YOUR BOOK TO A LITERARY AGENT:

These in-person one-on-one meetings at the in-person 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind. More 2026 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open. We have seen many, many writers sign with agents after connecting after our conferences.

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Rachel Beck is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates. In fiction, she seeks upmarket/book club women’s fiction; smart contemporary romance and romcoms; historical fiction this side of World War II (dual timeline welcome); nongenre fiction; speculative fiction/magical realism; gripping thrillers/psychological or domestic suspense;  and contemporary young adult. For selection nonfiction, she seeks narrative nonfiction, though always open to prescriptive as well. She also enjoys gifty pop culture books; cultural criticism books/essays, social justice issues, advocacy, politics, feminist material, etc.; narrative nonfiction by BIPOC writers, non-cishet authors, immigrants; career/personal growth/self-help books with new focus points; extreme underdog, survival, accomplishment or rising-from-poverty type stories; select health and wellness books (particularly rare or underrepresented conditions); books about athletes, particularly football players (or anything examining the NFL) and endurance athletes such as marathoners; select parenting books that bring something new to the conversation; books that explore cult life or extreme religion; 9/11 survival stories; anything about Anne Frank. Learn more about Rachel here.

Victoria Selvaggio is a literary agent with Storm Literary. Her list features both debut and award-winning authors. She represents all types and categories of books for kids — picture books (fiction & nonfiction), middle grade (fiction & nonfiction), and young adult. Her favorite authors include: Stephen King, Judy Blume, Shel Silverstein, Lois Lowry, Margaret Atwood, E. B. White, C. S. Lewis, Suzanne Collins, and so many more. Learn more about Victoria here. Learn more about Vicki here.

Jacqui Lipton is a literary agent with The Tobias Agency. Jacqui represents authors of fiction and nonfiction from middle grade through to adult, as well as selected projects for younger readers (picture books, chapter books etc.) She is currently focusing on developing her adult fiction and nonfiction lists and particularly enjoys mystery/crime, romance, how-to books, and compelling contemporary novels. She is not currently seeking high fantasy, and only considers science fiction selectively. Learn more about Jacqui here.

Malaga Baldi is a literary agent with Baldi Agency. Her fiction interests include: general fiction, literary fiction, and LGBTQIA+ fiction. Her nonfiction interests include mind/body/spirit, cultural history, reference, travel, biography, lifestyle, narrative/creative nonfiction, computers/tech, cookbooks, memoir, business, science, and finance. She does not represent any genre fiction nor any kind of books for children/teens. Learn more about Malaga here.

Jael Morrill is a literary agent with The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. Adult fiction and young adult fiction wishlist for Jael: “I am eager to represent richly immersive science fiction and fantasy. I love seeing fresh takes on noir thrillers, horror with hope at the core of the story, and campy mysteries— especially if they contain speculative elements. Stories that contain queer characters, whimsical world-building, and witty but grounded dialogue are often my favorite things to read.” Nonfiction wishlist for Jael: “I would love to see books that focus on rarely told history, have a focus on cultural anthropology, or have to do with the arts. Memoirs from marginalized voices are especially welcome. Topics covering disability, queer experiences, and those hurt by fundamentalist movements are especially close to my heart, though I always welcome learning something new.” Learn more about Jael here.

Chelsea Moyer is a literary agent with Raven Quill Literary. She seeks some adult fiction, young adult fiction, and middle grade fiction. “Universally, I love genre fiction and speculative fiction, but some of my absolute favorite titles are contemporary, so I usually leave that door open, too. More than anything, I’m seeking big feelings, yearning (romantic and not), interesting characters who make compelling, human decisions, pacy stories that keep me turning pages, and worlds and scenarios that set my imagination on fire.” Learn more about Chelsea here.

Maureen Wise is a Junior Literary Agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency. She’s worked in the sustainability/ environmental field her entire career and is looking for hopeful climate fiction, mystery books, and select women’s fiction and Christian devotionals. Wise is not interested in horror, YA, or children’s books. She writes eco-mysteries under the pen name Iris March and lives in a Cleveland suburb with her husband, son, and three cats. She’s happiest on a hiking trail or in a kayak. Learn more about Maureen here.

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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at an Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 CWW on our calendar.

That event is the 2026 Online Writing Workshop of Chicago, December 4-5, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2026 CWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online Chicago agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online December 2026 WWOC. (That said, if you want to formally register for the December 4-5 WWOC and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Cleveland attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Cleveland. Following the CWW conference on November 21, 2026, we will be in touch with all Cleveland attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 WWOC (Dec. 4-5). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

More 2026 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)