This page will be updated if more faculty members are
confirmed for the 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop.

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Brenda Stephens is a creative writing instructor, literary arts leader, and publishing expert with more than 18 years of experience editing and coaching over 350 authors from initial concept through publication.

For the past seven years, she has directed international publishing operations that expanded to a global readership of over 10,000 across North America and Europe. Brenda holds a Master of English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, serves as President of the Tuscarawas County Writers Guild, and is a Senior Lecturer at Kent State University and The University of Akron.

A frequent presenter on narrative craft and the business of books, she uses her extensive background evaluating traditional manuscript viability and managing independent production to break down current market trends and demystify the traditional, independent, and hybrid publishing models for emerging writers.

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Rachel Beck is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates.

Rachel joined Liza Dawson Associates in 2020 after working at a boutique literary agency for 4 years. She has been in the publishing industry since 2009 and worked at Harlequin editing romance novels for nearly 6 years before transitioning her skills to the agent world in order to be an advocate and champion for authors. She lives outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, three young children, and an endlessly entertaining cat.

At the event, she is teaching a class and meeting writers one-on-one.

To see her full wishlist, click here.

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Chuck Sambuchino (@chucksambuchino) is a freelance editor, bestselling book author, and former longtime staffer for Writer’s Digest Books. For many years he edited the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog was one of the largest blogs in publishing, and he wrote the platform guidebook CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM.

He is the co-director of Writing Day Workshops writers conferences, and he has taught at more than 175 writers conferences throughout his career. He is the co-coordinator of the Cleveland Writing Workshop.

His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck’s books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss,New York magazine, and many more media outlets. All his latest books are about pickleball, including ULTIMATE PICKLEBALL, a 2027 tear-off desk calendar due out in August 2026 (Sellers Publishing). His picture book, GOODNIGHT, PICKLEBALL, released from Hachette in August 2025, was carried in Target, and hit the USA Today bestseller list.

He is a successful freelance editor of queries, synopses, and manuscripts—seeing dozens of clients get agents or book deals following his consultations/edits. He loves meeting new writers.

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Brian A. Klems (@BrianKlems) is the former online editor of WritersDigest.com. He is the current co-director of Writing Day Workshops.

His blog during his tenure there, The Writer’s Dig—which covered everything writing and publishing—was one of the largest blogs in the writing community.

He is the co-coordinator of the Cleveland Writing Workshop.

Brian’s first book, Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl: A Dad’s Guide to Raising Daughters (Adams Media) was released in 2013. It received high-level buzz and praise from some of the funniest writers alive, including Dave Barry and Bruce Cameron. Brian is also a proud graduate of the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, a husband, softball infielder, perennial fantasy sports underachiever, and father of three lovely girls.