Win a 30-minute Zoom or phone call to with literary agent Carly Watters to discuss your adult fiction or nonfiction query letter! During your call, Carly will also answer your writing and publishing questions.

Carly Watters is a Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and VP of PACLA (Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents). She's been an agent for 14 years and represents award-winners and bestsellers in a variety of categories. Clients have been translated into 40 languages, optioned for TV, and have been on every bestseller list including the New York Times, USA Today and Globe and Mail. Carly co-hosts The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast. She has a Masters in Publishing Studies from City University London and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports continuing education program.

[Image Description: A graphic labeled "Query Critique", followed by a headshot of literary agent Carly Watters.]

Win a written critique of your query and a 30-minute call (via phone or Zoom) with literary agent Andrea Somberg! Andrea will discuss your query and answer your questions about the publishing industry.

A literary agent for over twenty years, Andrea Somberg represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects for adult, young adult and middle grade audiences. Her clients' books have been NYTimes and USA Today Bestsellers, GMA and Target Book Club Picks, winners of ALA's Alex Award and the Nebula, finalists for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the NYPL Young Lion's Award, The Edgar Award, The Governor General's Award, the Lambda Award, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, the Ohioana Award and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her clients books have been Junior Library Guild Selections, PublishersMarketplace's Buzz Book Selections, and have been named best books of the year by NPR, Kirkus, NYPublic Library and Book of the Month Club.

[Image description: A graphic labeled "Query Critique", followed be a headshot of literary agent Andrea Somberg.]

Win a written critique of your query in ANY GENRE from literary agent Sharon Pelletier! Sharon will provide a 30-minute follow-up phone call to discuss your query and answer any other questions you have about the query process or the publishing industry.

Sharon Pelletier joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2013 after working in editorial at small presses and as a B&N bookseller. She was named senior agent in 2021 and named vice president in 2024. Sharon's list focuses on upmarket fiction of all sorts, from smart, complex women's fiction; to unexpected suspense fiction and romance; to hearty, unforgettable book club fiction.

[Image Description: A graphic labeled "Query Critique", followed by a headshot for literary agent Sharon Pelletier.]

Win a written critique of your adult fiction query from literary agent Elisabeth Weed, plus a 30-minute call with Elisabeth to discuss your query and learn about the inner workings of the publishing industry!

Elisabeth Weed is an industry veteran with over 25 years in the publishing world. A partner at The Book Group, she is especially attracted to plot-driven novels with a sense of place, and loves discovering new voices. Elisabeth is committed to working with authors not just on individual titles, but for the long term.

Win a written critique of your adult fiction query and a 30-minute phone or video call to discuss your query and learn about the inner workings of the publishing industry with literary agent Julie Barer!

Julie Barer began her career as a bookseller at Shakespeare & Company, and after a decade of running her own agency, she co-founded The Book Group with her partners in 2015. Julie represents a variety of writers across a literary spectrum, with a special emphasis on fiction. Her clients include Madeline Miller, Celeste Ng, Rumaan Alam, Charles Yu, and Lily King.

Win a written critique of your query and a 30-minute phone or video call to discuss your query and learn about the inner workings of the publishing industry, with literary agent Stephanie Winter.

Stephanie Winter is a multi-passionate book lover, specializing in visual works across genres and age categories, including graphic novels and nonfiction. From horror and thrillers to queer romance, her tastes in prose and illustration are varied and expansive. Stephanie holds a BA in English from the University of Toronto, a MA in English: Issues in Modern Culture from University College London, UK, and is a member of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival Board of Directors.