Kelly Bergh is a literary agent with Lucinda Literary.

In nonfiction, her agency represents: mind/body/spirit, pop psych, health and wellness, gift books, business, health, lifestyle, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction(especially popular science and history, pop culture, and big idea books with personal stakes), and food books & cookbooks with a fresh perspective on cuisine or culture — all with a strong hook and takeaway for the reader.

Kelly is particularly drawn to writers who make hot topics seem evergreen and cutting-edge research feel accessible. In the children’s category, she is particularly drawn to illustrated, interactive books that entertain as much as they educate.

After beginning her career as an editor in academic publishing and briefly serving as a children’s librarian, Kelly joined Lucinda Literary to begin building a list in adult practical nonfiction, specifically in the categories of health and wellness, spirituality, and popular science. She selectively takes on children’s and gift books/decks in the same areas.

A certified yoga teacher, Kelly is drawn to representing authors who seek to educate and empower those curious about what it means to live in alignment with their values. She is looking for PhDs and journalists who want to share their research with a general audience, as well as established thought leaders and influencers seeking a new medium through which to connect with their existing audiences.

Kelly holds a master’s degree in publishing from Drexel University and splits her time between Philadelphia and Seattle.

Amy Giuffrida is a literary agent with The Belcastro Literary Agency.

“I am especially seeking stories written by diverse creators—BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, and disabled creators are encouraged to query me. Send me your stories of joy, where your characters and their worlds can be celebrated by the reader.”

In nonfiction, she seeks:

– “If you have a strong platform and love what you do, feel free to pitch me a concept.”
– Narrative non-fiction
– Business/Social Media/Tech/Cooking books for teens

In upper middle grade, she seeks:

– Fantasy
– Horror
– Contemporary
– Historical (focusing on BIPOC stories and historically marginalized voices/characters)
– Novels-in-Verse

In young adult, she seeks:

– Fantasy
– Horror
– Science fiction
– Contemporary
– Contemporary Romance
– Mystery/Thriller
– Historical (focusing on BIPOC stories and historically marginalized voices/characters)
– Novels-In-Verse

In adult fiction, she seeks:

– Women’s Fiction
– Book Club/Commercial Fiction
– Non-Political Thriller
– Horror
– Contemporary Romance/Rom-Com

What she is NOT Looking For

Pandemic stories
Science fiction set in space
Talking animals
Military or Medical-based stories
Novellas, short story collections, screenplays
Previously published work
Chapter/picture books
Time travel/Portals
Stories that include: religious themes, suicide, rape, physical/mental abuse, or abductions

Jennifer Herrera [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent with David Black Literary Agency.

Jennifer joined the David Black Agency in 2015 after working at Fletcher & Company and Europa Editions, where she was an early advocate of Elena Ferrante. She went to college in Ohio, where she studied Philosophy, French, and Russian, and has master’s degrees in Philosophy and Social Sciences.

Her authors have been awarded the Harriet Tubman Prize, nominated for the J. Anthony Lukas Prize, appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air, and been New York Times bestsellers.

Jennifer is on the hunt for upmarket and genre fiction. She is also seeking nonfiction books about big ideas and is particularly drawn to smart, issue-driven books, especially those from journalists as well as writers with professional expertise, including science, psychology, philosophy, economics, prescriptive, lifestyle, history, and the stories of underrepresented groups.

Books she wishes she would have represented include: Fair Play by Eve Rodsky, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, Get Good with Money by Tiffany Aliche, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, Codependent No More by Melody Beattie, Gut Check by Steven Gundry, Black AF History by Michael Harriot, Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, and Doppelganger by Naomi Klein.

Ismita Hussain is a senior literary agent & social media manager with Great Dog Literary.

Ismita is a Georgia native and graduate of Emory University, where she studied Human Health and Italian. During college, she also worked for various Atlanta area hospitals in departments ranging from neonatal to geriatric care. In her Desi household, she grew up speaking Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. Ismita is a founding member of Disability in Publishing and currently serves on their Board of Directors. She also participated in the 2022 Literary Agents of Change Mentorship Program.

Some of her favorite authors are Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy, Oscar Wilde, and Tom Perrotta. Ismita is especially drawn to fiction with a Southern setting, gritty realist writing, and any books that explore health or disability. Ultimately though, she’s a sucker for writing with a great sense of humor. Member: AALA

In Adult Fiction she seeks:

She is very interested in meeting romance writers.

She also enjoys: Literary Fiction, Upmarket, New Adult, Short Story Collections.

Specifically: Fiction in all genres that is informed by, or inspired by, the myths and superstitions of a culture. Fiction that features food service/restaurant culture. Satire, and humorous fiction that comes with a message or reveals a truth about people/society.

Ismita is open to novels that fit these categories but have some genre-fiction elements (ie. literary fiction with a speculative twist).

The most important elements that grab Ismita’s attention are style and literary quality writing.

In Adult Nonfiction she seeks:

Narrative Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Humor, Memoir, Travel, Cookbooks, History, Sports

Specifically: Narrative nonfiction that discusses medicine or health in a way that is accessible and well researched. Nonfiction that makes the reader see their body in a different way. Cookbooks that explore a niche ingredient/theme and cookbooks that tell a story. Quirky and visually stunning coffee table books.

The most important elements that grab Ismita’s attention are expertise and a surprising/niche topic.

In Young Adult she seeks:

Contemporary, Rom-Com, Novel-in-verse, Commercial

Specifically: YA rom-coms featuring desi teens. Retellings of classic stories that haven’t been redone to death (no Shakespeare, King Arthur, etc) and that provide a twist or a fresh new take. A heist book.

The most important elements that grab Ismita’s attention are themes/situations that are true to the teen experience today and commercial quality.

In All Genres she seeks:

Southern settings, Italian settings, Gritty and Realist writing, Books that explore health/disability,

Dark humor

Request/Referral Only

Donovan Levine is an associate literary agent with Neighborhood Literary, and AALA member based in Philadelphia.

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.

Alyssa Maltese [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent at Root Literary seeking young adult fiction, adult fiction, and adult nonfiction.

Getting to be an early champion for authors’ work is a huge privilege, and a responsibility for which I am deeply grateful. I am proud to represent books that you can’t put down, books that surprise you, books that make you think, and, above all else, books that help people. I joined the agency in 2019 and live in New Jersey with my husband, son, and disobedient cat.

Across the board, I welcome books about marginalized characters, by marginalized creators.
In the YA space, I’m seeking contemporary coming-of-age stories that help burgeoning readers discover their own voice and sense of self-worth. I’m open to genre elements (specifically speculative, fantasy, romance, horror, and historical), but in general I prefer fiction grounded in our world.

I’m casting a wider net for literary adult fiction and upmarket book club fiction. Above all I’m drawn to contemporary or lightly speculative novels with literary prose and hooky commercial concepts/execution.

My very favorite kind of historical fiction reveals untold stories of interesting women, ideally in non-Western settings.

I’m also seeking thrillers, suspense, and horror. I’m open to sci-fi elements in these genres.

In the adult nonfiction space, I’m seeking both prescriptive and research-driven narrative nonfiction from authors with an established expertise and platform. Topics of interest include psychology, mental health, media criticism, pop culture, taboo topics such as death and sex, and science pertaining to nature and animals.

I am not accepting submissions for poetry, screenplays, middle grade, early reader books, chapter books, picture books, graphic novels, or illustrations.

If you are attending the online 2026 Philadelphia Writing Workshop, you may be thinking about pitching our agents and editors. An in-person (or one-on-one virtual) pitch is an excellent way to get an agent excited about both you and your work. Here are some tips (from a previous year’s instructor, Chuck Sambuchino) that will help you pitch your work effectively at the event during a 10-minute consultation. Chuck advises that you should:

• Try to keep your pitch to two minutes. Keeping your pitch concise and short is beneficial because 1) it shows you are in command of the story and what your book is about; and 2) it allows plenty of time for back-and-forth discussion between you and the agent. Note: If you’re writing nonfiction, and therefore have to speak plenty about yourself and your platform, then your pitch can certainly run longer.
• Practice before you get to the event. Say your pitch out loud, and even try it out on fellow writers. Feedback from peers will help you figure out if your pitch is confusing, or missing critical elements. Remember to focus on what makes your story unique. Mystery novels, for example, all follow a similar formula — so the elements that make yours unique and interesting will need to shine during the pitch to make your book stand out.
• Do not give away the ending. If you pick up a DVD for Die Hard, does it say “John McClane wins at the end”? No. Because if it did, you wouldn’t buy the movie. Pitches are designed to leave the ending unanswered, much like the back of any DVD box you read.
• Have some questions ready. 10 minutes is plenty of time to pitch and discuss your book, so there is a good chance you will be done pitching early. At that point, you are free to ask the agent questions about writing, publishing or craft. The meeting is both a pitch session and a consultation, so feel free to ask whatever you like as long as it pertains to writing.
• Remember to hit the big beats of a pitch. Everyone’s pitch will be different, but the main elements to hit are 1) introducing the main character(s) and telling us about them, 2) saying what goes wrong that sets the story into motion, 3) explaining how the main character sets off to make things right and solve the problem, 4) explaining the stakes — i.e., what happens if the main character fails, and 5) ending with an unclear wrap-up.