PITCH YOUR BOOK TO A LITERARY AGENT:

These in-person one-on-one meetings at the 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida 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 2025 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.

Sheila Fernley is a literary agent with Storm Literary Agency. Storm is a boutique agency representing quality literature for all age ranges from talented authors and illustrators. “I am currently seeking submissions from kidlit authors and author/illustrators (picture books fiction/nonfiction, middle grade novels, and selective young adult projects. As a former special education teacher, Latino author and agent, I support diverse and underrepresented authors, but a great story always comes first. I enjoy lyrical writing, but I’m not the agent for rhyming picture books, horror, dragons, or science fiction.” Learn more about Sheila here.

Claire Romine is a literary agent with Trident Media Group. Claire is open to submissions and excited to continue to work closely with authors. In the fiction space, she is looking for upmarket and book club fiction, particularly with an element of suspense and/or romance. She’d also love a true romantic comedy à la Emily Henry, and is especially partial to enemies-to-lovers, fake relationships, and anything inspired by the wise words of Taylor Swift. Though Claire is primarily interested in fiction, she’s also open to select nonfiction memoirs or essay collections, either focusing on the personal or pop culture (or a blend of the two, in the vein of STRIP TEES BY Kate Flannery). Learn more about Claire here.

Sophia M. Ramos is a literary agent with New Leaf Literary + Media. Sophia is a Cuban-American literary associate based in South Florida. She represents commercial to upmarket genre-blending fiction for adult, YA and select middle-grade projects. Sophia loves intentional, lush prose combined with propulsive plots and thoughtfully complex family dynamics. She gravitates toward speculative (sci-fi and fantasy) books rooted in history or culture that have elements of romance, mystery, and horror. She strives to build a list that speaks to traditionally underrepresented voices and intersectional identities. Learn more aboyt Sophia here.

Joyce Sweeney is a literary agent with The Seymour Agency. She represents children’s picture books as well as middle grade. In Picture Books: Joyce seeks: fiction or nonfiction. I am drawn to lyrical voices, fun syntax and offbeat concepts. I like unusual characters, and plots that make me cry or laugh out loud. Illustrator/authors welcome and rhyme (if you really know how to do it) is fine. Diversity, please. Most of all, be unique. In Middle Grade: I am especially drawn to humor, fantasy and sci-fi, but a realistic novel that makes me cry will work too. Advocate of books for boys. Would love to see more LGBTQ as well. Learn more about Joyce here.

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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2025 WWSF on our calendar.

That event is the 2025 (Online) Pittsburgh Writing Workshop, May 9-10, 2025, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2025 South Florida attendees can have access to pitching all those online Pittsburgh agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online May 2025 PWW. (That said, if you want to formally register for the May 9-10 Pittsburgh Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed South Florida attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for South Florida. Following the conference on March 15, 2025, we will be in touch with all South Florida attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2025 PWW (May 9-10). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

           More 2025 agents could 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.)