Literary Agents
WriteAngles Conference 2026
Online Agent Meetings
Amaryah Orenstein
Amaryah Orenstein, founder and president of GO Literary, is actively seeking works that wed beautiful writing with a strong narrative and tackle big issues in engaging, accessible, and even surprising ways. Amaryah began her career at the Laura Gross Literary Agency in 2009 and, prior to that, worked as an Editorial Assistant at various academic research foundations, including The Tauber Institute, where she edited books for Brandeis University Press/University Press of New England. Originally from Montreal, she earned a BA at McGill University before coming to the US to pursue graduate work in American History. She received her MA from the Contemporary History Institute at Ohio University and her PhD from Brandeis University.
Thematic interests include but are not limited to: contemporary + historical fiction; family relationship + coming-of-age stories; Jewish literature, history + current affairs; social + cultural issues; memoir; food.
Cole Hildebrand
I began my publishing career in 2016 at YesYes Books, where I started as an intern and went on to become Managing Editor, working with manuscript acquisitions, event planning, website design and publicity for YesYes Books’ list of authors including Justin Phillip Reed, Danez Smith, and Shelley Wong, among many others. I joined JVNLA in 2021, assisting Agency President Jennifer Weltz and working with authors such as Carl Safina, Emily Ruth Verona, and Antonia Murphy while building a list in adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, essays, and poetry. I approach agenting with a love for language and voice, and a sensitive editorial eye. I like to dive deep into an author’s work, offering comprehensive editorial guidance that centers the author’s unique, personal vision, ushering that vision into the world with close support through submission, publication, and beyond. Originally from Austin, TX, I got my B.A. in English at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, and received an M.A. from New York University in English and American Literature.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
I represent both fiction and non-fiction for my list. For fiction, I look for character and voice-driven literary or upmarket work that offers new perspectives on contemporary issues, while telling rich, original stories. I love a deep character study, a messy social novel, or a book incorporating grounded genre elements such as surrealism, horror, some sci-fi, and queer erotica/romance. Emotionally charged novels are absolutely welcome, as are novels exploring subversive territories through unreliable, off-kilter, or abject narrators. I’m also very fond of books told from multiple narrators and perspectives, and am a big fan of experimentation that draws the reader into the novel’s unique world. Of course, fiction is such an expansive form, and I’m always open to being surprised.
On the non-fiction side, I’m looking for outward-focused memoirs, essay collections, history, journalism, cultural criticism, and left-wing political writing. I look for books that engage with radical thought, anti-capitalist and anti-imperial movements, understudied queer history, art and pop culture, music criticism, environmental studies, science and technology, and mental health, among other topics. With memoirs, I prefer projects that move beyond immediate personal experience and look towards broader social and political concerns, blending personal narrative with cultural criticism and deep research.
Marrissa Childs
An Arkansas Native, Marrissa has come a long way in her journey into publishing. She doubled majored in professional writing and creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas. Since she has obtained her MFA in Creative writing at Chapman University in California, she has dedicated herself, wholeheartedly, to publishing through leading her literary innovation team, Journey Writer, in their path to healing the literacy crisis.
She is also a member of the New York non-profit, Inkluded Inc.- assisting them with introducing young BiPOCs publishing professionals to the industry. She has also had the opportunity to work with Publisher’s Weekly as a writer and Booklife extern. She is now entering her path to agenting with Ladderbird with a clean slate, but experienced mind.
Marrissa is a reader that values detailed narratives, intelligent and cool characters, lessons learned, and family gained in unlikely places. When Marrissa is not reading you can find her drinking sweet iced tea, eating pasta, and watching the latest foreign drama
In-Person Agent Meetings
Lauren Scovel
Lauren Scovel has been with Laura Gross Literary Agency since 2017, where she is proud to represent a diverse list of clients across fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books. Before agenting, she worked for several years as an independent bookseller.
Lauren holds degrees in Writing, Literature, and Publishing and Theatre Studies from Emerson College. Originally from the greater Seattle area, she is now based in Boston.
Lauren is looking to amplify underrepresented stories and voices across genres. She is especially interested in literary and upmarket-crossover fiction, narrative nonfiction, and contemporary children’s books (middle grade and young adult) with a timely, distinctive story, propulsive plot, and diverse cast of characters. In adult fiction, Lauren is drawn to projects that are a little off-beat and/or speculative, as well as those aimed at a millennial audience. In narrative nonfiction, she loves authors telling a stranger-than-fiction story with a blend of expertise, curiosity, and beautiful writing. For contemporary children’s projects, she is especially interested in LGBTQIA+ and/or STEM subject matter.
Lauren is not a great fit for mysteries/thrillers, science fiction/fantasy, historical fiction, women’s fiction, memoirs without a broader research/reportage element, or picture books.
Jeff Herman
Jeff Herman opened his literary agency (The Jeff Herman Agency, LLC) in the mid-1980s while in his mid-20s. Since then he has made over one-thousand book deals, including many bestsellers. His own books include JEFF HERMAN’S GUIDE TO PUBLISHERS, EDITORS & LITERARY AGENTS (more than 500,000 copies sold), and WRITE THE PERFECT BOOK PROPOSAL (coauthored with Deborah Herman). Herman has presented hundreds of workshops and keynotes about writing and publishing, and has been interviewed for dozens of publications and programs.
What I’m Looking For
With few exceptions, we are a non-fiction agency. (However, Jeff will be happy to meet with fiction writers at WriteAngles to offer general advice.)
Specific areas of interest include:
- How to/self help
- True crime
- Parenting
- Business
- Health
- History
- Narrative non-fiction
- Memoir
- Psychology
- Practical Spirituality
- Multi-cultural subjects
- Reference
We look for books that fill gaps in what is already on the shelves. When choosing a topic you need to look beyond what interests you to determine if it will interest anyone else.
Prepare for your agent meeting
Find out how to book and prepare for an agent meeting.