Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat

Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.

Discounted Early Bird Registration for our June 21st-22nd, 2025

Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat is now OPEN!

Agent pitch slots fill quickly, so registering early is recommended.

Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.

Ready to meet your new writing community?

At Writing Away Refuge, we are all about support and helping you craft your best book and make solid industry connections. The focus of our virtual pitch retreat on June 21-22, 2025

is powerful story development and delivering a winning pitch.

We have workshops to help you perfect your craft and time allotted for practice pitch sessions as well.

And, best of all, we have 7 literary agents ready to listen to your pitches!

You'll spend the weekend in the comfort of your own home participating in workshops to make your book the best it can be, getting to know and connect with fellow writers, and pitching your completed book to agents if you're at that level in your writing journey (we have special pricing if you only need the workshops but no agent pitches). The Writing Away Virtual Pitch Retreat has it all. During the virtual retreat, we will have author chats, drawings for incredible prizes (including free manuscript evaluations, gift cards, and free memberships to Writing Away), and workshops by amazing industry professionals. Don't miss out!

(You may register for the full retreat that includes agent pitches or for workshops only)

**Please note that pitch sessions with agents are on a first come, first served basis and WILL fill up quickly.

It is best to register early and make your agent selections to ensure you receive your agent preferences. If a desired agent's sessions fill, you will be allowed to submit a written query through our Writing Away Refuge portal that will be reviewed by those agents with priority. Thank you!**

Meet The Workshop Team

Lee Ann Ward

Workshop Leader

USA Today Bestselling Author &

Founder & CEO of Writing Away Refuge

I Have an Agent, Now What?

Lee Ann Ward is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of 13 novels, including her international bestseller, GLIMPSES OF WILDERNESS. She is the former senior editor of Champagne Books and the founder of Writing Away Refuge retreats and author services. She is a former journalist and has taught her novel plotting course at workshops across the country. She also offers the How to Write a GOOD Book 12-week writing-course through Writing Away Refuge.

When she's not helping writers or working on a new book, she's spending time with her husband and grown sons, and with her little girl who's the love of her life. And her grandchildren are totally dreamy. Just ask her!

Now Lee Ann brings her workshop "I Have an Agent, Now What?" to our June Zoom Pitch Retreat!

Joyce Scarbrough

Senior Workshop Leader

Award-winning Author & Editor

Permanent Staff Member, Writing Away Refuge

Writing Strong Female Characters

Joyce Scarbrough is the author of eight novels and numerous short stories featured in multiple anthologies. Joyce is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, she was the founding senior editor for Champagne Books, and she now works freelance as an editor and book coach. Joyce was president of the Mobile Writers Guild for three years and still serves on its board of directors. She is also a member of the Southern Breeze chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, but she also writes women’s fiction. She has served on the faculty of the Mobile Literary Festival since its inception in 2016 and has given numerous workshops on characterization and editing for writers’ groups, conferences, libraries, colleges, and high schools throughout the Southeast. Joyce has lived all her life in LA (lower Alabama), she is the mother of three gifted, non-conformist children, and she’s been married for 39 years to a superhero who disguises himself during the day as a high school math teacher and coach.

Now Joyce brings her workshop "Writing Strong Female Characters" to Writing Away Refuge in June!

MaxieJane Frazier

Workshop Leader

Award-winning Writer, Editor, & Educator

Permanent Staff Member, Writing Away Refuge

In a Flash: Pint-size Stories with a Punch

MaxieJane Frazier is a writer, editor, and educator. An instructor for Southern New Hampshire University's MA in English creative writing program, a published author, and a full-time editor, coach, educator, and writer, she engages in the practice of editing every day. She earned her Book Development certificate from Queens University of Charlotte, her MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars, and her Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Delaware. Mighty Mule Editing is her editing umbrella. Max's superpower is maintaining an author's voice and vision while helping develop thematic threads, consistent plots, and readability.

After 26 years, MaxieJane hung up her Air Force combat boots. She keeps two retired National Park Service (Mighty) Mules: Buck and Festus and two lovely geriatric horses, Nadia and Cooper.

You can find some of her most recent work in Cleaver Magazine, SoFloPoJo, Booth, The Ekphrastic Review, Bending Genres, The Line Literary Review, & The Wrath-Bearing.

Now Max brings her workshop, "In a Flash: Pint-size Stories with a Punch" to our June Writing Away Refuge Zoom Retreat!

Lee Ann Ward

Workshop Leader

USA Today Bestselling Author &

Founder of Writing Away Refuge

All Writing is Rewriting

Lee Ann Ward is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of 13 novels, including her international bestseller, GLIMPSES OF WILDERNESS. She is the former senior editor of Champagne Books and the founder of Writing Away Refuge retreats and author services. She is a former journalist and has taught her novel plotting course at workshops across the country. She also offers the How to Write a GOOD Book 12-week writing-course through Writing Away Refuge.

When she's not helping writers or working on a new book, she's spending time with her husband and grown sons, and with her little girl who's the love of her life. And her grandchildren are totally dreamy. Just ask her!

Now Lee Ann brings her workshop

"All Writing is Rewriting" to our June Writing Away Refuge Zoom Retreat.

Meet the Agents

Pitch up to 7 Literary Agents Over Zoom as part of the Writing Away Refuge Virtual Pitch Retreat, June 21-22, 2025. Each one-on-one pitch session lasts 5 minutes

and is included in your registration fee. Be sure to register early before their spaces fill. Registering early ensures that you pitch all desired agents.

Eric Smith, Founder & Agent

Neighborhood Literary

With over fifteen years of experience in publishing, both at a house and an agency, Eric Smith (he/him) has worked with numerous New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors across genres and categories.

Eric is currently looking for Middle Grade and Young Adult projects (fiction and non-fiction), adult genre-blending upmarket and literary fiction, accessible sci-fi and fantasy, high concept rom-coms, and memoir, essays, and wellness titles in the non-fiction space.

To view Eric's complete manuscript wishlist, follow this link:

Eric Smith – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

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Maggie Sadler, Associate Agent

Corvisiero Literary Agency

Maggie Sadler earned her joint Masters with Honors in Comparative Literature and English from the historic University of St. Andrews and her Masters in Literary Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where her literary interests ranged from folklore retellings to nineteenth-century maritime adventure fiction and interrogating audience reception across creative mediums. Outside of the agency space, Maggie also works as an editor and writing coach. Maggie marries these complimentary experiences with an intentional, intelligent, and growth-minded approach as a literary agent.

A writer herself, Maggie draws inspiration from folklore, sweeping landscapes, and untamed femininity as she scribbles away at her work-in-progress. When not reading or writing, Maggie can usually be found exploring astride her rascally horse, admiring various species of moss on
hikes with her partner, or taking up yet another hobby—currently, mounted archery.

Maggie seeks adult literary fiction with distinct characters, lyrical prose, propulsive plots, and imaginative genre inflections. She loves books that unapologetically challenge and deconstruct narrative conventions—books that take risks. She appreciates a careful, restrained hand with fantastical elements, one that encourages the reader to interrogate the liminal. Above all, Maggie craves confident, stylish writing and wholly unique concepts that keep her up at night.

Follow the link to view Maggie's full manuscript wishlist:

Maggie Sadler – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

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Megan Frayser, Associate Agent

Creative Media Agency

After graduating from the College of William and Mary, Megan Frayser began her journey in publishing with internships at Tule Publishing Group and Liza Dawson Associates. In 2021, she interned at Creative Media Agency before transitioning into an assistant position. Alongside her role in the office, she’s thrilled to be building her list as an associate agent.

To view Megan's complete manuscript wishlist, follow this link:

Megan Frayser – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

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Rebecca Lawrence, Junior Agent

The Booker Albert Literary Agency

After graduating with a B.A. in Professional Writing, Rebecca completed internships with Christian Indie Publishing Association and ArtHouse Literary Agency before moving to Booker Albert Literary Agency.

From a young age, she has been fascinated with epic worlds like LOTR and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Books with romantic elements like Ella Enchanted, The Goose Girl, and The Cruel Prince all have places in her top ten. She also adores historical fiction like The Wednesday Wars and iconic masterpieces like Monica Hesse's They Went Left, but her all-time favorite novel has to be the grounded fantasy The Scorpio Races. Her favorite tropes are houses-with-personality (think House of Leaves or The Haunting of Hill House), zombie apocalypses like in the book World War Z, and underwater worlds.

Regardless of genre, Rebecca is looking for stories that have good pacing, grounded worlds, and believable characters. She is interested in fantasy of all kinds and anything that has a good hook. She would love to see more scary YA and MG historical fiction.

To view Rebecca's complete manuscript wishlist, follow this link:

Rebecca Lawrence – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

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Julia Ermi, Associate Agent

Pippin Properties, Inc.

Julia Ermi graduated summa cum laude from Boston University, where she studied journalism. During her three years there, Julia wrote for the student newspaper the Daily Free Press, interned at the Horn Book children's literary magazine, and managed social media for the queer-and-female-owned music venue ONCE Somerville. When the pandemic sent her home to Pennsylvania in 2020, she helped with content creation for the Philadelphia-based antiracism podcast The Opt-In. She is currently an associate agent at children's literary agency, Pippin Properties.

Though our primary focus is on the highest caliber literature for young people, we also eagerly represent our clients' fiction, nonfiction, and graphic works should they decide to write for an adult-trade readership. We have the editorial expertise required to help bring each project to its full potential, prior to submission, and we place nearly every project we submit.

We'll work as hard as you do, and we are avid caretakers of and strategists for our clients' projects, marketing plans, and careers —be it picture books, middle-grade, young adult, graphic novels, novelty, and adult trade projects. We grow as you grow and are devoted to maintaining a standard of excellence in content unmatched in the industry.

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Trinica Sampson-Vera, Assoc. Agent

New Leaf Literary

Trinica Sampson-Vera is passionate about championing diverse voices and particularly loves speculative fiction; adventurous, character-driven stories with largely emotional stakes; stories featuring Caribbean characters/settings; and stories where queer characters find happy endings.

Trinica graduated from Antioch College with a degree in Creative Writing and French. After several editorial internships during college, she moved to Austin and found an unexpected home in social services, where she worked for five years as a case manager to those experiencing chronic homelessness. Prior to beginning at New Leaf, she worked as an independent editor with Salt & Sage Books and Writing Diversely.

See Trinica's Manuscript Wishlist is here:

https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/trinica-sampson-vera/

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Katrina Lemaire, Agent Apprentice

Corvisiero Literary Agency

Katrina holds a Bachelor's (Honours) in English and Creative Writing and has recently completed her Publishing Certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. With a history of sales, marketing, and an insatiable desire for literature, she inevitably found herself pursuing a path in publishing. As a writer, Katrina has engaged in the social and theoretical aspects of creative writing, and is currently a member of the Canadian Authors Association. Known for her poetry and short fiction, her works have appeared in Plenitude Magazine, Soft Star Magazine, Crow & Crosskeys Magazine, and other places.

When it comes to her taste in books, Katrina is often found devouring the pages of decadent fantasies set in worlds with high or low stakes, dark academia with cult/occult aspects, speculative fiction, horror of all kinds, graphic novels, gothic literature, noir fiction, paranormal, romance, urban fantasy, mystery, and anything that leans towards the uncanny. Within these genres, specifically in crossover YA and Adult, Katrina is always looking for more queer and BIPOC representation that feature tenacious and palpable characters.

Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for
June 21st & 22nd, 2025

Discounted Early Bird Registration for the June 21 & 22, 2025
Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat is now OPEN!
Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents!
Our pitch slots fill quickly!

Discounted Early Bird

Registration (includes all workshops & agent pitches)

$65.00

WORKSHOPS ONLY!

No agent Pitches! $49.95

$49.95

Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat

Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.

Meet The Workshop Team

Meet the Agents

Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for June 21st & 22nd, 2025 Discounted Early Bird Registration for the June 21 & 22, 2025 Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat is now OPEN! Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents! Our pitch slots fill quickly!

Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for
June 21st & 22nd, 2025

Discounted Early Bird Registration for the June 21 & 22, 2025
Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat is now OPEN!
Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents!
Our pitch slots fill quickly!