Writing Away Refuge Virtual Pitch Retreat

Dani Segelbaum is Vice President, Literary Agent, and Subsidiary Rights Director at the Carol Mann Agency. She is interested in both fiction and non-fiction. Dani is seeking non-fiction titles with an emphasis on politics, women’s issues, popular culture, and current events. Dani also loves memoir, narrative non-fiction, lifestyle, and cookbooks. In fiction, she is looking for literary and upmarket adult fiction including debut, historical, rom-coms, and women’s fiction. In both fiction and non-fiction, Dani hopes to work with authors from diverse backgrounds to tell stories that are important to them. She loves compelling narrators and is drawn to writing that is voice-driven, highly transporting, and features unique perspectives and marginalized voices.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Dani is a graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication where she studied journalism and political science. She has been a voracious reader for as long as she can remember. Dani began her publishing career as an editorial assistant at HarperCollins Publishers, focusing primarily on highly designed non-fiction titles. She previously worked as a literary assistant at New Leaf Literary & Media, working with established and debut authors.   

 

A few books she loves… Horse by Geraldine Brooks, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein, The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, From The Corner Of The Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein, Coming To My Sense by Alice Waters, Who Thought This Was A Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco.

Dani spends her free time walking her Aussiedoodle named Dottie and trying new restaurants. Her guilty pleasures include cookbooks (seriously, she has way too many), reading the newspaper in the middle of the night, and baking dozens of delicious baked goods for friends and family (she does use the cookbooks). 

 

Dani is addicted to the joy of discovering new work, she is always open to queries. You can follow Dani on Instagram and Twitter. 

 

Dani Segelbaum is a member of the AALA and serves on their DEI committee through Literary Agents of Change.

Morgan Hughes grew up in the midwest before relocating to Texas. There, she attended Texas Tech University and earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English literature. Morgan was previously an intern and Agency Assistant at Pippin Properties before joining Fine Print Literary in 2023 as an Associate Agent. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and their dog.

 

Morgan is seeking picture books, middle grade contemporary and fantasy, young adult/adult romance, romantasy, and thrillers. Overall, she's looking for fresh conflicts, complex relationships, and unique takes on tropes. She is looking for underrepresented voices in all genres and age groups.

View Morgan's full wishlist.

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Carleen Geisler is an Associate Literary Agent at ArtHouse Literary Agency. She represents adult fiction across contemporary genres as well as adult nonfiction.

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See Carleen's full wishlist here:

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Carleen Geisler – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

Carleen lives on a small-scale produce farm, so when she's not working she is usually outside with the plants and animals.

Esty Loveing-Downes holds a BFA in creative writing from Ringling College of Art + Design and an MFA in fiction from Queens University of Charlotte. Aside from serving as a daily editor for the Southern Review of Books, she was first mentored by the teams at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc. and Tobias Literary Agency before joining the ArtHouse Literary Agency team as an intern and becoming an Associate Literary Agent.

Esty represents book club or upmarket fiction, romance, genre-blending SFF, children’s picture books, MG, and YA, literary fiction, and select nonfiction. She’s seeking manuscripts which center the adoptee experience, LGBTQIA+ narratives, anti-colonialist and anti-Church topics, and stories by and/or about BIPOC authors. She favors stories which either celebrate with noisy joy, or burn everything down and salt the earth.

Before working in publishing, Esty worked as an inpatient pediatric LPN. At home, she has five children, three dogs, one husband, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Micah Brocker has spent the last five years in the business world helping entrepreneurs and artists fulfill the financial and legal knowledge needed to succeed. It has been her lifelong dream to foster careers for all artists, in particular authors and screenwriters. At Corvisiero Literary Agency, she is interested in fostering her client’s careers from the start and building their businesses with them. Located in Seattle, WA, you can find her hiking or running in the rain when she is not indoors reading with her trusty cat at her side. 
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In both film and novels, she is interested in YA contemporary stories that deal with messy relationships and issues that can help young adults put words to their experiences. She is also looking for YA science fiction  and urban fantasy that provide an escape while still helping us connect to the everyday troubles of growing up. In adult fiction, she loves women’s fiction and upmarket fiction that deals with burdensome secrets, messy relationships, and a character with a deep desire to change their life, the world etc., especially with a psychological, sci-fi, or romantic twist! See her full film and manuscript wishlist here: (PLEASE NOTE THAT MICAH IS CLOSED TO EMAIL QUERIES, BUT NOT TO PITCHES. SHE IS OPEN TO YOUR PITCHES IN ALL THESE GENRES FOR OUR PITCH EVENT.)

https://www.corvisieroagency.com/micah-brocker.html

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We will be hosting our virtual WAR Party after the pitches on Saturday evening. It will be from 7:30 PM--9:00 PM Central Time. We will be celebrating your day and your pitching experiences, will be discussing what agents are looking for, and talking THE BIZ in general. Writing Away Refuge is ready to answer all of your questions, and we will be joined by a couple of writers who acquired their agents through Writing Away Refuge!  And in true party fashion, we will be giving away door prizes that include free books, Amazon gift cards, Writing Away Refuge bling, and a free First 3 Chapter Evaluation. This party is all about celebrating YOU! Better not miss the fun!