Virtual Fiction Writing Conference
Move You and Your Story Forward
A virtual weekend of learning, connection, and forward momentum for women’s fiction writers on June 13-14, 2026. This two-day virtual writers’ conference will feature 60- and 90-minute sessions on Zoom led by experts as well as blocks reserved for informal break-out room conversations and agent pitch sessions. The conference runs from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST each day. Please note, the conference is hosted in the US on Eastern Standard Time.
Confirmed Agents
 Marisa A. Corvisiero is the founder and CEO of the Corvisiero Literary Agency, an attorney, and the Senior Literary Agent. She is also a Literary Consultant, Speaker, and Author, and continues to practice law in New York City. She has attended over 100 conferences and workshops and continues to present on webinars, tutorials, and bootcamps for Writer’s Digest, among others, and to host her own Author Preneur Workshops. For Adults, she will consider Romance, Women's Fiction, Thrillers, Adventure, Paranormal, Fantasy and Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, or any combination thereof. In Romance, she is specifically looking for Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Romantic Comedies, and Inspirational Romance with angsty and/or sexy plots, where both characters are well-formed, with their own issues or shortcomings, and an overarching creative obstacle they need to overcome to reach that happily ever after.
 After earning her master’s from the University of Florida and a brief stint as an English teacher, Laurie Dennison spent over a decade as a freelance writer, ghostwriter, editor, and desktop publishing consultant before stepping into her role as an associate agent at Creative Media Agency. She served as a Pitch Wars mentor for five years, and she completed the Denver Publishing Institute in 2022. Laurie also works in the CMA film department with Paige Wheeler. Laurie represents upmarket and commercial women's fiction, including projects with strong book club potential, romance, and suspense, and she is open to light speculative elements across genres. She loves strong character development and propulsive pacing.
 Jessica Errera has been with Jane Rotrosen Agency since 2014. She is a New York native and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jessica is looking for commercial women’s and book club fiction (especially speculative), all subgenres of romance, fresh and unexpected historical fiction or domestic thrillers, and anything that might be read in a day on the beach. She is not the best fit for climate or techno-thrillers, military fiction, or procedurals.
 Bianca Guarrasi holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. She works for Marisa Corvisiero Agency, where she assists on fiction and non-fiction projects, and is building her list. She enjoys literary fiction, romance, and dystopian novels. She also enjoys self-help books and books about alternative medicine and education.
 Nadia Lynch is a literary agent at Talcott Notch Literary Services, where she represents commercial and upmarket fiction across multiple genres. She is always looking for stories that challenge perspective, center compelling characters, and leave a lasting emotional impact.
Nadia is looking for historical fiction, upmarket fiction, romance, and women’s fiction. She is especially drawn to narratives that center resilient female protagonists and explore authentic, layered relationships. She gravitates toward books that push boundaries and is always impressed by authors who breathe fresh life into classic tropes. In historical fiction, she seeks stories that spotlight underrepresented voices and lesser-known moments, particularly from the 20th century. In women’s fiction and romcoms, she looks for stories with emotional depth and grit woven into humor and heart.
 Alyssa Maltese joined Root Literary in 2019 and lives in New Jersey with her husband, son, and disobedient cat. She is seeking upmarket fiction with literary prose and hooky commercial concepts/execution. Her primary focus in the adult space is speculative, historical, thrillers, suspense, horror, romance, and book club. Alyssa is proud to represent books you can’t put down, books that surprise you, books that make you think, and, above all, books that help people.
 Erin Niumata has been a Senior Vice President at Folio Literary Management since 2006. She was also an editor at Simon and Schuster and HarperCollins and editorial director of Avalon Books. Erin holds a Master’s degree in creative writing and a PhD in the study of the publishing industry with a focus on women writers.
She is looking for books that entertain and delight, some that scare her, some that keep her guessing, but all high energy and big hooks—and not anything gloomy or depressing. Also, women's fiction with older protagonists on a journey of self-discovery, high stakes, lots of energy; thrillers with big hooks and twisty plots; rom-coms with something special; dark romance with some spice; and mysteries with a touch of romance.
 Ellen Scordato is a partner in Stonesong with more than 35 years of experience in trade book publishing at St Martin’s Press, Charles Scribner’s Sons, and Random House, where she learned from the best in the business. She joined Stonesong as a partner in 2002 and represents Jennifer Williamson, S. K. Golden, Victor Suthammanont, Elena Hartwell [Taylor], Randy Overbeck, and Alex Myers, among others. A Wellesley College graduate with a B.A. in Classics and Art History, she lives in NYC with her husband and literary cats.
Ellen is looking for fast-paced contemporary mysteries and thrillers, romantic suspense and caper thrillers, with charismatic protagonists and fresh settings with the potential for series. She’s a fan of supernatural thrillers, dark academia, hard-boiled heroines, and clever police procedurals for today’s readers, but she’s not looking for cozy mysteries, historicals, or comedy.
 Brianna received a BA in 21st-century literature and creative writing and an associate degree in Ancient Mediterranean Studies from the University of Missouri. After many hours interning with literary magazines, she ventured into the wide world of book publishing and joined Holloway Literary in 2022 as an intern. She continued with Holloway as a literary assistant before graduating to Associate Agent. She is looking for: Romance—YA, NA, Contemporary, Christian, Historical, paranormal, horror; Fantasy—YA, MG, Trad, Urban, High, paranormal, adventure, Gothic, Horror, Fairytale, and myth retelling; YA—Contemporary, Mystery/thriller, Paranormal, Horror, Christian, with secret societies, dark academia, treasure hunts, adventure, or conspiracy, and don’t forget the comedies.
 Susan Velazquez Colmant is Vice-President and subsidiary rights director at JABberwocky. She was born and raised outside of Dallas, Texas and received a B.A. in Creative Writing with a minor in Gender Studies from SUNY Oswego in 2016. She’s looking for romantasy, romance, general upmarket fiction, domestic thrillers, and women’s fiction in young adult, new adult, and adult categories. She gravitates towards any story that details a complicated family dynamic, illustrates a transformative coming-of-age experience, and features unique voices like multicultural and LGBTQIA+ characters. She's open to stories where identity is the focus and also stories in which diverse identities play a secondary role to the main plot.
 Paige Wheeler has worked in publishing for over twenty-five years. After stints in editorial, Paige moved to the agency side of the business, repping writers and talent for television before establishing Creative Media Agency in 1997, and then co-founding Folio Literary Management in 2006. Paige relaunched CMA in 2014, deciding to pivot back to working directly with clients in a boutique format. Paige loves to represent commercial and upscale fiction, particularly mystery, thriller, suspense, as well as women’s fiction and romance genres. She also represents narrative and prescriptive nonfiction by authors with a significant platform and new ideas. Paige is ultimately looking for unique stories, fresh voices and snappy dialogue, with unexpected twists.
Getting Ready to Pitch!
Are you signed up to pitch to an agent at the upcoming conference? Then it’s time to get ready.
Remember, agents will be listening to pitch after pitch throughout the conference. You want to be relaxed—but also mindful of the person on the other side of the table. Greet them with a smile and perhaps ask how their day is going. Put them at ease and get their full attention before launching into your pitch.
You’ll have 10 minutes with the agent, so make every minute count. Plan to pitch for no more than 5 minutes, and make that pitch compelling. We recommend delivering it in a conversational manner. Think about how you’d describe your novel to a friend. Consider practicing with a friend or fellow writer to get feedback.
You may want to memorize your pitch—or parts of it—but avoid sounding rehearsed. Keep it engaging. You might start with a key question, such as: What happens when a woman recovering from a difficult divorce runs into her high school sweetheart? Or begin with a one-sentence elevator pitch featuring a strong hook. Then provide a clear overview of the plot so the agent can determine whether it interests them. You can also include intriguing details—for example, that your character was inspired by a nonfiction source or that you’ve long been fascinated by the world of art history.
Be prepared for what comes next. An agent may say, “That sounds intriguing—I’d like to see the manuscript” (or perhaps the first twenty-five pages). At that point, ask how they prefer submissions.
On the other hand, they may not request your work. They might say, “It’s not right for my list” or “I’m not drawn to stories about painters,” or something similar. Don’t be discouraged. Agents need to feel fully confident in a project before committing to it.
If you have time remaining after your pitch, use it wisely—don’t let it go to waste. Agents have valuable industry insight. You might ask if they know of other agents who could be a good fit for your project, whether they see any issues you could address in revision, or if they have feedback on your pitch itself.
Good luck!
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