Dean Krystek is a literary agent at Wordlink.

Dean, a Pittsburgh native, holds a BA in English from the University of South Carolina. After a successful career in the Army that took him from the sizzling heat of Vietnam to the cool interior of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, Dean retired as a Sergeant Major. Afterward, he held numerous positions in the private sector and state & federal government, including participating in Operation Enduring Freedom as a Department of Defense subject matter expert training the Afghanistan national army for several years. When he finally turned his attention from wars to words, he brought WordLink, an agency begun in New Zealand by a college friend, to Pennsylvania.

Dean is looking for authors with distinctive voices whose narratives invoke a strong sense of time and place and whose stories create a memorable reading experience. He’d like to see mysteries (whodunit, cozy); sci-fi (space opera, dystopian, alternate history, time travel); psychological suspense; thrillers; military fiction (character-driven pieces; favoring post-WWII. **Vietnam**). In YA he would like to see mysteries, paranormal, sci-fi, coming-of-age, and suspense with writing that stirs the imagination and caters to the young reader’s sense of wonder and adventure.

Sarah N. Fisk is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency.

Sarah is a former mechanical engineer who made the switch to publishing in 2011. They have worked in the publishing industry as an editorial assistant, author’s assistant, publicist, and art director. Sarah is a former Pitch Wars mentor, board member, and Agent Liaison. They host the podcast Queries, Qualms, & Quirks and have a passion for spreadsheets.

They love books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms. They have a personal interest in stories featuring queer characters or characters with disability, neurodiversity, chronic illness, or mental health challenges. Great or complicated sibling relationships are their kryptonite. They also enjoy intriguing villains, mysteries woven into other genres, characters they can’t get out of their head, and smart heroines.

Basics:

• Young Adult (all fiction genres)
• Middle Grade (all fiction genres)
• Adult Romance
• Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy, and everything under the speculative fiction umbrella except hard, genre horror
• Select Adult nonfiction

Particular Areas of Interest:

• atmospheric fantasies or contemporary stories that feel like atmospheric fantasies
• speculative mysteries or mysteries woven into other genres
• books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms
• personal interest in stories featuring queer characters
• personal interest in characters with disability, neurodiversity, chronic illness, or mental health challenges
• great or complicated sibling relationships (think: siblings who will kill for each other or kill each other (or both!))
• authentic small town, southern, or midwestern settings
• intriguing villains
• characters I can’t get out of my head
• smart heroines
• con artists who are not cis men
• books that are compulsively readable
• social justice issues woven into commercial plots
• themes: anticapitalist, pro-labor, conservationism, anti-disaster capitalism, etc

For Adult SFF

• I especially love grounded fantasy and near-future sci-fi.
• I am particularly looking for books with a strong hook and plot, but also very strong writing (aka upmarket SFF)
• No Military Sci-Fi, please
• Not for me: anything that comps Game of Thrones, Goblin Emperor, or a Memory Called Empire

For Adult Romance

• Pretty much all subgenres that are traditionally published
  • but historical needs to have a high concept, a nice hook, and/or a great voice for me
• I prefer romance books with a medium or high heat level, or a lot of sexual tension
• No pregnancy or baby-based storylines, please (it’s not triggering, I’m just not interested!)
• Romance has a happy romantic ending, by definition

For nonfiction

• Primarily interested in books with a social justice angle, progressive thought leadership OR
• Books that provide a new perspective on culture, food, current affairs, finance, food, history, science, nature, or relationships.
• Author platform is very important
• Especially interested in disabled or neurodiverse creators, especially those writing from an intersectional lens
• If the book could’ve been an older You’re Wrong About episode, I’d like to see it
• Other areas of interest: scam/fraud, capitalism, labor interests, chronic illness, environmental/climate change, cryptids, non-murder mysteries, relationship equity, or books that make me FASCINATED with a topic I previously didn’t care about (a la THE JOY OF SWEAT)
• Nos: parenting, religion, memoirs without one of the first two bullet points.

Not for me:

• Hardcore genre horror (horror elements are ok! Horror in MG is great)
• I am not interested in stories that center around who gets to rule an empire
• I cannot read stories that center around sexual assault or have on-the-page rape scenes
• Graphic Novels
• Portal fantasies unless it’s really unique
• Stories set in recent historical times (80s, 90s, aughts) need to have a solid reason for the time period for me
• Any adult genres not listed above (i.e. non-speculative books need to be genre romance. other adult genres that “have a romance” are not for me.)
• Disabled characters who serve solely as an able-bodied main character’s catalyst.
• If the main motivation is related to being a parent, it’s probably not for me.
• Romances between a minor and a non-minor that are not critiqued on-the-page

Amanda Wooden is a literary agent with SBR Media.

“I am open to all sub tropes of Romance (contemporary, sports, new adult, suspense, etc.), Romantasy, Young Adult Romance, Women’s Fiction and more. I am looking for strong authors whose writing is unique and marketable. I may consider other genres/tropes outside of those listed. I am also open to health & sports nonfiction.”

Amanda found her love for reading when her husband was deployed in 2013, and it has continued to grow over the years. She has been a book reviewer, blogger, Author PA, graphic designer, and more. Her continued love of working with authors and helping them grow is what led her to becoming a literary agent at SBR Media.

When not reading or working, Amanda has four very busy kids at home in Kentucky. Her husband of over 20 years has now retired from the military and they love to go to baseball games, camping, and of course follow their kids to all of their school and sporting events.

Rachel Estep is a literary agent with D4EO Literary Agency.

She is seeking: literary fiction; mainstream fiction; all types of middle grade and young adult (especially that centers underrepresented voices); voicey, high-stakes psychological thrillers; stories that mess with your head in the best way; gothic fiction that blends deep senses of foreboding with modern themes; true crime projects that dig deeper than the headlines and center empathy alongside the horror; queer romcoms that bring the banter, the swoon, the spice, and a whole lot of heart; historical fiction driven by complex, unforgettable women in the style of Marie Benedict.

Rachel brings a passion for sharp storytelling, vibrant voices, and fierce author advocacy. A lifelong book lover, Rachel’s path to publishing began with a pandemic-era BookTok and led to her role as a bookseller, event coordinator, and now agent. She lives on a small Ohio homestead with her husband, two kids, her parents, and an entire animal kingdom that includes dogs, cats, ducks, and a turkey. As a Jewish and Bisexual woman raised in the Midwest, and now a mom to a disabled and medically fragile child, Rachel is deeply committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and helping storytellers thrive.