ALSO for 2026: In addition to the option of selecting a one-on-one pitch session with an agent or editor, we’re also offering the opportunity to receive a 10-page manuscript critique!
Why should you choose one of these options?
With a one-on-one pitch session, a literary agent or editor offers you the chance to present the idea of your book in a brief, yet highly focused, meeting. Our agents and editors will dedicate their time to your pitch, offer their insights, and if they find your presentation fitting, perhaps even request part of, or even all of, your manuscript!
What if you don’t have a manuscript completed or aren’t otherwise ready to pitch? Perhaps you would like to schedule a one-on-one critique of the first 10 pages of your manuscript! This is the opportunity to discuss what works and what doesn’t with a seasoned professional, who can help guide you in the right direction!
Please note: If you have signed up for a critique, you should not attempt to pitch a book during that session. All pitches must be done during selected pitch sessions only. If you have any questions on this, please email Zachary Steele at zach@broadleafwriters.com or Conference Chair Shay Rodricks at conferencechair@broadleafwriters.com.
If you are signing up for a pitch session, please review the bios of our agents and editors below to find the one that best suits your genre and audience. If pitching a work of fiction, it is preferred by most agents (though not all) that you have a completed manuscript available to send, should they have interest. So, make sure you have that manuscript ready to go! If pitching non-fiction, be sure to have a thorough book proposal written (many works of non-fiction can be represented or purchased on proposal, before they are written) or at the very least almost ready to go.
All one-on-one sessions will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis until all slots are filled. One pitch or critique session comes free-of-charge for all conference participants. Registration is required. Each additional meeting scheduled will cost $25. These meetings fill up quickly, so ensure your opportunity and sign-up now!
All Pitch and Critique Sessions will be held on Saturday, September 19th, 2026.
AGENTS AND EDITORS AVAILABLE FOR PITCH SESSIONS
Agents and Editors will be added soon! Check back for updates!
Lindsey Aduskevich is a Literary Agent with Martin Literary Management. She is excited to build her list with passionate, kind, and hard-working authors. As an avid reader, she is open to a wide variety of genres, including picture book, middle grade, young adult, and new adult.
After graduating with a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut, where she developed a love for books that inspire empathy and foster a deeper understanding of the world in which we live, Lindsey became determined to carve a career in the publishing industry. She attended her first SCBWI conference in 2019, and later joined several critique groups, became a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, and a member of Inked Voices. She interned with Senior Literary Manager Kristen Terrette before starting her career as an agent.
As an agented kidlit writer herself, Lindsey is familiar with the ups and downs of the query trenches and submission process and hopes to emulate the same compassion and quick communication she found in several agents who helped guide her own writing journey.
Residing in Southington, CT with her husband and two girls, Lindsey enjoys borrowing unusually tall stacks of picture books from the local library, snakeboarding in the basement with her family, hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and celebrating all the “wins” with her favorite critique partners.
Lindsey is looking for the following genres:
Picture Books: I am open to all kinds of picture books, both fiction and non-fiction, from authors and author/illustrators. I love humor with heart (but the heart has to be big), dark humor, spooky stories, commercial fiction, lyrical texts, and hard topics.
Middle Grade: Send me fantasy, thriller, mystery, adventure, contemporary, and anything in between.
Young Adult: I want romcom, fantasy, horror, thriller, historical fiction, contemporary romance, and hard topics that make my heart ache.
New Adult: I am open here but would prefer college or just starting out with a little bit of romance or humor.
Thrillers/Suspense/Mystery: I am a huge fan of thrillers and suspense. Send me fast-paced, messy stories with a great plot twist (or multiple!) that keep me on the edge of my seat. My favorite recent reads include Then She Was Gone, All the Colors of the Dark, Beautiful Ugly, and All Good People Here.
Horror: I love a good horror so I’m wide open here. Send me bubblegum, horromance, supernatural, paranormal, ghosts, or anything you can think up.
Romance: I love romance! Send me enemies-to-lovers, rom coms, holiday settings, and anything in the vein of Katherine Center, Colleen Hoover, or Emily Henry.
With all genres, I am looking for fresh, unique concepts, phenomenal voices, high-stakes, and emotionally driven stories that speak to current issues and leave the reader with something to think about. Make me cry or laugh (or both) and you will have my heart.
Kelly Bergh is a literary agent with Lucinda Literary. She represents adult practical nonfiction, with a particular focus on popular psychology, health and wellness, and self-transformation, as well as select children’s, gift, and fiction projects in these same areas. She is especially drawn to intellectually rigorous, research-driven books that question inherited truths about complex, universal subjects and offer new frameworks that resonate beyond the page.
Kelly worked as an editor in academic publishing after beginning her career as a children’s librarian. She joined Lucinda Literary in 2023 and has since worked closely with journalists, PhDs, and subject-matter experts seeking to bring their ideas into the trade space. She has developed a range of commercially and critically successful projects, including those by Chris Moore, PhD (The Power of Guilt), Lauren LaRusso (Beyond Infidelity), and contemporary poets such as New York Times-bestselling author Josie Balka (I Hope You Remember; Loves of Our Lives) and Joey Kidney (Just Remember).
Projects she represents have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Bloomsbury, BenBella, Urano, Andrews McMeel, and Hay House.
A certified yoga and meditation instructor, Kelly is interested in books that explore embodiment, resilience, and meaning without sacrificing intellectual depth. She holds a master’s degree in publishing from Drexel University and splits her time between Philadelphia and Seattle.
Haley Warrington is newly embarking on an agenting role at the Booker Albert Literary Agency. On top of having two romance novels slated for publication by Lake Country Press, she has completed an internship at Booker Albert.
10-PAGE CRITIQUE SESSION
Back for 2026! In addition to your pitch and mentoring sessions (Both part of your registration!), this year we’re offering you the opportunity to add a 10-page manuscript critique. It’s a unique opportunity to refine your pages as well as receive invaluable feedback to assist you going forward. Space is limited, so take advantage of this add-on option when you register!
Broadleaf Writers Association Founder & Executive Director Zachary Steele is a freelance editor and the author of four novels, including The Weight of Ashes, nominated for Georgia Author of the Year in 2021, and Perfectly Normal. He has been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Publisher’s Weekly, Writer’s Magazine, Shelf Awareness and City Lights with Lois Reitzes on NPR. Currently, he is hard at work on The Fallen Hero, the first in a series of fantasy novels. You can follow his ramblings on writing and life at http://zacharysteele.com/.