Gary Heidt (RALEIGH EVENT ONLY) is a literary agent with Signature Literary Agency.

Gary represents authors of nonfiction and fiction.

In fiction, he seeks: high-quality literary fiction, science fiction and the occasional thriller.

He is interested in exceptional nonfiction proposals in the following areas: history, science, popular culture, narrative nonfiction, psychology, religion, reference,  spirituality, cultural criticism, memoir, politics, and Fortean/High Strangeness/paranormal.

“I am actively looking for scientists with writing skills who can explain new developments in science to a popular audience, as well as journalists who write about new developments in science and technology. In history and biography. I am looking for authors with credentials as academics, journalists or independent scholars with some publication credits.”

No historical fiction, mysteries, fantasy, cozies or romance.

Some of the agency’s books include:

Jeremy Bushnell, The Weirdness and The Insides
Carolyn Gilman, Hugo and Nebula Nominee, Dark Orbit
Jordan Green, Silent Sam is Down
Lori Handrahan, Epidemic
Rob Klara, The Hidden White House, The Devils’ Mercedes
Deji Olukotun, Nigerians in Space and After the Flare
Benjamin Whitmer, Cry Father, Escape (Evasion in France)

Jess Regel (RALEIGH EVENT ONLY) is a literary agent and founder of Helm Literary.

Jess represents novels for all age groups (adult, young adult, and middle grade), but with a focus on upmarket fiction with characters who jump off the page and thought-provoking storylines. She wants books that are conversation starters. She represents books for a general commercial audience, but she loves a genre twist. LGBTQIA+ and #OwnVoices very much welcome. She’s usually closed to unsolicited queries, but for the 2024 Carolina Writing Workshop she is open! You can find her client list at helmliterary.com.

“I started Helm Literary with the goal of helping writers take control of their careers. I believe my job as a literary agent is to help writers steer that ship (couldn’t resist at least one sea-faring pun!) First and foremost, I work to make sure my writers are compensated for their incredible work, but I’m also their guide to navigating the industry as a whole. No nonsense, no smoke and mirrors. Just the pure magic of publishing books.

“What’s my story? As a flashlight under the covers, tripping over curbs while read-walking, never leave home without a book, lifetime reader, I thought I’d found my dream job when I started working at my local library in Iowa. Then one day, I stumbled upon the inciting incident of my professional life: I shelved The Writer’s Digest’s Guide to Literary Agents.

“The summer of 2002, I moved to New York City to intern at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Over the next decade, I worked my way through each department: royalties, contracts, audio, foreign, film, and domestic. I also began taking on my own clients (most of whom I still represent to this day.) In 2013, I moved to Foundry Literary + Media where I continued to grow my list of award winning, bestselling writers. (And truly just wonderful people.)

“Today, Helm is a full-service literary agency, representing fiction, nonfiction, and children’s book authors. I’ve hired a team of industry veterans to support me in my back office and in my subsidiary rights department, that way I can focus on selling books. Because the truth is, nearly two decades into my career, I still get giddy every time I call an author with an offer from a publisher. Dream job!”

Lauren Albury (RALEIGH EVENT ONLY) is an literary agent with Holloway Literary.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in English from The College at Southeastern, Lauren interned with FinePrint Literary Agency in New York City. Prior to becoming a literary agent, Lauren was with Holloway Literary for two years as an intern and literary assistant.

She is seeking:

• Literary fiction
• Historical fiction
• Book club/Women’s
• Upmarket fiction

Wishlist specifics:

• Caribbean stories and voices
• Southern settings
• Romantic themes
• Rich immersive settings like Where the Crawdads Sing and lyrical prose like All the Light We Cannot See

Not a good fit for:

• Erotica
• Political or pandemic themes
• Sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/magical realism
• Please no ghosts or aliens or torture

“I enjoy all kinds of literary and upmarket fiction. Show me how beautiful and lyrical the English language can be. Give me compelling characters with unexpected story arcs. Immerse me in another culture so I feel like I grew up there. Make me laugh with sharp wit and cry at poignant subtleties. Teach me something new about the human experience and what it means to be alive. I love when art parallels life, so I’m a sucker for gritty, raw, and realistic writing with an achingly bittersweet/unhappy ending a la Gone with the Wind or La La Land (non-sappy happy endings are OK too though). My favorite kinds of stories happen when romance exists as a compliment to a killer plot. Religious themes are ok as long as they aren’t cheesy and self-righteous or over the top.

“I’m looking for well-researched historical novels from all time periods and settings. As a multi-generational citizen of The Bahamas, I am particularly keen to find stories set in the Caribbean and/or by Caribbean authors.”

Zoe Howard (RALEIGH EVENT ONLY) is a literary agent with Howland Literary.

After working with Howland Literary and Lookout Books while earning her BFA in Creative Writing and Certificate in Publishing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Zoe Howard is now building her own list of adult literary fiction and adult nonfiction. Zoe is also a literary publicist at Pine State Publicity. 

More than anything, Zoe is drawn to writing where language comes first—she would love to see the work of poets-turned-to-prose, lyrical voices, and sentence-level craft that plays (Patti Smith, Ali Smith). She would love to read writing that explores boundaries: deconstructions of the coastal or “convenience store” south & the mountain states of the US, non-traditional narrators, cross-discipline books, and so on. 

In adult fiction, she is seeking voice-driven stories that subvert reader expectations of their subject matter. Zoe is especially interested in unashamed characters; characters at their breaking point; literary fiction with speculative elements, especially those that tend dark and underground (Sharks in the Time of Saviors); joyous girlhood; body horror & transformations of the body; and insular settings (small towns, amusement parks, summer camps, hotels). 

In adult nonfiction, Zoe is looking for narrative nonfiction, memoir, and essay collections that blend personal narratives with research or questions about the larger world. She would love to see more nonfiction that reads like fiction. Her niche interests include material culture, why & how we use objects, celebrities, pop culture, parasocial relationships, and the connections between people and the places they inhabit. 

Send Zoe your off-kilter, heartfelt, lyrical, and literary work.

See below for Charlotte on March 8, 2024. If you have any questions, email me (Chuck) at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com

——————————

Hi (Charlotte) Carolina Writing Workshop attendees!

This is the final touch base before the 2024 (Charlotte) Carolina Writing Workshop on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark, 2200 Rexford Road, Charlotte, NC, 28211. Thank you for signing up!

https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/

If you are getting this email, but signed up for a conference in a different city (i.e., not Charlotte), please let me know immediately. Thank you.

Thanks again for being part of this event. In this e-mail, all your questions should be answered. I urge you to take a few minutes now/soon and read it completely to understand everything you need to know about the day. Feel free to print this info out to keep on hand for the day of the event. (If you were in charge of signing up both yourself and someone else, that means I may not have their email. Please forward this information to them just to be safe.)

Volunteers. As a reminder, we are still looking for a few more volunteers for Friday to help us from 830-500 managing pitches during the day. If you know anyone who would be interested in helping, please tell them to contact us. They get free agent pitches and join the faculty lunch. They can also distribute literature promoting their book(s) or writing group.

We are still taking signups: We will be taking registrations all week long and even at the door, so feel free to pass on word to writer friends and writing groups. Thank you for any last-minute word-spreading you do. It really helps.

Buy a pitch? We will be sending out the pitch schedule by the end of this weekend. As of right now, some attending Charlotte agents & editors have openings. You can purchase these spots for $29 a piece. You can pay by PayPal or credit card in advance, or by check/cash at registration. Here is the link to pay via PayPal when you’re ready:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/writingworkshops

If you pay by PP, just include a note/memo with the payment such as “For [your name] to pitch [agent name] in Charlotte.”

This event: This workshop is organized by Writing Day Workshops, an independent organization. Learn about us by checking out our website.

When to arrive: Aim to register between 8:45 and 9:15 a.m. All registrants will get processed and enter the session rooms. You will get a name badge and a folder. The pitching schedule will be on the table, and that is a last-minute chance for you to review when you pitch.

Where to park: The hotel told us there is complimentary parking around the hotel.

Hotel location specifics: The main classrooms are Morrison A and Morrison B, both on the ground floor. You can find it by entering the main entrance, then walking past the front desk and looking to the right.

The workshop rooms: Please do not fill up empty seats in any room with a bag/coat/other until after a session starts. This is to make sure everyone can sit where they like. Help people find seats and sit down.

Come and go as you please: You do not have to sign up for specific classes/sessions in advance. Come and go as you please into sessions and your assigned pitches.

Handouts: Some sessions have a one-page handout for you, and you can find those in your folder.

Dress code: Wear whatever you like. There is no dress code. Most people choose casual or business casual. Be comfy!

Coffee: There is water at the event, but no coffee. If you have a need for the bean, prepare in advance and stop at Starbucks/etc. on the way over. The hotel restaurant is open for breakfast, I’ve been told, and you can purchase coffee there.

What else to bring: You can bring business cards for passing to peers, or in case an agent wants one. Besides that, bring a pad and pen. Staffers will be passing out folders to everyone. Feel free to bring a laptop if you wish.

Bringing work for “Writers’ Got Talent”: If you want to submit your work for consideration of the “Writers’ Got Talent” panel, the most important thing to bring with you is 4 copies of your manuscript’s first double-spaced page. (No names please! These should be anonymous. The only info to give on your first page is the GENRE.) What will happen is all interested writers can hand their pages to a workshop staffer as they check in. During the panel’s limited time, submissions will be chosen at random. This means we will review plenty of submissions, but certainly not all of them. We will get to as many as we have time for. The agents hear the first page read aloud and offer any quick thoughts on what they liked or did not like about the writing. (You bring multiple copies so they can read the work as it is read aloud to the entire room.) Again, this is all done anonymously, so make sure your name is not on the work (but your genre is), and make sure you bring 4 copies of your first page (normal margins & 12-pt font, double-spaced, as usual). Note: No picture books or short stories or poetry, please. This panel is solely for manuscripts of fiction, memoir, and creative/narrative nonfiction. Only 1 submission per attendee, please.

Want to pitch more agents?: All paid attendees of the 2024 (Charlotte) Carolina Writing Workshop get access to pitch any agents of the 2024 Online Writing Workshop of San Francisco (April 5-6, with pitches on the 6th). This means you can pitch any of the 30+ online WWSF attending agents for $29 each, without being a formal registrant to the event. (How many will you pitch? The current pitching record is 13.) That said, if you like the class schedule of the WWSF and you want to be a full registrant to get all the instruction, too, your base admission pricing is only $100 (huge discount off the $189 normal) because you’re part of the Charlotte event. We will set these extra pitches up AFTER the Charlotte event is over.

What NOT to bring: Do not bring your entire printed manuscript. If an agent or editor likes what you’re writing & pitching, they will request that you e-mail material to them.

Wi-fi: Unfortunately, we have been told there is no free wi-fi in the meeting rooms.

Class schedule: The entire class schedule is online at the official workshop website:

Schedule: 2024 Workshops

Book sales: Some writing reference books will be available for sale at the front desk.
Prepare for your in-person pitch: Here is a free webinar, where an agent goes over some basic pitching tips for meeting publishing pros in person:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/5129737842270946907

How pitching and critique meetings work: If you paid extra for a pitching session, those 10-minute meetings will be happening all throughout the day in the Caucus Room (ground floor). Pitching schedules will be available at the registration desk the morning of, and beforehand over email. (I will soon send this out. Let me know if you need it again or have confusion about your times. You can also buy more meeting times.) Attendees will simply get up from their seat when it’s their time and head outside for their meeting, then return into the session at any time.

Manuscript critiques — what to expect: If you bought a critique of your first 10 manuscript pages, those are almost all done virtually over email and Zoom. Your virtual critique person should be in touch with you within 10-14 days of you sending us the work. If you don’t hear from them by then, you should email us and we can nudge them. If for some reason you have bought a critique but not sent in your pages yet, please send them here, attached.

Buy a critique? You can still buy a virtual query or manuscript critique. Just let us know.

How lunch works: Lunch is on your own from 11:50 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. I highly suggest you have an idea as to what you plan to do that day for lunch. This is because walking and parking and ordering, etc., all takes time. If you want to eat at a sit-down place, make sure you have enough time. Even if the location does have an onsite restaurant, understand it may be overwhelmed.

Twitter hashtag: If you want to tweet about the event at any time, use the hashtag #CarolinaWW. One thing writers do to make the workshop more valuable is to mention their specific area/location when using the hashtag. This helps them meet other nearby writers—such as “I’m interested in meeting other writers who live in/near Windsor Park #CarolinaWW.” If you take pictures of any sessions, please share them on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @writingdaywksp.

Query critiques: If you paid extra to get a query critique, we aim to have all query critiques back to registrants by end of day, March 6, 2024, for you to review before pitching. If you bought a critique and have not sent us the query, please do so immediately.

Any other questions? Email me, naturally. Good luck at the event, and have fun!

Thanks
Chuck Sambuchino
https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/
writingdayworkshops@gmail.com

See below for Raleigh on March 9, 2024. If you have any questions, email me (Chuck) at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com

—————————————–

Hi (Raleigh) Carolina Writing Workshop attendees!

This is the final touch base before the 2024 (Raleigh) Carolina Writing Workshop on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State, 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh, NC 27606. Thank you for signing up!

https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/

If you are getting this email, but signed up for a conference in a different city (i.e., not Raleigh), please let me know immediately. Thank you.

In this e-mail, all your questions should be answered. I urge you to take a few minutes now/soon and read it completely to understand everything you need to know about the day. Feel free to print this info out to keep on hand for the day of the event. (If you were in charge of signing up both yourself and someone else, that means I may not have their email. Please forward this information to them just to be safe.)

We are still taking signups: We will be taking registrations all week long and even at the door, so feel free to pass on word to writer friends and writing groups. Thank you for any last-minute word-spreading you do. It really helps.

Buy a pitch? We will be sending out the pitch schedule by the end of today. As of right now, all attending Raleigh agents & editors have openings. You can purchase these spots for $29 a piece. You can pay by PayPal or credit card in advance, or by check/cash at registration. Here is the link to pay via PayPal when you’re ready:

If you pay by PP, just include a note/memo with the payment such as “For [your name] to pitch [agent name] in Raleigh.”

This event: This workshop is organized by Writing Day Workshops, an independent organization. Learn about us by checking out our website.

When to arrive: Aim to register between 8:45 and 9:15 a.m. All registrants will get processed and enter the session rooms. You will get a name badge and a folder. The pitching schedule will be on the table, and that is a last-minute chance for you to review when you pitch.

Where to park: The venue told us there is complimentary parking around the venue.

Venue location specifics: The main classrooms are Room 3 and Room 4. We were told attendees should come in the main entrance, which you access at 1101 Gorman Street. There is a graphic/map you can see here:

https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/2022/03/04/2024-raleigh-details/

Inside the front door, you should see registration immediately.

The workshop rooms: Please do not fill up empty seats in any room with a bag/coat/other until after a session starts. This is to make sure everyone can sit where they like. Help people find seats and sit down.

Come and go as you please: You do not have to sign up for specific classes/sessions in advance. Come and go as you please into sessions and your assigned pitches.

Handouts: Some sessions have a one-page handout for you, and you can find those in your folder.

Dress code: Wear whatever you like. There is no dress code. Most people choose casual or business casual. Be comfy!

Coffee: There is water at the event, but no coffee. If you have a need for the bean, prepare in advance and stop at Starbucks/etc. on the way over.

What else to bring: You can bring business cards for passing to peers, or in case an agent wants one. Besides that, bring a pad and pen. Staffers will be passing out folders to everyone. Feel free to bring a laptop if you wish.

Bringing work for “Writers’ Got Talent”: If you want to submit your work for consideration of the “Writers’ Got Talent” panel, the most important thing to bring with you is 8 copies of your manuscript’s first double-spaced page. (No names please! These should be anonymous. The only info to give on your first page is the GENRE.) What will happen is all interested writers can hand their pages to a workshop staffer as they check in. During the panel’s limited time, submissions will be chosen at random. This means we will review plenty of submissions, but certainly not all of them. We will get to as many as we have time for. The agents hear the first page read aloud and offer any quick thoughts on what they liked or did not like about the writing. (You bring multiple copies so they can read the work as it is read aloud to the entire room.) Again, this is all done anonymously, so make sure your name is not on the work (but your genre is), and make sure you bring 8 copies of your first page (normal margins & 12-pt font, double-spaced, as usual). Note: No picture books or short stories or poetry, please. This panel is solely for manuscripts of fiction, memoir, and creative/narrative nonfiction. Only 1 submission per attendee, please.

Want to pitch more agents?: All paid attendees of the 2024 (Raleigh) Carolina Writing Workshop get access to pitch any agents of the 2024 Online Writing Workshop of San Francisco (April 5-6, with pitches on the 6th). This means you can pitch any of the 30+ online WWSF attending agents for $29 each, without being a formal registrant to the event. (How many will you pitch? The current pitching record is 13.) That said, if you like the class schedule of the WWSF and you want to be a full registrant to get all the instruction, too, your base admission pricing is only $100 (huge discount off the $189 normal) because you’re part of the Raleigh event. We will set these extra pitches up AFTER the Raleigh event is over.

What NOT to bring: Do not bring your entire printed manuscript. If an agent or editor likes what you’re writing & pitching, they will request that you e-mail material to them.

Wi-fi: There is free wifi. Instructions here:

https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/2022/03/04/2024-raleigh-details/

Class schedule: The entire class schedule is online at the official workshop website:

https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/schedule/

Book sales: Some writing reference books will be available for sale at the front desk.

Prepare for your in-person pitch: Here is a free webinar, where an agent goes over some basic pitching tips for meeting publishing pros in person:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/5129737842270946907

How pitching and critique meetings work: If you paid extra for a pitching session, those 10-minute meetings will be happening all throughout the day in Room 6. Pitching schedules will be available at the registration desk the morning of, and beforehand over email. (I will soon send this out. Let me know if you need it again or have confusion about your times. You can also buy more meeting times.) Attendees will simply get up from their seat when it’s their time and head outside for their meeting, then return into the session at any time.

Manuscript critiques — what to expect: If you bought a critique of your first 10 manuscript pages, those are almost all done virtually over email and Zoom. Your virtual critique person should be in touch with you within 10-14 days of you sending us the work. If you don’t hear from them by then, you should email us and we can nudge them. If for some reason you have bought a critique but not sent in your pages yet, please send them here, attached.

Buy a critique? You can still buy a virtual query or manuscript critique. Just let us know.

How lunch works: Lunch is on your own from 11:50 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. I highly suggest you have an idea as to what you plan to do that day for lunch. This is because walking and parking and ordering, etc., all takes time. If you want to eat at a sit-down place, make sure you have enough time. Upon talking to the McKibbon, they said there isn’t an easy place to get food at the venue. You may have to venture offsite. I don’t know what the rules are concerning bringing food, so if you do so, I suggest doing it quietly, to be safe.

Twitter hashtag: If you want to tweet about the event at any time, use the hashtag #CarolinaWW. One thing writers do to make the workshop more valuable is to mention their specific area/location when using the hashtag. This helps them meet other nearby writers—such as “I’m interested in meeting other writers who live in/near Cary #CarolinaWW.” If you take pictures of any sessions, please share them on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @writingdaywksp.

Query critiques: If you paid extra to get a query critique, we aim to have all query critiques back to registrants by end of day, March 7, 2024, for you to review before pitching. If you bought a critique and have not sent us the query, please do so immediately.

Any other questions? Email me here, naturally. Good luck at the event, and have fun!

Thanks
Chuck Sambuchino
https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/
writingdayworkshops@gmail.com

We were sent this parking/entrance graphic for the Raleigh 2024 event from the venue. We were also sent these WiFi instructions. Pasting them here for you.