Agents/Editors Offering Written Critiques

(Note: SCBWI members registered for our Sat 9/21/24 in-person conference have the option of adding ONE Written Critique ($60) and/or PLUS ONE live Pitch ($50) occurring at our Sun 9/22/24 Zoom Pitchfest. *** There is no live meeting for Written Critiques; the completed critique will be handed to you at the end of our Sat 9/21/24 in-person conference in Camarillo. *** See Written Critiques - Process for full eligibility requirements, Manuscript due date and related processes.)

(1) Picture Books--either fiction or non-fiction). ***BIO: Andrea Welch has been publishing books for young readers for twenty years, first at Harcourt Children’s Books and now here at Beach Lane Books, which she co-founded with Allyn Johnston in 2008. * Andrea has the pleasure of working with Liz Garton Scanlon, Meg Fleming, April Pulley Sayre, Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal, Sergio Ruzzier, Diana Sudyka, Robin Page, Steve Jenkins, Jennifer Ward, Felicita Sala, Lisa Congdon, and Chris Barton—just to name a few! * She publishes across all picture book genres, but she is most drawn to books that reveal the marvels of the natural world, books that take on social-emotional topics with a light and fresh touch, and books that illuminate culture and lesser-known people who accomplished big things. * Her mission is to publish picture books that inspire wonder and curiosity, and her hope is that opening one of her books is like turning over a rock in the forest and discovering something unexpected and intriguing and that sparks imagination. * Andrea loves hiking, camping, and combing the local beaches with her family, and she also enjoys stealing away to spend time with her horse, Kokonut.

(1) Picture Book or Middle Grade or Young Adult (either fiction or non-fiction). ***BIO: A former criminal defense attorney and history major, she has worked in the publishing industry since 2013, including reviewing for publications such as Kirkus, and part-time bookselling at a local independent bookstore. Jennie’s passions include history (especially medieval European history), the criminal justice system, art, tarot, rock music, and cooking. She loves well-researched character-driven fiction, narrative non-fiction, and is particularly looking for Own Voices works and books from marginalized creators. Jennie is always looking for a phenomenal ghost or vampire story, regardless of children’s age group.

(1) Picture Book or (2) Middle Grade or (3) Young Adult **all either fiction or non-fiction***BIO: Courtney Donovan is a junior agent at Writers House, building a list of children's book authors and illustrators. * She started at the agency as an intern in 2019, before joining in 2020 as an assistant to Steven Malk. * She has had the privilege of working with a range of authors and illustrators, including Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen, Kelly Barnhill, Amanda Gorman, and Tui Sutherland, among many others. * Courtney is looking for impactful narratives and distinctive voices in all genres, though she feels especially drawn to science fiction and fantasy. * Originally from the east coast, she now lives in Southern California.

(1) Picture Books--either fiction or non-fiction, and (2) Young Adult-non-fiction only). ***BIO: Michele Robbins loves rock climbing and hiking with her family. When she is not on the move, she enjoys settling down with a good read-aloud. Now that the kids are older, she is often the listener rather than the reader! She feels blessed to have a granddaughter who calls to play dress up and ABC games. * Michele holds a degree in education and founded Familius with her husband Christopher in 2012. * She works in acquisitions and editing focusing on picture books and nonfiction. * She lives in California with three of her nine children, an amazing hubby, the family dog, and two cats.

(1) Picture Book - rhyming, and (2) Picture Book - not rhyming. ***BIO: Patricia Toht once owned a children's bookstore before turning a love selling books into a love of writing books for kids. * Her first book, the poetry collection All Aboard the London Bus, grew out of fondness for the city she and her family called home for years. * Her rhyming holiday books, Pick a Pine Tree and Pick a Pumpkin, received starred reviews and have been translated into multiple languages. * Pick a Pumpkin was an Illinois READS title and an Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Book. * Dress Like a Girl was praised as "empowering" and "uplifting" for young girls. * She also contributes poetry to magazines like Highlights and Ladybug. * Follow her on Twitter @ PatriciaToht

(1) Picture Book or Middle Grade or Young Adult (either fiction or non-fiction). ***BIO: Andrea Morrison started at Writers House as an intern in 2009. She’s had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators in genres ranging from picture books to middle grade and YA to adult literary fiction and nonfiction. Having studied Literature/Writing at University of California, San Diego and having earned her MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, Andrea is hands-on editorially. She’s particularly excited about adult fiction that blends gorgeous sentence-level writing with stories featuring younger protagonists. She’s hungry for YA that appeals to all ages and that blends crazy-beautiful language with characters navigating the nutty, magical, and hard parts of being a teen, funny and heartfelt Middle Grade, and unforgettable picture books with vivid artwork. She loves books that defy genre lines and is a total sucker for vivid descriptions of place. Most importantly, she’s looking for characters that need to be heard—for stories that grab your heart and don’t let it go, even after they’re finished.