Agent Q&A: Insider Insights on Publishing
Mar 25, 2025
Online event
Calling all writers and aspiring authors! Ready to take your writing career to the next level? Join us for an exclusive Q&A session with literary agents Sera Rivers and Bonnie Swanson. This is your chance to ask anything about the publishing world, from crafting compelling query letters and synopses to navigating the submission process and what agents look for in a manuscript. Submit your burning questions beforehand and get ready for an insightful discussion. Plus, learn more about Sera and Bonnie's individual tastes and how they champion their authors. Don't miss this invaluable opportunity to gain insider knowledge and connect with agents who can help bring your literary dreams to life!
Come ready to learn, ask questions, and take the next step in your publishing journey!
Sera Rivers
Sera Rivers is a literary agent at Speilburg Literary Agency, an AALA member, and a writer. She represents middle grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, as well as very select picture books. She is especially interested in inclusive narratives and authentic representation by children’s authors and illustrators who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented and marginalized identities and cultures.
Bonnie Swanson
Bonnie Swanson (the agent not the cartoon character!) is a former elementary school teacher who lives in Southern Illinois. She has a husband, three grown children, two bonus daughters, and three fur-babies who think they need to eat all the cat food. She has an eclectic tastes and sometimes doesn't know what she's looking for until she reads it. She's looking for mainly YA, and some PB/MG, full MSWL below.