Pitch Madness Faculty

Literary agent with the Tobias Literary Agency. Kelly has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and specializes in representing authors and illustrators who write for children. Her clients work on a broad range of projects from board books and picture books to middle grade and young adult novels, graphic novels, and fascinating nonfiction in the youth market.

Senior editor at Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group, where she has worked since 2016 after seven years at St. Martin's Press. She has edited a wide range of titles, including the New York Times-bestselling I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know by Leslie Odom, Jr and Nicolette Robinson, illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz; Anna-Marie McLemore’s When the Moon was Ours and The Mirror Season, both longlisted for the National Book Award; and new Fear Street books in R.L. Stine’s best-selling series, which has sold over eighty million copies worldwide. Kat is looking to acquire young adult fiction, especially high concept contemporary, realistic YA; mysteries, suspense and thrillers; and stories set in our world with a speculative twist (think “Minority Report,” not “Star Wars”). In the picture book and middle grade space, she is drawn to stories she's never seen before that feel both timeless and timely. Across the board, she's drawn to authors who bring a new perspective to their readers.

Senior Literary Agent and Advisor at P.S. Literary Agency representing creators of innovative and beautiful books for readers of all ages. With over a decade of experience in the publishing industry, Maria has helped launch the careers of many bestselling, award winning, and critically acclaimed authors and illustrators. Whether it’s collaborating on manuscript drafts and proposals, negotiating book deals, or exploring adaptation opportunities, she advocates for her clients every step of the way. Maria is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) and the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents (PACLA). She lives in New Brunswick, Canada, reading and selling books from the Atlantic Ocean shore.

Literary agent and the Director of Brand Management at Context Literary Agency. Her mission as an agent is to help uplift underrepresented voices in publishing, specifically within the Latinx community. She’s mentored authors at The Writing Barn and is a faculty member at The Manuscript Academy. Monica is looking to continue to grow her graphic novel list as well as continue building her MG and YA list. She loves mystery and adventure in MG and contemporary humorous YA. She also represents illustrators and comic artists.