— Meet the Editors & Agents —
Founded in 2006 by authors RJ Morris and Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press was built on a commitment to putting writers first. With a focus on quality publishing and strong author relationships, the company has grown into a thriving press with over 500 authors and 3,500 titles. Penders, the accessible and author-focused Editor-in-Chief, ensures writers are supported, while Morris, the tech-savvy co-founder, keeps the digital infrastructure running seamlessly. Together, they lead a dedicated team of editors, designers, and marketing experts, making The Wild Rose Press a welcoming home for writers seeking a true publishing partnership.
Ally Robertson has been an editor with The Wild Rose Press since they opened in 2006. She is also a writing coach, freelance editor, and author, under the name Alicia Dean, with more than twenty-five published titles. She’s partial to all things dark and creepy…the scarier the better. She loves meeting authors, discovering fabulous new stories and helping authors realize their dreams. She lives in Edmond Oklahoma where she enjoys editing, writing, reading, Elvis Presley, the MLB, the NFL, and watching her favorite television shows--which she calls 'research' so it doesn't seem as though she’s wasting time.
Ally is looking for any genre fiction and is currently most excited to hear about Romance in any genre.
What won’t be a connection? Children’s books and non-fiction. The word count range is a firm 15,000 to 100,000.
Laura Dail Literary Agency Inc., incorporated in 1996, is a small, full-service literary agency, representing fiction and nonfiction, commercial and literary, for both adults and children. We represent a wide range of diverse authors, including bestselling authors of adult, YA, and children’s fiction, award-winning journalists, historians, chefs, and thought leaders.
We provide continuous, thoughtful attention at every stage of a book’s life—from editorial to marketing, publicity, and sales and to the licensing of subsidiary rights. We are the author’s partner and advocate for the life of every book, and we love it.
Aiden Siobhan graduated from UNC School of the Arts in 2023 with a Filmmaking degree specializing in Screenwriting and Animation. Before Aiden became an agent, they interned at LDLA for two sessions and was an Author Mentor Match mentee in 2022. When they’re not reading, they work as the Art Director for an alt-weekly newspaper, attend film festivals, and road trip with their wife and dogs.
Aiden is looking for Adult, YA, crossover, and select MG genre fiction. They will love any story that is diverse, heartfelt, and beautifully written. Send them your trope-filled, high stakes, fast-paced novels that will make them read past midnight!
Flint Hills Publishing (FHP) is a highly selective hybrid press founded in 2015 with a mission to publish books that uplift, educate, inspire, and entertain. Committed to ethical and transparent author partnerships, FHP values clear communication, timely responses, and professional guidance. The FHP catalog is eclectic, inviting writers of socially-conscious fiction, memoir, historical non-fiction, spiritual and personal growth, young adult, cookbooks, and children's books.
Thea Rademacher, founder and president of Flint Hills Publishing, began her career as a social justice attorney before transitioning into writing and publishing. Since founding FHP in 2015, she has helped publish over 80 titles, focusing on works that educate, inspire, and entertain. She also provides authors with publishing contract reviews, intellectual property guidance, and business strategies. Thea is passionate about empowering writers with knowledge of the publishing industry.
Thea is particularly interested in uplifting and impactful stories across a variety of genres. She seeks well-crafted manuscripts that offer unique perspectives, whether in fiction or nonfiction. She values strong storytelling, compelling characters, and works that leave a lasting impression on readers. Additionally, she is eager to help emerging authors navigate the publishing process while protecting their creative rights.
*Thea will be working with Chief Editor, Nathan Frederickson. If you sign up to pitch to Flint Hills Publishing, be aware that you may be meeting with Thea or Nathan.
The Marsal Lyon Agency mission is to help writers achieve their publishing dreams. We want to work with authors not just for a book but for a career — we are dedicated to building long-term relationships with our authors and publishing partners. Our goal is to help find homes for books that engage, entertain, and make a difference.
We are proud to represent a diverse client list and to champion a wide range of genres and perspectives. From conception, through a collaborative and engaged editorial process, to finding a publisher and beyond, we partner with our authors to ensure success in finding the right publisher and long-term success on the market.
Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong is a literary agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency with 9 years of agency experience. A life-long lover of books, Cathie enjoys vivid memories of the exact day she unlocked the secret code behind letters that, when combined, form words. Since then, it’s the rare occasion when you’ll find her without a book in her hand, a Kindle in her purse, or a pair of AirPods in her ears while she devours the works of whatever author she’s selected as her new favorite of the month.
Cathie’s journey in the publishing industry was born in 2014 when she set about writing The Edge of Nowhere, a work of adult historical fiction inspired by her grandmother’s life as a widow raising fourteen children during the one-two punch of the 1930s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and The Great Depression. Three years later, she followed up with her sophomore novel, Roam, a young adult title inspired by the homeless community that resides in the town where she currently lives. The release of this second book coincided with Cathie’s first job as a literary agent where she spent eight years learning the industry before joining the team at Marsal Lyon.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Cathie is a 1992 graduate of the University of Oklahoma where she received a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in history. Not surprisingly, she’s a rabid OU Sooners football fan. Currently, she resides in Minnesota where she and her husband of 32 years share two grown children and a son-in-law.
Cathie is open to pitches in the following adult genres:
Romance (all categories, and all steam levels, including Romantasy)
Domestic or Psychological Suspense
Horror (does not accept splatter horror)
Mystery (prefers standalone but will look at cozy)
Historical Fiction (non-war theatre-based)
Commercial Fiction
Women’s/Book Club Fiction
What’s not a fit? Non-Fiction and Children’s Fiction (YA, MG, PB)
For more information about Cathie’s specific tastes, you can view her Manuscript Wishlist.
Quill Hawk Publishing (QHP) is an Asian American Woman-Owned publishing company helping emerging writers indie-publish their work through a consultative approach. Authors retain all rights and royalties for their work.
QHP’s mission is to amplify diverse voices through storytelling. We accept a limited number of submissions each year and are excited about chapter works of fiction and non-fiction as well as children’s books.
Amy M. Le is a Vietnam War survivor and Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) warrior. She is the award-winning author of the Snow trilogy and is currently working on her phoenix series — three books showcasing the resilience of people who’ve survived deep trauma. Amy is the founder of Quill Hawk Publishing, a woman-owned, Asian American company that helps writers indie publish their books while amplifying diverse voices through storytelling. She co-founded The Heart Community Collection, a resource for the CHD community, and sits on the board of the Vietnamese Boat People Podcast. Amy also serves as an officer for two writing organizations in Oklahoma. When she is not writing or volunteering, Amy is experimenting in the kitchen or watching NFL games, Formula 1 races, or UFC bouts.
Amy’s sessions are more than your typical pitch opportunity. She’s offering one-on-one coaching sessions where you can ask questions about writing, publishing, or anything else industry related. If you do want to talk about publication opportunities, visit the Quill Hawk website for more information.
— View the Schedule —
Please bear in mind that these schedules are updated manually as forms come in, so what you see here may not always be 100% accurate. We will make every effort to update frequently, but we do appreciate your patience!
— Pitch Room Rules —
Pitch sessions are 10 minutes long, with 5 minutes between each session. In order to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to pitch, we are limiting sign-ups to one per person at this time. You may sign up for additional sessions at the conference, if available. Please watch your
e-mail for confirmation that we received your request. If you haven’t received the confirmation within 24 hours, please check your junk and spam folders, then email the webmaster.
Before scheduling, please visit the Meet the Agents & Editors section to review the pitching criteria to ensure the best fit for your work.
Please report to the pitch room at least 5 minutes prior to the start of your session. You will not be permitted to enter a session late.
"No show" openings will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis immediately before the start of the session.
Sessions will not be permitted to go over the 10 minute allotted time. Notice will be given at 2 minutes and 1 minute in order to wrap up pitches.
Pitch sessions are not guaranteed. As in the real world, editors and agents sometimes get sick, flights get delayed, and any number of other things may happen. If you registered for a time slot, and that time slot is removed because the agent/editor cannot be present (for whatever reason), then your time slot is lost, and you must re-register for a new time slot. It is important to keep an eye on the schedule for this reason.
Questions? Send Tarah an email.
