PITCH YOUR BOOK TO A LITERARY AGENT:

These in-person one-on-one meetings at the 2026 Arizona Writing Workshop are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind. More 2026 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open. We have seen many, many writers sign with agents after connecting after our conferences.

Rachel Gilmer is an editor for Sourcebooks Casablanca & Poisoned Pen Press. For Poisoned Pen Press, she’s particularly looking for soft-boiled and/or uplit Mystery, all subgenres of Thriller (including psychological, supernatural, domestic suspense, crime, etc.), all subgenres of Horror (including gothic, body horror, psychological, folk, dark fantasy, supernatural, etc.), and cozy or warm Fantasy with rich world-building and low stakes as well as Fantasy across genres (fantasy/mystery, fantasy/thriller, fantasy/horror, etc.). For Casablanca, she’s looking for all subgenres of romance with a particular focus on contemporary, spicy and/or dark romance, romantic thriller, and cozy fantasy romcom. Learn more about Rachel here.

Trinica Sampson-Vera is a literary agent with New Leaf Literary & Media. Trinica is accepting children’s and adult fiction and nonfiction. Across age groups, she loves adventurous, character-driven stories with largely emotional stakes. Trinica is passionate about championing diverse and marginalized voices. Some of the things she is specifically seeking include: speculative fiction (especially horror, cozy-to-high fantasy, hopepunk, and near future science fiction); romance and romcoms (especially featuring sapphic/queer relationships); Caribbean (especially Trinidad & Tobago) characters/settings; reality TV premises; and retellings. Learn more about Trinica here.

Arizona Bell is a literary agent with Rosecliff Literary. She’s seeking daring nonfiction that pushes boundaries and changes conversations. Arizona’s list centers on voice-driven narrative and creative nonfiction, big-idea books, high-stakes journalism with receipts, fresh slants on culture and creativity, and meaningful explorations of spirituality, religion, or philosophy. And yes—she’s also a sucker for anything astrology! At the core, she’s hunting for writing that tackles resilience, belief, and the human spirit under pressure, and does so with literary pizazz. Whether it’s a survival memoir that doubles as cultural critique, a narrative that blows open an underground world hiding in plain sight, or a political exposé that keeps you turning pages like a thriller—she wants true stories that refuse to look away. Learn more about Arizona here.

Haley Warrington is a literary agent with The Booker Albert Literary Agency. She’s interested in adult and new adult fiction. Some of her favorite novels include The Match by Sarah Adams, Wildfire by Hannah Grace, and anything Emily Henry. She would love a story that could comp shows like Gossip Girl, Reign, or You. She is a fan of all things romance—bring the heat or leave it at the door. Across the genres Haley would like to represent, she is overall looking for great storytelling. Any piece that brings emotion to the front and center and evokes reactions. Make her laugh, make her cry, make her think about it for weeks after the initial read (emphasis on the crying aspect…she likes sad stories). Things she likes: Cross-generational love stories where the protagonists meet over and over again in different time periods, always ending up together somehow; Second-chance romance; Gossip Girl-esque stories with a romance focus; think rich people problems but complicate it with a love aspect; Stories centered around grief and overcoming it; Murder mysteries in the vein of Knives Out; Stories across genres with a heavy emphasis on found family; and Romance novels with a fantasy element (no high fantasy). Learn more about Haley here.

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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Arizona Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 AWW on our calendar.

That event is the 2026 (Online) Chesapeake Writing Workshop, August 14-15, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2026 AWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online Chesapeake WW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online August 14-15 2026 event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the August online Chesapeake Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Arizona attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Arizona. Following the conference on May 1, 2026, we will be in touch with all Arizona attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 online CWW (August 14-15, 2026). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

           More 2026 agents could be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings.)