Authors Lunch

The Woman in the Castello (Kensington, July 25, 2023. Editor: John Scognamiglio. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller Literary Associates.) Kelsey James is a historical fiction author and content marketer whose work has appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Insider, ABC News, and The Huffington Post, among other outlets. Her debut novel, The Woman in the Castello, is an Indie Next and LibraryReads pick. A graduate of Dartmouth College with a degree in Creative Writing and Classical Studies, she lives with her family outside New York City. How did you find your agent? It took many years and countless rejections before […]

Julie Trelstad started her career as an acquisitions editor of architecture books at Van Nostrand Reinhold. Over several decades as an editor, marketer, publisher, and book production manager, she’s touched every aspect of creating and selling books. As director of digital rights at Writers House, a literary agency, Julie began working directly with authors, helping them navigate the publishing world and build their digital platforms. Julie is currently the principal of Paperbacks & Pixels, an author support and services agency, and head of U.S. Publishing for StreetLib.com, a global digital book distribution company. How do I find an appropriate agent for […]

The Book Of Charlie: Wisdom From The Remarkable American Life Of A 109-Year-Old Man, (Simon & Schuster, May 23, 2023. Editor: Priscilla Painton. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM.) David Von Drehle is a columnist for The Washington Post, where he writes about national affairs and politics from a home base in the Midwest. He joined The Washington Post in 2017 after a decade at Time, where he wrote more than sixty cover stories as editor-at-large. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning bestseller Triangle: The Fire That Changed America. How did you find your agent? I […]

Buzz Books 2023: Fall/Winter will hold a free virtual event for booksellers, librarians, media and other book lovers on May 17th at 7 pm EDT. Join five editors in conversation with their authors, as they describe exciting forthcoming titles excerpted in Buzz Books. Co-sponsored by Publishers Lunch and the American Booksellers Association. Email robin@publishersmarketplace.com for registration information. Anise Vance/Hush Harbor (Harper/Hanover Square) Anna Bliss/Bonfire Night (Kensington) Inci Atrek/Holiday Country (Macmillan/Flatiron) Nishita Parekh/The Night of the Storm (PRH/Dutton) Kim Coleman Foote/Coleman Hill (Zando/SJP Lit)

Johanna V. Castillo is a Senior Agent at Writers House Literary Agency. A seasoned professional in the publishing industry, Castillo was formerly VP, executive editor at Atria Books/Simon and Schuster and editorial director of Atria Español for nearly 15 years. Her clients include Isabel Allende, Samanta Schweblin, Ana Castillo, Justin Baldoni, Victoria Alonso, Reyna Grande, Armando Lucas Correa, and others. While at S&S, Johanna discovered and edited New York Times bestseller It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, as well as 14 of her other titles. She was featured as a “Mujer on the Move” by Latina magazine, named a […]

Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie (Penguin Press, March 14, 2023. Editor: Virginia Smith. Agent: Emily Forland, Brandt & Hochman). Elizabeth McKenzie is the author of the novel The Portable Veblen, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize; a collection, Stop That Girl, shortlisted for The Story Prize; and the novel MacGregor Tells the World, a Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, and was recorded for NPR’s Selected Shorts. […]