Kansas / Missouri Agent Day

Lauren Spieller
Associate Literary Agent Lauren Spieller comes to TriadaUS with a background in literary scouting and editorial consulting. She has a sharp editorial eye, and is passionate about author advocacy. Lauren is seeking Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult fiction, as well as select Adult fiction and non-fiction. Whatever the age category or genre, Lauren is passionate about finding diverse and underrepresented voices.

Breakout Topic – Crafting a Query Letter
Spieller will cover the basics of a great query letter, provide examples, and critique participants’ queries in an interactive lesson. Participants are invited to submit their query letters in advance, though this is not a guarantee that each query will be used as an example int the workshop. The session will end with participants workshopping their own work with one-on-one questions and feedback.

Stacey Graham
Stacey Graham came to agenting from the other side of the literary divide as an author, screenwriter, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. As the ottoman at Red Sofa Literary Agency, she is looking for fun nonfiction (MG and Adult), MG with a great voice and sense of humor, and romance (Adult).

Breakout Topic – Villains: Finding Your Inner Muhahahah
Who’s your favorite villain? Caroline Bingley? Count Olaf? Evil queens? The bad guy (or girl) is necessary to promote conflict and move the story forward so why are they often one of the least-developed characters? We’ll explore wickedness in literature and if these characters are just misunderstood or really nasty. Learn why every hero needs a dark spot and how writers can move past stereotypical bullies in their manuscripts and flesh out what makes them diabolical in this fun and fast-paced workshop!

Adria Goetz
Adria Goetz is a Literary Manager with Seattle-based Martin Literary & Media Management. Prior to becoming a Literary Manager, Adria fostered her knack for developing creative work during her three years as an intern and assistant at Martin Literary. In addition to her work with the agency, Adria is a 2016 graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course in New York City, a six-week intensive course on all aspects of book, magazine, and digital media publishing. She is also a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.A. in English with a creative writing emphasis. Adria lives in an old Victorian home in Tacoma (which she hopes dearly is haunted with a few friendly ghosts) with her husband and their two darling kittens, Maple and Mulberry.

Breakout Topic – The Art of the Query Letter
Writing a great query letter is an art and a science, and this workshop examines the core elements every strong query letter has, and how to add that extra pizzazz that will capture the attention of an agent or editor. Real examples from the instructor’s inbox, both good and bad, will be shared.

Victoria A. Selvaggio – Instructions for Manuscript Submissions for Selvaggio
Business owner turned Associate Agent, Victoria A. Selvaggio comes to JDLA as a prior Regional Advisor for SCBWI: Northern Ohio, with over 10 years of actively working on the executive board. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an Author, with her most recent publication in the 2015 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency. Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done.

Breakout Topic – The Dish on Dialogue
As an important element within your story, dialogue shows characters in vulnerable ways, it expands on and reveals your plot, always moving it forward, and it adds the authenticity needed for readers to feel that compelling urge to join the journey. But, to be effective, dialogue doesn’t work alone. Rather, dialogue teamed with the narrative voice and other story essentials creates balance, resulting in much more than s/he said. This presentation, with writing exercises, will cover the essentials for crafting realistic dialogue.