Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat
Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.
Registration for our February 7th-8th, 2026
Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch is OPEN!
Agent pitch slots fill quickly, so registering early is recommended.
Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.
Ready to meet your new writing community?
At Writing Away Refuge, we are all about support and helping you craft your best book and make solid industry connections. The focus of our virtual pitch retreat on February 7-8, 2026
is powerful story development and delivering a winning pitch.
We have workshops to help you perfect your craft and time allotted for practice pitch sessions as well.
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And, best of all, we have 11 literary agents ready to listen to your pitches!
You'll spend the weekend in the comfort of your own home participating in workshops to make your book the best it can be, getting to know and connect with fellow writers, and pitching your completed book to agents if you're at that level in your writing journey (we have special pricing if you only need the workshops but no agent pitches). The Writing Away Virtual Pitch Retreat has it all. During the virtual retreat, we will have author chats, drawings for incredible prizes (like free services, gift cards, and free memberships to Writing Away), and workshops by amazing industry professionals. Don't miss out!
(You may register for the full retreat that includes agent pitches or for workshops only)
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**Please note that pitch sessions with agents are on a first come, first served basis and WILL fill up quickly.
It is best to register early and make your agent selections to ensure you receive your agent preferences. If a desired agent's sessions fill, you will be allowed to submit a written query through our Writing Away Refuge portal that will be reviewed by those agents with priority. Thank you!**
Meet The Workshop Team
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Meet the Agents
Pitch up to 11 Literary Agents Over Zoom as part of the Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch, February 7-8, 2026. Each one-on-one pitch session lasts 5 minutes
and is included in your registration fee. Be sure to register early before their spaces fill. Registering early ensures that you pitch all desired agents.
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Ann Leslie Tuttle, Agent
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
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I am actively seeking debut and established romance and women’s fiction writers.
For Romance, I’m open to all the subgenres but especially welcome romantic suspense (e.g. Navy SEALS, Special Ops and other elite military units), small-town romance, Inspirational (e.g. Amish), and romances featuring diverse characters and empowered-yet-vulnerable heroines. I’m especially drawn in by voice and atmosphere and do love Southern Gothic settings or other settings where the location almost functions like another character and adds charm, glamour or an element of danger to the story, e.g. Middle East/Alaska. In terms of the writing, I’m looking for stories that have well developed, engaging characters that are not cliched; stories with tight pacing; realistic plotting; a level of sensuality that is appropriate to the plotting without gratuitous swearing; and fully realized emotional conflicts.
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For Women’s Fiction, I’m looking for Historical Fiction (late 19th century onward), Psychological Suspense and Commercial and Women’s Fiction. I’d love to see more submissions featuring female friendships, the bonds between mothers and daughters, stories set in the Deep South and stories that employ a unique device to narrate the story. For historical fiction, I especially want to see stories about women who have been overlooked or untold relationships. In terms of writing, I’m looking for stand-out voices, stories that tackle new themes or handle a topic with an unexpected twist or in a fresh manner and characters that are compelling.
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See Ann Leslie's full manuscript wishlist here: Ann Leslie Tuttle – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website
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Emma Fulenwider, Agent
Wordserve Literary​
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Emma Fulenwider is a writer, speaker and self-proclaimed book junkie. An agent with WordServe Literary Group, she represents adult non-fiction that is funny, nerdy, helpful and true. She is a TEDx speaker, former indie publisher for the Birren Center Press, contest judge for Writer's Digest, and author of The Very Busy Writer. Emma lives in Sacramento with her husband, two kids, three rescue animals and dozens of favorite coffee mugs.​
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See Emma's complete Manuscript Wishlist here:
Emma Fulenwider– The Official Manuscript Wish List Website
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Ashley Lopez, Agent
Massie, McQuikin & Altman Literary Agents​
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I’m a Louisiana native who is now firmly rooted in New York City. I want to work with writers who have a strong point of view and an eye for language.
Currently I’m looking for:
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Horror! Any kind truly. I want my electric bill to be astronomical because of all the scary manuscripts I’m reading.
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Literary fiction of any kind with a commercial hook (meaning descriptors like “lyrical” are not doing the heavy lifting in the pitch)
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Realistic female friendship stories of all ages (and particularly queer friendship stories)
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Family stories (particularly multiple POV family stories and mother/daughter narratives)
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Reportage. Get me in the inside scoop!
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Narratives exploring a piece of culture that’s been erased or muted especially from writers who are personally connected to that culture
See Ashley's complete Manuscript Wishlist here:
Connor Smith, Agent
Hesperides Literary Agency
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I am a restless creative.
I’ve spent time as a ghostwriter in a multitude of genres, edited numerous manuscripts that later secured representation and publishing deals, managed several businesses, served as Chief Editor and Client Success Coach at major copywriting companies, have published award-winning short stories, delivered lectures and keynote addresses at various universities and conferences, and currently guide narrative efforts as the Lead Writer for Inevitable Studios, where our narrative-driven game Always in Mind is set to release next year.
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Now, as a literary agent and member of the AALA, I leverage my extensive experience as a professional writer, ghostwriter, and editor to routinely hop into the trenches with writers to help them produce the polished work necessary to secure publication. Because writing is fun.
Connor is seeking:
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Magical Realism, particularly those that have a literary bent. Powerfully written Horror, Speculative, Romance (all subgenres except fantasy). In these genres, I am looking for fast-paced plots penned with style and verve. Seeking high-platform Nonfiction that expands a reader’s understanding of the world. Please have a well-structured proposal for nonfiction queries. I do not currently accept YA, MG, Cookbooks, Children’s Books, or Psychology/Business NF.
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Kelly Thomas, Associate Agent
Serendipity Literary
Kelly is a literary agent at the Serendipity Literary Agency, a published poet, and a certified copy editor with a bachelor’s degree in English from Pace University. She is a member of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWFT), Women in Film (WIF), the Editorial Freelance Association (EFA), and the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), where she sits on the Copyright Committee. She serves as a panelist on “The Business of Adaptations for Film & TV,” a biannual webinar presented by NYWIFT and occasionally hosted by WIF. Kelly is also a ghostwriter and developmental editor, as well as a screenwriter with a feature-length film in development. She regularly participates in pitch slams and contributes as a panelist at writing and publishing conferences, including AWP, SCBWI, ThrillerFest, Crimebake, Writing Day Workshops, the Writer’s Digest Conference, Hampton Roads Writer’s Conference, the Next Bestsellers Workshop, and has taught classes on synopsis writing, query letters, perfecting your pitch, and character development at a number of these events. Prior to joining Serendipity Literary Agency, Kelly provided manuscript analysis for the D4EO Literary Agency. She has served as an editor for the literary arts magazine Pen & Brush and as a writing coach for the academic consulting company Brattlestreet.
See Kelly's Wishlist here: https://www.serendipitylit.com/our_team/kelly-thomas/
Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for
February 7-8th, 2026 Zoom Pitch.
Registration for the February 7-8th, 2026
Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch is OPEN!
Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents!
Our pitch slots usually fill in a week!
Member registration
(includes all workshops & agent pitches)
Non-member registration
(includes all workshops & agent pitches)
WORKSHOPS ONLY!
No agent Pitches! $49.95