Industry Faculty

Linda Camacho is a senior agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary, where she has the pleasure of representing a roster of award-winning, bestselling writers and illustrators. In her two decades in publishing, she's held various positions at Simon & Schuster, Writers House, and Penguin Random House. Linda received her MFA in creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and has a short story published in the YA anthology "Every Body Shines" by Cassandra Newbould (Bloomsbury). She adores stories that make her feel in a big way, whether it's elation, grief, fear, and everything in between.

*Please Note: Linda Camacho will be presenting 90-minute workshops and will not be critiquing manuscripts.

Shulokhana Khan is on the 0-8 team at Scholastic with a primary focus on picture books and board books. Open to books for all age ranges, she is particularly interested in books with strong voices that are funny, empowering, dark, or touching, with special interest in the variety of BIPOC experiences.

Manuscripts: Picture Book and NonFiction

Emily S. Keyes is the founder of Keyes Agency, LLC. She was previously with Fuse Literary and L. Perkins Agency as an agent. Prior to that she worked in the contracts department at Simon & Schuster, Inc, and earned an MS in Publishing from New York University. Emily represents authors of novels, picture books, and graphic novels. She's also open to critique illustrators.

Manuscripts: Picture Book. Chapter Books. Middle Grade. Young Adult. Graphic Novel. Nonfiction. Portfolio.

Sharismar Rodriguez is a highly accomplished professional in the field of Children's Publishing, boasting over 15 years of experience in design and art direction. Her portfolio includes numerous award-winning and commercially successful titles, such as Caldecott Honor Book CHOOSING BRAVE by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington, and instant New York Times Bestsellers THE MOST BORING BOOK EVER by Brandon Sanderson, illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi and THAT'S MY TRUCK! A GOOD INSIDE STORY by Dr. Becky Kennedy, illustrated by Joanie Stone, among many others. She's currently a Senior Art Director at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Book dummies and Illustration portfolios only

Alexandra Houdeshell has been at LBYR for two years, where she’s worked on a variety of middle grade and young adult novels, along with the occasional picture book. Her favorite YA books are speculative, fantasy, or thrillers (preferably with a bit of romance), and in middle grade she loves funny school stories or lightly creepy tales. She especially looks for stories with messy, realistic, morally grey characters, and distinct settings (Florida, historical, dark academic). In her free time, she enjoys hiking, road trips, and exploring more of Brooklyn.

Caitlin “Cece” Johnson (she/her) is an editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books. She began her editorial career at the Balzer + Bray imprint, and is the editor of the NAACP award-winning novel EVERYONE’S THINKING IT and Texas Bluebonnet Award finalist NIMBUS. She now works on predominantly picture books and oversees the backlist publishing program for the bestselling Big Nate series. Her favorite stories are layered, voice-driven contemporary and fantasy narratives that authentically center diverse, intersectional perspectives. She is looking to acquire picture books of all stripes, as well as a select number of young adult and middle grade novels.

Wendi Gu is a literary agent at HG Literary. She represents books across the children's books spectrum, with a special focus in picture books. She also represents select adult fiction and nonfiction. In her free time, she likes to eat cheetos, read sad novels, and play piano. She lives in Brooklyn with her dog and her husband.

Michele McAvoy is the founder and publisher at The Little Press, an independent children’s book publisher out of New Jersey. The Little Press mission is to bring new talent and new voices to kidlit. In this way they publish debut and early career creatives. Their books have received numerous industry accolades, including Kirkus, school Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly, as well as state lists. You can find out more about The Little Press at www.littlepresspublishing.com.

Quressa Robinson holds an MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction from Columbia University. In 2020, she was named a Publisher's Weekly Star Watch finalist. She leverages her extensive experience as an editor and agent, as well as her passion for storytelling, to champion diverse voices and compelling narratives. She represents a wide range of genres across YA, MG, and Adult, reflecting her eclectic taste and dedication to inclusivity.