Editors & Agents Day 2024

Claire Draper (they/them) is an agent at the Azantian Literary Agency who represents graphic novels, young adult fiction and nonfiction, adult romance, adult nonfiction, and memoir. They prefer to work with books that are funny, lighthearted, romantic, emotional, hopeful, and adventurous, with a fast pace, high stakes, and strong emotional development for the main character(s). They live in New York City with their partner, cats, and too many plants to count.

CHAD W . BECKERMAN, Agent (he/him) brings over 20 years of illustration and design experience to the CAT Agency. After studying illustration as an undergrad at RISD, Chad went on to work at Scholastic, Greenwillow Books, and then became the Creative Director at ABRAMS Kids and Comic Arts, where he spent 13 years overseeing the design of 250 books a year - from picture books, to novels, to graphic novels, and art and entertainment books. Chad is behind the aesthetic for over forty New York Times bestselling and award-winning books including the blockbuster Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, the Caldecott honor and Corretta Scott King Award winning Trombone Story, illustrated by Brian Collier, and the Newbery Medal honor books El Deafo, and Heart of the Samurai. He executed the design architecture for countless series including Origami Yoda by Tom Angelberger, The Questioneers (Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, Ada Twist) by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts, Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, Frank Einstein by Jon Scieszka and Brian Biggs, The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John, The Sisters Grimm and Jared Chapman’s Vegetables in Underwear. Chad is now an agent at the CAT AGENCY. The CAT Agency, Inc., is celebrating its 30th year in 2024! Our boutique agency, founded in 1994 by Christina Tugeau, believes in the hands-on approach in representing a diverse group of talent from all over the world. Now led by Christy Ewers, along with Chad W. Beckerman, with the support of Christie Megill and Aliza R. Hoover, we continue to strive for excellence in children’s literature, representing an ever-growing client list; offering an eclectic mix of styles, voices and talent. We are proud to represent many NYT Bestselling illustrators and award-winning authors and illustrators.

Ellen graduated from The University of Chicago with a BA in English, a minor in Cinema and Media Studies, and a focus in Creative Writing. Ellen has worked everywhere from The White House under the Obama administration to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. At HG Literary, Ellen's list consists of YA writers and illustrators, as well as middle grade and picture book writers, and author-illustrators and graphic novelists. She is also a member of HG Literary's foreign rights team. For picture books, Ellen is looking for author-illustrators, and projects that highlight the sparse and simple. She is interested in all genres and formats of YA, especially anything spooky, historical fiction, martial arts, graphic novels, and novels-in-verse. Ellen might be convinced on a nonfiction project if it involves food. She has a soft spot for Southern stories that remind her of her home state of Kentucky. Ellen has directed a writing workshop and critique group in NYC for five years.

Wendy Loggia is VP/Senior Executive Editor at Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books, where she edits MG/YA fiction, and oversees Joy Revolution, an imprint focusing on YA romance by & about POC and Delacorte Romance, a new YA paperback romance imprint launching Summer 2024. Recent titles she's edited include, in middle grade, Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz and the Sinister Summer series by Kiersten White; in YA, Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce, The Dare by Natasha Preston, and House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig. She is also an author, and her books have been published in multiple languages. She's the author of A Little Golden Book: Taylor Swift, a #1 bestselling title and the fastest-selling Little Golden Book of all time. Follow her on Instagram at @authorwendyloggia and @wendyloggia on Twitter.

Associate Editor Sydnee Monday joined Kokila in May of 2018. Their list includes You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! by Chiquita Mullins Lee, Carmella Van Vleet, and Jennifer Mack-Watkins, I Want to be Spaghetti! by Kiera Wright-Ruiz and Claudia Lam, and the forthcoming Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir by Walela Nehanda. Prior to Kokila, she worked at NPR, the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, and Sankofa Bookstore in Washington, D.C. They’re a graduate of Howard University.

Britny Perilli (she/they) is a nerd that loves anime, manga, video games, and tabletop RPGs. She enjoys working on books that explore and celebrate fandom, nerdy culture, and the amazing communities that make them up. She specializes in YA fiction, as well as, adult and children's non-fiction. While she is thrilled to work with all writers, she feels it is really important to help to support Black, AAPI, Latine, LGBTQA+, disabled, and other marginalized voices.

Alex has only ever worked for authors. A UConn graduate with a concentration in creative writing, he has experience in every area of literary agenting, from interning and assisting, to selling foreign rights and cultivating his own client list. After two years at the Maria Carvainis Agency, and twelve years at Trident Media Group, he’s thrilled to be bringing his passion for publishing and his expertise in its business to SJGA and GreenburgerKids. As always, Alex seeks to launch careers, especially for writers who have been systematically held back. His clients today include several award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors.

Lori began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian where she had the special honor of finding just-right books for young readers. She earned an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. As a Red Fox Literary Agent, Lori approaches her work from these diverse industry experiences and perspectives. She’s a member of AALA, SCBWI, and ALA, and believes that the power of story, in any form, has the ability to affect change and impact young lives. Lori’s is drawn to lyrical language, compelling settings, and stories told with heart are areas of particular interest in any genre/audience. Originally from the Washington DC area, Lori has also called Appalachia and England home. When not at her desk, you can often find her plotting her next travel adventure, testing out a new recipe, or pottering in her Washington DC garden with her English husband and their secret-agent pup sidekick, Juice.

Alison S. Weiss has been in publishing for over fifteen years. She is currently acquisitions editor at Pixel+Ink (part of the Trustbridge Media Group), a publisher focused exclusively on series publishing with transmedia potential. Her series include The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves by Tom Phillips, Plotting the Stars by Michelle A. Barry, The Winterton Deception by Janet Sumner Johnson, Clara Poole by Taylor Tyng, The Sinister Secrets by Sean Ferrell, illustrated by Graham Carter, The Second Favorite Daughters Club by Colleen Oakes, Shiver-by-the-Sea by Erin Dionne, illustrated by Jenn Harney, and Sky & Ty by Steve Breen among many others. Alison ran her own editorial consultancy, working with publishers including Simon & Schuster, Audible, and Arctis, as well as private clients, and was editorial director at Sky Pony Press. Her books have been nominated for and received many awards and honors, among them a William C. Morris finalist and Edgars nominations, starred reviews, and have appeared on numerous end-of-year and state lists. You can follow her on Twitter and Bluesky, and Threads at @alioop117. Learn more about Pixel+Ink at www.pixelandinkbooks.com.