Summer Pages: Professional Critique Event

Summer Pages: Professional Critique Event

GET EXPERT FEEDBACK ON YOUR WORK

Looking to strengthen your manuscript and stand out in the submission pile? Summer Pages offers you the rare opportunity to receive personalized feedback from industry professionals—including agents, editors, and publishing insiders.

WHAT YOU CAN SUBMIT:

• A query letter + picture book manuscript

-OR-

• A query letter + the first 10 pages of a middle grade novel, young adult novel, chapter book, or graphic novel pitch.

CRITIQUE OPTIONS:

• Written-Only Critique: Receive thorough, personalized notes on your submission. $45
• Written Critique + 10-Minute Zoom Call: Get written feedback plus a one-on-one Zoom conversation with your critiquer for deeper insight and guidance. $75

PLEASE NOTE:

• Not all faculty critique every category. Be sure to read the faculty bios on the event landing page to confirm who is accepting PB, MG, YA, and/or GN submissions.
• Space is limited, and critiques will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
• This is your chance to get professional eyes on your work and take the next step in your writing journey.
• Registration open from July 5–July 30 (You must upload your submission by July 30! Zoom meeting will be scheduled before August 31.)

AGENTS

CHRISTA HESCHKE is critiquing PB, MG, YA

Christa Heschke graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children’s Literature Department since 2009, where she actively acquires for all age groups.

Christa is taking on picture books very sparingly and is not taking on rhyming picture books. She’s interested in fiction and nonfiction picture books about environmentalism, especially the ocean, as well

as diverse cultures and identities. She is more open in middle grade and young adult, prioritizing BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and disabled writers. She is interested in contemporary–whether issue-driven or lighter and rom-com–as well as various genres including horror, fantasy, mystery/thriller, and historical. She is considering adult fantasy very sparingly, and is not open to any other adult work.

Christa Heschke – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

ERIN CASEY WESTIN is critiquing PB, MG, YA

Erin Casey Westin graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in Creative Writing and an ever-growing list of books to read. She is open to all kid lit age groups, from picture books through YA, and is particularly drawn to work that shows the author’s world- and character-building ability. She wants to believe wholeheartedly in the world of the book, whether the setting is familiar or fantastic. She wants to see authentic, thoughtful representations of all people so that every kid can find a book that speaks to them. She wants even the simplest lines of dialogue to pluck at her heartstrings because they’re so perfectly written for that character. Erin loves that startled feeling you get upon reaching the end of a chapter in a really good book. You forget you’re reading when you’re so busy living, you know?

2026 specific interests:

• A really well-written, voice-y, creative YA or MG epic fantasy with unique world-building. (Think N.K. Jemisin or Rebecca Roanhorse for tweens/teens).
• Humorous, character-driven picture books, especially if the main character(s) could carry a series.
• A survival story.
• A highly illustrated chapter book or young graphic novel from a BIPOC author-illustrator.
• A story set in Appalachia, featuring the region’s idiosyncrasies written by someone who knows them well.

Erin Casey Westin – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

HILLARY FAZZARI is critiquing PB, MG, YA, NA

Hillary Fazzari joined the Bradford Literary Agency as the agency’s assistant in 2022 before moving into agenting in 2023. Prior to that, she served as a long-term reader and editor for another literary agency, interned at Writers House, and worked for Scholastic. She’s a highly editorial agent who represents a wide array of book types. 

Very Detailed list of what she’s looking for and not looking for here: Hillary Fazzari, Agent | Bradford Literary Agency and here: Hillary Fazzari – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

In-depth interview here: Literary Rambles: Literary Agent Interview: Hillary Fazzari Interview and Query Critique Giveaway.

EDITORS

EMILY SHAPIRO is critiquing MG, YA

Emily Shapiro edits young adult and middle grade fiction featuring rich and detailed worlds, engaging voices, and stories you can not only escape into, but build a new home in. She is always on the lookout for the kind of immersive fantasy that requires a rule book or a map. Emily joined Labyrinth Road in 2022, where she is currently an associate editor, after working as a member of the Random House

Children's Books Publishing Office. When not editing books, she can be found buying books or talking about books, and occasionally actually reading them.

Recent Acquisitions: 

• May 20, 2024 · Emily Shapiro at Labyrinth Road has acquired Clementine H. Hopeful Is Not a Hero, a middle-grade anti-hero fantasy by Noah Corey.
• Sep 29, 2025 · Liesa Abrams and Emily Shapiro at Labyrinth Road have bought two titles in Nik Korpon and Jorge Enrique Paz's The Cat Prophecies series.

MILONI VORA is critiquing PB, GN, MG, YA

Miloni Vora is an associate editor at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing imprint Atheneum, specializing in picture books, middle grade, and young adult literature. Miloni joined Simon & Schuster in January 2022, after interning at W. W. Norton, the Feminist Press, and various literary agencies, and currently assists Caitlyn Dlouhy on a range of projects. 

She likes humorous picture books and contemporary middle-grade. Miloni is happy to read human and animal main characters; prose or lyrical; and concept books.

No rhyming stories or poetry collections. 

NATALIA VAZQUEZ TORRES is critiquing PB, GN, MG, YA

Natalia Vazquez Torres is an associate editor at Charlesbridge Publishing. Natalia is primarily looking for fiction and nonfiction picture books, but is open to some chapter books, MG, and YA.

Not looking for:

• Novels in verse
• Rhyming picture books
• Alphabet books
• Books where the main character is an inanimate object
• Nonfiction novels

Things I like (as a general guideline, but not all encompassing):

• Nonfiction picture books about nature topics (can be animals or environmental)
• Books with diversity
• Adventure
• Mystery
• Humor
• Character-driven
• Fiction with STEAM content
• Specifically for novels, all of the above, plus: spooky and thrillers are welcome (a romance subplot is great too)
• Some magic or supernatural is fine, but grounded in our world

SHULOKHANA KHAN is critiquing PB, Early Readers

Shulokhana Khan is on the 0-8 team at Scholastic with a primary focus on picture books (fiction and nonfiction) and board books. 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.

She is trying to expand her roster of funny books in the picture book genre, and for upper-grade and YA, has a special interest in speculative fiction, queer fiction, zombies (that function as an allegory for our socio-political climate), pirates (heavily anti-colonial bent is very welcome!), lesser known fairy tales eg. Donkey Skin, King Thrushbeard, and The Six Swans, and settings which are not primarily American or Euro-centric.