2026 Conference
October 15 – 17, 2026
Phoenix, Arizona
Meet the 2026 Conference
Editors & Agents
Pitch appointments will take place on
Friday and Saturday afternoons, October 16 & 17
If you indicated on your registration, you will be contacted before the
Conference to sign up for your preferred Editors or Agents
Editor – Torrey House Press
Kirsten Johanna Allen
Kirsten Johanna Allen (she/her) directs acquisitions, editing, production, and marketing for Torrey House Press with co-executive director Will Neville-Rehbehn. As co-founder, Kirsten has steered the press from its earliest inklings to publish conservation through literature to become the powerful platform for books and ideas about the natural world and the West that it is today. Kirsten holds a BA from Westminster College and an MPH from the University of Utah. She has two grown children and lives with a pair of cats and her spouse, Mark Bailey, in Salt Lake City and Torrey, Utah.
Agent – Dunham Literary
Anjanette Barr
Anjanette Barr is a literary agent at Dunham Literary, representing authors and illustrators across all genres and age categories. She lives in beautiful Juneau, Alaska. Learn more about her and her work at https://www.dunhamlit.com
Editor – Roan & Weatherford Publishing
Casey Cowan
Casey began his career in graphic design, shaping projects across a wide range of industries for nearly two decades before co-founding Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates in 2013. Since then, the company has grown into a successful, award-winning independent publisher with authors spread across the globe. A year later, he partnered with the late Dusty Richards to co-found Saddlebag Dispatches, an award-winning magazine celebrating the American West. When not working, he enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with his three dogs, six children, four grandchildren (with another on the way), and his wife, Amy.
Agent – Trident Media Group
Mark Gottlieb
Mark Gottlieb is an executive vice president and prominent literary agent working at book publishing’s leading literary agency Trident Media Group in New York City. He has ranked highly among literary agents across the industry for overall number of deals and other individual categories. While at Trident Media Group, Mark Gottlieb has represented New York Times bestselling authors as well as major award-winning authors. He has optioned and sold numerous books to production companies and studios for film and TV adaptation. Mark Gottlieb greatly enjoys working with authors to help manage and grow their careers with the resources available at Trident Media Group. In addition to having worked at the company’s Foreign Rights Department, he also ran the company’s Audiobook Department. Utilizing his drive and intuition for discovering talented writers, he is currently expanding his client list of authors. As a literary agent he looks forward to bringing authors to the largest possible audience.
Editor – HTF Publishing
Colin Mustful
Colin Mustful is an award-winning author, historian, editor, and publisher specializing in historical fiction. He is the founder of History Through Fiction and HTF Publishing, where he supports writers through editing, book coaching, publishing, and educational programming. As a freelance editor, Colin works closely with historical fiction authors to strengthen story, structure, and emotional depth while honoring historical authenticity. He is also the author of multiple books on Minnesota and Indigenous history and is a frequent speaker on writing, history, and publishing. Colin is passionate about helping writers turn research into compelling, character-driven fiction.
Agent – MacGregor & Luedeke
Elisa Saphier
Participating via Zoom
Elisa Saphier is an agent with MacGregor & Luedeke where she is the exception, looking for nonreligious nonfiction and upmarket genre fiction (especially mystery/thriller and romance) to balance out her mostly literary list. She represents lower middle grade through adult (fiction and nonfiction) and she is especially eager to work with marginalized writers to help equalize the publishing industry and to get their stories out into the world (#representationmatters). She lives in Portland, OR with her wife and son where she is always behind on queries but where she is constantly reading. Find out more about what she’s looking for here: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/elisa-saphier/
