Presenters and Instructors
for the 2026 Online
Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
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Chuck Sambuchino (@chucksambuchino) is a freelance editor, bestselling book author, and former longtime staffer for Writer’s Digest Books. For many years he edited the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog was one of the largest blogs in publishing, and he wrote the platform guidebook CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM.
He is the co-director of Writing Day Workshops writers conferences, and he has taught at more than 175 writers conferences throughout his career. He is the co-coordinator of the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop.
His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck’s books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss,New York magazine, and many more media outlets. All his latest books are about pickleball, including ULTIMATE PICKLEBALL, a 2026 tear-off desk calendar due out in August 2025 (Sellers Publishing). His picture book, GOODNIGHT, PICKLEBALL, released from Hachette in August 2025, as well, was carried in Target, and hit the USA Today bestseller list.
He is a successful freelance editor of queries, synopses, and manuscripts—seeing dozens of clients get agents or book deals following his consultations/edits. He loves meeting new writers.
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Brian A. Klems (@BrianKlems) is the former online editor of WritersDigest.com. He is the current co-director of Writing Day Workshops.
His blog during his tenure there, The Writer’s Dig—which covered everything writing and publishing—was one of the most popular blogs in the writing community.
He is the co-coordinator of the 2025 Pittsburgh Writing Workshop.
Brian’s first book, Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl: A Dad’s Guide to Raising Daughters (Adams Media) was released in 2013. It received high-level buzz and praise from some of the funniest writers alive, including Dave Barry and Bruce Cameron. Brian is also a proud graduate of the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, a husband, softball infielder, perennial fantasy sports underachiever, and father of three lovely girls.
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Aimee Hardy is an editor for Running Wild Press and the author of Pocket Full of Teeth, which won a Silver Falchion in 2025.
She has a passion for storytelling and has been published in various literary magazines, including Writer’s Digest, Killer Nashville Magazine, and Stone Coast Review.
She has a B.A. and M.A. in English from National University. When she’s not editing or writing, she loves traveling and hanging out with her family.
At the 2026 event, Aimee is offering add-on manuscript critiqued for attendees.
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Laurie McLean is a literary agent with Fuse Literary.
At the event, she is teaching a class. She is not taking meetings.
Laurie is a founding partner at Fuse Literary representing New York Times and international bestselling authors, as well as indie published authors who want to also publish traditionally, and debut authors with promise. She spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity and marketing agency, and 8 years as an agent and senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco before co-founding Fuse Literary in 2013 with Gordon Warnock.
Laurie was well known in the early days of the Apple Macintosh phenomenon as the CEO of the successful Silicon Valley public relations agency bearing her name. After 20 years there, she switched gears to immerse herself in her personal writing. Laurie had been writing professionally since high school–first as a journalist, then as a public relations agent–but now she could finally spread her wings as a novelist. She penned three manuscripts before deciding that she missed using the shark part of her brain and that the life of a literary agent was her perfect match. Prior to all this, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master’s Degree at Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism.
Fiction
Laurie specializes in representing authors of entertaining and interesting middle-grade, young-adult, and adult genre fiction. Her clients include the New York Times and international bestselling YA and middle-grade author Julie Kagawa, epic fantasy bestseller Brian D. Anderson, debut modern Asian fantasy author team Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle, historical mystery and romance author Heather Redmond/Hiestand, hotshot up-and-coming Latinx activist author Nonieqa Ramos, Afrofuturist, children’s book author and poet B. Sharise Moore, award-winning steampunk and fantasy author Pip Ballantine, award-winning middle-grade author Melissa D. Savage, street lit author OG Rev, award-winning kid lit and mystery author Penny Warner, cyberpunk science fiction author Kimberly Unger, and award-winning romance novelist Linda Wisdom, who has had more than 100 romance novels published in her career.
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Brandy Vallance is a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency.
At the event, she is teaching a class and meeting attendees one-on-one. See her wishlist here.
Brandy comes from a long line of storytellers. An old soul, she fell in love with passed-down tales, the odd and unexplained, and the pursuit of answering the mysteries that perplex us all. She loves to wander down ancient paths, explore dusty libraries, and does occasional archaeology. Her books are a lush escape into timeless romance, breathtaking adventure, and push the boundaries of what is expected.
Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her critically acclaimed novel, The Covered Deep, has been featured in USA Today and Writer’s Digest. Romantic Times called her second novel “passionate and riveting” and Publishers Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.”
After more than two decades in the world of publishing, Brandy has joined Barbara Bova Literary Agency, and she is looking forward to being a champion of amazing writers and outstanding books.
Throughout the years, Brandy has been a Writing Coach, a Story Consultant, and an international Publishing Specialist. For hundreds of writers, her mentorship has broken the chains of fear and self-doubt. From teaching Master Classes to sitting at quiet tables, Brandy loves helping people explore their deepest truths.
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Rachel Estep is a literary agent with D4EO Literary Agency.
At the event, she is teaching a class and meeting attendees one-on-one.
She is seeking: literary fiction; mainstream fiction; all types of middle grade and young adult (especially that centers underrepresented voices); voicey, high-stakes psychological thrillers; stories that mess with your head in the best way; gothic fiction that blends deep senses of foreboding with modern themes; true crime projects that dig deeper than the headlines and center empathy alongside the horror; queer romcoms that bring the banter, the swoon, the spice, and a whole lot of heart; historical fiction driven by complex, unforgettable women in the style of Marie Benedict.
Rachel brings a passion for sharp storytelling, vibrant voices, and fierce author advocacy. A lifelong book lover, Rachel’s path to publishing began with a pandemic-era BookTok and led to her role as a bookseller, event coordinator, and now agent. She lives on a small Ohio homestead with her husband, two kids, her parents, and an entire animal kingdom that includes dogs, cats, ducks, and a turkey. As a Jewish and Bisexual woman raised in the Midwest, and now a mom to a disabled and medically fragile child, Rachel is deeply committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and helping storytellers thrive.
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Katherine Monasterio is speaking at the event.
As an editor, author, and Oxford comma advocate, Katherine lives for strengthening the written word. Her favorite: developmental editing. Character arcs, pacing, themes—that’s where she thrives. She’s a line editor, too, which means she loves helping writers shine not just through their plot and pacing, but through their prose. She hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, where her non-wordsmithing hobbies include playing video games and thinking about fictional characters a normal amount.
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Sera Rivers is a literary agent with Speilburg Literary.
Sera (pronounced “S” + “air” + “ah”) Rivers started reading at age four and has been obsessed with books ever since—if she could live in creative worlds, she would. She worked in educational publishing for seven years and launched Avenue A Books, a children’s book imprint at Center for Responsive Schools. As Avenue A’s acquiring and managing editor, she worked with new and established children’s book writers and illustrators to create picture books and middle grade graphic novels.
Now, as an agent, Sera provides editorial feedback to help clients get their manuscripts submission ready. Sera earned her MFA in Writing for Children, with a concentration in young a
At the event, she is teaching a class.
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Michaela Whatnall is a literary agent with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, where they have worked out of the West Coast office since 2019.
At the event, Michaela is teaching a class.
They have a degree in English and linguistics from Emory University, completed the Columbia Publishing Course, and in 2023 they were selected as a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree.
Michaela’s background in school and library marketing accounts for their strong interest in children’s literature, particularly middle grade and young adult fiction of all genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, historical, adventure, horror, and romance. In the adult fiction space, they are particularly seeking contemporary, speculative, and historical upmarket fiction, as well as character-driven, grounded fantasy and romantasy. They are also open to select narrative nonfiction for both children and adults, graphic novels, and picture books.
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Carlie Webber is a former literary agent. She is teaching at the event.
Carlie refused to major in English in college because no one would let her read Stephen King or R.L. Stine for class. She took her love of YA and commercial fiction to the University of Pittsburgh, where she obtained a Master of Library and Information Science. For ten years, she worked as a public librarian serving teens and adults, served on book awards committees, and reviewed books professionally for journals including Kirkus Reviews and VOYA.
Wishing to pursue her interest in the business side of books, she then enrolled in the Columbia Publishing Course. Her professional publishing experience includes an internship at Writers House and work with the Publish or Perish Agency/New England Publishing Associates and the Jane Rotrosen Agency. She was a literary agent at Fuse Literary before switching careers into SEO and technology.
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Sarah Archer‘s debut novel, The Plus One, was published by Putnam in the US and received a starred review from Booklist. It has also been published in the UK, Germany, and Japan, and is currently in development for the screen.
At the event, Sarah is teaching a class.
As a screenwriter, she has developed material for MTV Entertainment, Snapchat, and Comedy Central. She is a Black List Screenwriting Lab fellow who has placed in competitions including the Motion Picture Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, the Tracking Board’s Launch Pad, and the Austin Film Festival.
\Her short stories and poetry have been published in numerous literary magazines, nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, and reached the finals of the Doris Betts Fiction Prize.
She has spoken and taught on writing to groups in several states and countries, and interviewed authors around the world as a co-host of the award-winning Charlotte Readers Podcast.