Client Connections 2026

Category that describes your organization: Print publications with an affiliated website (aarp.org) 

Range of fees you pay your writers: $1-$2 word depending on the assignment 

Types of projects you typically assign:

• Service journalism related to the personal-finance concerns of Americans age 50 and older: Saving, spending, money management in retirement, estate planning, taxes, working.
• 1,000-word personal essays for our website about experiences relevant to the lives of Americans age 50 and up. 

Areas of expertise: Experience writing about money. 

Are you looking for pitches? Yes. Though I haven’t been able to use many of the pitches I’ve received at prior ASJA events, my feedback on your specific ideas may give you a better sense of what works for the publications. 

Additional info:

1. The most common problem with pitches that I receive is that, in the words of a former boss of mine, they are subjects, not stories. A pitch headlined “What to Tell Your Adult Children About Your Money” is a subject. “Why We Told Our College-Age Children About Our Money” is a story — and one that we ran in a recent issue.
2. It will be very helpful for both of us if, before we meet, you explore this folder. It includes a document I’ve written about money coverage in the publications, along with samples of stories that have run in the Bulletin & in AARP The Magazine. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19gthXnZg6V1vIANN96BNP3I1wKKMp4Xg?usp=sharing 

Category that describes your organization: Hybrid publisher 

Range of fees you pay your writers: $.03 per word for copyediting, $.05 per word for developmental editing, and $.07 per word for content editing. Ghostwriting is a flat fee: ~$30,000 for a 50,000 word manuscript, but it can range widely depending on the author. 

Types of projects you typically assign: We publish a wide range, but specialize in thought leadership, business, and self-help adult nonfiction.

Areas of expertise: No specific areas of expertise, but we’re always interested in working with writers who are ghostwriting or editing books for authors with a business/thought leadership background

Are you looking for pitches? No need to pitch during the meeting.

Additional info: Please take a look at our website (amplifypublishinggroup.com) if you’d like to see more about the types of books we publish.

Category that describes your organization: Literary Agency

Range of fees you pay your writers: N/A

Types of projects you typically assign: We specialize in commercial non-fiction, both narrative and prescriptive, and in contemporary fiction. We represent top-tier authors in health and well-being, psychology/self-help, politics and current affairs, as well as memoir and personal finance. We are always on the hunt for brilliant writing and deeply moving journalistic narratives that share insights into unseen aspects of our culture, subcultures, and the function or workings of our world. We love big ideas and groundbreaking big think books. We love historical and contemporary fiction penned with propulsive storylines, sharp and textured writing, and peopled with vivid characters. We are also interested in genre fiction such as fantasy, romance, mystery, and thriller. Lastly, we are steadfastly looking for a reliable narrator who isn’t a psychopath, a multi-generational family saga that surprises, and, well, something that is just pure magic…reminding us that a creative hand can take us places we didn’t even know we wanted to go.

Areas of expertise: I’m seeking a writer who is an expert on/interested in writing a book on modern relationships, the “male loneliness epidemic,” attention spans, adult autism diagnoses, the value of college amid a student debt crisis, the case against widespread AI implementation, metabolism, pressing topics in women’s health, travel writing in the outdoors, extreme sports, or uncovering/investigating history and culture. Broadly, we seek writers that are adept at research and can write about subjects within health and wellness, self-help, psychology, finance, and more.

Are you looking for pitches? My official manuscript wishlist has everything I’m searching for at the moment, but I’m open to pitches within prescriptive nonfiction and compelling narrative nonfiction outside of memoir: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/irene-kaster/ I’d love to spend at least some time during the meeting to gauge whether the writer is interested in working as a collaborator (ghost writer) for future projects. Do they have experience collaborating on full-length books in the past? If so, what subjects?

Additional info: The Heather Jackson Literary Agency is a NY-based, full-service firm specializing in book-based author representation with an expertise in commercial nonfiction and fiction properties. Its founder is a member of the AALA, Authors Guild, PEN America, and Women’s Media Group and is a bookworm with 25+ years of publishing experience.

Category that describes your organization: Literary Agency & Content Coaching

Range of fees you pay your writers: N/A

Types of projects you typically assign: We represent research-based and narrative non-fiction works on a wide-range of topics including history, science, sports, psychology, business, health and wellness, global issues and foreign affairs, personal growth and performance-based topics. ancient wisfom for the modern world, untold stories from American history and a select number of historical and psychological thriller fiction titles.

Areas of expertise: I’m always very interested in fresh, counter-intutive approaches to traditional ways of thinking and the quirky, sometimes ‘off-beat’ untold story. I’m fully engaged with presentations that descibe how intersectional domains can shine a light on new ways of thinking per our recent bestseller What I Learned About Investing from Darwin, Pulak Prasad.

Are you looking for pitches? Looking for concise, no bs pitches that clearly present that value-added being created with the work and how the authors everyday ativities will help promote the work in a very crowded marketplace.

Additional info: Besides agenting for authors (now for 35+ years), also offering a content and manuscript consulting service per www.LiteraryAdvisoryServices.com

Category that describes your organization: Literary agent working in trade book publishing

Range of fees you pay your writers: N/A

Types of projects you typically assign: I focus on idea-driven nonfiction that expands our understanding of the world in science, investigative journalism, smart self-help, psychology, biography, and narrative history.

Areas of expertise: I’m always looking first and foremost for strong writing and great story telling.

Are you looking for pitches? Yes, I want to be pitched on book-length projects.

Category that describes your organization: Digital

Range of fees you pay your writers: It’s a range of $200-$250 depending upon the story and expertise of the writer

Types of projects you typically assign: We’re looking for stories of 500+ words that will perform well online.

Areas of expertise: We are looking for writers with experience writing about wine, spirits, cocktails, beer, cheese, chocolate and olive oil.

Are you looking for pitches? Links to our guidelines and pitching instructions are here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/184CmgAgg0AwSrW-bPipxPQSESu_NixDUK0WPXmUOt_M/edit?tab=t.0

Additional info: Please review the sites before pitching. We require two expert sources for most stories and writers are responsible for sourcing photos.

Category that describes your organization: Digital and print publication 

Range of fees you pay your writers: Flat fee ranging from 500 to 7000, depending on the story. 

Types of projects you typically assign: I’m looking for pitches on health topics with strong and new scientific support.

Areas of expertise: We’re looking for science writers who can tell stories that fascinate a non-scientist audience. 

Are you looking for pitches? You can pre-pitch an idea to get a sense of whether we are interested. Bear in mind that we do need written pitches before assigning, and these pitches range from 2 paragraphs for short stories to a page and a half for long ones.

Additional info: Please look at our web site, SciAm.com, or print issues to remind yourself what we have already covered, and the approach we take to content, voice, and sources. 

Category that describes your organization: Non-fiction Literary Agency 

Range of fees you pay your writers: N/A

Types of projects you typically assign: We represent authors of non-fiction only, with particular interest in journalism and narrative nonfiction, popular science, business, personal finance, biography and history, current affairs, politics, health and fitness, food and cooking, entertainment and pop culture (often based on popular Web sites or blogs), and quirky reference books. We do not represent fiction, stage plays, screenplays, poetry, or books for children or young adults.

Areas of expertise: We are eager to learn about your areas of expertise.

Are you looking for pitches? Book project pitches, please. 

Additional info: Please visit our web site for more information about the agency as well as many resources for authors: www.twliterary.com.

Category that describes your organization: Digital magazine covering food and drink across the American South; our flagship product is a daily newsletter

Range of fees you pay your writers: $1058.16 for a 1000-word feature

Types of projects you typically assign: At The Food Section, we serve eaters across the American South by providing them with the information and analysis they need to better understand and appreciate their food-and-drink experiences in our region. Or to put it another way: We break the news and tell the stories that make readers’ meals more meaningful. Those readers are a whip-smart bunch. The Food Section each weekday lands in the inboxes of thousands of high-profile food chroniclers and everyday eaters who crave new ideas and perspectives. They’re equally interested in the joys of dining and justice for those who make such pleasure possible. If you can answer a question on our subscribers’ minds—or, even better, coax them to question an aspect of culinary culture that they’d never previously considered—we want to hear from you.

Areas of expertise: We prefer to work with writers based in the Southeastern U.S.

Are you looking for pitches? For sure. https://forms.gle/CshBCghP9csL8VGB7 

Additional info: In terms of topics, the only real limitation is geographical. Just about every story has a food angle, but for The Food Section’s purposes, that story must unfold in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia (or the northernmost reaches of Florida, which The Food Section claimed because of its sunshine laws—which ought to tip you off that The Food Section is fond of stories with hard news hooks and corroborating data.) That said, a few types of stories aren’t appropriate for The Food Section. Foremost among them are stories which have already appeared elsewhere: Run a quick Google search to check whether your pitch is original.

In fact, even stories that could appear elsewhere are relatively suspect in The Food Section’s eyes: We’re not in the market for trend pieces without tension, restaurant write-ups that a publicist would be inclined to repost on Instagram, do-gooder profiles calculated to inspire, retrospectives that romanticize the past, or listicles that flatten the nuances of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation (i.e. “Meet eight great Asian-American chefs in Georgia!”) Also, The Food Section doesn’t run recipes. As for tone, The Food Section has taken on plenty of weighty topics, and prides itself on not shying away from challenging situations. But food is supposed to be fun: It’s OK to be playful in your approach, so long as you can maintain your authority. Good food journalism isn’t boring. And speaking of journalism: The Food Section upholds the highest journalistic standards, including in the realm of ethics. Please review the Association of Food Journalists’ ethics code before pitching to make sure you can comply with its standards. The Food Section will not publish any reporting based on press trips, free meals, or other comps.

Additionally, prospective contributors should disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including personal or professional relationships with their subjects. In keeping with the ethics code, contributors should strive to showcase a broad range of sources in their reporting. If you plan to consult with subject matter experts, make sure your contacts represent a variety of identities and lived experiences. The Food Section recognizes that many people interested in writing about food don’t have extensive journalism experience. If you’re concerned about your credentials or feel like you might need some help with reporting tactics, you should still pitch: What’s most important is your unique ability to tell the story you’ve uncovered and recognize why it matters now.

Category that describes your organization: Editorially independent online news site for neuroscientists

Range of fees you pay your writers: Pay starts at $1/word

Types of projects you typically assign: The Transmitter seeks pitches from freelance journalists for news stories, trends and features that would interest our audience of researchers. We also consider ideas for Q&As with, or profiles of, interesting scientists. Articles typically range in length from 600-800 words for news with a one-week turnaround on assignments, and go up about 1,500-2,000 words for features with a longer turnaround.

Areas of expertise: The Transmitter is looking for writers who can cover basic neuroscience research for an audience of neuroscientists. We are always seeking pitches about current events that involve or have implications for working neuroscientists.

Are you looking for pitches? Writers are welcome to pitch story ideas during my meetings, but mainly I plan to use the time to get to know writers and tell them more about The Transmitter and what we’re looking for.

Additional info: Our outlet is a trade publication for scientists, not the general public. The site covers all areas of neuroscience, with a special focus on basic research. Please look at the past coverage on our site to find out more about our content and voice. We expect articles to include at least three sources. Writers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of their work.

Category that describes your organization: Literary Agency

Range of fees you pay your writers: N/A

Types of projects you typically assign: I’m looking for adult non-fiction that is funny, nerdy, helpful and true.

Areas of expertise: We work with established experts and thought leaders who can write a book that makes the world slightly better in a style that delights readers. Areas of interest include health and wellness, science and nature, family and relationships, history, personal narrative, faith and religion, pop culture, business and leadership. No children’s books or fiction.

Are you looking for pitches? Please bring a 30-second book pitch.

Additional info: Our boutique agency is over 20 years old, represents over 200 authors, and has brokered over 1000 book deals. Due to our history of established relationships in both the general market and Christian market, many of our authors are members of the faith community.

Category that describes your organization: Literary Agency

Range of fees you pay your writers: N/A

Types of projects you typically assign: We represent adult non-fiction titles on a wide-range of subjects including memoir, history, humor, music, how-to, popular science, business and politics/current affairs.

Areas of expertise: We are looking for writers who can take a single event (a shipwreck, a specific crime, or a corporate scandal) and use it as a “telescope” to view larger societal issues like global supply chains or the “dark web.” We are also looking for authors who have “witnessed the room where it happened” in culture or politics but haven’t spoken yet—or those exploring “family empires” and their subsequent collapse. We’d like authors who can write the “biography” of a physical object—like the rare earth metals in our phones or the history of sickness/pandemics—are highly “pitchable” and writers tackling the “Information State,” government-tech alliances, and the ethical costs of the “Green Transition.”

Are you looking for pitches? We would like book proposals to be sent to zeynep.wordlink@gmail.com.