This page will be updated as more faculty members are confirmed
for the 2026 Writing Conference of Los Angeles.
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Writer’s Digest listed her blog (at aprildavila.com) as one of the Best 101 Websites for Writers and her forthcoming nonfiction debut (Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less) will be published by St. Martin’s Press in July of 2026. Her next novel is also forthcoming. Dávila lives in a suburb of Los Angeles with her husband and two children. She is a practicing Buddhist, half-hearted gardener, and occasional runner.
At the 2026 LA event, she is teaching a class.
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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 Writing Workshop of Chicago.
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, 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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He is seeking: Steven is open to any genre except picture books, short stories, and poetry. That means he is seeking historical fiction, literary fiction, mainstream/upmarket fiction, thriller, suspense, crime, mystery, romance, young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, science fiction, women’s fiction, and fantasy. He also will take pitches for memoir.
Steven is a native of Los Angeles, a child of the sixties, and a storyteller almost from birth. After several years of freelance editing and directing a writers’ conference, he branched out as a literary agent in early 2011.
He has placed his clients’ works with Dutton, HarperCollins, Tyndale, David C. Cook, Hachette, Writer’s Digest Books, Harlequin, and others.
Steve lives in the High Desert of Southern California with his wife, Ruth.
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At the 2026 event, Victoria is teaching a class and also meeting attendees one-on-one. See Victoria’s wishlist here.
Their heart belongs to stories that feature POC and LGBTQ+ protagonists. Victoria is primarily seeking literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and queer romance. They are also open to literary-leaning sci-fi (grounded, set in the near future) and historical fiction (set in the recent past).
Before joining The Caldwell Agency, Victoria worked in the editorial department of Oxford University Press for over six years. They have an MFA in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. In their downtime, they like to write (currently working on a novel) and perform with their band (Late Stage Dirtbags). Victoria lives in Southern California with their chosen family: their wife, one of their best friends, and their one-eyed chihuahua, Bug.
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At the 2026 event, she is teaching and also meeting one-on-one with attendees. See her wishlist here.
Before moving onto the agency side of the business, I worked in publishing for over a decade as an acquisitions editor and developmental editor for traditional publishers and authors. I’ve worked with hundreds of new and aspiring authors as well as established NYT bestsellers across the genres. I understand the mechanics of a great story and am looking for un-putdownable voice, expert structure/pacing, and a premise that I want to stay up late reading.
I still teach writing and editing craft at the college level, so I’m a technician who reads quickly and assesses books based on how successfully the submission meets the expectations of the genre, sub-genre, or niche. Are you a superfan of the genre you are writing? Can we swap excited stories about our favorite books and have honest conversations about the business, the process, and the work that goes into creating great stories? I have an editorial approach, a practical perspective on the business, and a deep passion for this work.
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Carlie Webber is a former literary agent. She is teaching, and also acting as the onsite facilitator for the 2026 Writing Conference of Los Angeles.
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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Swati Hegde is a romance and YA author, as well as a freelance editor, mindset coach, and self-proclaimed coffee shop enthusiast. She lives in Bangalore, India, and can often be found at the nearest café with a hot mug of tea or singing her favorite songs off-key at karaoke night. She looks forward to a long career bringing Indian stories and voices to light.
Swati is represented by Rachel Beck at Liza Dawson Associates. Her debut romance novel Match Me If You Can is out now from Penguin Random House, with forthcoming books Can’t Help Faking in Love releasing in February 2025 and As Long as You Loathe Me releasing in 2026.
Find her on Instagram @SwatiHegdeAuthor and Twitter @SwatiHWrites.
At the event, Swati is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
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At the 2026 event, she is teaching, and also meeting attendees one-on-one.
Jacklyn hails from Omaha, Nebraska, and came to Los Angeles by way of Boston University. She’s on the hunt for fresh nonfiction in the following areas: wellness/nutrition/food, mental health, history, science, pop culture, and Jewish issues. She’s interested in helping academics make the jump to the trade market. In fiction, she’s partial to novels with a distinct voice (the weirder the better) and quirky characters in the genres of women’s fiction, historical fiction, thriller/mystery, and fantasy.
“I represent a diverse list of authors of fiction, nonfiction, and illustrated books. I’m always looking to add new clients to my list and love the thrill of diving into a new manuscript. You’ll grab me instantly with a distinct voice on the page, endlessly complex characters, and confident worldbuilding. I’m especially interested in historical fiction, women’s fiction, mystery/thriller, and romance on the fiction side, and history, politics, culture, popular science, and Jewish issues on the nonfiction side.”
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Wesley Chu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve published novels, including Time Salvager, The Rise of Io, and The Walking Dead: Typhoon. He won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. His debut, The Lives of Tao, won the Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Award.
Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, worked as a model and stuntman, and summited Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Paula, and two boys, Hunter and River.
At the event, Wesley is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Jillian Boehme is an author. (See her books here.)
Jillian was known for many years to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark’s First Victim, a blog for writers. She is an author of YA fantasy and science fiction, a freelance editor, and a staunch defender of the Oxford comma.
In the past, she has been a choir director, a music teacher, and a singer with the Nashville Symphony Chorus. She’s been married to her husband for over three and a half decades and absolutely loves to encourage and inspire other writers.
At the event, she is offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Victoria Griffin is an author and developmental editor.
Victoria is an East Tennessee author and freelance editor. She loves dark chocolate, dark coffee, and darker literature.
At the event, she is offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Rosie J. Pova is a multi-published and award-winning children’s book author, poet, writing coach, and speaker. Her picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine. The School of Failure: A Story About Success is a Readers’ Favorite Awards silver medal winner and is now available in both China and the USA. Her latest picture book, Sally’s Musical Tale will be released in the spring of 2025.
Rosie loves doing school visits to encourage kids to read, write, create and inspire them to follow their big dreams. In her role as a Writing Coach, Rosie’s has helped many aspiring picture book authors advance their careers and reach their publishing goals through her popular mentorship programs and signature Picture Book Mastery course.
Originally from Bulgaria, Rosie now lives in Texas with her family. At the 2026 event, she is offering add-on manuscript critiques.