The opportunity to have personal appointments with Editors and Agents is a valuable highlight of the conference. These provide a great way to learn first-hand about the writing industry, to pitch your manuscript or work-in-progress, and to brainstorm ideas, get encouragement, and benefit from industry professionals.
All appointments are available on a first pay, first slotted basis. Appointments will be scheduled by the Conference Appointment Coordinator, Casey Miller. Appointments will be scheduled the week prior to conference, so if you want an appointment, please register by August 27, 2021! All times are CDT for the virtual conference. You will select multiple choices for your appointment needs when you register for the conference. You will be sent your appointment information a week prior to the virtual conference so that, if requested by the person you have an appointment with, you may submit documents to Casey, who will ensure the information is passed along to the correct person.
One of the most valuable connecting points at the ACFW conference is the opportunity for editor appointments. So many authors, so little time. In these appointments, an editor will quickly assess “Is this a storyline that interests me? Does this author demonstrate knowledge of the craft and of the Christian fiction industry? Is this worth exploring further?”
2021 Editors
Stephanie Broene
Organization: Tyndale House Publishers
Title: Acquisitions Director
Web Site: http://www.tyndale.com
Stephanie Broene is the Associate Publisher of Fiction at Tyndale House Publishers. For more than fifteen years, she has loved working with authors to help them cultivate and bring their stories to the page, managing the publishing process from the idea phase to finished product. She has been an avid fan of fiction of all genres for as long as she can remember. She loves studying what makes a story work and is constantly amazed at the way good stories can entertain and communicate truth in a powerful way. Stephanie is a two-time recipient of ACFW’s Editor of the Year Award. Outside of work, she loves to be active and enjoy life with her husband and their three young kids.
Currently Seeking: Currently Seeking: Stephanie is looking for full-length novels with compelling hooks and great writing in the following categories: Contemporary women’s fiction, contemporary romance, Southern fiction (historical or contemporary), historical fiction (including biblical and dual-timeline), and historical romance.
Stephanie does not acquire YA or children’s fiction and is not currently looking for sci-fi or fantasy.
Please request an appointment with only one representative from Tyndale. I am happy to accept one-sheets but am most interested to hear a well-crafted, intriguing pitch that catches my attention and pulls me into your story, as well as a brief author bio.
Rochelle Gloege
Organization: Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group
Title: Senior Acquisitions Editor
Web Site:
Rochelle Gloege is a senior acquisitions editor at Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Based in Minnesota’s beautiful Twin Cities, she has had the privilege of working with many best-selling and award-winning authors during the more than twenty-five years she has been editing and acquiring for Bethany House.
Currently Seeking: Update coming soon
Cynthia Hickey
Organization: Winged Publications
Title: Editor
Web Site:
Cynthia Hickey is a multi-published and best-selling author of cozy mysteries and romantic suspense/thrillers. She has taught writing at many conferences and small writing retreats. She and her husband run the publishing press, Winged Publications. They live in Arizona and Arkansas, becoming snowbirds with three dogs. They have ten grandchildren who keep them busy and tell everyone they know that "Nana is a writer."
Currently Seeking: At Winged Publications, we are always searching for aspiring authors and established writers with powerful, faith-filled stories to share. We welcome Christian/clean fiction, inspirational romance, cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, historical fiction, children’s chapter and picture books, and women’s fiction that inspire, entertain, and uplift. Our readers love clean reads, compelling plots, memorable characters, and stories of hope, redemption, and love—and we want manuscripts that deliver just that.
We are especially drawn to uplifting narratives, page-turning suspense, small-town settings, heartfelt romances, and historical stories with strong moral themes. Whether you’re a first-time author or an experienced storyteller, Winged Publications offers a supportive publishing home where your words can reach a wide audience of devoted readers.
Thomas Hickey
Organization: Winged Publications
Title: Acquisitions Editor
Web Site:
Thomas Hickey is an acquisitions editor and chief financial advisor for Winged Publications.
Currently Seeking: At Winged Publications, we are always searching for aspiring authors and established writers with powerful, faith-filled stories to share. We welcome Christian/clean fiction, inspirational romance, cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, historical fiction, children’s chapter and picture books, and women’s fiction that inspire, entertain, and uplift. Our readers love clean reads, compelling plots, memorable characters, and stories of hope, redemption, and love—and we want manuscripts that deliver just that.
We are especially drawn to uplifting narratives, page-turning suspense, small-town settings, heartfelt romances, and historical stories with strong moral themes. Whether you’re a first-time author or an experienced storyteller, Winged Publications offers a supportive publishing home where your words can reach a wide audience of devoted readers.
Tina James
Organization: Love Inspired
Title: Executive Editor
Web Site: http://www.loveinspired.com%20%20%20
Tina James is Executive Editor for Love Inspired Books. From the moment she learned to read she could usually be found at a bookstore or the public library searching for a good book. She has been with Harlequin for over twenty-five years and has had the opportunity to work on many series lines and special projects. She is seeking heartwarming inspirational contemporary romance and compelling inspirational contemporary romantic suspense projects.
Currently Seeking: Tina is actively acquiring inspirational romance for the Love Inspired series (contemporary romance 55,000 words) and the Love Inspired Suspense series (contemporary romantic suspense 55,000 words). We’re looking for compelling stories with engaging characters, a sustained conflict and an emotionally satisfying romance. The focus must always be on the hero and heroine as they overcome the obstacles in their paths to find love together. The Christian faith element is integral to all storylines but should feel natural not preachy. Books submitted to Love Inspired Suspense need to be high intensity suspense from start to finish, not mystery or cozy mystery. The book should open with danger, and the hero and heroine need to remain in danger throughout the book and in each other’s company the vast majority of the time. It should be equal parts suspense and romance. Guidelines: https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
As there are multiple Love Inspired editors attending, please only request an appointment with ONE of us.
In addition, Tina is currently looking for longer trade paperback fiction (90,000-100,000 words) in a variety of genres for Love Inspired Trade. In general, Love Inspired Trade publishes contemporary fiction, suspense/thrillers, historical fiction and historical romance. We are not currently seeking Amish fiction and would be highly selective when it comes to contemporary romance. Specifically, she would like to see the following for Love Inspired Trade: historical mystery, historical thriller, action/suspense spy romance, or contemporary mystery with humor (something like Only Murders in the Building). She would also love suspense/mystery/thrillers, but they would have to be distinctly different from the books Love Inspired Trade currently has on their list.
Guidelines: https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Becky Monds
Organization: HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Title: Editor
Web Site: http://www.thomasnelson.com
Becky Monds is an Editor for the fiction department at HarperCollins Christian Publishing. After working as an events coordinator and marketing manager at an independent bookstore in Nashville, she joined Thomas Nelson in 2007 as an editor in Fiction. She loves spending time with her husband and twin toddlers, knitting, waterskiing, and, of course, reading great fiction.
Currently Seeking: One of the most valuable connecting points at the ACFW conference is the opportunity for editor appointments. So many authors, so little time. We're experimenting with a new "lightning round" appointment format with the HCCP (Harper Collins Christian Publishing) editors this year, who have agreed to be our test subjects. Appointments with these editors will be ten minutes, rather than the standard fifteen, and only from 2:30-5 on Friday and 2-4:30 on Saturday of the conference. The benefit is that the editors will be able to hear pitches from more authors. Fifteen minutes already didn't seem long enough, you say? It's great practice for interesting a reader in picking up your book. Most book buyers make a decision in under a minute--glance at the cover, read a snippet of the back cover, open to the first page, read a line or two, decision made. In a ten-minute appointment, an editor will quickly assess "Is this a storyline that interests me? Does this author demonstrate knowledge of the craft and of the Christian fiction industry? Is this worth exploring further?"
Our thanks to the HCCP editors who are willing to help us experiment with this lightning round appointment format.
I am most interested in young adult, romance, and women’s fiction. Mostly, I am looking for a fresh voice that will appeal not only to the Christian market, but also to the larger general market.
APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
For unpublished authors, please only request a meeting if you have a completed manuscript. Please bring a 1-2 page pitch to the appointment that includes your hook, a brief synopsis, your bio, details on your social media involvement, and sales figures for any published works.
Guidelines: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/dept.asp?dept_id=1117900&category=Contact-Us#Submissions
Jessica Sharpe
Organization: Bethany House Publishers
Title: Senior Editor
Web Site:
Jessica Sharpe is a fiction acquisitions editor for Baker Publishing Group. She has been editing fiction for twenty years and has worked with several best-selling and award-winning authors. Life has taken her from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains to Asia to New York, but she’s now based in the Twin Cities.
Currently Seeking: Currently Seeking: For Bethany House - unique historical novels, domestic thrillers, romantic suspense, mystery (especially historical), contemporary romance, and cozy or contemporary fantasy. For Haven - clean/no-spice romance of any category (incl. fantasy!) without overt faith content. Especially interested in the perspectives of authors of color in any of the above genres. Not interested in children’s/YA, sci-fi, biblical, dual-time, or Amish.
Besarta Sinanovic
Organization: Love Inspired
Title: Associate Editor
Web Site:
Besarta Sinanovic is an Associate Editor for Love Inspired Books. She joined the team in 2022 as an Editorial Assistant and has enjoyed helping bring heartwarming stories to readers ever since. A lifelong romance reader, she also enjoys exploring her city, trying new coffee shops, traveling, and indulging in reality TV when she’s not reading.
Currently Seeking: Currently seeking: Besarta is looking for contemporary inspirational romance for Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense (55,000 words). We’re looking for compelling stories with engaging characters, a sustained conflict and an emotionally satisfying romance. For Love Inspired Suspense, submissions also need to include high intensity suspense from start to finish with plenty of danger throughout the book, not mystery or cozy mystery.
Additionally, Besarta is currently looking for longer trade fiction (90,000-100,000 words) in a variety of genres for Love Inspired Trade. In general, Love Inspired Trade publishes contemporary fiction, suspense/thrillers, historical fiction and historical romance. We are not currently seeking Amish fiction and would be highly selective when it comes to contemporary romance.
APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
As there are multiple Love Inspired editors attending, please only request an appointment with ONE of us.