What Today’s Agents and Editors Want From Authors

Last week, we hosted Lucinda Literary’s 2026 Writers Symposium in New York City, bringing together a small group of writers, agents, and editors for a weekend of candid conversation about publishing today.

We opened the Symposium with one of my favorite experiences we’ve created at Lucinda Literary: a private “Pub Crawl” through Manhattan publishing houses for five participating writers.

We visited Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House before ending the evening at one of New York’s storied pubs. Along the way, writers met directly with editors to discuss acquisitions, positioning, packaging, and what happens behind editorial doors long before a book reaches shelves. These conversations were intimate, informal, and remarkably generous.

The Symposium itself was designed to feel less like a conference and more like direct access into the publishing process.

Across two days at The River Club in midtown Manhattan, writers participated in craft talks, proposal and positioning workshops, editorial feedback sessions, networking dinners, and live Q&As with agents and editors. Attendees also workshopped material directly with Lucinda Literary agents and faculty while gaining clearer insight into what publishers are actively looking for in 2026.

Photography by Carey Kirkella

One highlight of the weekend was our live publishing panel featuring Sara Weiss (Penguin Random House), Karyn Marcus (Hachette), Merry Sun (Norton), Edie Astley (HarperCollins), Alex Glass (Glass Literary), and Lucinda Literary agent Craig Pyette.

The conversation centered on what separates projects that break through from those that struggle to gain traction: clarity of audience, positioning, concept, and author platform. Editors spoke candidly about how acquisitions decisions are made today, how sales and marketing teams weigh in earlier than ever, and why independent booksellers still play an important role in shaping a book’s momentum.

What stayed with me most throughout the Symposium was how much readers still crave personal stories and distinctive voices.

But strong writing alone is rarely enough. Authors need expert guidance around genre, audience, and the larger conversation their work enters. That’s the work we care deeply about at Lucinda Literary.

Photography by Carey Kirkella

Photography by Carey Kirkella

Six years after the pandemic, gathering writers together in person again feels increasingly meaningful. In the end, there is simply no substitute for discussing books, ideas, and creative work face-to-face.

Creating this Symposium—and watching these writers connect with editors, agents, and one another—reminded me that publishing still begins the same way it always has: with conversation, conviction, and people willing to champion a story they believe deserves a readership.

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