ABOUT THE AGENT:

Lee Melillo (they/she) joined Dunham Literary, Inc. in May 2024 as Jennie Dunham’s assistant, following an internship with Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret LLC. She was made an Associate Literary Agent in June 2025. Lee additionally manages the agency’s social media and website, is a second-reader for queries, handles royalty statements and permissions, and assists on preparing submissions.
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Lee graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in 2022, with departmental honors in English and Theatre Directing. Through her majors, Lee discovered her passion for advocating for writers. She believes literature is one of the most effective ways to gain empathy for and understanding of life experiences outside our own.

You can find Lee on Instagram and Bluesky at @leemelillobooks.

LEE IS SEEKING:

Lauren Albury is an Associate Agent with Holloway Literary.

​After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in English from The College at Southeastern, Lauren interned with FinePrint Literary Agency in New York City. Prior to becoming a literary agent, Lauren was with Holloway Literary for two years as an intern and literary assistant.

"I enjoy all kinds of literary and upmarket fiction. Show me how beautiful and lyrical the English language can be. Give me compelling characters with unexpected story arcs. Immerse me in another culture so I feel like I grew up there. Make me laugh with sharp wit and cry at poignant subtleties. Teach me something new about the human experience and what it means to be alive. I love when art parallels life, so I’m a sucker for gritty, raw, and realistic writing with an achingly bittersweet/unhappy ending. My favorite kinds of stories happen when romance exists as a compliment to a killer plot."

LAUREN IS SEEKING:

WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Olivia S, Linda W-T, and Sheena H

***DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEB. 11, 2025!

​FREE CONTEST FOR WRITERS!

Welcome to the 2025 First Pages Contest. Contest #2 of this year is for writers of Adult Romance, Adult Historical Fiction, and Adult Women's Fiction. If you write in any of these genres (or a combo!), keep reading and submit your work! This free contest ends on Feb. 11, 2025 [UPDATED, EXTENDED DEADLINE]. Winners will be announced the week of March 3. We will reach out to the winners by email and post their names here.

Here’s how it works: We invite awesome literary agents to judge the contest. The agents pick the genre(s) they want to judge. Writers in that genre are invited to send in their first page as part of the competition. Winners get a fabulous critique from your agent judge. It’s free to enter. Sound good? Then let’s get to some details and rules!

There are two additional contests happening now in January 2025 -- one for writers of young adult fiction, and one for writers of adult science fiction & fantasy. 

ABOUT THE AGENT:

Jennifer Weis is the Founder and Lead Literary Agent of The Weis Agency. Jennifer has always had a passion for all things literary. After receiving her BA and MA in English from Yale University, she worked at St. Martin’s Press, serving as an Executive Editor and publishing bestselling titles like Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, Climate of Hope by Michael Bloomberg, Baby Teeth by Zoe Stage, and Renia’s Diary by Renia Spiegel. In the fall of 2019, she moved to the other side of the desk as an agent. After several years with Ross Yoon Agency, Jennifer decided to continue to take her hands-on approach to client development to the next level by founding her own agency.

Outside of the literary world, Jennifer is the co-chair of Project Lyme, a non-profit based in NYC that focuses on awareness, education, and advocacy. She also chairs the UJA Executive Committee for Publishing and is a UJA board member. She is based in NYC, where she lives with her husband and four children.

JENNIFER IS SEEKING...

ABOUT THE AGENT:

Sara Kornienko is a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency. Sara holds a M.A. in English and a B.A. in English with minors in Creative Writing and Journalism from Florida Gulf Coast University. During her Master’s program, she was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Florida Gulf Coast University’s literary journal, Mangrove Review. Currently, Sara teaches writing courses at her alma mater. In 2023, she joined Barbara Bova Literary Agency and, as a literary agent, she is excited to help authors along their writing journey and champion their amazing books.

“As an educator and avid reader, she believes stories have the power to connect us, forge understanding, and foster healing. She is passionate about sharing her love of writing and helping others find their unique voice so they can tell their own stories.”

Sara was born and raised in Kansas City, but after more than 10 years in Southwest Florida, she’s officially a Floridian—pulling her winter clothes out of the closet any time the temperature hits the 60s. When she’s not reading, she can be found at a local coffee shop, walking the beach, or playing tennis with her husband.

SARA IS SEEKING...