Association of American Literary Agents

Images of London book fair raffle winners Debbie Clayman and Mitch Hoffman

The International Committee is excited to announce the winners of the 2026 London Book Fair Raffle. Congratulations to Debbie Clayman at Lynn Johnston Literary and Mitch Hoffman at The Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency!

Join us on Tuesday, February 17th for Smarter Submissions: How Agents Use Analysis to Save Time, Sharpen Taste, and Strengthen Deals, a special presentation from ProWritingAid.

aalitagents.org/event/prowri...

From the moment I stepped into the role of President, one of my priorities was to bring on an Executive Director. Daniel brings the leadership experience, publishing fluency, and industry-wide relationships needed to professionalize AALA’s internal systems and overall operational capacity.” 4/4

From AALA President Regina Brooks: "We are excited to welcome Daniel to this role, and this appointment represents the next essential step in reinforcing AALA’s foundation and long-term sustainability. 3/4

We want to extend our sincere thanks to Sam Stoloff, who chaired the Executive Director Search Committee, along with Lynn Johnston, Leslie Zampetti, Dan Mandel, and Cecilia de la Campa, for the care, judgment, and sustained commitment they brought to the selection process. 2/4

The Association of American Literary Agents is thrilled to announce it has appointed Daniel O’Brien as our first-ever Executive Director. This is a major milestone for AALA, and we’re so excited about what this new chapter represents for our community and the future of the organization. 1/4

Homepage - Society of Illustrators CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

Join us on Wednesday, February 11 from 6:30-8:30 PM at The Society for Illustrators, 128 E 63rd Street, New York. Tickets are available for purchase at www.societyillustrators.org.

The next part of the evening will be a networking session focused on fostering connections between agents and artists by giving all who attend the opportunity to mingle and continue the conversation in a more informal setting.

The event will begin with AALA members Adriana Domínguez, Susan Graham, Regina Brooks, and Marietta B. Zacker discussing what representation can mean for illustrators at different stages of their careers.

The Illustration Committee is excited to welcome artists, illustrators, and our member agents who represent illustrators to an in-person evening networking event, "Understanding Illustration Representation: A Panel with AALA Literary Agents," at the Society of Illustrators in New York City.

Public Domain Day 2026 | Duke University School of Law January 1, 2026 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1930 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1925! By Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle[1] CC BY 4.0 Please note that this site is only about US l...

Full list and helpful breakdown is available at web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicd...

A stack of books entering the public domain including Betty Boop, Nancy Drew, and works by William Faulkner and Agatha Christie.

The @aalitagents Copyright Committee wants to highlight works entering the public domain this year—e.g. titled published before 1930. The list includes Betty Boop and the original Nancy Drew mysteries, as well as works by Agatha Christie, William Faulkner, and Bertrand Russell.

Image of BolognaBookPlus raffle winner, Emelie Burl

The @aalitagents.bsky.social International Committee is excited to announce the winner of the 2026 BolognaBookPlus raffle. Congratulations to Emelie Burl at Susan Schulman Literary Agency!

All questions can also be sent to the International Committee at the email address above.

Further, we are thrilled to announce that a legacy discount of 30% will be offered to previous Bologna raffle winners for the 2026 event. Please reach out the Committee Chair, Nicole Eisenbraun, at international@aalitagents.org if you are interested in redeeming this offer.

BolognaBookPlus Raffle Thank you for your interest in the BolognaBookPlus 2026 Raffle. Members are eligible if they handle general adult fiction titles and have not won an AALA raffle in the past five years. Should you meet...

The raffle is now open and will be available for entries until December 31, 2025. A winner will be selected and announced on January 9, 2026. If interested, please fill out this Google form: bit.ly/3YxNifw

The winner of this raffle will receive:

- 1 table in the Rights Centre for the duration of the fair, which runs from April 13-16, 2026.
- $1,000 grant for travel expenses (accommodation and flight) to be reimbursed with proof of booking.

BolognaBookPlus is a popular European Spring opportunity taking place within the renowned Bologna Children’s Book Fair. It features exhibition space, training conferences, book jacket exhibits, and plenty of opportunities for networking and doing business.

In association with BolognaBookPlus, the AALA International Committee is pleased to offer a raffle for members who handle general adult fiction to the 2026 edition of the Bologna Book Fair under the BolognaBookPlus Brand:

Sign up for the Agent/Editor Roundtables at the @peopleofpublishing.bsky.social conference here: m.signupgenius.com#!/showSignUp...

Slots are limited and will fill up on a first-come, first-served basis. #agenteditorroundtables #peopleofpublishing #peopleofpublishing25

AALA People of Publishing Conference

There’s still time to register: visit www.peopleofpublishing.org for more details on how to register and what the full range of programming will entail.

#peopleofpublishing
#peopleofpublishing25
#thefreedomtoread
#thelibrariansfilm

Panelists include: Kim A. Snyder, Director/Producer, The Librarians film; Janique L. Robillard, Producer, The Librarians film; Skip Dye, SVP, Library Sales & Digital Strategy; Chair, PRH Intellectual Freedom Taskforce and Special Guest: Martha Hickson, retired Librarian and film participant

Moderated by Mary Van Akin, this session will focus on how we as publishing professionals can get involved. This exclusive screening is sponsored by Macmillan Publishers. @macmillanpubusa.bsky.social

Closing Plenary sponsored by Macmillan Publishers on the Freedom to Read, featuring an exclusive screening of The Librarians film

Our closing session features the exclusive New York City screening of the powerful documentary The Librarians in advance of its theatrical run in 30+ U.S cities. The film focuses on the unprecedented wave of book banning in Texas, Florida, and beyond and librarians who have emerged as first responders in the fight for democracy and our First Amendment rights as they face harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and publishing professionals about how we as an industry can and should meet this challenge.

The Librarians film poster and stills from the movie

Visit www.peopleofpublishing.org for the full conference schedule

The Closing Plenary at the @peopleofpublishing.bsky.social conference will feature an exclusive New York City screening of the award-winning documentary, The Librarians and a discussion with the producers and other industry leaders on book bans and the Freedom to Read @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social

AALA People of Publishing Conference

There’s still time to register, please check out www.peopleofpublishing.org for more details and a full schedule of events. #peopleofpublishing #peopleofpublishing25 #theglobalmarketplace

Headshot of panelist Catherine Clark

Headshot of panelist Michelle Herrera Mulligan

Headshot of panelist Jean McGinley

Headshot of panelist Doug Wallace

Featuring insider perspectives on how to strategically position books for global success, we’ll hear from panelists Catherine Clarke of Felicity Bryan Associates, Michelle Herrera Mulligan of Primero Sueño Press, Jean McGinley of Harper Collins & Doug Wallace of Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

People of Publishing presents The Global Marketplace

Expand your horizons with this panel of professionals who will discuss the global marketplace for book publishing. Understand what genres are selling in various territories and which ones are most interested in American properties. Learn about Spanish language publishing within the United States and how international publishers are helping further that goal. The panel will provide insider perspectives into the effect of geopolitical events and social trends on the demand for books, what “global publishing” means, and how agents and editors can strategically position books for international success.

Headshot of moderator Kelly Farber

For the full conference schedule see www.peopleofpublishing.org

Expand horizons with global publishing insights at the @peopleofpublishing.bsky.social’s panel on “The Global Marketplace” moderated by Kelly Farber of KF Literary Scouting.

AALA People of Publishing Conference

There’s still time to register: go to www.peopleofpublishing.org and learn more. #peopleofpublishing #peopleofpublishing25

Headshot of panelist Scott Dickey

Headshot of panelist Oriana Leckert

Headshot of Christina Loff

Headshot of Colleen Pendergast

Featuring a panel that includes Scott Dickey, CEO of Podium Entertainment; Oriana Leckert, Head of Publishing, Kickstarter; Christina Loff, Head of Lifestyle Partnerships, Substack; and Colleen Prendergast, Associate Director of Licensing & Audiobook Publishing, Spotify there is so much to learn!

People of Publishing presents The Creator Economy

As creators with massive followings turn into author-entrepreneurs, the lines between platform and publishing continue to blur. This panel will examine the rise of creator-authors through the lens of opportunity: what agents and editors should look for when assessing creator-driven proposals, how followings on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify and Substack translate into book sales, and which categories are ripe for growth. We’ll explore what makes a creator truly “book-ready,” the tools fueling their reach, and how publishing professionals can adapt their acquisition and development strategies to stay ahead in a platform-powered market.

Headshot of Moderator, Jacob Bronstein

Visit peopleofpublishing.org for the full conference schedule.

Learn what makes a creator “book ready” from Podium, Kickstarter, Spotify, and Substack during the @peopleofpublishing.bsky.social conference panel “The Creator Economy” moderated by QCODE Media EVP & Director of Content, Jacob Bronstein.