The Hub is an opportunity for conference delegates to book appointments with agents, publishers, editors and industry experts to discuss their work in progress, or to pitch a manuscript ready for submission. Writers will be able to gather valuable feedback, suggestions, guidance as well as to increase their understanding of the publishing process.
Appointments are 30 mins long and will either occur in person or online, depending on the location of the agent/publisher/expert.
Costs: $50 for members, $70 for non-members.
Bookings for the Hub can be made separately, once you have registered to attend the Conference.
Appointments will be allocated on a first in first served basis and will be capped once the editor/publisher/expert booking’s limit has been reached. Actual appointment times will be confirmed closer to the time of conference. Some flexibility may be required to cater for time zone differences etc.
Please be aware that as part of your booking, you may be asked to provide samples of your work in advance, or an outline of your questions. You will be given further instructions about this once your booking has been confirmed.
2024 Hub Participants
(Please scroll down for more information about what each expert will be offering)
Literary Agents
Nicole Partridge
Cynthia Ruchti from Books and Such
Tamela Hancock Murray from Steve Laube Agency
Rachel McMillan
Publishers
Rochelle Stephens from Wombat Books and Rhiza Edge
Editors
Cecily Paterson from Firewheel Press Pty Ltd
Kyla-Jayne Rajah from Merilane Editing
Laura Tharion
Nola Passmore from The Write Flourish
Iola Goulton from Christian Editing Services
Website Consultation
Helen Rosenzweig from Impressence
Mentoring
Christine Dillon
Jenny Glazebrook
Industry Experts
Debra Tidball
Dr James Cooper from Tabor College
Dr Pete Court from Tabor College
Meredith Resce from Golden Grain Publishing
Jen Richards
Tamara Wenham
Further information about The Hub Participants
The Literary Agents
Nicole Partridge (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, Publishing advice, General writing advice, Marketing advice and Publisher Pitching opportunities.
Nicole’s passion is helping people get their very best book to the page. Drawing on her 20+ years of experience, Nicole can offer Hub clients advice on: How to develop their book idea, how to bring excellence to their writing, how to build an on-line platform, how to navigate the scary world of publishing and what it takes to write a best-selling non-fiction book.
Bio: Nicole Partridge is a journalist, speaker, literary agent, writing coach, mentor, and co-author of several bestselling books. Her work has been featured in Marie Claire, The New York Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Reader’s Digest (Australia and Europe) and her feature article published in the Guardian Weekend Magazine (UK) on the Hudson River Plane crash, has been reproduced as a sample text in Pearson English textbooks. Nicole has lectured emerging writers through her masterclasses on creative writing, and since 2013, has successfully mentored and facilitated publishing deals for several Australian authors whose work has gone on to become bestsellers. While her preference is for strong prose, a great narrative and an established author platform, Nicole knows the most significant element of any book is the story itself and her passion is to help authors bring their books to life. https://nicolepartridge.com/
Cynthia Ruchti from Books and Such (appointments via Zoom/USA)
Service offered: Publishing advice, General writing advice and Literary Agents pitching opportunities.
Cynthia represents both fiction and non-fiction, but is not currently acquiring memoirs, fantasy, speculative, children’s, or poetry. With experience in editorial, agenting, and serving as a liaison between authors and booksellers, libraries, book clubs, and marketing departments, she offers a wide range of conversation opportunities for prospective authors.
Bio: Cynthia is an award-winning author who tells stories hemmed-in-Hope through novels, non-fiction, devotionals, and speaking events for women and writers. She is a senior literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management and specialises in working with the Christian publishing industry. She and her elementary-school sweetheart husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and seven grandchildren.
Tamela Hancock Murray from The Steve Laube Agency (appointments via Zoom/USA)
Service offered: Publishing advice, General writing advice, Discussing the possibility of working with a professional Literary Agent for career management.
As a Literary Agent, Tamela is interested in representing authors of Christian works. She is happy to meet with authors writing novels of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, suspense, women’s fiction, and other genres. However, she is not actively seeking poetry, children’s books, middle grade, young adult, or sci fi/fantasy.
Bio: Tamela Hancock Murray has been a Literary Agent since 2001 and was awarded the title Agent of the Year by ACFW. She is a bestselling author of over thirty Christian novels, novellas, and non-fiction books, and won an RWA Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Tamela currently confines her public writing to blog posts for The Steve Laube Agency. Because of her experience as a multi-published author, Tamela brings the perspective of a working writer to her role as a Literary Agent. She gratefully approaches her career as a Literary Agent as an opportunity to serve. She represents many top authors and continues to develop new talent. She enjoys living in Northern Virginia with her own knight in shining armour. They are the parents of two lovely, all-grown-up princesses. When not focused on her passion for being a Literary Agent, Tamela enjoys cooking and is always on the lookout for new recipes. As delicious aromas of dinner waft through the castle, Tamela loves reading all sorts of amazing books. https://stevelaube.com/who-we-are/
Rachel McMillan (appointments via Zoom/Canada)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, Publishing advice, General writing advice, Marketing advice, Publisher pitching opportunities, comparative titles, how to write a query letter and what to ask an Agent.
As a Literary Agent, Tastemaker and multi-published author who has worked in every tenet of the publishing industry from traditionally published author to editor to marketing and sales to Literary Agent, Rachel knows a lot about publishing and can provide well-rounded experience from both the agent and writer side.
Bio: Rachel is a Literary Agent with two decades in book publishing experience. After working in corporate educational publishing for 12 years, she was senior associate agent at William K Jensen Literary, before going independent in January 2023.
Rachel is also the author of over 20 works of fiction and non-fiction, including the bestselling novels The Mozart Code and The London Restoration (Harper Collins) and the upcoming The Liberty Scarf and Operation Scarlet ( Harper Collins). Rachel lives in Toronto Canada and loves reading and travelling.
The Publishers
Rochelle Stephens from Wombat Books (appointments In-Person, 20 minutes)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, Publishing advice, Publisher pitching opportunities.
Bio: Rochelle is the publisher at Wombat Books and Rhiza Edge, a company that releases titles across Australia and internationally in both mainstream and Christian titles. She is passionate about great books touching lives and living up to the motto of, ‘Stories you will want to share’.
At this appointment, Rochelle will consider submissions from authors wishing to pitch a manuscript or provide written feedback on up to 1000 words. She is actively seeking children’s fiction up to new adult.
The Editors
Cecily Paterson from Firewheel Press Pty Ltd (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, General writing advice, Marketing advice
Cecily Paterson will advise writers in tightening their writing structure for fiction and memoir. She is particularly good at getting Point Of View right, and strengthening character work. She has been employed as Head of Content for a marketing agency and has copywriting and marketing experience, including blogging and website knowledge too.
Bio: Cecily Paterson is an established author with 9 YA/MG novels, two award-listed non-fiction titles and 5 junior reader titles to her name. With over 15 years experience in book editing and copywriting, Cecily can help you establish and refine your author voice. Cecily specialises in improving Point of View and ‘show don’t tell’ issues. She has a particular interest in memoir. https://www.cecilypaterson.com/
Kyla-Jayne Rajah from Merilane Editing (appointments via Zoom)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, General writing advice, Writer Coaching and/or Mentoring Support.
Kyla-Jayne offers development and substantive editorial services, leading naturally into manuscript assessment and writer coaching/mentoring. She likes to work with books that present strong characters who overcome troubling circumstances against the odds. When providing editorial feedback, she predominantly focuses on structural considerations, like the narrative arc, through lines/themes, and how or if the character overcomes each obstacle to obtain their overarching goal/s. She prefers to work with creative non-fiction, including: memoir, inspirational, personal development; and fiction, including: literary fiction, speculative fiction, romance, poetry, children’s picture books and MG fiction.
Bio: Kyla-Jayne has worked with writers from various backgrounds, and levels of practice with the craft of writing, for over 15 years. She is a well-respected book editor and writing coach and has judged several awards within the industry, from poetry to picture books to adult fiction. She is a writer, herself, and regularly grapples with the craft of writing, meaning she is constantly learning. In 2023, one of her short stories was given an honourable mention in a local, community competition. She is yet to publish. In her spare time she watches Shakespeare plays with her cat, Mittens, and reads faith-based and inspirational material. Her favourite classics are David Copperfield and Catcher in the Rye, her favourite spiritual author is John O’Donohue, Irish priest and philosopher. https://www.merilaneediting.com.au/
Laura Tharion (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, General writing advice and Blurb consultation.
Laura’s strength is developmental/content editing. She is here to troubleshoot, fortify, and polish your manuscript into the book it is bursting to be. Is editing your story feeling like snorkelling in a swamp? Laura can clear the water, iron out your protagonist’s inner and outer journeys, and evaluate and enhance your themes. She also has an eye for the minutiae of story-craft: word choice, pacing, and readability. She is able to offer an editorial sampler from the first 2000 words and synopsis of your manuscript, providing her first impressions of a manuscript’s strong points and growth areas.
Bio: Laura is the women’s minister at Macquarie Anglican Eastwood. She is passionate about nurturing the development of stories which explore theology and encourage people to realise all God has created and commissioned them to be through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Nola Passmore from The Write Flourish (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback and General writing advice.
Nola can offer editorial feedback on fiction, non-fiction and poetry manuscripts aimed at adult or young adult audiences.
Bio: Nola (aka Nola Lorraine) is a writer and editor, who loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. Her inspirational historical novel Scattered was one of three finalists in the 2021 CALEB Awards. She has also co-edited the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light with Jeanette O’Hagan. She has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. She and her husband Tim love helping authors through their freelance writing and editing business, The Write Flourish.
Iola Goulton from Christian Editing Services (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, Publishing advice, General writing advice,
Iola is an award-winning writer and editor who has been reviewing and editing Christian fiction for over ten years, and has recently self-published her first novel. She can offer specific editorial feedback on fiction manuscripts (up to 10 pages), or general writing, publishing, and marketing advice.
Bio: Iola is a New Zealand book reviewer, author, and freelance editor, specialising in Christian fiction. Visit her at www.christianediting.co.nz.
Website Consultation
Helen Rosenzweig from Impressence (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Website review and feedback, Online presence review and feedback.
Helen can help you identify areas of improvement within your website to help engage visitors to take action – the action usually being to either purchase a book, or sign-up to your mailing list. She can evaluate your general online presence, including search engine visibility, and provide actions you can take to improve it. She also can advise and guide you on your overall visual branding.
Bio: Helen is a website consultant and online business strategist. She has over 20 years’ experience in building websites, and specialises in ensuring that websites are built in a way that will help her clients reach their business goals.
Online strategy is essential for authors who wish to reach audiences beyond their immediate circles, and Helen can help you develop a strategy based on your author goals.
A long-time Christian fiction fan and a former fiction editor, Helen understands the author and book space well. She has a heart to serve authors and help them build a website that will elevate their author brand, help them connect with readers, and importantly – sell more books.
Mentoring
Christine Dillon (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Publishing advice and Marketing advice.
Christine is willing to discuss the pros/cons/differences of traditional vs self-publishing in both fiction and non-fiction. For published authors she is able to offer advice in improving in marketing and how to grow or move forward.
Bio: Christine is an Australian who has lived most of her life in Asia as the child of missionaries and then a missionary herself. Her first two non-fiction books were traditionally published in 2009 and 2012 (on discipleship and Bible storytelling). Since 2017 she has self-published nine novels (in two series and genres, contemporary Christian fiction and Biblical-era historicals) and two more non-fiction (spiritual warfare and Bible storytelling).
Business and marketing were not Christine’s thing, but she has educated herself in this area and has seen steady growth in income from her writing.
Jenny Glazebrook (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: General writing advice, Prayer, encouragement and shared experience.
Jenny believes perfection is impossible, but excellence is essential. She’d love to guide you and encourage you in whatever stage your writing is at, so that it can be the best it can possibly be. She’d also love to encourage you to work with God, be inspired by Him and delight His heart with your gift. She is happy to share her experience and understanding in any area you would like to talk about, and is able to offer detailed feedback on a sample of your writing.
Bio: Jenny is a multi-published author with many years of experience teaching writing techniques. She loves to encourage writers to trust God in their journey and to have the courage to share the gifts He has given them. While finding her way in the publishing world, she has been vanity published, subsidy published, traditionally published and self-published. Six of her novels have been finalists in the CALEB awards.
Industry Experts
Debra Tidball (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: General writing advice and Manuscript assessments.
Over the past ten years Debra has built up considerable knowledge and experience in the children’s book industry as an author, book reviewer, blogger, vice president of her local CBCA NSW Sub-branch and active SCBWI member, as well as having a masters degree in children’s literature. Her speciality is picture books, but as a member of a regular critique group of accomplished and published writers, she has experience in providing feedback for the spectrum of children’s writing genres.
Bio: Debra is an award winning author of picture books and has short stories, poems and plays published in anthologies and magazines. Her picture book, When I See Grandma won the children’s section of the CALEB prize, and The Scared Book won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the region.
Dr James Cooper (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, Publishing advice and General writing advice.
With a particular interest in YA, Adult Fiction and mainstream markets, James is equipped to provide manuscript appraisal, editing advice, and feedback on publishing potential across a range of genres (including fiction, poetry and memoir).
Bio: James is a published poet, novelist and writing professional who excels at sharing the joy of writing with young and old alike. He is the Coordinator of Creative Writing and Communication Program at Tabor College where he has worked for fifteen years. James is a founding member of the Stories of Life initiative, founder and Senior Editor of inScribe journal, and is well-known and respected among Australia’s growing network of Christian creative writers.
Dr Pete Court (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Editorial feedback, Publishing advice, General writing advice, Marketing advice and How to have a thriving life as a creative writer.
Pete is able to advise on crafting powerful short fiction, academic and non-fiction, and encourage you in the joys of realist fantasy, magical realism and making real people on the page.
Bio: Pete is the author of two novels, Suburban tales and The used men’s Bicycle Club, winner of many story comps globally, former newspaper columnist, magazine satirist, television and radio comedy writer and producer, advertising creative director, radio breakfast show host, producer and talent trainer and mentor. He is currently senior lecturer in creative writing and communications at Tabor College, researcher in the psychology of creativity, and continuing to publish stories and novels.
Meredith Resce from Golden Grain Publishing (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: General writing advice and mentoring.
Meredith will be available to consult with delegates about how they are managing the emotional challenges of the journey to publishing.
When expectations are high, and hopes are buoyant, the process of submission for feedback can be a challenge. Meredith is happy to chat about delegates’ individual journey and to share experience from her own journey in publishing over twenty-five years.
Bio: Meredith has been writing and publishing since 1997 and has 27 titles published in this time. She has worked with traditional publishers, as well as cooperative Indie publishing and Self-publishing. Her main genre is Christian fiction, though she has worked on several biographical projects over the years.
Meredith has worked with her husband in pastoral ministry for over forty years. She has facilitated a number of support groups and has a heart for helping others navigate difficult emotional seasons. http://www.meredithresce.com/
Jen Richards (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: General writing advice and Marketing advice.
Jen is happy to take appointments about both writing craft and author marketing.
Bio: Jen is a writer, communications specialist, and author. She helps clients to craft the perfect message and deliver it well! As a writer, she specialises in making complex subject matter easy to understand. She brings a storyteller’s perspective to corporate and scientific material to make it accessible and compelling without losing the nuance.
She independently publishes romantic historical fiction as Jennifer Mistmorgan, while submitting other work internationally through her US-based agent.
Tamara Wenham (appointments In-Person)
Service offered: Research advice for historical fiction or non-fiction.
Any approach towards historical research can be daunting. You don’t want to miss the golden story nuggets, or waste time on fruitless searches. It can be helpful to know how to use archives or libraries for different research purposes, and how to tap into communities of fellow history hunters in Australia and abroad.
Bio: Tamara Wenham (aiming to publish as Harpford) is an archivist with over 20 years of professional experience in managing and searching archival records. Currently working with 19th and 20th century South Australian files, photos, maps and ledgers, she also takes a keen interest in other collections across Australia. With a job that sometimes feels more like a hobby, she particularly enjoys uncovering stories of long-overlooked people and events.