Hello, writers!

The countdown has begun! There's only 72 days between us and the 2026 Agents & Editors Conference, and we cannot wait to see you there. In this email, you'll find important information about scheduling your consultation appointments with our stellar lineup of visiting agents and editors, along with other important information and reminders to help you and us plan and prepare for the big weekend.

Thank you in advance for reading all of the information here. There's many more updates to come, including more details about the official program, so be sure to add us to your contacts and keep an eye on your inbox.

See you soon!

Sarah

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Sarah Renee Beach

Program Director

As a reminder, consultations are 10-minute one-on-one meetings with our featured agents and editors, a great opportunity to verbally pitch your work to an industry professional.

If you registered for the conference BEFORE April 1, you are entitled to one complimentary consultation with an agent or editor. In order for us to assign your complimentary consultation, you will need to first fill out a consultation preference form. This form will be sent directly to your inbox at 12:00 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 22.

The preference form will close on Wednesday, May 9 at 5:00 PM CDT. All unclaimed appointments will be forfeited.

If you registered APRIL 1st OR LATER, you will have the option of purchasing up to two (2) consultations at $50 each beginning Wednesday, May 13. Those who registered BEFORE April 1 will have an opportunity to purchase an additional consultation at this time, also, giving everyone a chance to secure up to two (2) consultations. The form to provide us with your preferences and to make payment will be sent to all registered attendees at 12:00 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 13.

This form will remain open until all consultation appointments are filled.

Please note: Consultations will be assigned in the order in which completed forms are received. Once an agent or editor's appointment slots are filled, we will do our best to remove them from the form as promptly as possible. We hope this advanced notice of when the forms will be opened and sent to you will help you prepare and plan accordingly. You can find more information on the featured agents and editors attending the conference here and here, but we also highly recommend doing your own independent research to determine who may be the best fit for you. You can expect to receive your appointment details, including the date and time of your appointment(s) and who you will be meeting with, in late May or early June.

Any questions? Now's the time to ask! But first, take a look at our FAQs. If you still have a question after you've read through the FAQs, email us at wlt@writersleague.org.

“All I Ever Wanted to Do Was Drive Tractor: From the Cotton Fields of West Texas to the New York Times Bestseller List” with Stephen Graham Jones

Join us for a special conference luncheon featuring an address by Stephen Graham Jones. All luncheon attendees will receive a three-course meal plus a complimentary copy of Buffalo Hunter Hunter, with a signing line to follow Stephen’s remarks. This is a ticketed event and seating is limited. Tickets are $60 per person.

Learn more and register here.

ABOUT OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-five or so novels and collections, and there’s some novellas and comic books in there as well. Stephen’s been an NEA recipient, has won the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Fiction, the Los Angeles Times Ray Bradbury Prize, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, the August Derleth British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, the Western Literature Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award, the American Library Association’s RUSA Award and Alex Award, the 2023 American Indian Festival of Words Writers Award, the Locus Award, four Bram Stoker Awards, three Shirley Jackson Awards, and six This is Horror Awards. Stephen’s also been inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, he’s been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award, and the Eisner Award, and he’s made Bloody Disgusting’s Top Ten Horror Novels, been a New York Times Book Club selection, and been on Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List. He’s the guy who wrote Mongrels, The Only Good Indians, My Heart is a Chainsaw, Earthdivers, I Was a Teenage Slasher, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, and Killer on the Road. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado.

ABOUT THE BOOK

• A New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2025
• A Barack Obama Summer Read
• Named “Best of the Year” by Time, The Washington Post, NPR, Shelf Awareness, Toronto Star, and Publishers Weekly
• Kirkus Reviews Best Historical Fiction

The New York Times bestseller and “horror masterpiece” (NPR) from Stephen Graham Jones—the master of modern horror—is a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

“Jones has written his Interview with the Indigenous Vampire. A landmark of horror and historical fiction alike, perhaps the closest thing we have to horror’s Moby-Dick.”

—Vulture

“Inventive and spine-tingling…a master class in voice. Queasy, uneasy, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter plays with the interplay between religion and historical guilt, identity and appetite.”

—The Washington Post

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.

Required Attendee Form 

If you haven't already, please fill out this form at your earliest convenience to help us shape the conference program and offerings. We will also use the information on this form to print your conference name badge and to communicate with you ahead of the event, so please ensure that it is accurate and submitted in a timely manner.

Conference Hotel

The Hyatt Regency Austin is the 2026 conference hotel. The guest rooms offer spectacular views of Town Lake, downtown Austin, and the Hill Country. Rooms are available at a special group rate of $215/night (single or double) plus tax. The cut-off to register at this special rate is June 4, 2026, while rooms remain available. To reserve your room at the Hyatt Regency, click here. 

If you have any questions regarding the reservation system, we suggest you contact the Hyatt directly at 512-477-1234, but you're also welcome to reach out to us and we'll do our best to help. 

Any questions? Now's the time to ask! But first, take a look at our FAQs. If you still have a question after you've read through the FAQs, email us at wlt@writersleague.org.

WLT programming is supported in part by funding from our generous sponsors.