As of 3/18/25, this event is SOLD OUT.

Neighborhood Literary is a new agency, launching here in Philadelphia! Literary agent Eric Smith will lead a discussion on what makes a good query letter and what editors and agents look for. (Spoiler alert: it's the same thing readers look for!) Afterwards, we'll critique a few letters at random live (if you're brave enough to volunteer), and then we'll hang out for a Q&A.

Due to the enthusiasm surrounding this event and H&H's size, registration is required to attend. Check-in for ticketholders will begin at 6:00 PM. Folks who were not able to reserve a ticket will be admitted five minutes before the start of the event as space allows.

About the agent/author: Eric Smith (@ericsmithrocks) is an award-winning Young Adult author and literary agent living in Philadelphia. He’s worked with New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed authors across genres and categories. His latest book, With or Without You, published with HarperCollins / Inkyard Press in November 2023 and was a Junior Library Guild selection.

His other books include You Can Go Your Own Way and Don’t Read the Comments, which was a YALSA 2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. He’s also the author of the contemporary fantasy novel The Girl and the Grove (Flux) and the IndieBound bestseller The Geek’s Guide to Dating (Quirk) . 

His book Jagged Little Pill: The Novel (Abrams) adapted the Grammy and Tony Award-winning musical and was written in collaboration with Alanis Morissette, Glen Ballard, and Diablo Cody.

Smith co-edited two acclaimed anthologies with Lauren Gribaldi, First-Year Orientation and Battle of the Bands (Candlewick). He has contributed short stories and essays to numerous other anthologies, including Color Outside the Lines, Body Talk, Allies, All Signs Point, Boundless, When We Become Ours, and RELIT .