About
WriterFest was established by Ami McConnell in 2018 as a creative gathering for aspiring writers, published authors, screenwriters, poets, and songwriters in Nashville. Attendees enjoy keynote talks by the best book, song, and screenplay writers in the business as well as in-depth break-out sessions with professional editors, literary agents, filmmakers, and music industry insiders.
WriterFest Team
Ami McConnell
Founder, Executive Director
Ami McConnell is an author, writer, and editor with over 20 years of experience in-house at major trade book publishers. She formerly served as Editor-in-Chief and VP of Howard Books/Simon & Schuster and as an acquiring editor at HarperCollins. Having edited numerous New York Times bestsellers and award winners, she now works with authors of all stripes to create bestselling books. She’s a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller having collaborated with singers, songwriters, psychologists, doctors, therapists, film/tv actors, and artists. She serves on the board of Women’s National Book Association/Nashville Chapter and lives in the Nashville area with her family.
Find Ami on Instagram, Facebook, or at amimcconnell.com.
Sara Wigal
WriterFest Executive Director
Sara Wigal is an Assistant Professor and Director of Publishing at Belmont University, a unique undergraduate degree that equips students with necessary skills and knowledge to enter the book world. She serves on the leadership council of Next Chapter Society, a section of the Nashville Public Library Foundation. Over her multi-year tenure with NCS she has led the organization as a co-chair, as Fundraising Chair, and most recently as the originator of the Author Ambassador program and a member of the Membership Committee.
She is the Executive Director of the WriterFest Nashville conference for writers of book, song, and screen, and of WriterFest Literary Services. She is the founder of the Nashville Publishing Meetup, a group for industry contacts to network without being client-facing, which has since become WriterFest Pros. In her capacity with WFLS she acts as a literary agent, manages staff, designs and co-hosts event series, and runs A Dolly Good Time, an annual benefit for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Wigal has been published by Library Journal, The Tennessean, Publishers Weekly, Writer's Digest and various literary journals. She is an aspiring historical fiction novelist and writer of the personal essay. Find her frequently on Instagram.
Mary Elizabeth Colton
Agency Administrator
Mary Elizabeth Colton joined the WriterFest team in 2024. While she assists with the WriterFest conference, she is primarily involved in the running of the Ami McConnell Literary Agency as the Agency Administrator. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University, she completed an International MBA program where she graduated with Distinction from St. Mary's University, Twickenham. With a background in Human Resources, she has experience in engagement, content creation, content writing, and branding. She is excited to be lending her skillset to WriterFest and AMLA as well as expanding her knowledge of the publishing industry with aspirations to be an agent and representing her own clients soon. When she is not reading or writing, she can be found slurping down a hot latte from pretty much any local coffee shop in town.
Madeline Law
Administrative Coordinator
Managing Editor for WriterFest Studio
Madeline Law joined WriterFest in 2024 as Administrative Coordinator, freelancer, and event photographer. She now also manages WriterFest's new WriterFest Studio. Madeline graduated from Saint Mary's College in 2023 with a degree in English Literature and Communication Studies, having interned with best-selling author Adriana Trigiani and worked with student writers as both a Writing Tutor and copyeditor for the tri-campus newspaper. In her free time, Madeline enjoys volunteering at her local Nashville Public Library in the Children's section, reading, finding outdoor adventures, reading, and taking boxing classes. Oh, and reading!
Find Madeline on LinkedIn.
Kaylin Moore
Marketing & Design Coordinator
Kaylin Moore is an Honors junior public relations and publishing double major with experience in marketing, publicity, and corporate communications. She currently proofreads for Post Hill Press in Brentwood, Tennessee and serves as secretary of Lamba Pi Eta Communication Honor Society. Kaylin is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, the American Marketing Association, and Phi Mu Fraternity. At WriterFest, she manages social media, designs content, and has a ton of fun while she’s at it. When she’s not hitting the books or organizing a club’s latest event, Kaylin loves reading fiction and drinking copious amount of caffeine.
Find her on LinkedIn!
Anna Louise Janes
Social Media Intern
Anna Louise Janes is a sophomore at Belmont University studying Business Administration and Publishing. On campus, she is a member of the sorority Alpha Gamma Delta where she serves as director of activities, serves as a Bruin Recruiter and TT Leader, and works as the communications director for BelmontToday. In her free time, Anna Louise enjoys reading, creative writing, hiking with friends, and traveling to new places. You can check her out on socials or through any of the links below!
Find her on Instagram or LinkedIn!