Meet your Judges!

November J. Brown

November J. Brown (@writesofnovember) is an award-winning writer, social media strategist, and influencer with over 200,000 followers across platforms. She enjoys reading and writing fantasy, and her favorite stories feature cosmic peculiarities, women, and trees. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her 1-year old puppy, Panda Bear.

Eleanor Imbody

Eleanor Imbody (@eleanorimbody.books) joined Kaye Publicity in 2022 as is currently facilitating book tours and festival appearances for their author clients as Events Coordinator. She got her start in publishing as the assistant to the president at Browne & Miller Literary Associates and as a reviewer for Booklist. A writer herself, she has a BA in English from Wheaton College, is a three-time alumna of the Futurescapes workshop, and has taken post-graduate courses through the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program (where she was nominated for the Allegra Johnson Writing Prize) and the University of Chicago’s Graham School editing certificate program. Originally from Southern California, she now lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and their two cats, Walt Whiskerman and Edgar Allan Paw.

Dylan Ward

Dylan Ward (@dylanjosephwrites) is a bookish content creator, author, and bookbinder with over 155,000 followers. He loves anything with morally gray characters, heart-wrenching relationships, and intricate worldbuilding. When he's not reading or writing, you can probably find him hiking Pacific Northwest trails or drinking too much matcha.

Jennifer Steinhagen

Jennifer Steinhagen (@bookandachai) runs a cozy corner of Instagram curating a reader’s lifestyle. With a passion for fiction, a soft spot for indie authors, and a penchant for real life reviews, this is the go-to site for all things comfy cozy. 

Caroline Acebo (Developmental Editor)

Caroline Acebo started her career as an editor at an indie house specializing in romance, erotic romance, and erotica, and hasn’t left the content-for-women sphere since. She’s worked for two of the Big Five in New York: HarperCollins (Harlequin) and Hachette (Grand Central Publishing). She’s worked as a copy editor, a developmental editor, an acquisitions editor, and a foreign rights agent, but at the heart of all her work lies over a decade's worth of dedication to women's voices, particularly in the indie publishing space.

Writers who work with Caroline can expect substantive but supportive edits and a safe, collaborative space for creative discussion. She also offers advice on the publishing process and insights into the publishing industry at large. She’s worked on both the agency side and on the editorial side of the business, presented upcoming titles to sales teams, and sold rights at multiple international book fairs. Through her services, she helps writers hone their craft and navigate the publishing industry, from initial concept to final manuscript.