Ben Cosgrove is the former editor of LIFE.com and was the managing editor of the early, influential e-zine, Feed. He has written on politics, culture, sports and the arts for a number of publications, online and off, including the Washington Post, Time, Salon, Deadspin, Columbia Journalism Review and others. He has published two well-received anthologies, Covering the Bases (a collection of classic sports writing) and Gluttony, and currently runs BDC Writes, a writing and editing service.

Susanna Einstein launched E.L.M. in 2015 after working as an agent for ten years, first at LJK Literary Management and then at the Einstein Thompson Agency. She has worked in publishing since 1995, first in the publicity and editorial departments at what was then called Warner Books (now Grand Central Publishing) and then as a literary scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates. A native New Yorker, she graduated with distinction from Northwestern University. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. And sometimes, folks, she writes.

Emmy Laybourne (host of Spine Out) is a novelist, screenwriter and former character actress. She is the author of the Monument 14 trilogy (‘‘Frighteningly real… riveting’’ – NYT Book Review, Editor’s Choice) and the novel Sweet (“A gripping action-adventure survival story” – VOYA, rated Perfect Ten). Before her life as an author, Emmy performed original comedy on Comedy Central, MTV and VH1; and acted in the movies Superstar, The In-Laws and Nancy Drew, among others.

Alyson Noel is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of 23 novels including: The Immortals, The Riley Bloom, and The Soul Seekers series. With 8 New York Times bestsellers in 2 years, her books have been translated into 36 languages, sold in over 200 countries, and have made the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, and have won numerous awards, such as the National Reader’s Choice Award and NYLA Book of Winter Award.  Her new YA series, Beautiful Idols, beginning with Unrivaled, was published in 17 languages and 200 countries in May. Her new middle-grade, Five Days of Famous, will debut in December 2016.

Leila Sales is a humor writer and the author of the young adult novels Past Perfect, Mostly Good Girls, Tonight the Streets Are ours and This Song Will Save Your Life. Her most recent work Once Was a Time was released by Chronicle Books in April 2016. In her free time, she is an editor at Viking Children’s.

Greg Cope White is an author, television writer, blogger, world traveler, actor, and inveterate bon vivant. Add to that bi-coastal, polo-playing, sixth-generation Texan with a voracious appetite for life. He contributes to The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project. He was a sergeant is the U.S. Marine Corps serving six years total, and his book, The Pink Marine, is currently optioned for television. He also cooks on TV, and you can watch him on Cooking Channel’s food and travel show Unique Sweets.