Lori Nowicki is a literary agent with Painted Words. Painted WordsÕ founder, Lori Nowicki, holds a MasterÕs Degree in Education and worked extensively as a teacher and specialist in public schools for ten years prior to starting her agency. As a special needs teacher she helped students in all areas, but found a passion for inspiring reluctant readers to love books. Her favorite project was teaching her sixth grade classes how to write and illustrate comic books. In 1992, she began representing several of her illustrator friends, while teaching part-time.

In 2006 she formed Painted Words, a boutique literary arts agency focused on representing diverse talent. Lori has brought her background in education to the field of publishing, helping aspiring authors and illustrators tell their stories. In her nearly thirty years of representing artists, she has mentored up-and-coming talent and worked with award-winning and bestselling creators on a range of projects in the publishing industry and beyond.