Lori Steel is the founder and a literary agent at Steelworks Literary. Lori began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian, later as a freelance editor and writing instructor. She has degrees in history, education, and an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), where she also received certification in the Picture Book, and was honored with the Alumni Gift Award. After graduating in 2012, Lori coordinated the VCFA Summer Residency Abroad (Bath, UK) for four years, initiated the kidlit writing class program at her local indie, Politics & Prose, and entered publishing as an Agency Assistant at Greenhouse Literary. She interned at two other kidlit-focused agencies before taking on her own clients first at Raven Quill Literary, then at Red Fox Literary. She founded SteelWorks Literary in 2024 with her talented list of authors, illustrators, and graphic novelists. Lori is a longtime member of ALA and SCBWI, and is a member of AALA where she serves on the Illustration Committee.

Her clients include both debut and award-winning authors, and she continues to seek diverse perspectives, literary approaches, and unique story experiences for her list. Lyrical language, compelling voices, evocative settings, and evergreen stories told with heart are areas of particular interest in any genre/audience.

Originally from the Washington DC area, Lori has also called Appalachia and England home. When not at her desk, you can often find her plotting her next travel adventure, testing out a new recipe, or pottering in her Washington DC garden with her English husband and Secret Agent pup sidekick, Juice (see bio below).