About Us
Olga Filina
With more than twenty years in the book industry, Olga has worn every hat in the business and can translate that experience to your manuscript. She’s worked with bestselling and award-winning authors as well as on debut novels and proposals that have resulted in book deals. Olga guest lectures at colleges and universities and leads conference workshops all over North America. Born and raised in Moscow, Russia, she loves books set in far-flung locations and is particularly adept at working on manuscripts with sweeping historical settings.
Ali McDonald
In over ten years as an agent, editor, and industry consultant specializing in children’s and young adult literature, Ali has worked with many bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators at various stages of their careers, from first draft to publication. Ali delivers workshops and guest lectures on the business of publishing for aspiring and established writers at international institutions and conferences, and is currently faculty of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies.
Cassandra Rodgers
As a literary agent for over six years, Cassandra has worked with a diverse group of clients on both adult fiction and nonfiction works. Her nonfiction projects range in topic from sports to health to memoir. Fiction manuscripts include literary, commercial up-market, and thrillers, with a passion for historical fiction. Cassandra teaches classes on query writing and has participated in many writers’ conferences, both as a speaker and in providing one-on-one consultations. Her clients’ books have been featured in publications such as Oprah, The New York Times, and USA Today.
Our Mission
At 5 Otter Editorial, we are reinventing writing.
As literary agents, we have collaborated closely for several years. In working together for our authors, we have found that we have a shared vision for lifting up the work of writers, and assisting them in finding their individual path to publication.
We support writers of all genres, audiences, categories, and formats in achieving their publication goals through our professional editorial and consultation services. We are here to help you polish your work, position yourself in the current market, and navigate the business of publishing. Our objective is to give you the industry education you need to make the most informed decisions possible for your career. We aim to make publishing accessible to everyone, and bring our insider knowledge of the industry to the editorial process.
We are your partners in publishing. And we are dedicated to your success.
Statement on Anti-Racism
5OE stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
In recognition of the economic barriers often faced by aspiring creators in the BIPOC community, we commit to uplifting their voices by offering alternative fees for qualifying members. Please email us for details.
Land Acknowledgment
We wish to acknowledge that the land on which 5 Otter Editorial operates has been the traditional land of Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River for thousands of years. Today, this meeting place is still home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.