COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 5, 2026) — The Bindery announces the addition of veteran publishing executive Michael Covington as a literary agent, expanding its team as the agency approaches a decade of representing authors across both the general and faith-based publishing markets.
Covington brings twenty years of experience in book publishing to his work as a literary agent with The Bindery, most recently as VP of Publishing & Acquisitions at David C Cook. Previously, he spent five years in a leadership role at ECPA, where he conceived and developed the ECPA Bestseller List—now the industry standard for recognizing bestselling inspirational books—and led several industry-wide research initiatives.
“Michael is a passionate and talented publishing pro with a publisher’s instincts for what helps great books find readers,” says Alex Field, founder of The Bindery. “With his deep care for enduring, generational content in the books he publishes, Michael will serve his authors exceptionally well in this new role.”
Covington has helped shape many award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and ECPA bestselling books and studies, working alongside authors and organizations including Francis Chan, Preston Sprinkle, Dallas and Amanda Jenkins, Bob Goff, Rebecca St. James & Cubbie Fink, Greg Laurie, and J. Warner Wallace. He focuses on spiritual growth, personal growth, contemplative spirituality, practical theology, leadership, Bible studies, and Christian living. Covington, who lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Christina, can be reached at mcovington@thebinderyagency.
Since its founding by Alex Field in 2017, The Bindery has helped its authors achieve remarkable success, representing nearly 600 book deals, negotiating publishing agreements with more than 80 different publishers, celebrating more than 75 national and ECPA bestsellers, and selling more than 5 million copies. Prior to starting The Bindery, Field served as Vice President and Publisher for two imprints of Penguin Random House, the largest publisher of trade books in the English-speaking world.
Literary agents at The Bindery have cultivated expertise in both general and faith markets and are known for representing both first-time and established writers with a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, reflecting the breadth and complexity of today’s readers. They provide targeted and strategic publishing guidance for each author they serve and leverage their deep relationships with publishers across the publishing industry—from the largest trade houses to leading independent and faith-based publishers—to match each project with the publishing home where it can have the greatest impact.
The Bindery’s agents offer more than a century of publishing experience, spanning editorial, acquisitions, publicity, marketing, contract negotiation, and author representation:
Ingrid Beck, Managing Director, who has worked in book publishing for more than twenty-five years. In addition to representing a select list of authors, she oversees agency operations including contract negotiations, proposal development, client relations, and more. She is open to compelling nonfiction proposals in the following categories: practical self-help, mental health and wellbeing, religion and spirituality, social and cultural issues, and lifestyle.
Trinity McFadden, Senior Literary Agent, who champions thoughtful people with important ideas and represents narrative and idea-driven nonfiction that combines intellectual depth with commercial appeal. She seeks authors in categories including: personal growth; psychology, relationships, and human behavior; history and narrative nonfiction; cultural criticism and big-idea books; journalism; science and social science for general readers; parenting and family life; and faith and spirituality books that thoughtfully explore meaning and belief.
John Blase, Associate Literary Agent, spent over a decade as an editor and ghostwriter in traditional publishing, working with such names as Eugene Peterson, Ann Voskamp, Brennan Manning, and Brian Zahnd. During that time, he penned two books with his name on the spine—one of them a self-published poetry endeavor titled The Jubilee. A good story, well-told, he simply finds hard to resist.
Morgan Strehlow, Associate Literary Agent, is an experienced book coach, editor, and writer, has worked in various capacities with a range of content providers and education platforms, and spent the first decade of her career in the sports industry as a go-to communications strategist and creative collaborator for major brands, coaches, and athletes. Morgan seek compelling nonfiction by athletes, journalists, experts, academics looking to publish for the general market, and emerging voices with a growing platform who can speak to pop culture, sports, feminism, social justice, sex/sexuality, or religion/spirituality.
Alex Field, Founder & Literary Agent, represents authors writing books of religion & spirituality, self-help, pop culture, parenting, relationships, and memoir & biography.
To learn more, visit www.TheBinderyAgency.com.
Contact: Alexander Field, The Bindery Principal & Founder, afield@thebinderyagency.com
