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The Best Writing Conferences and Workshops to Attend in 2024

on Jan 02, 2024
in International Writing Events
Last update: June 25th, 2024

Writing is more than just putting words on a page. To become a successful author, you need to learn about both the writing and the publishing processes, and network with publishers and other authors. Attending writing conferences and workshops is one of the best ways to accomplish this.

If you’re serious about becoming a successful author, then attending writing conferences and workshops is a must. These events can provide you with the knowledge, skills, and connections you need to take your writing to the next level.

To find the best writing conferences and workshops to attend in 2024, use our filtering tools below to browse through our list.

Key West Literary Seminar Writers’ Workshop Program

Key West Literary Seminar

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway

Colrain Classic

Writers in Paradise Conference

Digital Book World

Writing By Writers Get The Lead Out! Generative Workshop

Hay Festival Jericó

Hay Festival Medellín

Hay Festival Cartagena

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Todos Santos Writers Workshop

Codex: Biennial Book Art Fair and Symposium

Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshops

The AWP Conference & Bookfair

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Annual Conference

Writing Day Workshops: Boston

San Francisco Writers Conference

Southern California Writers’ Conference

Southern California Writers Conference – San Diego

International Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival

Coastal Magic Convention

Writing Day Workshops – Indiana

Gotham Writers Nonfiction Writers Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Austin

Writing Day Workshops – Houston

Breakout Novel Intensive Workshop

Writing and Well-Being

Writing Day Workshops – Colorado

Writing Day Workshops – Carolina

Bay To Ocean Writers Conference

The New York Pitch Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Alabama

Writing By Writers Boulder Generative Workshop

Writing Day Workshops – Kansas

Writing Day Workshops – Atlanta

National Black Writers Conference

Moravian Writers’ Conference: Voices of War

Writing Day Workshops – Virginia

The Power of Narrative Conference

Scottish Association of Writers Conference

Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference

Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Chesapeake

National Undergraduate Literature Conference

Tennessee Mountain Writers

Writing Day Workshops – San Francisco (Online)

Writing Day Workshops – Buffalo

Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop

Writing Day Workshops – Minnesota

Writing Day Workshops – Toronto

Festival of Faith & Writing

The Las Vegas Writers Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Florida

A rally of writers conference.

Chanticleer Authors Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Kentucky

Authors’ Salon at Clockwork Alchemy

Poetry At Round Up Festival

Writing Day Workshops – Tennessee

Writing Day Workshops – San Diego

Independent Publishers Book Association University

Nebraska Writers Guild Conference

Pikes Peak Writers Conference

The Creativity Workshop in New York

ASPC Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Philadelphia

The Annual Gold Rush Writers Conference

The Lakefly Writers Conference

Atlanta Writers Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Michigan

Writing Day Workshops – Los Angeles

EMWA Cascais Conference

Nonfiction Writers Conference

Storymakers Conference

The Muse & the Marketplace

Writing Day Workshops – Ohio

Writing Day Workshops – Portland

Writing Day Workshops – Seattle

Longleaf Writers Conference

Florida Writing Workshop

Fiction Readers Summit

Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference

Biographers International Organization Conference

Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival

Poetry by the Sea: A Global Poetry Conference

Hay Festival Wales

Asian Festival of Children’s Content

The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing

Thrillerfest

Writing the Midwest: A Symposium of Scholars and Writers

North Words Writers Symposium

Wyoming Writers Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Pittsburgh

Clarksville Writers Conference

TWH Maine “Mini Mfa” All-Fiction Writers Conference

Reader & Author Get Together

Lit Camp Conference

Indiana University Writers’ Conference

Paris Cafe Writing

Juniper Summer Writing Institute

Writing By Writers Mont Blanc workshop

Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference

Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference

Write-to-Publish Conference

Youth Workshops and Activities

Orion Environmental Writers’ Workshop

The Creativity Workshop in Barcelona

Chautauqua Writers’ Festival

Agents & Editors Conference

Writing Day Workshops – Milwaukee

Writing Day Workshops – Chicago

Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop

Disquiet International Literary Program

Aspen Summer Words Writing Conference

Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference

The Creativity Workshop in Florence

Information, Medium & Society: International Conference on Publishing Studies

Writing Day Workshops – Texas

Chuckanut Writers Conference

The Creativity Workshop in Prague

Canterbury Arts Conference

Readercon 33

Midwest Writers Workshop Super Mini-Conference

International Creative Writing Conference

Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop

Sewanee Writers Conference

Writing Heights Writers Conference

Taos Writers Conference

Imaginarium Convention

Sun Valley Writers’ Conference

Bear River Writers’ Conference

Macondo Writers Workshop

Writing Through The Lifespan

Confluence–SFF

Taylor University’s Professional Writers’ Conference

National Writers’ Conference

Romance Writers of America Annual Conference

Willamette Writers Conference

Author Advantage Live

Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference

National Book Club Conference

FAPA Conference

Swanwick Writers’ Summer School

Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference

When Words Collide

Nashville’s 18th Annual Writers’ Conference

Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention

27th Annual White County Creative Writers Conference

Hay Festival Queretaro

Alabama Writers’ Conclave

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity Con

Milford Writer’s Workshop

PNWA Writer’s Conference

Broadleaf Writers Association

Six Bridges Book Festival

Kingston WritersFest

Writing Sisters Summit in the Hills

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Travel & Words: Northwest Travel Writers Conference

Western Literature Association Conference

Alaska Writers Conference

Write on the Sound Writers’ Conference

Houston Writers Guild Annual Conference

Annual James River Writers Conference

Flathead River Writers Conference

Next Chapter Con

The DFW Writers Conference

Women Writing the West Annual Conference

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference

Ozark Creative Writers Conference

Orlando Reads Books

Writer’s Digest Conference

Steamboat Springs Writers Conference

Florida Writers Youth Conference

Craft of Writing Conference

Self Publishing Advice Conference

Rochester Writers’ Conference

Iota Short Forms Conference

The Vancouver Writers Festival

Indie Romance Convention

Medical Writing & Communication Conference

Surrey International Writers Conference

Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference

Power of Words Conference

Jackson Hole Writers Conference

Hay Festival Arequipa

Columbia Wrtiers Conference

Hampton Roads Writers Conference

Pee Dee Fiction & Poetry Festival

NAWE Virtual Conference

Kauai Writers Conference

Hay Festival Winter Weekend

Writing can be a solitary process, but it doesn’t have to be! Attending a writing conference or workshop can help you hone your craft, connect with other writers, and learn from industry professionals. There are many events to choose from in 2024, so you’re sure to find one that suits your interests and schedule.

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Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world.

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Each year the Readings & Workshops program provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us.

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Conferences & Residencies Contact Form

Help us keep this database current. If you know about a conference or residency that is not currently listed, please let us know. Be sure to include the name and email address of an appropriate contact person.

Conferences and Residencies Database

Help Keep This Database Current

Looking to meet up with agents and editors? To join a supportive writing community? Or to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice? The Conferences & Residencies database includes details about over two hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals.

A Rally of Writers

The 37th annual A Rally of Writers conference was held on April 13 at the West Campus of Lansing Community College in Lansing, Michigan. The conference featured workshops, panel discussions, and readings in poetry, fiction, and creative...

A.I.R. Studio Paducah

A.I.R. Studio Paducah offers residencies of two weeks to three months year-round to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Lower Town Arts District of Paducah, Kentucky. Residents are provided with a private apartment, Wi-...

Agents & Editors Conference

The Writers’ League of Texas (WLT) 2024 Agents & Editors Conference was held from June 21 to June 23 at the Hyatt Regency on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. The conference featured presentations, panels, authors in conversation, and a...

All Write Creative Nonfiction Conference

The 2022 All Write Creative Nonfiction Conference was held from October 19 to October 23 at the Spencertown Academy in Columbia County, New York. The conference featured one-hour workshops to discuss 15 to 20 pages of each writer’s work, an...

All Write Fiction Conference

The 2023 All Write Fiction Conference will be held from November 9 to November 12 at the Spencertown Academy in Columbia County, New York. The conference features workshops to discuss 15 to 20 pages of each writer’s work, an opening night...

American Literary Translators Association Conference

The 47th annual American Literary Translators Association Conference will be held from October 25 to October 28 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee Hotel in Milwaukee. Programming includes panels, workshops, bilingual readings, a bookfair, a gathering...

American University of Paris Summer Creative Writing Institute

The American University of Paris Summer Creative Writing Institute offers workshops to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers from July 1 to July 23 on the university’s campus in the seventh arrondissement of Paris. The faculty...

Anderson Center Artist Residencies

Aspen Summer Words Writing Conference and Literary Festival

The 2024 AWP Conference and Bookfair was held from February 7 to February 10 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and included a virtual component comprised of prerecorded and livestreamed events. The conference features...

Atlanta Writers Conference

The fall 2024 Atlanta Writers Conference, sponsored by the Atlanta Writers Club, will be held on November 1 and November 2 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. The conference includes a book fair featuring attendees’ books; presentations on the...

Biographers International Organization Conference

The 2024 Biographers International Organization (BIO) Conference was held on May 16 and May 17 at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in New York City; select events were also streamed online. The conference featured panels on...

Bogliasco Foundation

The Bogliasco Foundation offers month-long residencies from January to May and from September to December to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the coastal fishing village of Bogliasco, Italy, located seven miles southeast...

Brattleboro Literary Festival

Home » 2024 Conference

Submit your proposal here: CWSC24 CFP Submission Form or at bit.ly/cwsc24cfp

Download a flyer to share the call here: CWSC24 Flyer

Registration link: CWSC24 Registration or at bit.ly/cwsc24registration

Deadline for Proposals: August 25, 2024.

The Creative Writing Studies Organization is now accepting proposals for the 9th Annual Creative Writing Studies Conference (CWSC)! The conference offers an exciting opportunity to rebuild past connections and create new ones. It will be held Saturday and Sunday November 16-17, 2024, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. We will gather for a full day of in-person events on Saturday, November 16 and limited virtual events intended to connect with international scholars on the morning of Sunday, November 17.

CALL: Creative Writing in Crisis?

The Endgame special issue of The Chronicle Review (2020) begins, “The academic study of literature is no longer on the verge of field collapse. It’s in the midst of it.” As scholars, students, and practitioners of creative writing, who share offices, hallways, academic buildings, and teaching duties with our friends in literary studies, it is difficult to not feel “the collapse” coming for us, if not upon us, already. Add to the mix the closure of small, independent literary magazines, publishers, and distributors, the explosion of AI in the university and in creative professions, political unrest both on and off the college campus, and we might announce our own “Endgame” crisis.

What does it mean for a field of study to be in crisis? In many ways, creative writing as a discipline is currently in a state of crisis. Questions about the future of humanities, the allocation of funding, and even the advent of AI call into question the place of creative writing, as well as the arts more broadly, within the university. Outside of academia, large language models purport to write, human writers unions win over AI exploitation, and media coverage of genocide twists the language of empathy to turn victors into victims.

However, in other ways, the domain of creative writing is one from which we can respond to and even address crises that students, faculty, and the public face in this rocky political landscape. For instance, how can creative writing be a part of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives? How might the popularity of creative writing courses help English departments, and the humanities overall? How do interdisciplinary approaches help creative writing to thrive?

If creative writing is in crisis, perhaps we may point to why, and to how we can help keep the ship of the field and its art afloat. But if creative writing isn’t in crisis, why does this idea exist in the first place, and how might it be better contextualized in the larger landscape, both within and beyond academia? We seek papers that offer a wide spectrum of voices and perspectives on this theme.

Conference Options: Paper or Workshop

Paper: Individual or collaborative papers are allotted 20 minutes and will be presented in a panel format. We will allot an extra 10 minutes at the end of each session for Q & A.

Multi-Paper Panel : Should a group of scholars with related research desire to form their own panel, they may do so, provided the panel is titled and each paper is outlined in the submission form. The panel should roughly allow for 60 minutes of presentations and 10 minutes of Q & A and should feature at least 3 presenters.

Workshop: Workshops are 75-minute hands-on sessions where participants will be actively involved in doing or making something related to creative writing, such as classroom activities or how to use tools or techniques. Workshops must be grounded in sound pedagogical theory and evidence-based practice; we are not interested in lore-based writing prompts (even if they’re really good ones!) unless they connect to one of the conference tracks in an explicit way, for example using digital tools, engaging with social action, or addressing issues of diversity and inclusion.

Papers that address the theme may also match one of the conference tracks: qualitative and quantitative research; theory, culture, and craft; diversity and inclusion; pedagogy; and digital and multimedia/multimodal. As a note, these tracks align with the Journal of Creative Writing Studies call for papers; participants can easily adapt their conference papers to be submitted to our peer-reviewed publication. For the track descriptions and more information about the journal, please check out the JCWS submissions page: https://repository.rit.edu/jcws/aimsandscope.html

Though diversity and inclusion is one of the journal and conference tracks, we encourage all proposals to consider how aspects such as race, ethnicity, ability, culture, class, language, and gender/sexuality are experienced and studied in the creative writing academic arena.

On Accessibility

This year, we are returning to an in-person conference. Since 2020, we have hosted online or hybrid conferences, which were important and useful ways of meeting together while minimizing the risk of COVID-19 exposure. Although the conference will be held in person, some events in the conference schedule will be shared live online and free to our membership, which will be announced at a later date.

The CSWO strives to make our conference accessible. Once we confirm the actual spaces we will use at Virginia Tech, we will update you regarding onsite accessibility. We also welcome the use of masks to reduce the spread of respiratory illness.

For those who may struggle making it to Virginia Tech due to health or safety reasons, please contact the Chair of the Board, Audrey Heffers, at [email protected] . We will strive to arrange for accommodations.

Final Notes

Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of previous scholarship on the subject under investigation and should aim to create new knowledge and/or challenge disciplinary conceptions and practices. Proposals based solely on the author’s own experience may be appropriate if they are the result of well-defined action research and use established research methods. It is expected that research involving human subjects will conform to the highest standards of ethical conduct as outlined by the Institutional Review Board of the scholar’s home university.

As a result, presentations should reference sources that support the work and connect to current conversations in the field. We recognize that conversations in the field happen in many places and that citations may come from a variety of non-hegemonic sources. So we join Sara Ahmed in embracing sources “who have contributed to the intellectual genealogy of feminism and antiracism, including work that has been too quickly…cast aside or left behind, work that lays out other paths, paths we can call desire lines, created by not following the official paths laid out by disciplines” (Living a Feminist Life).

The CWSO is dedicated to democratizing scholarly communities — including this conference. As we aim to disrupt the typical conference review process, we commit to offering mentorship and support to any proposals that do not yet fit the scholarly requirements of the conference. In line with our ideals of inclusivity and community mentorship, we may be in contact with proposers as needed to work together to ensure the proposal is ready for the conference.

In order to complete the CFP you will need:

– Names and email addresses of all presenters

– A session or paper title

– A session or paper proposal that does not exceed 300 words

– A one or two sentence summary of the session, 50 words maximum

– Citations (see above note on sources)

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The Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference

October 10 - 12, 2024

A gathering of hearts and minds

Desert Nights, Rising Stars (DNRS) is a teaching conference that values nurturing and facilitating a community of writers committed to learning their craft. Our theme for 2024 is “Craft. Culture. Community.” We seek to create brave spaces where writers of all levels are empowered to uncover and share their stories.

Our 2024 keynote speakers are poets Nicole Sealey , originator of “The Sealey Challenge,” and Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award winner John Murillo .

View last year's schedule

Teaching Fellows

Conference Faculty

Registering for the conference

Registration opens june 1 | register before july 15 to save $50.

Our conference has a number of ways to participate and engage so you can create the experience that works best for you:

Early registration is $225 through July 15
Standard registration is $275
Single-day passes are available for $150

We offer several discounted rates:

Seniors (65+), Arizona educators, active or retired military, and people with disabilities rate is $115
ASU student, faculty, and staff rate is $50
Non-ASU student rate is $75

In addition, we offer a discounted rate of $50 under MFA Presents and Community Writers for those interested in presenting at the conference. We also offer emerging writers the opportunity to apply for the Conference Teaching Fellowship program, which offers writers the opportunity to teach alongside award-winning faculty and receive a free registration.

The Piper Center is committed to making all reasonable accommodations that will allow attendees to participate in conference events. ASU and the Piper Center comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and strive to make our conference accessible and inclusive of all participants.

View our accessibility page

Hear from past attendees

"as a first time attendee who had never participated in a writer’s conference before, i wasn’t sure what to expect. what i discovered was a unique opportunity to engage with other individuals who are passionate about writing. every session offered up an overall experience that made me feel part of a supportive, close-knit community. when i left the conference, i know i left gaining new friendships, a renewed sense of purpose, and an even stronger commitment to continue pursuing what i’m most passionate about.".

Sara Steven

“This conference exceeded my expectations. I am the author of a book of poems and have been writing and programming in creative writing communities since I received my MFA, so I was already familiar with the excellent work that the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing does. What I learned firsthand while attending is how this is accomplished: by offering inspired talks and workshops led by gifted and open-hearted writers and by giving attendees plenty of time to digest what we’ve heard and learned. There was an authentic spirit of camaraderie here. Hands down, my favorite conference in years.”

Emma trelles, “the desert nights, rising stars conference is the premier literary event in phoenix. it’s worth flying in for, and if you’re from town, it’s a must. countless strides in my writing can be traced back to a connection or lesson learned from the conference. i often feel like i get a semester’s worth of knowledge in only three days. i definitely plan to go every year.”, bart bergfeld, our sponsors.

Putting together a creative writing conference is a monumental endeavor, one we couldn't possibly accomplish without support. We're deeply grateful to all of the businesses, organizations, and individuals who donate to the conference for their graciousness, generosity, and commitment to the literary arts.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Beyond recognition, sponsors receive special registration rates, exhibitor space, advertising, promotional opportunities and more. Your investment allows us to continue improving the lives of individual writers and giving back to the larger community. Learn more about becoming a sponsor today!

The Best 11 Writing Conferences for Authors in 2024

How would you like to attend the best writing conferences for authors this year?

Writing conferences can be some of the best investments to make in your writing career. And guess what? There are plenty of writing conferences for authors in North America taking place all year round.

Now you might be thinking…but, I haven’t written a book yet. Shouldn’t I become a published author first?

The good news: No, you just have to love writing books and be willing to improve your craft.

Writing conferences have something for every type of writer—fiction, nonfiction, memoir writing , or children’s books —there are writing conferences for everyone! You just have to do the research and find the writing conferences that best fit your specific needs, location, and price.

Writing conferences and workshops are available in most cities across North America and you can find one near you to attend this year.

This Guide to the Best Writing Conferences Will Cover:

What are writing conferences.

Writing conferences are meetings of authors, writers, and publishing professionals to discuss particular topics or themes and network within the writing and publishing industry. Writing conferences are typically organized annually and will cover an in-depth agenda featuring experts to share knowledge on particular topics for authors to improve their craft.

Writing conferences can be hosted according to specific subjects, writing niches, or genres, or they can be targeted toward the broad writing and publishing industry. Attendees can network with peers, industry experts, and professionals who provide author services, such as publishing agents, book editors, and illustrators.

Depending on which area of expertise interests you, there are a variety of writing conferences offered throughout the world.

How to Choose the Best Writing Conferences

With so many options available, it can be hard to narrow down which writing conferences are the best fit for you.

The writing conferences you choose to attend will depend on several factors. These author events are held all over North America throughout the year, so finding a workshop or conference to join is easy. It’s just a matter of deciding which writing conferences are the right choice for your needs.

Choose the best writing conference for your author career…

Here are some things to consider when deciding on writing conferences:

Experience Level as a Writer or Author

Are you just beginning your author journey? Or, have you been writing for years with multiple books published ? Depending where you’re at in the process will influence the type of writing conferences and related workshops to attend.

Geographical Location of the Writers Conference

The location of the writing conferences have a lot to do with your choice of event. Local events are ideal for time and travel expenses. Writing conferences located further away could still be a worthy investment if you don’t mind traveling.

Topics Covered at the Writing Conferences

Are you a mystery thriller novelist? Writing a memoir? Focusing on improving your literary voice ? You might consider the Writing Day Workshops as the best choice for writing conferences.

Cost to Attend the Authors Event

The prices of writing conferences vary but you can find some great deals with each event. Depending on where the event is held you may have to pay for your air travel and hotel. Events held in large chain hotels often have a deal with the hotel to provide a discounted rate to conference participants.

Do you prefer a huge gathering of authors, such as the 12,000+ participants that attend the Association of Writers and Writing programs every year? Or, something smaller scale that runs for a longer period like the Sewanee Writers Conference .

Now that you know how to narrow down the writing conferences, here are the writing conferences I recommend in 2024:

1. Author Advantage Live Virtual Experience

The Author Advantage Live conference from Self-Publishing School tops our lists of writing conferences because it’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience, tailored to the demands of today’s digital author (and those aspiring to be!).

And this year, they’re going VIRTUAL, so you can attend from anywhere in the world and from the comfort of your own home—and for CHEAPER than ever before!

It’s less focused on improving your writing craft and more focused on helping you build your platform, audience, and impact through your book.

If you’re an aspiring author, published author (of both nonfiction and/or fiction), or an entrepreneur, this event is for you.

This writer’s conference is an intensive event for action-takers, no matter what stage of your career you’re in.

Whether you’re speaking, coaching, or building your dream as a career author, you’ll have the chance to bring your critical questions about self-publishing to the experts on site ready to help you start your book publishing journey.

The event is broken up into a series of workshops covering these topics:

Day 1 – Crafting your message and identifying your audience
Day 2 – How to sell your first 10,000+ book copies
Day 3 – How to build a business on the back-end of your book

Previous speakers include: John Maxwell , author of 83 books and the world-renown leadership expert; Hal Elrod , international bestselling author of The Miracle Morning ; Chandler Bolt , bestselling author and CEO of Self-Publishing School ; Dave Chesson , founder of Kindlepreneur and Publisher Rocket , Ashley Crouch , founder of Appleseed Communications, and more!

This event is slated as one of the best and most anticipated author events of the year.

Location: Virtual

When : August 1st-3rd

Website: Author Advantage Live

2. San Francisco Writers Conference

The SFWC is a 4-day long writer’s conference held in February that targets mainly fiction and nonfiction authors. It is made up of freelance writers, indie authors, editors, agents, and keynote presenters.

All this talent is combined to bring the best to the publishing world to support authors everywhere to write, publish, and thrive as authors.

If is one of the writing conferences where you can join multiple panels that include how to write a book , pitch a book proposal, turn your blog into a book, or master the art of character dialogue.

This conference is great fun and very rewarding for all of the writers and book publishing associations that attend. A definite blend of art, culture and relationship-building.

Who Is This For: Writers looking to make those critical connections for their writing at writing conferences. Or you want to take part in one of many panels available to boost your writing and publishing skills.

Location: Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, CA.

When: February 15th-18th

Website: https://sfwriters.org/

Contact: [email protected]

3. San Miguel Writers Conference and Literary Festival

In a town that has been a gathering place for artists and writers since the 1930s, San Miguel de Allende (a small town in Mexico) is the perfect place for writing conferences.

This annual event has a strong tie to culture as the town is a boiling pot for artists, writers, and performers. The event hosts 12 master classes with over 750 participants , not to mention another 10,000 seats taken in attendance of the conference at eight main stage ballroom events.

The event is heavily focused on building relationships with the community, networking, and cultural exchange of thousands of people from all over. The event takes place over the course of 5+ days and hosts a variety of keynote speakers and workshops.

Location: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

When : February 19th-23rd

Website: https://sanmiguelwritersconference.org/

Contact: via the site

4. Romance Writers of America Annual Conference

If you are a romance author, then this is the conference to end all writing conferences. Every year Romance Writers of America puts on a conference for romance authors across the nation.

Romance Writers of America (RWA) is a nonprofit trade association whose mission is to increase public awareness of the romance genre and advance the careers of romance writers. At their annual writing conferences, you can meet and mingle with budding and successful romance authors, and attend workshops and events to boost your career.

Location: Austin, Texas.

When : July 31st – August 3rd

Website: https://www.rwa.org/Online/Events/RWA_Conference/Online/Events/Conferences

5. Santa Barbara Writers Conference

Established in 1972, the elite Santa Barbara Writers Conference is one intense-filled week of mingling with authors and publishing professionals.

Taking place in none other than Santa Barbara, this is one of the writing conferences where participants can engage in lectures, workshops, and informal conversation about writing style, craft, networking, and anything related to book publishing.

What can you expect at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference ?

According to the schedule for June, you can expect to take part in:

6 evening keynotes by well-known authors
One-on-one manuscript consultation
6 days of workshops led by professional authors
Poolside cocktail reception (Nice!]
One week of networking and making friends
Book signings and mingling with famous authors

The full week costs $899 or $199 for a single day. Not to mention, Santa Barbara is not a bad place to hang out for the week.

Location: Santa Barbara

When: June 9th-14th

Website: https://www.sbwriters.com/

6. Sewanee Writers’ Conference

The Sewanee Writers Conference is an extensive 12-day retreat that takes place in July in Sewanee, Tennessee, at The University of the South.

What do attendees do for 12 days at writing conferences?

The event is based on a workshop model and each participant is assigned to a workshop that is led by two faculty members. Workshops meet five times, on alternating days, to form the core of the 12-day program.

Faculty members will choose pieces of participants’ manuscripts for consideration in the workshop setting. However, rather than developing new material, attendees are encouraged to finish the work they submitted for review and commentary.

This is a fully immersed workshop that is highly focused on developing writing skills and confidence as a writer. The workshops and presentations are usually led by a distinguished group of writers, critics, and agents.

With a workshop this long (12 days, remember) the University does offer room and board (single or double dormitory rooms) which is a nice bonus and is included in the cost of the conference fee. University buildings are accessible for people with disabilities and parking spaces are available with reservation for their writing conferences.

Another bonus of this conference is participants receive assistance covering two-thirds of the actual cost to attend, thanks to a memorial fund set up by Walter E. Dakin.

The biggest challenge would be convincing your employer you have to take two weeks off work to attend writing conferences!

Location: Sewanee, Tennessee

When : July 16th-28th

Website: https://sewaneewriters.org/conference/

Contact: [email protected] or 931-598-1654

7. Writer’s Digest Annual Conference

The annual Writer’s Digest Annual Conference is a heavy-hitter when it comes to author events. If there is any event of the year you can get to, this should be at the top of your list of writing conferences in addition to Author Advantage Live .

This event focuses in on advancing your career as an author to turn your passion for writing into a business. The event covers a wide range of topics that includes:

Building a sustainable writing career
Promotion and marketing tactics
Developing an author brand
The business of Traditional and self-publishing
Mastering the writing craft

Educational workshops are led by industry experts in book publishing with dozens of writers, editors, and publishing experts available to discuss your questions about writing and publishing that next bestseller.

The Legendary Pitch Slam

You can participate in the Pitch Slam, a rare opportunity to pitch your idea directly to agents and editors who are always on the lookout for good talent. The experts provide feedback on the best way to deliver a pitch so you can refine and improve your sales pitch. Each pitch typically lasts three minutes, and includes your 90-second pitch and a 90-second response from the agent/editor with feedback.

This great opportunity could get your foot in the door of a big publisher, land the deal of a lifetime, or put you in contact with the right agent who can best represent your work.

You can register here for the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference.

Location: New York City

When : August

Website: https://writersdigestconference.com/

8. Writing Day Workshops

This is a one-stop workshop that includes everything from talking to literary agents to writing your book and marketing for publication. The Writing Day Workshops are full-day “How to Get Published” writing events that happen across the United States throughout the year. If you struggle to make it to any of the location-specific events, the Writing Day Workshops is a great alternative.

With locations in California, Ohio, Florida, New York, Colorado, Ontario (Canada), Indiana, Arizona, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Georgia, you can certainly find something to get to on a 1-2 hour plane ride. Check the calendar for a complete list of all their dates updated monthly.

Here is a breakdown of the workshop themes that may be held depending on the event:

How to Market Yourself and Your Books : Author Platform & Social Media Explained
How to Get Published in Literary Magazines
How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript
Everything You Need to Know About Agents, Queries & Pitching
Your Publishing Options

The workshops are led by accomplished authors, editors, and marketing pros in the publishing industry so you are getting the best instruction from professionals working in the business.

Literary agents are on-site at each event to answer your questions about publishing and, you can practice delivering your pitch to a real editor or agent and receive individual feedback.

Location: Across the USA

When : All year round

Website: http://www.writingdayworkshops.com/

9. Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference

One of the oldest writing conferences in the United States, The Bread Loaf had its beginnings from 1926. In fact, one of the writers who founded the conference was none other than Robert Frost himself.

Hailed as a literary summer camp in the Green Mountains of Ripton, Vermont, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference runs for a total of 10 days. The conference is made up of a diverse combination of workshops including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry leading the way.

The conference is hosted and instructed by faculty members whose lectures focus on special writing and certain aspects of the writing craft. Participants also have the chance to meet with experienced editors, literary agents, and publishers who provide information and answer questions.

This conference is not for lightweights. It is a serious dive into the literary world with thousands of applicants per year and only about 250 are selected. Many participants go on to achieve literary success and recognition, and others pass on their experiences at Bread Loaf to their own writing students.

The big difference with the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and other author events is that the focus is not on actual writing during the retreat. The retreat is set up for learning and not on-site writing. Participants are encouraged to take what they learn in the workshops and write at home.

The Bread Loaf Society has an additional three conferences that run and they are:

Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference
Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference
Bread Loaf in Sicily

Location: Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College in Ripton, Vermont.

When: August 14th-24th

Website: https://www.middlebury.edu/bread-loaf-conferences/program

10. AWP: Association of Writers and Writing Programs

Every year over 12,000 participants take part in one of the biggest author events of the year—the AWP, Association of Writers and Writing programs . AWP is now listed as the largest literary conference in North America.

The annual AWP Conference and Bookfair is a must-go-to destination for writers, editors, and publishing experts from all over the nation. The event hosts over 2000 presenters, 550 readings, panels, and craft lectures.

If you are looking to be part of the biggest event of the year, the AWP is one that you need to experience at least once in a lifetime.

Location: Kansas City, Missouri.

When: February 7th-10th

Website: https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/

Contact: [email protected] or events@awp w riter.org

11. SleuthFest

You are a thriller writer who writes mystery, suspense, and edge-of-the-seat stories! That is why the SleuthFest Annual Conference is the perfect event for you. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, this is an annual event that takes place in Florida and runs for four days.

This conference includes writing and marketing workshops , networking events, and pitch sessions where you can practice your pitch with agents and editors. There are multiple workshops taking place throughout the day.

The workshops are very dynamic and dive into specific topics for mystery/thriller writers.

Workshops themes include:

The elements of the private investigator
Plotting basics for your novel
The book business and how it can work for you
The writer’s pathway
From crime to conviction
Medical treatment in fiction

You get the idea. Great workshops for the serious-minded thriller writer who needs training in tech writing or developing craft. This event has everything you could hope for.

The conference also includes:

Critiques of your 25-page manuscript submission
Social events to mingle with agents and favorite authors
Agent & Editor strategy sessions for your work-in-progress
Agent & Editor Appointments to pitch your finished work
A forensic track with current forensic techniques & hands-on workshops / Yes, you get the chance to try your hat at actual forensic work. For me, this alone would be worth joining!

Location: Hilton Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida

When: September 26th-29th

Website: https://sleuthfest.com/

12. Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference

One of the best writers conferences to join in 2024 is the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference. If you are a fiction author, you can enjoy keynote presentations from regional authors, literary agents, and editors. You can also experience pitching opportunities, learn market insights and trends, and can feedback on your manuscript feedback. And of course, there is plenty of opportunity for networking!

Location : Denver, Colorado

When : September 27th – 29th

Website: https://rmfw.org/conference/

13. Kauai Writers Conference

The Kauai Writers Conference offers two fantastic sessions with a truly impressive faculty with names like Meg Wolitzer, Billy Collins, and Lauren Groff. There are 20 Master Classes from November 11th – 14th and then a writing conference from November 15th – 17th.

This tropical writing conference will include panels on the craft and business of writing, publishing industry consultation, agent pitch sessions, and more.

Location : Lihue, Kauai

When : November 11th – 17th

Website: https://kauaiwritersconference.com/

14. Killer Nashville

Are you a thriller or crime author? Then Killer Nashville is one of the writing conferences you need to make it to this year! The conference will have over 150 presentations with crime-related topics such as law enforcement, government agencies, romantic suspense, CIA intrigue, and more.

Location : Nashville, Tennessee

When : August 22nd – 25th

Website: https://www.killernashville.com/

15. Midwest Writers Workshop

Last but not least of our writing conferences to attend in 2024 is the Midwest Writers Workshop. This conference offers sessions and panels on a wide range of topics and covering multiple genres, so there is something for every author. This year, their keynote speakers are Tamara Winfrey-Harris and Jane Friedman.

If you are near the area, give this one a go!

Location : Muncie, Indiana When : July 11th – 13th Website: https://www.midwestwriters.org/mww24-summer-conference/

Preparing for Your Writing Conference s

If you are going to attend an author’s event, you want to be fully prepared so when you meet people, you know what to say, and what to give away.

If you are getting ready for an author event, do you have copies of your published book ready? Can you pitch your book idea in a way that it gets people charged up?

Ideally, the best things you can bring to writing conferences are the obvious: an intriguing pitch, a synopsis of your book, and the first chapter (or short sample) of your writing.

If you haven’t published a book yet, you should prepare for everything you need to get published. Be ready to connect with agents and literary pros who can help you to get your book written, packaged, and to market.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for your writing conferences:

Bring a business card: You’re not published yet but you want to make connections. You can get a simple card made up with your contact info. I’ve met lots of people over the years where I was caught off guard by NOT having that card ready.
Bring copies of your book [10 paperbacks at least]. If you are published, have copies of your book on hand. You’ll wish you did when someone asks “What is your book about?”
Prepare a pitch of your manuscript.
Research everything about the conference . Who will be there? Who do you want to meet? How will you approach that agent or publisher?
Leave imposter syndrome at the door . One of the biggest challenges that sticks to many future authors, and even seasoned authors, is that lingering feeling of, “What am I doing here? I’m not a writer?” With this mindset, it will derail you from making positive contacts or approaching anyone at all. Writer or not, you didn’t sign up for an author event because you had nothing better to do. You are there for a reason. Now dance.

Top Reasons to Attend Writing Conference s

You know why you want to join a writer’s event…to become a prolific author and sell thousands of books around the world. Or, meet up with that book agent who has taken an interest in your story and is prepared to pitch it to one of the big 5 publishers .

But if you’re having a hard time justifying the exact reasons why attending writing conferences will be a good investment, we’ve compiled a list of important reasons to consider.

Writing conferences or author events should be a definite YES if you get the opportunity to join. As we will see, there are plenty of good reasons to sign up for an event.

As an aspiring or already published author, you should be attending at least one event a year , if not more.

Even if you haven’t published a book yet but are in the middle of a great outline, joining a live event could be the magic sauce to make that happen.

Here are nine reasons why you should attend writing conferences:

You Can Connect With Professional Authors

Writing can be a lonely profession. You sit alone for hours a day typing up [or transcribing] material for your book. You might go days without really talking to anyone, which is not recommended. Get out of the house and get connected!

One of the best reasons for signing up for a live author conference is, it puts you in immediate contact with writers just like you .

Everyone has a story to tell. Joining the conference allows you to connect with people one on one, share your story, and get reassurance that you are not alone. You are on the right path .

You can get reassurance that writing a book is awesome and there is nothing else you’d rather be doing with your valuable time. You’ll have the chance to hang out with other writers going through the same fears, uncertainty and, of course, excitement to be part of such an event. You can even network with authors to get support in your publishing endeavors. Who knows, you may even meet a friendly author who is willing to provide an editorial review, which can be powerful for showcasing on your book’s back cover, and on websites like your Amazon Author Central page.

Opportunity is in Abundance at Author Events

You meet amateur and professional authors at events. This is fantastic and very motivating. But there are also big opportunities to hook up with literary agents.

What is a literary agent ?

Someone very important who usually represents a publishing house and they are seeking new talent, that next idea that sells, and a face behind the story that could sweep America up when it is published. So yes, it could be a big deal to get connected with an agent. That’s why writing conferences can be instrumental when you are learning how to publish a book traditionally.

It is an Investment in Your Career

Are you focused on building a full-time career as an author? If yes, or even if this is part-time and you want to build your name and platform before taking the leap, attending writing conferences can jump-start your career . They build important connections, expand opportunities, and define your clarity of purpose!

You are Investing in Your Future

If attending an event can jumpstart your career as an author, imagine the possibilities for the rest of your life! You get to quit your day job and write full-time. You can pump out story after story and build up a big enough platform that you never have to worry about the future again, as your books are selling in the thousands every month. Now that is real momentum.

You Can Decide How to Publish

Let’s say you are doing your research for the best self-publishing courses , and you are still on the fence as to whether self-publishing or traditional publishing is your best course of action.

Talking to authors, agents, and publishing consultants can certainly help you to make a firm decision.

Once decided, you can decide the type of self-publishing course to take. Or, the traditional publisher you want to approach with your manuscript. Attending the conference gives you answers to uncertainty.

You Can Pitch Your Book Idea to Agents

You have an idea for a book but you aren’t sure if it is any good. You told a few people and, while they didn’t laugh, it wasn’t the reaction you expected.

What you need to do is practice pitching your book idea to the people who can listen to what you are working on. That may be a literary agent at the event or just fellow authors. But talking about your book ideas is a brilliant strategy for moving on the writing journey .

Many authors get stuck because they don’t share their ideas. The concept of telling people about your writing project can be scary and overwhelming, and if left to simmer too long, fear takes over and you get stuck.

So, joining an event gives you the opportunity to talk about your books . You are writing your first book and need some confidence boost? Great. Talk about your writing. Published five books and need clarity on your sixth? Excellent. Put it out there and get solid feedback.

You Can Write Off the Writers Conference as a Business Expense

What? Even if I am not earning money yet? Yes, you can claim what you spend as a business expense including the cost of the event, air travel expenses, and your hotel. You get to travel and can claim it as a write-off for your author business.

You Can Get Pro Writing Tips From Successful Authors

A friend of mine was stuck for weeks on her book. She had written a few thousand words but then it dwindled and died off. She wasn’t sure what happened.

After attending a writer’s conference, she was back on track and writing again after one of the speakers had said something prolific about the art of writing.

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” Ernest Hemingway

As creative writers, getting stuck is part of the process . When you come in contact with writers and publishing experts who know what it takes to be a successful writer, this enhances your writing skills as you learn new tactics and methods for improving your craft.

Pro writing tips can make or break your career as an author. Many give up because they don’t have the guidance of someone to help along the way. You don’t have to be a statistic of people who “wanted to write a book” but someone who IS writing a book and is on target to publish soon.

Here are 3 quick pro writing tips I picked up over the past year:

Writer’s block doesn’t exist . It equals lack of clarity in one’s style and indicates you have research, deep thinking, or more writing to do in order to get unstuck.
Set up a writer’s work station . Keep it clean and use it for writing. Decorate your station with motivational quotes by authors or even famous writer pics. Make it so that you want to spend 4-6 hours comfortably there. Use writing prompts to get you started every morning.
Set aside time for reading. Stephen King has been quoted as saying: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” So reading is critical. Set aside 30 minutes a day for reading. Write when you have to write, and read when you must read.

Boost Inspiration and Get Motivated to Write

Your writing might need a perk, or that momentum to get you started. Attending a writer’s conference will fill you up with enough creative juice to get the fingers flying onto your keyboard before the event is finished.

I always feel charged up after talking ‘shop’ with other writers. It is a great way to build rapport with authors and support each other on the author journey, regardless if you are self-published or thinking of going with a traditional publisher.

Connecting with other writers in the same stage as you’re in is great for accountability, which helps you stick to your writing goals .

Ready to Sign Up for Some Writing Conferences?

You have been thinking about attending a writer’s event for a long time. And now, you have everything you need to take action. (For a related post on Best Author Conferences, check out this post .)

Before signing up for your writing conference, make sure you have absolute clarity on which conference to attend, and your reasoning behind it.

Here are three questions to help you sign up for your writing conferences:

What is the best event for me? Is it the Author Advantage Live event or The Muse and the Marketplace ?
What is drawing me to a particular event? The speakers? Size of the guest list? Convenient location? Workshop themes?
Am I ready to sign up for an event now?

Joining an event is a no-brainer. You owe it to yourself as an author and a creative to scale up your skills as a writer and meet people on the same journey as you.

You don’t know what could result from this. A literary agent’s private contact info? Your book idea taken to a major publisher? Meeting an author that you have always admired?

To mention, you could have a great time surrounded by all of those author personalities and that builds a strong sense of purpose: This is it. I am in the right place, surrounded by people who love books and writing, and now I’m part of a real group of authors.

Trust me: The feeling is beyond words. Now, go and experience it for yourself !

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Great Writing

The international creative writing conference (uk).

The UK's Great Writing international Creative Writing conference is a place to share creative and critical work, to explore Creative Writing, and to discuss those explorations with Creative Writing colleagues from around the world. Launched nearly 27 years ago, each year the conference welcomes creative writers from all over the world -- many of whom work in universities and colleges, or are undertaking graduate degrees in Creative Writing.

Each year the conference is the home to some truly magnificent presentations - some by creative writers who have given many presentations, some by creative writers who are giving their very first presentations! Great Writing is always a friendly, open conference where the focus is entirely Creative Writing and the many ways we can undertake it and understand it. If you think you might enjoy exploring and discussing Creative Writing with others, over a lively two days in the British summer, then why not come along? The cost of attending is always very reasonable, the people you'll meet could well be fabulous (the folks at Great Writing often are!), and the creative and critical work you'll encounter is likely to stimulate your own ideas, your own Creative Writing.

Great Writing has also built distinctively on the growing worldwide interest in Creative Writing research, with conference presenters exchanging new findings and new ideas about the undertaking and understanding of Creative Writing - particularly in the area of practice-led Creative Writing research. Some of the results of this research (both creative results and critical results) you will find published in New Writing: the International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing (Routledge/Taylor and Francis), an independent Creative Writing journal. The Great Writing conference hosts the annual New Writing International Creative Writing Lecture, a celebration of Creative Writing and our keen human interest in it. I very much look forward to seeing you at the Great Writing conference - where you will be warmly welcomed!

Professor Graeme Harper Founder/Director, Great Writing: the International Creative Writing Conference (UK)

Call for Proposals

Opens in October

Great Writing began in the late 1990s with a small number of keynote presentations, and a single panel made up of those keynote presenters. The participants at that first conference were involved in discussions with the presenters, and amongst themselves, they expressed ideas, talked about things that might be further explored - but the event was otherwise somewhat singular in direction! That is: a few people talked, most people listened.

By the second year of the conference things had changed: now there would be multiple panels, made up of three individual presenters per panel - each person would have 30 minutes in total to offer something, with the suggested format being 20 minutes for a presentation, 10 minutes for questions. (Writers could propose a single 20/10 presentation, or three presenters could get together to offer a full 90 minute panel proposal). This was later changed to 20 minutes in total (15/5) to allow for even more productive discussion over the conference weekend.

This format proved extremely popular. As did the change of date - where as the January date of the inaugural conference meant cold (and not to put too fine a point on it) wet weather, the summer dates of the second conference promised not only a lively gathering but a warm one as well!

That proved to be the case: and the conference is now always in June or July of each year. The audience too began to widen, from its second year - more international presenters traveled to the UK to be at the second conference. This has become a Great Writing tradition. It seems the idea of meeting each year, in summer, in the UK, to explore Creative Writing - and to consider how it is being taught and researched - was always going to be popular. But there was still one more development to make the Great Writing conference programme really work!

Up until the fifth year of the conference, Great Writing only had critical presentations - that is, up until its fifth year the conference was home to presentations concerned primarily with critical approaches to written works, with the pedagogies of Creative Writing teaching, and with ideas about Creative Writing and other Humanities subjects. The only creative presentations up until then were those that happened as keynote readings or in an impromptu fashion in the evenings of the conference. In the fifth year, that all changed:

From year five, Great Writing became an international platform for both critical and creative presentations!

The logic of doing this hadn't gone unnoticed - after all, Creative Writing is about creative work, and study (and research) in Creative Writing always has creative work at its core. It made no sense not to be offering the opportunity for creative writers to present their creative works - sometimes presentations at Great Writing now incorporate both creative and critical work!

Today Great Writing: the International Creative Writing Conference (UK) offers the opportunity to present either critical or creative work, to socialise with fellow creative writers from around the world, to discuss, debate and explore topics and findings in Creative Writing research (whether faculty or student research), to establish new collaborations and renew established ones, to discuss the teaching and learning of Creative Writing in universities and colleges (or, indeed, in the wider community), and to celebrate the considerable human interest in Creative Writing as an art form, a form of communication, an exchange between people, and as a site of human endeavour.

The Timetable for the Year:

A Call for Papers traditionally went out in August, following the preceding conference. (in 2020 for 2021 this occurred in October, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022 we will trial a new shorter call for proposals period, and a new combined conferenceformat [primarily 'in person" with some opportunities for virtual participation])
Calls for Papers remain open until there are no spaces left at the conference. We have "rolling calls", but once all presenter spaces are full these stop. (non-presenter/audience spaces remain open, however)
Accepted presenters are asked to register on their acceptance, to secure their presenter place, and to assist with logistics [technology resources, coffee ordering, and volunteer hours devoted to running each year's conference].
The Final Programme is constructed around early June, in the year of conference (ie. between 3-4 weeks before the conference).
Great Writing occurs in the UK each year in either June or July.
The New Writing: International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing welcomes submissions developed into publishable pieces from presentations given at the Great Writing conference - papers accepted are usually published within 12 months.

Great Writing International Creative Writing Conference - July 2024: Graeme – as Great Writing Conference Director, you can indeed contact me (as below) on any and all of the various aspects of the conference, prior or during conference, or via [email protected] That said, there is usually someone other than me who knows more about specific elements (eg. catering, directions, the final schedule) . A full list of contacts is published here, well in advance of the conference dates.

2024 - Great Writing 27 - The Conference Team :

Graeme - [email protected]

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The Fall 2024 Online Seattle Writing Workshop

Get your writing published: october november 1-2, 2024, the 2024 online seattle writing workshop: november 1-2, 2024.

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This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Online Seattle Writing Workshop!

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. This Fall 2024 SWW is an Online Conference , November 1-2, 2024. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback . You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop, November 1-2, 2024. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Seattle” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation — see our growing list of success stories here .

This event is designed to squeeze as much into two days of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the online classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents online to give feedback and take pitches from writers, as well . This year’s 2024 SWW agent & editor faculty so far includes:

literary agent Esty Loveing-Downes (Arthouse Literary)
literary agent James Mustelier (The Bent Agency)
literary agent Bonnie Swanson (FinePrint Literary Management)
literary agent Elizabeth Kracht (Kimberley Cameron & Associates)
literary agent Shannon Lechon (Azantian Literary Agency)Brandy Vallance
literary agent Brandy Vallance (Barbara Bova Literary Agency)
literary agent Jo Ramsey (Transatlantic Agency)
literary agent Brenna English-Loeb (Transatlantic Agency)
literary agent Megan Frayser (Creative Media Agency)
literary agent Elisa Moles (Painted Fire Literary)
literary agent Hannah Andrade (Bradford Literary)
literary agent Leah Moss (Steven Literary)
literary agent Amaryah Orenstein (Go Literary)
literary agent Cathie Hedrick Armstrong (Marsal Lyon Literary)
literary agent Jynastie Wilson (LCS Literary Services)
literary agent Lauren Albury (Holloway Literary)
literary agent Trinica Sampson-Vera (New Leaf Literary + Media)
literary agent Kelly Thomas (Serendipity Literary)
literary agent Mindi St. Peter (BAM Management)
literary agent Mara Cobb (Martin Literary & Media Management)
literary agent Thais Afonso (Azantian Literary)
literary agent Syrone Harvey (Belcastro Agency)
literary agent Annalise Errico (Ladderbird Literary)
literary agent Najla Mamou (Savvy Literary Services)
literary agent Sandy Lu (Bookwyrm Literary)
literary agent Eric Smith (PS Literary)
and possibly more agents to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Brian Klems of Writing Day Workshops . Contact Brian at [email protected] to register. Tell him you’re interested in the Seattle event.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. This Fall 2024 SWW is an Online Conference , November 1-2, 2024. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback. You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (NOV. 1-2, 2024):

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .

Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with Saturday sessions. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: From First Draft to Published Book . Attendees will gain suggestions of what they can do before, during, and after writing a manuscript to improve their chance for success as well as what they can expect from a publisher.

10:45 – 11:45: Book Marketing from Your Couch: Social Media 101 . Social media can be confusing, but book marketing from the couch is easy once you learn how. Analyze your audience and ascertain the best social media vehicle to dominate.

11:45 – 1:15: Break

1:15 – 2:30: Polish Your Prose: Tips for Readying Your Manuscript for Querying or Publishing . In this presentation, a literary agent will walk new and seasoned writers through the process of final edits, ensuring their project is truly their “final” project. After all, if you only get one shot, make sure you do it right!

2:45 – 3:45: Query Letter Writing . This session will walk you through the elusive query letter and give you actionable tips and tricks to help you rise above that slushpile!

4:00 – 5:00: The Secret of SWOT: How to Use a SWOT Analysis to Increase the Marketability of Your Story . Literary agent Jes Trudel will teach attendees what the SWOT analysis is and how writers can use it to analyze their manuscript’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This workshop will also help indie authors apply the same principles to their own marketing efforts.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: Practical Tips on The Emotional Writing Journey . This class covers the five steps and realities of being a writer: 1. rejection, 2. pressure and fear, 3. encouragement, 4. self-care, and 5. perseverance.

10:45 – 11:45: Hate to Edit? Write a Better First Draft! “Writing in Deep POV” allows your reader to experience the story alongside your character. It removes many of the redundant “problems” in your first draft, and that means less time editing.

2:45 – 3:45: Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from SWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

4:00 – 5:00: How to Build a Cast of Characters .In this class, attendees will be challenged to consider their story as an emotional journey they are taking the reader on; examine the usefulness/unhelpfulness of words like hero, villain, protagonist, and antagonist; learn the VEAH system (Vehicles, Engines, Anchors, and Hazards) that will put character growth at the center of your story; and more.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here . )

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day on Saturday, November 2.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:

Megan Frayser is a literary agent with Creative Media Agency. In adult books, she is seeking: contemporary romance, women’s fiction, book club fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, mythological retellings, dark academia, fantasy, and some nonfiction (true crime, sociology). In young adult books, she is seeking: contemporary, romance, fantasy, mystery, and horror. “Pitch me anything with found families, stories about a close group of friends, or a quirky cast of characters. I’m also always looking for stories that focus on minority voices, including neurodivergent, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disability, and mental health.” Learn about Megan here .

Elisa Moles is a literary agent with Painted Fire Literary Agency. She is seeking: Especially interested in upmarket fiction. “In one word, what defines fantastic fiction narrative? Consequences. Consequences give structure. And stories with cohesive and creative structures, true to each writer’s background and voice, stand the test of time beyond the trendy topics and gimmicks of the day. I especially love psychologically complex characters. I’m looking for distinctive and compassionate voices who are telling organically unexpected stories in a wide variety of styles and genres. Surprise me.” Please do not pitch: nonfiction, poetry, children’s books, middle grade, YA, graphic novels, screenplays, westerns, horror, nihilist, or erotic work. No previously self-published works please. Learn more about Elisa here.

Pitches happen during the SATURDAY daytime hours of the online conference. More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

$189 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the Fall 2024 Online SWW and access to all workshops, all days. (You also get 5-10 additional free pre-recorded webinars on writing and publishing.) As of spring 2024, registration for fall 2024 is now OPEN .

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals. There is no limit. Here are quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. Our bigger, growing list of success stories can be seen here .

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Brian Klems, one of the workshop’s former instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Seattle Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees get a phone/Zoom critique meeting with the faculty member. Options:

Young adult (contemporary, thriller, romance only), romance/romcoms, mysteries/thrillers, general/literary fiction, book club fiction, women’s fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Jilly Gagnon , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you in person at the event for 15 minutes sometime during the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Children’s picture books (virtual critiques ): Faculty member Rosie Pova , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Children’s picture books and middle grade (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Brittany Thurman , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Commercial women’s fiction, thriller/suspense, thriller with romantic elements, cozy mystery, YA thriller, young adult in general, middle-grade, literary fiction, and fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Amberly Finarelli , a former literary agent and current writing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SFF, urban fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Wesley Chu , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
More critique options possibly forthcoming.

How to pay/register — Registration is now open. Reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: [email protected] , and he will provide specific instructions for payment and registration to get you a reserved seat at the event. Payment is by PayPal or check or credit card. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Seattle workshop specifically.

REGISTRATION:

Are spaces still available? Yes, we still have spaces available. We will announce RIGHT HERE, at this point on this web page, when all spaces are taken. If you do not see a note right here saying how all spaces are booked, then yes, we still have room, and you are encouraged to register.

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: [email protected] . He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by PayPal or check or credit card. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The SWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Seattle workshop specifically.

Refunds : If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive 50% of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal or CC refund]. The other 50% is nonrefundable and will not be returned, and helps the workshop ensure that only those truly interested in the limited spacing sign up for the event. (Please note that query editing payments and manuscript editing payments are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already started edited your work.)

Thank you for your interest in the Online 2024 Seattle Writing Workshop.

The 2024 Seattle Writing Workshop: May 11, 2024

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (200 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Seattle Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here .

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next SWW is an in-person event happening in Seattle on May 11, 2024. See you there.)

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the Seattle Marriott Bellevue. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

This event is designed to squeeze as much into one day of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents onsite to give feedback and take pitches from writers, as well. This year’s agent and editor faculty so far includes:

literary agent Kesia Lupo (The Bindery)
literary agent Katie Reed (Andrea Hurst Literary)
literary agent Lisa Gouldy (Corvisiero Literary)
literary agent Adria Goetz (KT Literary)
literary agent Alisha West (Victress Literary)
literary agent Kelly Bergh (Lucinda Literary)
literary scout Rae Loverde (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
literary agent Leslie Varney (Prentis Literary)
literary agent Micah Brocker (Corvisiero Literary)
literary agent Kate Rogers (K.O. Media Management)
literary scout Kate MacGregor (MacGregor & Luedeke Literary)
literary agent Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary)
editor Tess Jones (Egret Lake Books)
and possibly more to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Chuck Sambuchino of Writing Day Workshops , with local help with the amazing Seattle Writers Meetup . E-mail Chuck to register for the event at [email protected] and tell him you’re interested in the Seattle event specifically.

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 11, 2024 — at the Seattle Marriott Bellevue, 200 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004.

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (MAY 11, 2024):

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. The topics below are mostly set, but subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here .

Please Note: There will be 2-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so you will have your choice of what class you attend at any time. The final schedule of topics is subject to change, but here is the current layout:

8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.

BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30

1. Before You Query: Understanding Query Letters, Synopses, and More . This class is for writers who believe they are finally ready to begin querying agents or submitting to editors who accept un-agented submissions. Writers will receive both industry advice and samples of fiction query letters and synopses as well as nonfiction book proposals.

2. Spice Up Your Writing: Tips on Character, Setting, and World-Building . This class, taught by a literary agent, shares helpful info on how to make your writing stronger, and pull in both agents and readers.

BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50

1. Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2024 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between . How are traditional publishing and self-publishing changing? What kind of writer is attractive to an agent currently? What is hybrid publishing? How will A.I. (artificial intelligence) help or hurt writers in the years to come? Which social media sites and publishing resources are worth the time and effort in 2024?

2. The Art of the Hook . This presentation will teach the art of writing hooks within your story, on your cover, and in your marketing. Learn how to grab interest on page 1, in paragraph 1 and with your first sentence; how to hook at chapter breaks and other critical points; and how to build hooks into your story arc and into your plot.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15

Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.

BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30

1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest . This is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission. 2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book . This session is completely devoted to nonfiction book proposals.

BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45

1. Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from SWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

2. Mapping Your Plot . Plot is the spine of the story and all else radiates from there. This session introduces the key elements of a plot line and then techniques as to how to generate your own plot line through plot mapping.

BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00

1. 10 Evergreen Keys to Writing Success. Learn 10 things you can be doing right now that will help get your book(s) published and have more control over your writing destiny.

2. What a Literary Agent Can Teach You About Editing and Revision . Learn how to go back to the drawing board and approach your manuscript with an agent’s eye! Topics include the crucial reader-character connection, polishing your prose, red flags and pitfalls to avoid, and some popular tactics to effectively pull your reader in from page one.

SESSIONS END: 5:00

At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers will make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

————-

ADDED ONLINE PITCHING : To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2024 Seattle Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2024 SWW on our calendar.

That event is the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop , May 31 – June 1, 2024, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2024 SWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online PWW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online May/June 2024 event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the Pittsburgh conference and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Seattle attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Seattle. Following the SWW conference on May 11, 2024, we will be in touch with all Seattle attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2024 PWW (May 31 – June 1) . At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

———

$199 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 SWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN. To register, just email [email protected] and say you want to sign up for the Seattle event.

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing list of success stories an be seen here .)

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Seattle Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees will either 1) get an in-person meeting at the workshop, if the faculty member is attending the live event, or 2) get a 10-minute phone call with the faculty member, and have notes passed along via email, if the critiquer is not attending the live event. Options:

Historical fiction, romance, young adult contemporary (in-person meetings): Faculty member Noelle Salazar , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you at the 2024 SWW for 15 minutes to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the in-person meeting.
Inspirational fiction, romance, historical fiction (in-person meetings) : Faculty member Bronwyn Scott , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you at the 2024 SWW for 15 minutes to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the in-person meeting.
Romance, mystery, thriller, adventure. historical fiction (in-person meetings) : Faculty member Wendy Kendall , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you at the 2024 SWW for 15 minutes to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the in-person meeting.
Women’s fiction, contemporary/mainstream fiction, literary fiction, young adult, and memoir (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Kimiko Nakamura , a literary agent and writing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Children’s picture books and middle grade (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Brittany Thurman , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Commercial women’s fiction, thriller/suspense, thriller with romantic elements, cozy mystery, YA thriller, young adult in general, middle-grade, literary fiction, and fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Amberly Finarelli , a former literary agent and current writing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SFF, urban fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Wesley Chu , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
More critique options possibly forthcoming

How to pay/register — Registration is now open. Reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] , and he will provide specific instructions for payment and registration to get you a reserved seat at the event. Payment is by credit card, PayPal, or check. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Seattle workshop specifically.

Because of limited space at the venue (Seattle Marriott Bellevue, 200 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA), the workshop can only allow 250 registrants, unless spacing issues change. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] . Chuck will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The SWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Seattle workshop specifically.

Refunds : If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive 50% of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal]. The other 50% is nonrefundable and will not be returned, and helps the workshop ensure that only those truly interested in the limited spacing sign up for the event. (Please note that query editing payments and manuscript editing payments are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already edited your work.)

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Shannon Lechon of Azantian Literary Agency

Shannon began her career with literary agency internships at P.S. Literary and Cake Creative, as well as an editorial internship with Penguin Random House. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in criminology and English from Florida State University and a master’s in publishing from New York University.

In middle grade , Shannon is looking for spooky stories only. That includes mysteries that feel equal parts campy and creepy in the vein of Scooby-Doo, but also horror like Coraline or City of Ghosts. A sense of humor in both voice and narrative style is always appreciated. Speculative elements are welcome but not necessary; she’s mainly looking for a great voice and atmosphere.

In young adult , she is mostly interested in stories with a speculative element, but is always on the lookout for a creative or original mystery. Dark, gothic fantasy or horror like What Big Teeth and The Taking of Jake Livingston is well-loved, as well as morally gray or antihero protagonists like Girl, Serpent, Thorn or The Curse Workers series. For science-fiction, she is looking for stories that call attention to existing issues like Rise of The Red Hand; superhero narratives like Renegades will also catch her eye. Expansive worldbuilding, with lands that feel real and fleshed-out histories, will pull her into the narrative. She is also looking for mystery/thrillers with original and spunky voices and/or setting as character. The ability to juggle large, quirky casts like Truly Devious is important to her. A young adult Knives Out would be a dream. Books that explore the difficulty of making the right choice and have main characters make selfish decisions will have them hooked.

In adult, she is looking for literary books with a speculative element like Bestiary and The Tiger’s Wife that feel lush and magically possible, like new worlds exist just on the periphery of our vision. Books that combine fantasy with societal inequalities in a way that doesn’t feel exploitative are high on their list of interests: Ring Shout and Mexican Gothic are prime examples. She is looking for science fantasy manuscripts like Middlegame that blur the line between magic and science and make us think about how far we can push the boundaries of our reality. She is particularly interested in sci-fi narratives that show a more positive side to technology, an anti-Black Mirror. She is also interested in manuscripts that incorporate elements of myth, especially if they are from underrepresented cultures or give voice to figures often forgotten; think The Wolf and the Woodsman and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. She is looking for mysteries and thrillers with the cinematic feel of My Sister, the Serial Killer and is constantly chasing the vibe of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. She is open to mysteries/thrillers with a light speculative element, such as The 7½ Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle. Speculative horror is a massive favorite of hers, anything from Ninth House to Manhunt. While she is not generally looking for romance, she is looking for romantic fantasy like A Marvellous Light.

For graphic novels , Shannon is looking for young adult fantasy that is grounded in our world like Hotel Dare and The Backstagers, ones that focus on found families, platonic relationships, and the power of friendship. Graphic novels are the only place Shannon is looking for general fiction submissions, particularly ones that deal with the complexity of identity like The Prince and the Dressmaker. She is also searching for adult personal nonfiction narratives about identity or mental health, like My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. Lush and intricate art like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me will always get their attention. Right now, she is only interested in taking on author/illustrators. Nonfiction

She is interested in select adult nonfiction proposals . She’s looking for memoirs about specialized careers like the beekeepers of Honey and Venom, as well as proposals on medicine and mental health, such as The Sleeping Beauties and What My Bones Know. Mental health and trauma recovery narratives like In the Dream House are also welcome. Readability and accessibility for the average reader is a must. Other

For more specific tropes, she’s interested in experimental styles and unreliable narrators. She is forever interested in the narrative gaslighting of Harrow the Ninth. Intense platonic interpersonal bonds are a particular favorite of hers; give her the physical manifestation of love à la Pacific Rim and she will be very happy. She likes underexplored magic systems and fantasy that doesn’t care if you understand it or not, like Gingerbread or The Starless Sea.

She is not the best fit for: westerns, thrillers that heavily feature law enforcement, novels-in-verse, and short story collections.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron & Associates

Elizabeth joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates in the fall of 2010 and is the author of The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript. She represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction, and brings to the agency experience as a former acquisitions editor, freelance publicist, and writer.

Elizabeth’s career in publishing took root in Puerto Rico where she completed her BA in English and worked as a copyeditor and proofreader for an English-language newspaper. When she returned to the mainland, she found her “vein of gold” in book publishing. She thrives on working closely with authors to build their careers, and is currently in graduate school earning her MFA in creative writing at San Jose State University.

Elizabeth’s eclectic life experience drives her interests. She appreciates writing that has depth, an introspective voice, and is thematically layered. Having lived in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is compelled by multicultural themes and characters and is drawn toward strong settings.

In fiction, she represents literary, commercial, women’s, thrillers, mysteries, historical, and crossover YA. In nonfiction, she is interested in high concept, health, science, environment, prescriptive, investigative, true crime, voice- or adventure-driven memoir, sexuality, spirituality, and animal/pet stories.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Bonnie Swanson of FinePrint Literary Management

Bonnie is a former elementary school teacher who lives in Southern Illinois. She has a husband, three grown children, two bonus daughters, and three fur-babies who think they need to eat all the cat food. While she eagerly (and impatiently) awaits grandkids, she is lucky enough to have one granddog, Onix, and two grandkitties, Maki and Whiskey.

Bonnie represents authors who cover all the age groups from picture books through adult, many of whom have their own furry overlords or small two-legged dictators commanding their households, too.

Across the board for all age groups, she wants to see underrepresented authors. (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, etc). She has very eclectic tastes and sometimes doesn’t know what she’s looking for until she reads it.

In adult book and young adult books, she seeks:

She is dying for a good speculative psychological horror mystery! (Think a gender-bent/gay Sherlock Holmes, set in Middle Earth or outer space, with all the creepy feels of Silence of the Lambs !) Normalized queerness where it isn’t the focus of the plot or subplot. She’s a sucker for a good romantasy (HEA required). Issue-driven stories that address timeless social issues and the people who fight to change them, stories where the underdog wins, non-traditional characters who feel real (even if they are in outer space), accessible literary prose, the Oxford comma. Dislikes stories with violence against women/children/animals, erotica, misogyny, alpha males, and romances where the heroine dumps the main love interest for no reason and goes for the villain.

In Picture Books, she likes:

The story must be child-centered and give them all the agency. They have enough grownups telling them what to do in their real lives; in books kids should get to be the heroes. Fiction or Nonfiction is okay and if it rhymes, it must be absolutely PERFECT!

In Middle Grade, she likes:

Bonnie is SUPER selective! But she likes stories based on kid-focused issues that have a touch (or more) of magic. She would love to see an aged-up version of the Junie B. Jones series with a nonbinary main character in a magical school setting. No animal stories please where they are the characters.

Another great conference is behind us!

This year’s event was perhaps our best ever: great attendance, wonderful speakers, a record-breaking number of contest entries. What a Day!

Here are some pictures from the conference .

Also, take a look at our Contest Winners .

CONFERENCE DETAILS…

The conference was held at the White County Extension Service Building, located at 2400 Landing Road, Searcy, AR. Information about our featured speakers and a description of each session can be found below.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Sharon kizziah-holmes.

In the 1990’s Sharon and her husband moved to the Ozarks. A professional musician, she continued to perform but her passion changed from music to writing fiction. After she joined Ozarks Romance Authors in 1992, she attended conferences and workshops to hone her skills and learn the fundamentals of both the writing and publishing industries.

Today, Sharon shares her knowledge with new and seasoned writers with her own workshops and presentations. She works as a Publishing Coordinator at Paperback Press.

Carla Killough McClafferty

Carla McClafferty, an Arkansas native, is an award-winning author of nonfiction books, public speaker, and has been inducted into the Arkansas Writer’s Hall of Fame.

Carla’s first career is as a Registered Radiologic Technologist. She began writing after the death of her young son, Corey. Her first book is Forgiving God: A Woman’s Struggle to Understand When God Answers No .

Next, McClafferty turned her attention to writing nonfiction books for teens. Her books have been recognized for excellence by many different organizations. She has been the keynote speaker at a wide variety of locations including the Ford Book Talk Series at Mount Vernon, CSpan 2 Book TV, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the U.S. Consulate in Marseille, France.

She presents interactive video conferences for teachers and students all over America and some in Europe. Her website is carlamcclafferty.com

Ruby Mongno

As a child, Ruby travelled the world with her parents as an armed forces dependent, before settling on 60 acres outside of Jacksonville. After college, her first job was as a reporter for that daily paper, the Jacksonville News. Later, after graduate school in writing, she became a grant writer, and today teaches writing at the University of Central Arkansas. Her primary publications rest in literary non-fiction, and include a freshman writing textbook, Brave Spaces .

In 2018, she obtained a fellowship to study at the Browne Popular Culture Library, where she finalized her research and resulting essay on Johnny Cash. Mongno offers many writing workshops and retreats with her collaborative partner, Paula Marie Martin, the creator and host of NPR’s popular storytelling show Tales from the South . On November 1, they will offer a day long spiritual retreat at Plum Bayou Mounds (formerly Toltec) which focuses on connecting with our ancestors. She also works as an editor and is currently in negotiations with Llewellyn publishing on her next project.

FEATURED SESSIONS:

Don’t forget to check out our contest winners!

2024 Online Carolina Writing Workshop

Get your writing published: september 13-14, 2024, the 2024 online carolina writing workshop: september 13-14, 2024.

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. This 2024 CWW is an Online Conference , September 13-14, 2024. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback . You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop, September 13-14, 2024. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Carolina” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation — see our growing list of success stories here .

literary agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary)
literary agent Brandy Vallance (Barbara Bova Literary Agency)
literary agent Brenna English-Loeb (Transatlantic Agency)
literary agent Megan Frayser (Creative Media Agency)
literary agent Elisa Moles (Painted Fire Literary)
literary agent Hannah Andrade (Bradford Literary)
literary agent Leah Moss (Steven Literary)
literary agent Bethany Jett (CYLE Literary)
literary agent Cathie Hedrick Armstrong (Marsal Lyon Literary)
literary agent Jane Chun (Transatlantic Literary)
literary agent Amaryah Orenstein (Go Literary)
literary agent Jynastie Wilson (LCS Literary Services)
literary agent Elizabeth Kracht (Kimberley Cameron & Associates)
literary agent Shannon Lechon (Azantian Literary Agency)
literary agent Lauren Albury (Holloway Literary)
literary agent Trinica Sampson-Vera (New Leaf Literary + Media)
literary agent Mindi St. Peter (BAM Management)
literary agent Mara Cobb (Martin Literary & Media Management)
literary agent Josh Foreman (LCS Literary Services)
literary agent Thais Afonso (Azantian Literary)
literary agent Michael Carr (Veritas Literary)
literary agent Syrone Harvey (Belcastro Agency)
literary agent Annalise Errico (Ladderbird Literary)
literary agent Najla Mamou (Savvy Literary Services)
and more agents to come.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

This year’s sessions & workshops (sept. 13-14, 2024):.

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .

Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with Saturday sessions. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates:

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: Make Writing Fun Again — How to Get Unstuck and Overcome Writer’s Block . Why do we make writing so difficult? How can we make it fun again, the way it was when we were kids? In this class, we’ll explore ways to “play” as we write, developing strategies to reignite our love for writing, complete our manuscripts, and eliminate writer’s block for good.

10:45 – 11:45: The Quintessential Query: Writing a Stand-Out Query Letter to a Literary Agent (or Publisher) . Finishing your manuscript is only the first step in getting published. If your publishing goals include finding a literary agent to represent your work to the Big 5 publishers and other larger publishers, you’ll need a query letter that grabs their attention.

11:45 – 1:15: Break

1:15 – 2:30: 10 Things Novelists Can Learn from Screenwriters and the Movie-Writing World . Revise or start your novel by borrowing tested tips and tricks from the script world. Pitch your idea like you would a movie, map your story using screenplay structure, and learn how to lean into the visual strengths of your tale.

2:45 – 3:45: Common Mistakes in Opening Chapters . In this session, you’ll learn what typical mistakes writers make in the beginning of a manuscript that keep agents from reading the rest of the story (and how to fix them).

4:00 – 5:00: How to Pitch Yourself and Your Nonfiction Book . This class will break down the proposal by section and discuss not only what should go into it and where to find good resources, but how to present the best version of yourself and your book.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2024 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between. Writers today have lots of choices and options, but that doesn’t mean your publishing journey is an easy path to navigate.

10:45 – 11:45: Self-Editing for Fiction and Memoir Writers. This workshop will cover more than 50 points for consideration before submitting to an agent, editor, or indie publisher, such as how to sharpen dialogue and prose, improving characterization, complicating plot, and much more.

2:45 – 3:45: Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

4:00 – 5:00: Sparks Fly! The Top 10 Ways to Create Realistic Romance . Learn how to elevate your romance manuscript by diving into the top ten ways to create realistic romance. We’ll chat about how to create attraction with more than just physical appearance, balancing tension, conflicts, and arguments without losing your reader, and the importance of character flaws.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day. Online conference pitch appointments, such as the ones offered during this virtual event, are typically scheduled during Saturday daytime hours of the event.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:

Josh Foreman is a literary agent with LCS Literary. He loves fantasy of all kinds and is especially excited about stories featuring a diverse cast of characters. Josh is seeking voice-driven stories with amazing characters. He wants fantasy of all kinds with vibrant world building and unique magic systems. He is looking for horror with all the creepy vibes and romantasy that makes you feel all the feels. Send him forbidden magic, ballroom brawls, cursed families, and everything in between. In adult fantasy, subgenres he enjoys include: Dark Academia, Epic Fantasy, Fairytale Retellings, Horror, Romantasy, Political Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Urban Fantasy. In young adult fantasy, subgenres he enjoys include: Dark Academia, Epic Fantasy, Horror. Learn more about Josh here .

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

$189 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 Online CWW and access to all workshops, all days. (You also get 10+ additional free pre-recorded webinars on writing and publishing.) As of spring 2024, registration for 2024 is now OPEN .

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Brian Klems, one of the workshop’s former instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Carolina Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Young adult (contemporary, thriller, romance only), romance/romcoms, mysteries/thrillers, general/literary fiction, book club fiction, women’s fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Jilly Gagnon , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you in person at the event for 15 minutes sometime during the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Literary fiction, general fiction, women’s fiction, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, memoir, young adult, middle grade, and children’s picture books (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Laura Biagi , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you in person at the event for 15 minutes sometime during the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. Picture books should be 1,000 words or fewer; they can or cannot include illustrations.
Children’s picture books (virtual critiques ): Faculty member Rosie Pova , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Children’s picture books and middle grade (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Brittany Thurman , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Commercial women’s fiction, thriller/suspense, thriller with romantic elements, cozy mystery, YA thriller, young adult in general, middle-grade, literary fiction, and fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Amberly Finarelli , a former literary agent and current writing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SFF, urban fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Wesley Chu , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
More critique options possibly forthcoming.

REGISTRATION:

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: [email protected] . He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by PayPal or check or credit card. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Carolina workshop specifically.

Thank you for your interest in the Online 2024 Carolina Writing Workshop.

2024 Carolina Writing Workshops: March 8 (Charlotte) and March 9 (Raleigh)

These writing events are a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day , pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the events. All questions about the events regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Carolina Writing Workshops! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here .

(Please note that these are in-person events. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW events are in-person event happening in Charlotte on Friday, March 8, 2024; and Raleigh on Saturday, March 9, 2024. See you there.)

WHAT ARE THE EVENTS?

These are a pair of special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshops on Friday, March 8, 2024 (Charlotte) at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark; and Saturday, March 9, 2024 (Raleigh), at the The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State. In other words, the workshops are both one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

literary agent Tracey Adams (Adams Literary) – CHARLOTTE
literary agent Carey Blankenship Kramer (Belcastro Agency) – CHARLOTTE
literary scout Grace Morrison (Booker Albert Literary Agency) – CHARLOTTE
literary agent Brandy Vallance (Barbara Bova Literary Agency) – CHARLOTTE
literary agent Kaylee Zou (Williamson Literary) – BOTH CHARLOTTE & RALEIGH
literary agent Gary Heidt (Signature Literary) – RALEIGH
literary agent Jess Regel (Helm Literary) – RALEIGH
literary agent Andrea Hurst (Andrea Hurst Literary Management) – RALEIGH
literary agent Nikki Terpolowski (Holloway Literary) – RALEIGH
literary agent Melissa Jeglinski (Knight Agency) – RALEIGH
editor Georgia McBride (Swoon Romance, Month9, Tantrum Books) – RALEIGH
literary agent Zoe Howard (Howland Literary) – RALEIGH
literary agent Lauren Albury (Holloway Literary) – RALEIGH
and more to come.

EVENT LOCATIONS & DETAILS:

FRIDAY. MARCH 8 : Charlotte Marriott SouthPark , 2200 Rexford Road, Charlotte, NC, 28211.

SATURDAY. MARCH 9: The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State , 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh, NC 27606.

CHARLOTTE CLASSES (FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2024):

What you see below is a quick layout of the days’ events (Charlotte first, then Raleigh). The topics below are mostly set, but subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here. There will be 1-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so sometimes you may have your choice of what class you attend.

8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.

BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30

1. Everything You Need to Know About Agents and Query Letters 2. Practical Tips on The Emotional Writing Journey.

BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50

1. Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2024 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between 2. Taking Cues from Shakespeare.

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15

Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.

BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30

1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest 2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal

BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45

1. Open Agent Q&A Panel 2. How to Market Yourself and Your Books: Talking Author Social Media, Blogging, and Platform

BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00

1. Act One of Your Novel: How to Build a Story World 2. 10 Evergreen Keys to Writing Success

SESSIONS END: 5:00

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

———————————–

RALEIGH CLASSES (SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2024):

The topics below are mostly set, but subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here . There will be 1-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so sometimes you may have your choice of what class you attend.

1. How to Prepare Your Query Package 2. Writing In The Flow State: How Mindfulness Can Make You A More Productive Writer

1. Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2024 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between 2. Beginning with Power: Tips on How to Start Your Novel

1. Open Agent Q&A Panel 2. Editing Your Novel From an Agent’s POV

1. Social Media for Authors 2. Ten Evergreen Keys to Writing Success

———————————————–

ADDED ONLINE PITCHING : To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2024 Carolina Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2024 CWWs on our calendar.

That event is the 2024 Online Writing Workshop of San Francisco , April 5-6, 2024, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2024 CWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online San Francisco agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online April 2024 WWSF. (That said, if you want to formally register for the April 5-6 WWSF and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Carolina attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Carolina. Following the CWW conferences on March 8-9, 2024, we will be in touch with all Carolina attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2024 WWSF (April 5-6) . At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

$189 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to either 2024 CWW event and access to all workshops, all day. Pricing is the same for both workshops. As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN. The $18 9 price is the same for both separate events: Charlotte (March 8, 2024) and Raleigh (March 9, 2024).

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing list of success stories an be seen here . )

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Carolina Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Literary fiction, short stories, and poetry (in-person for Raleigh only): Faculty member Maureen Sherbondy , an author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book or story collection, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes sometime around workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes. Poetry stipulations: You may send up to 10 pages of poetry, maximum 40 lines per page, using 12-pt font.
Romance, women’s fiction, science fiction, young adult, or memoir (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Jenny Bardsley , an author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes sometime around workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
Middle grade, young adult; adult fiction in the areas of low fantasy, literary fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, and mainstream fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Joel Brigham , a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Women’s, mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller, mystery (virtual critiques): Faculty member Michelle McGill-Vargas , a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Romance, women’s fiction, domestic suspense, and young adult fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Swati Hegde , an author and freelance editor, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Children’s picture books, middle grade, young adult, memoir, historical fiction, general fiction of almost any kind (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Eve Porinchak , a former agent turned publishing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. Children’s picture books should be 1,000 words maximum, and can or cannot have illustrations.

Because of limited space at the venues (Friday at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark; Saturday at the The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State, in Raleigh ) , each one-day workshop can only allow 150 registrants. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] . Brian will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Carolina workshops specifically.

Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Carolina Writing Workshop.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Amaryah Orenstein of Go Literary

Amaryah, founder and president of GO Literary, is thrilled to help writers bring their ideas to life. Aiming to give voice to a broad range of perspectives, Amaryah represents a wide array of literary and commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction. She is actively seeking works that wed beautiful writing with a strong narrative and tackle big issues in engaging, accessible, and even surprising ways. Thematic interests include but are not limited to: contemporary + historical fiction; family relationship + coming-of-age stories; history + current affairs; social + cultural issues; memoir; food.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

A prolific reader of many genres, Cathie represents Romance in all categories; Commercial, Book Club, and Women’s Fiction; Domestic and Psychological Suspense; “light” Horror; and Mystery. She deliberately keeps her client list small to give her authors the attention each deserves.

Cathie looks for manuscripts that catch her attention within the first few pages. If you can evoke an emotional response in the opening pages—make her laugh out loud, cause her pulse to race, make her cry, make her curious—you’ve got a winner. Cathie is never interested in Science Fiction or High Fantasy in any genre; however, “accessible” fantasy with paranormal or supernatural elements, and without excessive world building or difficult magic systems, are often a good fit.

Cathie is an Oklahoma native transplanted in Minnesota for nearly 30 years. A proud alumnus of The University of Oklahoma, she holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in History and is a rabid fan of OU Sooners Football.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Lauren Albury of Holloway Literary

After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in English from The College at Southeastern, Lauren interned with FinePrint Literary Agency in New York City. Prior to becoming a literary agent, Lauren was with Holloway Literary for two years as an intern and literary assistant.

She is seeking:

Literary fiction
Historical fiction
Book club/Women’s
Upmarket fiction

Wishlist specifics:

Caribbean stories and voices
Southern settings
Romantic themes
Rich immersive settings like Where the Crawdads Sing and lyrical prose like All the Light We Cannot See

Not a good fit for:

Political or pandemic themes
Sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/magical realism
Please no ghosts or aliens or torture

“I enjoy all kinds of literary and upmarket fiction. Show me how beautiful and lyrical the English language can be. Give me compelling characters with unexpected story arcs. Immerse me in another culture so I feel like I grew up there. Make me laugh with sharp wit and cry at poignant subtleties. Teach me something new about the human experience and what it means to be alive. I love when art parallels life, so I’m a sucker for gritty, raw, and realistic writing with an achingly bittersweet/unhappy ending a la Gone with the Wind or La La Land (non-sappy happy endings are OK too though). My favorite kinds of stories happen when romance exists as a compliment to a killer plot. Religious themes are ok as long as they aren’t cheesy and self-righteous or over the top.

“I’m looking for well-researched historical novels from all time periods and settings. As a multi-generational citizen of The Bahamas, I am particularly keen to find stories set in the Caribbean and/or by Caribbean authors.”

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Michael Carr of Veritas Literary Agency

With a strong background in editing and writing, Michael enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French. Before joining Veritas, Michael had professions as diverse as programming simulators for nuclear submarines and owning an inn in Vermont.

He is seeking : Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy. He also enjoys Nonfiction of all stripes.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Thais Afonso of Azantian Literary

Thais has eight years of experience in publishing between Brazil, China, and the United States. More recently, she interned at Writers House, where she honed her skills while supporting the desks of Amy Berkower and Johanna Castillo, and she was mentored by Jennifer Azantian before stepping up to the Associate Agent role at ALA. She intends to represent marginalized authors, and she’s especially seeking to uplift BIPOC born and raised in the Global South.

An Afro-Brazlian lesbian, Thais currently lives and works out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She helps care for her grandmother when she’s not editing books and she’s one of those terrible people who calls the gym her hobby (even though she currently doesn’t go).

In Adult Fiction, Thais is looking to represent Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Contemporary Romance, and Suspense/Thrillers. She still loves an element of speculative or the utter unsettling in this age category, and would love to find an unsettling story that defies genre, like Our Wives Under the Sea, Catherine House, Helen Phillips’ The Need or TV show Yellowjackets. She’s also seeking stories with a strong anti-colonial, anti-imperialist bent, be it an epic in the vein of The Ending Fire trilogy or space opera A Memory Called Empire, something more intimate like indie horror The Wicked and the Willing, or even a contemporary take—she’d love to sign a political thriller that explored the same themes as American Spy.

In contemporary suspense and thrillers, she would most like to see stories that are not related to solving murders, but she welcomes uber fast-paced, tightly woven-mysteries like The Puzzle Master or a BIPOC take on a Dan Brown thriller. Mostly, though, she’s looking for Sapphic authors in this space. Give her a lesbian obsession story or a thriller about an older woman taking her younger lover to meet her rich toxic family, only for terrible things to happen. Give her lesbian stories comped to Michele Campbell’s The Intern, Catherine Steadman’s The Family Game, or Stone Cold Fox.

In Horror, she’s also looking for lesbians, lesbians, lesbians. Plus, the unsettling, the Gothic, folkloric horror, horror mixed with fantasy or romance, and all the social horror. Recent favorites include Plain Bad Heroines and House of Hunger. She also would love to see horror in space, like S.A. Barnes.

She also tends to gravitate to critiques of capitalism in Sci-Fi. Fun and snappy romps like Murderbot will always attract her, but she would also love to see stories that tackle Global North interventionism in the Global South, and subversions of Global North competency being the norm—think Monarch from the perspective of a civilian in the Global South instead of an agent of an uber secretive and authoritarian GN agency, or anything you’d comp to Nnedi Okorafor. She also enjoys cyberpunk, solarpunk, and silkpunk.

She’s looking for almost all sub-genres of Fantasy, except Grimdark and Military. She’s keen on anti-colonial Epics, High-Fantasy set in the Global South, retellings of Global Majority Myths, Sci-Fi Fantasies in the vein of Arcane, and historicals that feels almost Second World, like Siren Queen. She also loves cozy, whimsical stories, like The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches or the Emily Wilde series. In Romantasy, she’s also looking for an epic, several-book-long love story like The Jasmine Throne, but anything Queer will probably have her interest.

In Contemporary Romance, she’s extra keen on signing lesbians of color, especially ones writing at intersectionalities that remain under-represented in traditionally published romance. She’s mostly seeking single-title romance dramas and rom-coms with character arcs that have a lot of depth. Books that feel like a blend of romance and women’s fiction/contemporary commercial, like Funny Story, Seven Days in June, and Honey Girl (though the last one falls on more on contemporary side, and for her list, she’d like a more central love story).

She’d also love to see a BIPOC take on something like The Lost City, where the protagonists are perhaps keener on protecting a sacred site/indigenous cultural heritage. And she welcomes darker takes on this concept that straddle thriller and horror instead of comedy.

In YA, she’s currently open to Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Supernatural Mysteries/Thrillers. She’s predominantly interested in anything with a speculative bent. She’s also especially keen on championing Queer voices in this space, especially BIPOC Queer voices.

In Horror, she loves stories about monstrous girls, like I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me and House of Hollow. In Fantasy, she would love to find stories about angry, vengeful girls who never back down, in the vein of Iron Widow and Dread Nation. She would also love to see richly original BIPOC takes on beloved tropes, like A Magic Steeped in Poison did with competitions and A Tempest of Tea did with heists. And if you have a coming-of-age book about a Queer person finding and exploring the Queer spaces/community in a new magical world/new planet, something that could be described as Last Night at the Telegraph Club but speculative, she would love to see it.

She does love Romantasy in YA and she welcomes all of it, but she’s also looking to find fantasy manuscripts without romance—and stories with a focus on mentorship relationships, like Rust in the Root, are her favorites.

While she’s not a good fit for stories that put a positive spin on colonization—even space colonization—, space immigration without a settler angle would interest her. She’s also interested in space romps in this age category and sci-fi tinged with horror via cosmic threats.

In Mystery/Thrillers, give her anything that would crossover into horror because of supernatural elements. Anything you’d comp to Invocations, for example. She’d also love to see a speculative take on a story similar to The Reappearance of Rachel Price.

Across all genres, Thais is especially interested in intersectionality. She wants to sign working class, Queer, BIPOC, disabled authors, and is keen on supporting authors whose marginalization intersect with other marginalizations, as she knows the paths to success in this industry get more limited if you have an intersectional identity.

She’s very keen on indigenous stories across age categories and in all genres—To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, Elatsoe, and Firekeeper’s Daughter are recent favorites, but she wants stories that don’t match any comps too. Thais especially wants to represent Global South authors. As someone born and raised and based in Brazil, Thais seeks to put Global South stories front and center, as she believes those voices are more needed than ever. She’s also, in both age categories and across all genres, committed to supporting Palestinian authors, whenever they are ready and able to share their stories—she’s always open to queries for Palestinian authors.

She is NOT seeking:

Thais is not the best fit for Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Contemporary YA. She’s not seeking to represent Military SFF, Literary Fiction, and non-speculative Historical Fiction in any age category. In all genres, she’s not a good fit for any sort of positive spin on war, Monarchy, colonization, or genocide. She will not represent books with Zionist and imperialist propaganda, copaganda, or racist, queerphobic, Islamophobic, and anti-semitic tropes.

In romance, she’s specially not a fit for enemies to lovers where the enmity comes with major power imbalance and/or any form of systemic oppression, and relationships that involve indenture and debts that need to be repaid. She’s also a terrible fit for dark romance (she’s okay with toxic relationships in all other genres, though). She’ll not represent romance with heroes that are in the military, the mafia, or law enforcement.

Please don’t send her books about Indigenous people if you’re not a culturally connected member of those Indigenous communities. That specially applies to Indigenous Brazilians, as she’s proud to see her country shifting away from appropriated Indigenous stories being repacked as folklore and ‘good savage’ narratives that have only caused harm.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Annalise Errico of Ladderbird Literary

Annalise is a graduate of Lesley University where she earned a B.A. in Creative Writing with a double minor in Literature and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is excited about uplifting stories by authors with marginalized voices and intersectional identities, ultimately making room for the diverse voices that have long since been ignored and suppressed in the literary world and beyond. When she isn’t agenting, Annalise spends an excessive amount of time snuggling with her cat, Mittens, and writing romance novels that are more swoony than strictly necessary.

Annalise is looking for more queer, BIPOC representation across the board, especially in romances that give happily ever afters to complex and palpable characters. She represents Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult books.

Annalise has a specific focus on representing queer and BIPOC voices in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult books. She loves books with academic settings, books with a warm and cozy feeling, books about books, and books with a prominent romantic plot.

Adult Romance:

Annalise wants to see queer/BIPOC historical romances like a queer League of Extraordinary Women or Cat Sebastian.

Annalise would love to see queer/BIPOC baking rom-coms in the vein of Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake and Battle Royal.

Annalise wants romances that tackle the intersection of romance and mental health a la The Charm Offensive.

Some of Annalise’s favorite tropes that she’d love to see are: enemies-to-lovers, serious-and-sunshine, and second-chance-romance.

She would love to see sweet, diverse holiday rom-coms like Amor Actually and The Matzah Ball.

Annalise does not accept erotica or romances feature unhealthy/abusive relationships to any degree.

Adult Mysteries/Thrillers:

Annalise is looking for queer/BIPOC thrillers that function as social commentary such as Alyssa Cole’s When No One is Watching.

Annalise would like to see mysteries that rework classics like The Wife Upstairs or One by One.

She loves dark academia with a historical mystery.

She loves novels with interesting formats such as compilations of files and articles like Night Film.

She is not a good fit for supernatural, ungrounded thrillers, thrillers that border too close to horror, thrillers with violence against women, gore-heavy thrillers, or thrillers that use the “bury your gays” and/or “fridging” trope.

She is not looking for medical or apocalyptic thrillers.

Adult Commercial/Women’s/Contemporary Fiction:

Annalise wants character-driven contemporary fiction that has enough plot movement to keep the reader invested (no character studies, please!).

She likes books that use alternative formats, like Daisy Jones & the Six, and question the boundaries of typical contemporary fiction.

Books with social commentary about queer/BIPOC characters finding their way in life — think Luster and Such a Fun Age—are a good fit for Annalise.

She loves books that focus in on fictional celebrities or reflect upon fame such as The Comeback by Ella Berman or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Annalise also wants fiction featuring change as a thematic focal point with unabashed self-love and romance, like Claire Christian’s It’s Been A Pleasure, Noni Blake.

New Adult Fiction:

Annalise wants New Adult romance and contemporary fiction that focuses on found family and a during- or post-college bildungsroman plot with a romance. This is her ideal age space.

She would especially like to see fiction set immediately post-college that follows the queer/BIPOC protagonist’s trials and tribulations in the “real world” or warm and nerdy new adult like Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.

Annalise loves New Adult fiction that is set at college or grad school. The more academic, the better!

Any of the genres that Annalise has mentioned on this page (in both Adult and YA), Annalise would love to see in the New Adult space, especially college-aged mysteries and romances.

Young Adult Historical:

Annalise wants YA historical fiction that focuses in on a lost perspective such as Stacey Lee’s The Downstairs Girl.

Annalise loves historical works that focus in on plucky characters in prestigious academic environments.

Young Adult Fantasy:

Annalise wants upper YA/new adult low-key fantasies that don’t break the mental bank, like The House in the Cerulean Sea.

She is also looking for fantasies that are firmly historical and grounded like The Last Magician or These Violent Delights.

Annalise would love witchy fantasies that focus in on queer women of color like When We Were Magic.

She is not a good fit for dragon/creature, fae, or epic/high fantasy of any kind.

Young Adult Mystery/ Thriller:

Annalise is looking for mysteries and thrillers that have elements of YA contemporary such as bildungsroman plots and romance (especially LGBTQIA+) but don’t stray too far into high-school drama.

Annalise would love to see academic-driven mysteries like Truly Devious and mixed-format mysteries like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Young Adult Contemporary:

Annalise is looking for quirky and offbeat books that focus in on ride-or-die women-centric friendships.

She wants queer, BIPOC rom-coms hat have found family elements that are shamelessly romantic like I Wish You All the Best.

An ideal contemporary for Annalise would be set during the MC’s senior year of high school/first year of college.

FAVORITE BOOKS:

Daisy Jones & The Six
It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake
The Brown Sisters series
The League of Extraordinary Women series

DREAM PROJECTS

Queer/BIPOC Agatha Christie like Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia or Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian.

A dark academia fantasy like Vicious, but if Eli and Victor fell in love.

A sapphic, cottage-core light-fantasy, like The Tea Dragon Society for YA/NA.

DEFINITE PASS

Annalise does not want any book that could be qualified as “trauma porn”. She is not interested in grotesque or gratuitous abuse/harassment or violence of any type. She does not want any pandemic or apocalyptic works, fiction or nonfiction.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Annalise would appreciate if you included content warnings for topics such as: heavy discussions of grief, self-harm/suicidal ideation/suicide, or harassment/abuse of any kind.

The 2024 Texas Writing Workshop

Get Your Writing Published: July 26-27, 2024

The 2024 Texas Writing Workshop: July 26-27, 2024

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2024 TWW is an Online Conference , on July 26-27. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback . You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on July 26-27, 2024. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Texas” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation — see our growing list of success stories here .

literary agent Cora Markowitz (Georges Borchardt Agency)
literary agent Eric Smith (P.S.Literary)
literary agent Kelly Peterson (Rees Literary)
literary agent Jaidree Braddix (Park & Fine Literary + Media)
literary agent Bethany Jett (CYLE Literary)
literary scout Rae Loverde (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
literary agent Annie Bomke (Annie Bomke Literary)
literary agent Kara Grajkowski (3 Seas Literary)
literary agent Erin Clyburn (Howland Literary)
literary agent Mindi St. Peter (BAM Management)
literary agent Jackie Kruzie (Focused Artists)
literary agent Rebecca Eskildsen (Writers House)
literary agent Nephele Tempest (The Knight Agency)
literary agent Esty Loveing-Downes (Arthouse Literary)
literary agent Sarah Fisk (Tobias Literary)
editor Leticia Gomez (Kensington and Dafina)
literary agent Lily Dolin (United Talent Agency)
literary agent Morgan Hughes (FinePrint Literary)
literary agent Jane Chun (Transatlantic Literary)
literary agent Katie Monson (SBR Media)
literary agent Elisa Saphier (Macgregor Luedeke Literary)
literary agent assistant Shania Soler (Metamorphosis Literary)
editor Carina Licon (Macmillan Children’s, Henry Holt Books)
literary agent Eva Scalzo (Speilburg Literary)
literary agent Lauren Scovel (Laura Gross Literary Agency)
editor Georgia McBride (Swoon Romance)
literary agent Carey Blankenship Kramer (Belcastro Agency)
literary agent Jynastie Wilson (LCS Literary Services)
literary agent Gabriela Laracuente Sanchez (Howland Literary)
literary agent Tamanna Bhasin (The Rights Factory)
literary agent Micah Brocker (Corvisiero Literary)
and possibly more agents to come.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2024 TWW is an Online Conference , on July 26-27. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback. You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (JULY 26-27, 2024):

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .

Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with Saturday sessions. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates:

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2024

9:30 – 10:30 : Everything You Need to Know About Literary Agents and Writing an Awesome Query Letter . This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with literary agents.

1 0:45 – 11:45: Revision Tools and Techniques . This class will share a three-tiered approach—story, scene, and sentence—with techniques, questions, and resources to guide you through each level.

1:15 – 2:30 Crafting Amazing Dialogue . This class focuses on all that good dialogue can add to a story. The class will also discuss common topics such as how to handle dialogue tags, as well as dialogue that is said vs what goes unsaid.

2:45 – 3:45: Be Your Own Book Publicist and Leverage Media Appearances to Increase Book Sales . This class will teach you how you can effectively pitch yourself to media outlets, including how to craft compelling pitch emails, come up with story angles to pitch, and leverage media appearances to grow your reader fanbase and promote your books. follower/subscriber numbers.

4:00 – 5:00: Self-Publishing Success: Taking Control of Your Career . Taught by a self-published author who had her novel series bought by a traditional publisher, this class explores the potential of self-publishing to harness not only creative control, but cultivate a sustainable, and financially successful career.

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: Keep the Pages Turning: Maximizing Suspense in Your Novel . Learn how to maximize suspense with specific techniques such as raising the stakes, creating cliffhangers, and using time constraints.

10:45 – 11:45: Using Improv Comedy Techniques in Creative Writing . In this class, participants will learn some of the techniques used by improvisers and how applying practices like “yes, and” to our writing can help us create more satisfying stories, ignore our inner editors, finish stories more quickly, and make writer’s block a thing of the past.

1:15 – 2:30: “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest , with participating literary agents and editors. In the vein of “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent,” this is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission. Get expert feedback on your incredibly important first page, and know if your writing has what it needs to keep readers’ attention. All attendees are welcome to bring pages to the event for this session, and we will choose pages at random for the workshop for as long as time lasts.

2:45 – 3:45: Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from TWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

4:00 – 5:00: Showing vs. Telling . Taught by writing partners, this class tackles the evergreen subject of when to tell when writing, and when to show when writing. How do you find a balance to immerse the reader but also keep the story moving? This class will show you.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here . )

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR (JULY 27):

Katie Monson is a literary agent with SBR Media. The adult genres she prefers are: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Psychological Thriller. For children’s books, she will take pitches for text only as well as author-illustrator. She is also open to select young adult and middle grade in the following areas: contemporary fiction, mystery, humor, adventure, and fantasy. Learn more about Katie here .

Kara Grajkowski is a literary agent with 3 Seas Literary. She is seeking: contemporary Middle Grade Fiction, contemporary YA Fiction, and #OwnVoices. (She is not the best fit for fantasy.) “I have a soft spot for contemporary fiction stories, especially if the main character doesn’t have it all figured out yet. I am searching for the best middle grade and YA fiction stories that have you smiling, crying, and growing right along with the characters.” Learn more about Kara here.

Elisa Saphier is a literary agent at MacGregor & Luedeke. She is open to most fiction and memoir except for high fantasy & science fiction, series writing (she like standalones), picture books, and probably chapter books “I am always most excited to find great writing and full characters, regardless of genre. I am focused on uplifting marginalized voices and want to be a part of seeing publishing become more equitable and less unbalanced of underrepresented writers.” In adult fiction, she seeks: literary psychological thrillers/mystery; queer romance (especially but not exclusively friends to lovers and forced proximity); literary fiction; literary memoir; stories of marginalized people where the marginalization isn’t the story; dark academia; suburban malaise. She also seeks young adult fiction and middle grade. Learn more about Elisa here.

Carina Licon is an editor for Macmillan Children’s and Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. In picture books, she seeks: books that explore difficult experiences/emotions in nuanced ways; books that center BIPOC and queer joy; intergenerational households/settings; the fun, imaginary, and magical; the humorous, goofy, and silly; the tender, touching, and sweet. In middle grade and young adult, she seeks: complex, whipsmart protagonists; contemporary YA horror and thrillers in the vein of Courtney Summers; spooky, atmospheric MG; gothic YA horror or fantasy; stories about mental health; coming-of-age stories; friendship stories; a modern day Jessica Darling series that reflects our diverse world; intergenerational BIPOC stories; stories of everyday life in a BIPOC household (especially Latinx); romance with lots! of! angst!; contemporary, grounded fantasy OR high fantasy with strong real world/relatable themes. Learn more about Carina here .

Gabriela Laracuente Sanchez is a literary agent with Howland Literary. In adult fiction, she is looking for literary and upmarket works that have strong cultural influences—especially from Hispanic and Latine backgrounds. She wants to see works that explore topics of cultural identity, complex family dynamics, womanhood, and characters adapting to new spaces. She is also interested in projects that are multilingual and utilize code-switching, incorporate elements of magical realism and speculative fiction, and incorporate elements of food writing. In adult nonfiction, she is looking for cookbooks of Latin-American and Caribbean cuisine. Learn more about Gabriela here.

Rebecca Eskildsen is a literary agent with Writers House. I am actively growing my list, with a particular interest in middle grade, YA, and adult fiction. Across the board, I’m looking to elevate LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices, among other underrepresented narratives. In middle grade, I’m mainly looking for contemporary books that make kids feel seen. Mostly I want to see fresh, engaging voices, particularly narratives with a sense of humor and a strong emotional core. For YA, I’m looking for some darker themes and twisty, gripping stories — give me your ambitious “unlikable” girls (ugh – I’ll like them). Separately, I’m looking for funny, slow-burn YA rom coms. I’m looking for a more limited variety of adult books. I’d love to have my inbox full of contemporary rom coms. I’m also looking for sagas about families and/or friends, of any age or topic, and I’m looking for 20-something coming-of-age stories. Learn more about Rebecca here.

Leticia Gomez is the editorial director for Kensington Books and Dafina. Leticia is the Editorial Director for Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp., which focuses on high-quality fiction and nonfiction that centers on race, identity, and its impact on our experiences. Dafina’s carefully curated list is a home for dynamic stories that innovate and amplify voices too long ignored through books that entertain, challenge, and inspire. Launched in 2000 as the first African-American imprint, Dafina has led the market for more than twenty years in highlighting voices of color. Leticia is actively seeking to acquire multicultural fiction and nonfiction of all genres, including literary fiction, commercial fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery, and narrative nonfiction of all genres with a focus on authors of color (BIPOC) hailing from all walks of life, as well as specific nonfiction projects for marginalized communities. In addition to her role at Kensington, Leticia is a prominent literary/film/television agent who specializes in bringing culturally diverse voices to the forefront. Savvy Literary is now an industry leader specializing in Self-help, Narrative Nonfiction, Memoir, True Crime, Spiritual/Inspirational, Political/Current Affairs, Suspense/Thriller, Family Drama, and the Young Adult market. Championing the work of minority writers continues to be a top priority for the agency. Learn more about Leticia here.

Lily Dolin is a literary agent with United Talent Agency. Lily represents clients in both fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, she is drawn to dark and offbeat humor, gripping narratives, strong commercial hooks, and nuanced female perspectives. She is not looking for historical fiction or thrillers. Short story collections are welcome. Wishlist: Upmarket, book club fiction, dark fiction, literary fiction, select mystery. She is currently only seeking fiction; no nonfiction at this time. Learn more about Lily here.

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

$189 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 TWW and access to all workshops, all days. (You also get 10+ additional free pre-recorded webinars on writing and publishing.) As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN .

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Brian Klems, one of the workshop’s former instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Texas Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Children’s picture books (virtual critiques ): Faculty member Rosie Pova , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Children’s picture books and middle grade (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Brittany Thurman , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Commercial women’s fiction, thriller/suspense, thriller with romantic elements, cozy mystery, YA thriller, young adult in general, middle-grade, literary fiction, and fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Amberly Finarelli , a former literary agent and current writing coach, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SFF, urban fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Wesley Chu , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
More critique options possibly forthcoming.

REGISTRATION:

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: [email protected] . He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by PayPal or check or credit card. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Texas workshop specifically.

Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Texas Writing Workshop.

The 2024 Colorado Writing Workshop

Get your writing published: march 8-9, 2024, the 2024 colorado writing workshop: march 8-9, 2024.

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2024 CWW is an Online Conference , on March 8-9. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback . You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone . Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on March 8-9, 2024. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Colorado” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation — see our growing list of success stories here .

literary agent Kate Davids (Arc Literary)
literary agent Monica Rodriguez (Context Literary)
literary agent Dani Segelbaum (Carol Mann Agency)
literary agent Paul Levine (Paul Levine Literary)
literary agent Elisa Saphier (Macgregor Luedeke Literary)
literary agent Madeline Wallace (Sanford J. Greenburger Associates)
literary agent Kelly Peterson (Rees Literary)
literary agent Kate Rogers (K.O. Media Management)
literary agent Eve Adler (Red Fox Literary)
literary agent Mara Cobb (Martin Literary Management)
editor Carina Licon (Macmillan Children’s, Henry Holt Books)
literary agent James Mustelier (The Bent Agency)
literary agent Keir Alekseii (Azantian Literary)
literary agent Elisa Moles (Painted Fire Literary)
literary agent Sara Kelly Kornienko (Barbara Bova Literary)
literary agent Bethany Jett (CYLE Literary)
literary agent Carey Blankenship Kramer (Belcastro Agency)
literary agent Ramona Pina (BookEnds Literary)
literary agent Katie Reed (Andrea Hurst & Associates)
literary agent Brandy Vallance (Barbara Bova Literary Agency)
literary agent Esty Loveing-Downes (Arthouse Literary)
literary agent Justin Brouckaert (Aevitas Creative Management)
literary agent Jane Chun (Transatlantic Agency)
literary agent Trinica Sampson-Vera (New Leaf Literary + Media)
literary agent Annie Bomke (Annie Bomke Literary)
literary agent Sophia Ramos (New Leaf Literary + Media)
literary agent Savannah Brooks (KT Literary)
literary agent Ksenia Tserkovskaya (The Deborah Harris Agency)
literary agent Mindi St Peter (BAM Management)
literary agent Morgan Hughes (Fineprint Literary)
literary agent Vicky Weber (The Purcell Agency)
literary agent Stephanie Winter (P.S. Literary)
literary agent Kesia Lupo (The Bindery)
and more agents to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Brian Klems of Writing Day Workshops . Contact Brian at [email protected] to register, and say you’re interested in the Colorado event.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2024 CWW is an Online Conference , on March 8-9. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback . You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online .)

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (MARCH 8-9, 2024):

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .

Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with Saturday sessions. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates:

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: Perfect Pitches. An immersive workshop focused on perfecting “elevator” pitches and powerful jacket blurbs even reluctant readers can’t resist.

10:45 – 11:45:Nail Your Opening Pages. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of common pitfalls and opening scenes to avoid, the keys to a compelling hook, and how to start an irresistible opening page.

11:45 – 1:15: Break

1:15 – 2:30: Working with a Literary Agent .

2:45 – 3:45: Mapping Your Plot . Plot is the spine of the story and all else radiates from there. This session introduces the key elements of a plot line and then techniques as to how to generate your own plot line through plot mapping.

4:00 – 5:00: What a Literary Agent Can Teach You About Editing and Revision . Learn how to go back to the drawing board and approach your manuscript with an agent’s eye!

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2024

9:30 – 10:30: Emotional Character Arcs: What Are They and How They Can Transform Your Novel . Whether you’re starting your story for the first time or are knee deep in revisions, you should be thinking through how every scene moves, or doesn’t move, your character forward in their emotional arc. If you’re not sure how to do that or how to outline your character arcs in the first place, that’s what this class is for.

10:45 – 11:45: Self, Hybrid, Indie, Traditional– Finding the Publishing Path that is Right for You.

2:45 – 3:45: Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

4:00 – 5:00: Learning to Adapt: The Key to a Writer’s Success . The publishing world has been impacted by a changing economy, emerging technology, and a marketplace that ebbs and flows. Authors need to be just as flexible in this industry and adopt an evolving approach to publication based on their personal goals, opportunities and resources.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:

Vicky Weber is a literary agent with The Purcell Agency. She is seeking: Picture Books (anything heartfelt, educational, or lighthearted); Young Adult (fantasy, mystery, horror, thriller, suspense); Middle Grade (fantasy, mystery, magic); and Adult Fiction (fantasy and thrillers). Vicky specializes in picture books. She wants to be dropped into the moment and experience the story alongside the characters. She is always seeking underrepresented authors, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ . Learn more about Vicki here.

Elisa Moles is a literary agent with Painted Fire Literary Agency. She is seeking: Especially interested in upmarket fiction. “In one word, what defines fantastic fiction narrative? Consequences. Consequences give structure. And stories with cohesive and creative structures, true to each writer’s background and voice, stand the test of time beyond the trendy topics and gimmicks of the day. I especially love psychologically complex characters. I’m looking for distinctive and compassionate voices who are telling organically unexpected stories in a wide variety of styles and genres. Surprise me.” Things you should NOT pitch her include: nonfiction, poetry, children’s books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, screenplays, westerns, horror, nihilist, or erotic work. Learn more about Elisa here.

Carina Licon [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is an editor for Macmillan Children’s and Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. In picture books, she seeks: books that explore difficult experiences/emotions in nuanced ways; books that center BIPOC and queer joy; intergenerational households/settings; the fun, imaginary, and magical; the humorous, goofy, and silly; the tender, touching, and sweet. In middle grade and young adult, she seeks: complex, whipsmart protagonists; contemporary YA horror and thrillers in the vein of Courtney Summers; spooky, atmospheric MG; gothic YA horror or fantasy; stories about mental health; coming-of-age stories; friendship stories; a modern day Jessica Darling series that reflects our diverse world; intergenerational BIPOC stories; stories of everyday life in a BIPOC household (especially Latinx); romance with lots! of! angst!; contemporary, grounded fantasy OR high fantasy with strong real world/relatable themes. Learn more about Carina here .

Madeline Wallace [SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS] is a literary agent with Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Madeline is seeking literary and upmarket fiction, as well as select narrative nonfiction and memoir. In fiction, Madeline loves to lose herself in unputdownable stories with characters that transcend the page. More specifically, she would love to receive coming-of-age novels from adult perspectives, especially ones that turn tropes on their heads and offer engrossing, offbeat perspectives. She appreciates novels with distinct sociopolitical contexts, welcomes satire and surrealism as long as the overall work is grounded, and falls for anything with a biting sense of humor. She would love to see intergenerational or domestic sagas with crackling characters and vibrant prose. She also appreciates suspenseful, literary-leaning novels with smart twists. In the nonfiction space, she is hoping for books that explore pop culture, examining celebrity and fandom through a critical lens. She would also love to receive intimate narratives that interrogate institutions and systems, books that grapple with relationships between food and body image, and memoirs with family-centered narratives, particularly ones that excavate surprising histories. She is committed to advocating for voices that have been underrepresented in publishing. Learn more about Madeline here.

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

$189 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 CWW and access to all workshops, all days. (You also get 10+ additional free pre-recorded webinars on writing and publishing.) As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN .

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the workshop’s former instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Colorado Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Mystery, crime, suspense, thriller, horror, mainstream, commercial, contemporary fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Heather Chavez , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Young adult, middle grade, romance, upmarket/literary, women’s fiction, fantasy, paranormal, picture books; in nonfiction, self-help or inspirational by women (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Lindsay Flanagan , a published novelist and former agent, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Children’s picture books and middle grade ( virtual critiques ): Faculty member Brittany Thurman , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
All types & genres of fiction for adults and young adults ( virtual critiques ): Faculty member Kristi Belcamino , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
More critique options possibly forthcoming.

REGISTRATION:

ONLINE : Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2024 CWW is an Online Conference , on March 8-9. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback . You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online . )

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: [email protected] . He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by PayPal or check or credit card. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Colorado workshop specifically.

Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Colorado Writing Workshop.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Monica Rodriguez of Context Literary

Monica is looking to uplift underrepresented voices, including, (but not limited to) authors who identify as People of Color (BIPOC), disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ+. In children’s literature, she is actively looking for PB, MG, YA & Graphic Novels. She is also open to adult and nonfiction submissions.

“I run the official book club for Find A Lovely Life, our IG is @findalovelybook. I’m a contributing writer at Latina Media Co. where I cover TV Shows and Movies. I am the Director of Brand Management at Context Literary, where I help authors promote their books before and after they’ve hit the shelves.I’m currently bilingual, learned Spanish & English at the same time & I’ve been learning French and Portuguese!”

Across all genres & age groups, she’d love to find: stories about identity, specifically first-gen stories or immigrant experiences; stories about self-love with coming-of-age themes. (I believe we are always coming-of-age, regardless of age!); stories about family relationships, messy/dysfunctional families or found families; stories about sibling relationships or cousin relationships, specifically navigating adult sibling relationships or cousin relationships with cultural differences. (i.e. first-gen themes); stories about travel, where the book is set outside the U.S. or even traveling to the U.S.; stories with messy characters who are trying their best; stories with characters who are curious about therapy or where mental health is advocated for; stories about badass women doing badass things; stories about cultures that are rarely explored.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Brandy Vallance of Barbara Bova Literary Agency

Brandy comes from a long line of storytellers. An old soul, she fell in love with passed-down tales, the odd and unexplained, and the pursuit of answering the mysteries that perplex us all. She loves to wander down ancient paths, explore dusty libraries, and does occasional archaeology. Her books are a lush escape into timeless romance, breathtaking adventure, and push the boundaries of what is expected.

Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her critically acclaimed novel, The Covered Deep , has been featured in USA Today and Writer’s Digest. Romantic Times called her second novel “passionate and riveting” and Publishers Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.”

After more than two decades in the world of publishing, Brandy has joined Barbara Bova Literary Agency, and she is looking forward to being a champion of amazing writers and outstanding books.

Throughout the years, Brandy has been a Writing Coach, a Story Consultant, and an international Publishing Specialist. For hundreds of writers, her mentorship has broken the chains of fear and self-doubt. From teaching Master Classes to sitting at quiet tables, Brandy loves helping people explore their deepest truths.

Brandy believes in the high calling of storytelling, and she lights the way for writers, as well as readers. Page by page, she walks in the legacy of those who have gone before her, and she holds a torch for any who are seeking their way.

Here’s what she’d love to represent:

Quality fiction. While I do read more frequently in some genres, my book love is very eclectic. If you’ve put hard work into the craft of writing and you have an amazing book, query me!

I represent these genres but I am also not limited to these genres:

Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Romance, Literary, Women’s Fiction, Southern Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Speculative, Inspirational, Thriller.

I’m a fan of:

*atmospheric writing

*stories set in the British Isles, Europe, or exotic locations

*Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian romance

*Victorian time period in general (other centuries are welcome too)

*archaeology / artifacts / history’s mysteries

*stories set in castles, manor houses, or quaint villages

*stories with a Gothic flair

*Byronic heroes

*redemption stories

*stories that feature “thin places”

*stories that explore Biblical themes without being preachy (ex. Charles Martin books)

*Appalachian stories / mountain culture

*folklore / cryptids / legends / fairy tales

*time travel

*fantasy & sci-fi in almost every sub-category

*characters who are writers, artists, or have a unique profession

*stories that explore deep emotion

*stories that make me FEEL

*stories that tell me what it means to be human

*anything imaginative, witty, or hilarious!

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Matt Belford of New Leaf Literary + Media

Matt is primarily looking for nonfiction projects with unique takes and fresh ideas to be explored. In the adult science fiction and fantasy realm, as well as the adult graphic novel space, he is looking for character-driven works that get to the heart of emotionality; he wants to laugh and cry with your characters. No matter the genre, Matt is looking for under-represented voices.

Matt received his MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, back when he thought he wanted to be a writer. He’s since learned the error of his ways and is thrilled to instead be working with authors to help bring their ideas to life. Prior to joining the team at New Leaf, Matt has worked at several literary agencies and publishers and joins the team with a decade of experience across formats and genres.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Ksenia Tserkovskaya of The Deborah Harris Agency

Ksenia is interested in literary and upmarket fiction and creative non-fiction, with an occasional children’s book. She works with titles in English, Russian, and Hebrew.

Now based in Israel, Ksenia has received her BA in Jewish Studies and Philology from the Moscow State University and her MA in Publishing and Language from the Oxford Brookes University. After graduating, she spent one year with the Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature in Tel Aviv, then moved to Moscow for five years to work as Acquisitions and Rights Manager at the Knizhniki Publishing House. Ksenia has experience working as a bookseller and social media manager. She has also been translating and editing as a freelancer throughout her career, with 13 of her translations of Hebrew and English children’s and MG titles already published.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Paula Weiman of Ash Literary

In middle grade contemporary, I’m looking for literary stories that touch on grief and/or queer identity and don’t rely heavily on a school setting. I want books that are lush with metaphor and lyricism in simple, cutting prose. If you have Bridge to Terabithia for Gen Alpha, I want to see it. Some recent favorites include King and the Dragonflies, The Best Liars in Riverview, The Probability of Everything , and The Hunt for the Nightingale.

I also want clever middle grade adventures that operate on multiple levels at once with narrators so voicey they direct the plot; think of the spectrum between Lemony Snicket and Catherynne M. Valente.

I am open to a narrow range of historical middle grade if and only if it tackles children’s labor rights. It can be realistic or fantastical as long as the labor struggle is based in historical fact – both Newsies and Sweep do this beautifully. I would love to see something that touches on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

In YA suspense, I want to see cerebral plots with beautiful prose, following teenagers who tackle systemic injustice and corrupt power systems. I’m looking for books like Sadie, A Long Stretch of Bad Days, Where There’s Smok e, and The Wilderness of Girls.

For YA thrillers I want heists, either contemporary or historical. Assemble a hypercompetent crack team who are each a mess outside of their area of expertise; even better if they’re fighting injustice from behind the scenes. Recent favorites are Thieves Gambit and Medici Heist.

For YA contemporary, I want to see joyful teen rom-coms about girls and queer protagonists with a growth arc that connects to a larger social or cultural topic. My favorite tropes are fake dating and rivals-to-lovers where one character is way more into the rivalry than the other. I’d love something in the vein of Felix Ever After, TJ Powar Has Something to Prove, This May End Badly, or Today Tonight Tomorrow.

In YA fantasy, I look for rich atmosphere and a propulsive plot, whether the stories are high fantasy or contemporary with a dash of magic. I’m excited to see second-world settings that aren’t based on medieval Europe with religions that aren’t inspired by Christianity. I gravitate toward intuitive magic systems that don’t require learning much vocabulary. I’m fascinated by stories that show familiar tropes from a new perspective, like the way So Let Them Burn looks at what life is like for the chosen one years after their prophesied epic battle. I want to see books like A Magic Steeped in Poison, Skin of the Sea, The Isles of the Gods, Our Crooked Hearts, Little Thieves, A Deadly Education, Curious Tides , and Wink, Poppy, Midnight.

Across these genres and age categories, I welcome stories about marginalized characters and stories written by marginalized authors. I especially invite Jewish stories.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Sophia M. Ramos of New Leaf Literary + Media

Sophia is a Cuban-American literary associate based in South Florida.

She represents commercial to upmarket genre-blending fiction for adult, YA and select middle-grade projects. Sophia loves intentional, lush prose combined with propulsive plots and thoughtfully complex family dynamics. She gravitates toward speculative books rooted in history or culture that have elements of romance, mystery, and horror. She strives to build a list that speaks to traditionally underrepresented voices and intersectional identities.

Prior to joining New Leaf, Sophia graduated from New York University with a Masters of Science in Publishing. Her career began in the international sphere, where she worked as a literary scout as well as in foreign rights and international sales. She continues her work at New Leaf with top author brands and has a wide-open list she’s ready to fill. She is a Diet Coke enthusiast and champion axe-thrower, but mostly enjoys hanging out with her dachshund, Sunny.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Keir Alekseii of Azantian Literary Agency

She is an educator and anti-GBV activist born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, a twin island country in the West Indies. Keir is a writer, gamer, lover of folklore, and former research scientist. As a neurodivergent, queer woman of color, Keir is invested in discovering engaging work with similar representation, and is passionate about creating space for voices not often recognized. She is especially interested in stories from BIPOC who are born and raised in the Global South.

Please DO NOT pitch:

Novelizations of your tabletop campaign Books with gratuitous gore Splatter or slasher fiction Books that employ fridging Copaganda Military science fiction Literary fiction Adult contemporary Middle grade Novellas

Keir is seeking YA & Adult sci fi / fantasy / horror and YA contemporary novels. She is ONLY open to taking pitches from writers who identify as belonging to a marginalized or underrepresented community.

Keir’s favorite traits and tropes include:

Found family Protags that are too smart for their own good Stories about embracing your identity Friendship is magic Stories that center BIPOC and queer happiness Enemies to friends/unlikely friendships Nonbinary MCs tasting power and choosing chaos Grump & sunshine/stabby & cinnamon roll pairings Femme villains corrupting cinnamon rolls/himbos Non-white power couples/non-white love interests Sapphic everything Enemies to lovers & friends to lovers Slow burn & second chance romance Heists

Keir’s hobbies, background and identity deeply inform what they love. Some examples of how this influences their taste include work that:

Burns down the patriarchy and/or destroys colonizers You’re reversing or reimagining colonialism DnD or other TTRPG Easter eggs, or inside jokes for games like Hades, Devil May Cry, or Final Fantasy. Your story has the emotional resonance of games like Gris or Old Man’s Journey Has the political complexity and ethical realities of anime like Gundam or Full Metal Alchemist

Keir is currently craving (in no particular order):

Kink- and poly-positive work Sapphic power couples. Think Korra & Asami (The Legend of Korra) or Michiru & Haruka (Sailor Moon) The sweet slow burn of Mitsuri & Obanai (Demon Slayer) but with a happy ending The powerful sibling love of Tanjiro & Nezuko, or Daki & Gyutaro (Demon Slayer) Anything that gives her the same rollercoaster of emotions as Demon Slayer Queenmaker as a sapphic political fantasy A book that feels like Poker Face or Knives Out A YA protagonist of any gender identity or orientation who can be comped to Miles Morales BIPOC vampires All the feelings of the moment Angelus became Angel again and then Buffy had to run him through with a sword (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Dark academia, but replace “academia” with e-sports or tabletop gaming Contemporary or contemporary SFFH that engages deeply and authentically with the gaming, anime, cosplay, streaming, or convention communities (within one or multiple fandoms)

In YA contemporary, , Keir prefers books where the romance is secondary but identity and self-love are primary, like TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE. Keir would also love work like ICEBREAKER, with queer love and found family, or HUNGRY GHOST where strength is not about being perfect and alone but flawed and surrounded by community. They are looking for diverse representations of queerness and love that runs deep even without a romantic element. Keir prefers coming of age stories that do not include romance.

In fantasy, they love immersive worlds that are based outside of western cultures like THE JASMINE THRONE, IRON WIDOW, KAIKEYI, or RAYBEARER. In general, Keir would love to see books with BIPOC leads that use fae and folktales from non-western cultures. She’s particularly excited to see West Indian culture and mythology. Keir accepts all sub-genres of adult and young adult fantasy.

In science fiction, Keir is primarily interested in seeing SF that forces us to explore the human condition, like the XUYA UNIVERSE or THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS. Though Keir’s SF tastes do lean toward Adult, they would welcome YA work that explores such ideas and makes her crave adventure. Keir accepts all subgenres of adult and young adult science fiction, except military science fiction. DO NOT send them military science fiction.

In horror, she prefers work that makes her feel disturbed or unsettled rather than gore or jump scares. If your book reads like a Black Mirror episode, she probably wants to see it. Keir accepts all subgenres of adult and young adult horror except splatter and slasher. DO NOT send her splatter or slasher horror.

Across all genres, Keir loves complex, smart, emotional characters and they would love to see more books with morally gray, unapologetic characters.

Genre blending and/or bending books are welcome.

Retellings or re-imaginings that match this wish list are welcome.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kate Davids of Arc Literary Management

Kate joined Arc Literary in 2022 after 3 years working at Simon & Schuster as part of their Organic Growth Initiative. She uses her background in market research and digital marketing strategy to help her clients find new audiences and better appeal to the audiences they may already have. Prior to working in publishing, Kate worked in marketing strategy and research in a variety of industries for brands like Weight Watchers and Unilever. She loves exploring different cultures, including subcultures. For her, books enable readers to explore new and different perspectives, with authors as the all-important guides and gateways.

Born in Arizona, Kate moved to New York City after first studying and living in Toulouse, France, and then London. She has always loved international cultures and travel, visiting her family based in Rome as often as possible. She has become an expert on traveling on a budget. She currently speaks French and Italian, and has also studied Japanese and Spanish. When she is home, she can be found reading comic books, watching anime, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Kate is looking for nonfiction projects, particularly practical nonfiction, in cooking, personal finance, business, pets/animals, gardening, mental health, and new age. She also enjoys history books that delve into interesting subcultures, like anime or tabletop RPGs.

In fiction, Kate has a soft spot for science fiction and fantasy that has great action and world building that leverages real world cultures or histories. She loves fiction that represents diverse cultural backgrounds in their settings and characters.

For children’s books, Kate is looking for titles that can help both parents and their children explore the world together. This includes bi-lingual books and books about travel and multi-culturalism. She also likes a good laugh and an “aww” moment or two.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Trinica Sampson-Vera of New Leaf Literary & Media

Trinica is accepting children’s and adult fiction and nonfiction. Across age groups, she loves adventurous, character-driven stories with largely emotional stakes. Trinica is passionate about championing diverse and marginalized voices.

She is seeking:

Speculative fiction (especially horror, cozy-to-high fantasy, hopepunk, and near future science fiction)
Romance and romcoms (especially featuring sapphic/queer relationships)
NA campus stories (especially dark academia)
Caribbean (especially Trinidad & Tobago) characters/settings
Reality TV premises
Unreliable narrators
Stories that support women’s wrongs
Found family (give me the intensity of the Fast & the Furious franchise)
Messy, doomed, heartbreakingly passionate tragic romances featuring people who make each other worse (I want the intensity of the relationship between Will/Hannibal, iykyk)
Retellings – I prefer retellings that are “inspired by” rather than faithful retellings. I love to be surprised by a twist or a new way of imagining an old story.

Fun facts about me:

I play online Survivor (like the CBS show!) and have won twice.
My name comes from Trinidad and California, where each of my parents was born.
I’ve cooked my way through two cookbooks and am always looking for new recipes to try!

The 2024 Minnesota Writing Workshop

Get your writing published: april 6, 2024, the 2024 minnesota writing workshop: april 6, 2024.

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day , pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (200 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Minnesota Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here .

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next MWW is an in-person event happening in St. Paul on April 6, 2024. See you there.)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

literary agent Trinica Sampson-Vera (New Leaf Literary + Media)
literary agent Brenna English-Loeb (Transatlantic Literary Agency)
literary agent Mary Cummings (Great River Literary)
editor Brittany Torres Rivera (Graywolf Press)
literary agent Laura Zats (Headwater Literary)
literary agent Jennie Goloboy (Donald Maass Literary)
literary agent Michael Croy (Northstar Literary)
literary agent Savannah Brooks (KT Literary)
editor Lisa Kloskin (Broadleaf Books)
literary agent Catherine Hedrick Armstrong (The Purcell Agency)
literary agent Erik Hane (Headwater Literary)
editor Meg Gaertner (Flux / Jolly Fish)
and possibly more to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Chuck Sambuchino of Writing Day Workshops , with help with local organization Wise Ink Creative Publishing . E-mail Chuck to register for the event at [email protected].

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, April 6, 2024 — at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront, an IHG Hotel, 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55101. (651)292-1900. .

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (APRIL 6, 2024):

Please Note : There will be 2-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so you will have your choice of what class you attend at any time. The final schedule of topics is subject to change, but here is the current layout:

8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.

BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30

1. Show, Don’t Tell: Why It Matters to Your Reader. You hear it all the time: Show, don’t tell . But what does it mean? — and how can you ensure you give your readers the visual cues and impact needed to convey emotion, setting, or action?

2. 10 Things Novelists Can Learn from Screenwriters and the Movie-Writing World . Revise or start your novel by borrowing tested tips and tricks from the script world.

BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50

1. Everything You Need to Know About Literary Agents and Writing an Awesome Query Letter . This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with literary agents. representatives.

2. Sparks Fly! The Top 10 Ways to Create Realistic Romance . Learn how to elevate your romance manuscript by diving into the top ten ways to create realistic romance.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15

Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.

BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30

1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest . This is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents & editors commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission. 2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal . This session is completely devoted to nonfiction book proposals.

BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45

1. Open Agent and Editor Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from MWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

2. The Psychology of the Reader: Writing Emotion into the Experience . In this session, we’ll cover finding your audience, creating an emotional outline for your audience, and then writing for that audience.

BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00

1. Getting Published in Today’s World: 10 Tips to Make You the Writer Agents and Publishers Want in 2024. This workshop discusses the challenges writers face in publishing today and offers up 10 practical tips to help you break through the barriers and find success.

2. How to Cut: Strategies for Tightening Your Prose & Reducing Your Word Count . You’ve finished your manuscript, edited it, and it’s almost ready to query, but uh-oh…you’re 10K+ words over genre recommendations. Now what?

SESSIONS END: 5:00

At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers will make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR (IN PERSON):

ADDED ONLINE PITCHING : To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2024 Minnesota Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2024 MWW on our calendar.

That event is the Ohio Writing Workshop , May 10-11, 2024, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2024 MWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online OWW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online May 2024 event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the Ohio conference and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Minnesota attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Minnesota. Following the MWW conference on April 6, 2024, we will be in touch with all Minnesota attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2024 OWW (May 10-11) . At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

$199 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 MWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN.

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing list of success stories an be seen here .)

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Minnesota Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Picture books, middle grade, and young adult — basically any kind of kidlit (in-person meetings) : Faculty member Erin Casey Westin , a literary agent, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you personally at the MN event for 15 minutes sometime during the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Women’s fiction and romance (any subgenre except erotica) (in-person meetings) : Faculty member Dana Hawkins , an author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you personally at the MN event for 15 minutes sometime during the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
All types & genres of fiction for adults and young adults (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Kristi Belcamino , a published mystery author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you personally at the MN event for 15 minutes sometime during the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Children’s picture books and middle grade (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Brittany Thurman , a published author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SFF, urban fantasy (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Wesley Chu , a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Fantasy (both YA and adult), fantasy romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Shauna Golden , a former agent, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
More critique options possibly forthcoming.

REGISTRATION:

Because of limited space at the venue (InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront), the workshop can only allow 220 registrants, unless spacing issues change. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] . Chuck will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The MWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Minnesota workshop specifically.

Thank you for your interest in the Minnesota Writing Workshop.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Trinica Sampson-Vera of New Leaf Literary & Media

She is seeking:

Speculative fiction (especially horror, cozy-to-high fantasy, hopepunk, and near future science fiction)
Romance and romcoms (especially featuring sapphic/queer relationships)
NA campus stories (especially dark academia)
Caribbean (especially Trinidad & Tobago) characters/settings
Reality TV premises
Unreliable narrators
Stories that support women’s wrongs
Found family (give me the intensity of the Fast & the Furious franchise)
Messy, doomed, heartbreakingly passionate tragic romances featuring people who make each other worse (I want the intensity of the relationship between Will/Hannibal, iykyk)
Retellings – I prefer retellings that are “inspired by” rather than faithful retellings. I love to be surprised by a twist or a new way of imagining an old story.

Fun facts about me:

I play online Survivor (like the CBS show!) and have won twice.
My name comes from Trinidad and California, where each of my parents was born.
I’ve cooked my way through two cookbooks and am always looking for new recipes to try!

Trinica graduated from Antioch College with a degree in Creative Writing and French. After several editorial internships during college, she moved to Austin and found an unexpected home in social services, where she worked for five years as a case manager to those experiencing chronic homelessness. Prior to beginning at New Leaf, she worked as an independent editor with Salt & Sage Books and Writing Diversely.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Lisa Kloskin of Broadleaf Books

Broadleaf publishes books that engage readers in fresh, substantive, timely, and inspiring reflection on what it is to live with meaning and connection; we specialize in religion, spirituality, social justice, culture, and personal growth.

Lisa lives in the twin cities with her husband and two young children. When not editing for Broadleaf, she spends her time hiking, biking, listening to public radio, streaming whatever show everyone else is watching this week, and of course reading.

Wishlist : I am seeking nonfiction books for adults in the categories of spirituality, personal growth, parenting, and social justice. I am especially looking for:

BIPOC perspectives on spirituality, faith, and life
Feminist religious perspectives
Queer faith perspectives
Justice- and equity-centered approaches to civic life from rising thought leaders
Self-help that goes beyond the simple how-to, to meet a deeper and more existential need
New approaches to personal spiritual practice

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Erik Hane of Headwater Literary

After graduating with a B.A. from Knox College and obtaining a publishing certificate from the Denver Publishing Institute, Erik Hane began his career on the editorial staff at Oxford University Press and then as an editor at The Overlook Press. Along with Laura, he is a host of Print Run Podcast, which was Digital Book World’s 2019 industry award winner for best podcast. He and Laura were Publishers Weekly reader picks for “Person of the Year” in 2019 as well.

At Headwater, Erik’s client list features some of the sharpest and most essential critics, artists, novelists, journalists, essayists, and commentators working today. His projects reliably find homes across a diverse swath of the publishing industry, from Big-5 commercial publishers to prestigious independent houses to university presses. He is looking for writers whose work—in both style and rigor—is up for the challenge of saying something indispensable about our increasingly chaotic world.

Away from work, Erik is an ardent tennis fan, outdoor enthusiast, Magic: The Gathering player, and a writer and reader himself. He can be found on Twitter @erikhane.

ERIK’S REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORIES:

Literary fiction

Political nonfiction

History, especially American

Literary nonfiction and essays

Popular science

I’m looking for work from progressive writers that have something novel, rigorous, and provocative to say about contemporary politics. I do not work on books that rely on a current fleeting news cycle to be relevant or sounds like the sort of watered-down, surface-level argument I might find on cable news. I am interested in political nonfiction across a variety of fields of study: economics, race, history, sports, arts criticism, gender studies, political theory, and much more. Everything is political; show me the real-world stakes in whatever you’re writing about and I bet it fits this category.

Favorite recent reads: We Do ‘Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba; Work Won’t Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe

History—especially American history—feels up for grabs in our current political moment. I am very interested in history writing that critiques American domestic inequality or imperialism abroad, as well as historical narratives that center groups of people who have been severely underrepresented in popular retellings of this country’s past. I work on history that has at least a partial focus on labor struggles or capitalism as a fundamental force in American life.

Favorite Recent Reads: The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow; Fight Like Hell by Kim Kelly

I am very interested in essays right now—whether those contain arts criticism, culture critique, personal elements (with strong rationale for why), or any of the myriad other ways talented writers are currently exploring the form. This includes creative nonfiction as well; I love distinct structural choices or experimentation, as long as it serves the goal of the project and enhances it in either theme or voice.

Essay collections work best though as books that build off other published work, whether that’s in journals or magazines or elsewhere; I like when books like this feel like they’ve leapt from a writer’s existing body of work.

Favorite recent reads: Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison; How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

Popular Science

Somewhat separately from the rest of my nonfiction (but only somewhat; science is political and so is good science writing), I love popular science, in particular books on neuroscience, evolutionary biology, or how science intersects with culture and politics. I’m drawn to writing on the emergence of life, extinction, evolution, natural selection, ecology, and climate.

Favorite recent reads: The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert ; I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong

Literary Fiction

I love what might get classified in pitch terms as “adult literary fiction” and it’s what I read the most away from work. I have a hard time describing literal elements I look for in novels, but contemporary writers I love include: Karen Russell, Marlon James, Michael Chabon, Patrick Nathan, Garth Greenwell, Jonathan Lethem, Jennifer Egan, Brit Bennett, Olga Tokarczuk, Ben Lerner, and Ling Ma.

I’m interested in unique structural or craft decisions, as long as they make sense and feel necessary. I like folklore, ghost stories, myths, religion; I typically pick up realist fiction, but I really love when things feel slightly surreal because of the prose. I really like fiction that’s class-, race-, or power-conscious, that sets up shop in the many divides, contradictions, dangers, and inequities of the world. I really like understatement; the most important craft decision an author makes is what to leave unsaid but present just off the page.

I am probably not the right agent for projects that center the experiences of cops or military officers.

Favorite recent reads: The Overstory by Richard Powers; Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk; Severance by Ling Ma.

I do not represent thrillers, mystery, or children’s literature.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Jennie Goloboy of Donald Maass Literary Agency

Jennie Goloboy is a literary agent with Donald Maass Literary Agency.

“As a fan of character-driven novels, I want to be desperate to know what happens to your hero by the time I’ve finished your writing sample. Romance and humor are always a plus. If your book combines an oddball premise with a compelling protagonist, I want to read it. I never see enough hard science fiction.

“I’m also looking for history for a popular, adult audience. I’m a particular fan of histories of an idea, and narratives about early America. I’m not interested in historical novels, or in memoir.”

Jennie joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2017, after six years at a Twin Cities-based literary agency. She has a PhD in the History of American Civilization from Harvard, and published a book based on her dissertation, Charleston and the Emergence of Middle-Class Culture in the Revolutionary Era, in 2016. Her novel, Obviously Aliens , was published by Queen of Swords Press in 2021.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Mary Cummings of Great River Literary

“I represent fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry for children and teens, from board and picture books to middle grade (including chapter books) and young adult. (No adult projects, please).”

Great River Literary is an agency devoted exclusively to representing authors and author/illustrators of books for children and teens.

Strong relationships with editors have resulted in a rapidly growing list of sales of board and picture books, chapter books and novels to such publishing houses as Knopf; Philomel; Viking; Nancy Paulsen/Penguin; Balzer & Bray; Walker; Little, Brown; Henry Holt; Holiday House; Feiwel & Friends; FSG; Running Press; WorthyKids; Abrams; Random House; Wiseman S & S; Chronicle; Candlewick; HarperCollins and many others.

“Great River Literary” was the clear name choice for the new agency established by Mary Cummings in 2021, after thirteen years as an agent for books for children and teens at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises.

Except in the depths of winter, nearly every evening Mary goes down to the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Paul to see the passing scene of trees and birds, barges and boats, kids and lovers – and always the play of light on the flowing water.

Mary finds great joy in helping her clients polish their stories to stand out for editors and to become books that will make a difference in kids’ lives. Before becoming a literary agent, Mary was Education Director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis where, among other accomplishments, she curated an annual festival of children’s literature and selected judges for the McKnight Award from leading editors in children’s publishing.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Laura Zats of Headwater Literary

(Note: Concerning the 10-minute “pitch” appointments at the event, Laura’s agency handles these opportunities in a specific way. In her own words: “Headwater, as a policy doesn’t do traditional pitch sessions, but we DO perform consultations, where we meet with anyone and answer questions & give feedback, rather than just give a yes/no.”)

For over a decade, Laura has worked with books in every way from bookselling to editing to self-publishing. A literary agent since 2014, she finds the most joy in working closely with authors to build their long-term careers in ways that contribute positively to their financial and mental health, as well as the greater community. Since 2016, Laura has hosted Print Run, a publishing podcast, with Erik Hane and is increasingly passionate about teaching, mentorship, and the role books play in the fight for social justice.

In her spare time, Laura plays tabletop role-playing games, cooks elaborate meals, follows long-distance dogsled racing, and drinks a lot of tea. Connect with her on twitter @LZats.

LAURA’S REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORIES:

Science fiction/fantasy
Select mystery
Literary fiction with speculative elements
Select contemporary and historical fiction

“I am actively looking to flesh out the adult side of my list but am always excited to read YA. I particularly love to work on books that appeal to readers of different genres or subgenres—if you’re pitching something that crosses multiple areas of my list, I want to see it!”

IN YOUNG ADULT:

I’m interested in reading about standout characters I’ve never met before, clever twists on familiar themes, and compassionate writing. I’m also very interested in seeing marginalized creators take on “tired” tropes.

Unfortunately, 2020 has killed my interest in dystopia/big government stories, but I’m very much open to anything else. This is a category where I don’t quite know what I want until I see it, so take the above and run with it!

Favorite recent reads: WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power, GROWN by Tiffany D. Jackson

IN ROMANCE:

I gravitate towards tropes that build conflict from the roles and expectations a character brings with them at the start of the book—think enemies (or rivals) to lovers, fake relationship, and coworkers. Put another way, I like the tension to come from forces outside the relationship versus forces inside the relationship (like accidental pregnancy, love triangle, miscommunication, etc.)

I’m not a good fit for Christian romance.

I work with a lot of LGBTQ+ romance and am always excited to add more to my list in all subgenres! I particularly would love to see more f/f and would love more nb or trans characters.

Favorite recent reads: THE LADY’S GUIDE TO CELESTIAL MECHANICS by Olivia Waite, THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan

IN MYSTERY:

I am a life-long cozy mystery fan and am always looking for anything that hits Jessica Fletcher and/or Miss Marple notes. I am particularly looking for cozy series or standalone books that bring something fresh to the genre beyond a distinctive setting. For example, I’d love to see projects that play with romance or speculative fiction tropes as much as traditional mystery tropes, or that feature a BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ protagonist.

I will consider historical and contemporary mysteries, as well as speculative ones, as long as they hit the requirements listed above.

I am not looking for police/law enforcement heroes or love interests. I am also not looking for thrillers, even domestic thrillers.

Favorite recent reads: ARSENIC AND ADOBO by Mia P. Manansala, DEATH IN CASTLE DARK by Veronica Bond, the Below Stairs series by Jennifer Ashley, and anything by Elly Griffiths

IN SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY:

SF/F will always be my first love, and as such, I’m very open to all subgenres, as well as horror. However, submitted projects must pass the Bechdel and/or the Mako Mori test.

Forever loves for me are heists/cons, fantasy that taps into gaming culture/fandom, witches, and reluctant, flawed heroes. I prefer to see traditional settings and tropes twisted on their heads. I’m drawn to seeing progressive, community-focused politics in my SFF and would love to have more decolonized worlds come across my desk.

I am less interested in dystopian/big gov stories, superheroes, steampunk, military SFF, and traditional Tolkien-esque high fantasy, but still willing to look at these books if they’re doing something new.

Favorite recent reads: GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir, RETURN OF THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner, MAGIC FOR LIARS by Sarah Gailey, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar

IN LITERARY FICTION WITH SPECULATIVE ELEMENTS:

The primary distinction between literary fiction with speculative elements and general SFF is usually a matter of sales, not content. I’m separating this section out only in the event that you, the reader, haven’t considered querying agents who rep SFF!

I’m looking for a wide range of speculative elements here—from something as fantastical as the Cthulhu monsters in LOVECRAFT COUNTRY to something as subtle as the earth’s slowing rotation backdrop in THE AGE OF MIRACLES.

SELECT CONTEMPORARY AND HISTORICAL FICTION:

Historical with LGBTQ+ main characters (like THE PAYING GUESTS by Sarah Waters, THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid)

Historical and contemporary fiction that isn’t speculative but either feels adjacent to SFF (like LITTLE by Edward Carey) or appeals to related fandoms (like A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN by Sherry Thomas)

Get to Know an Editor in Attendance: Brittany Torres Rivera of Graywolf Press

Graywolf Press publishes about 30 books annually — mostly poetry, memoirs, essays, novels, translations, and short stories. “Our editors are looking for high quality literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that combine a distinct voice with a distinct vision. Our editors seek out and solicit promising work from authors that they encounter in the pages of magazines, at writing conferences, and in other venues.”

Brittany is a bilingual Puerto Rican writer. She graduated from Florida International University with a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Brittany is an alumna of the Fulbright Program.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Brenna English-Loeb of Transatlantic Literary Agency

Brenna joined Transatlantic in 2019 after working for several years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates and Writers House, where she had the pleasure of working with New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors across multiple genres. Brenna grew up in beautiful Upstate New York and studied English and Theatre at Bucknell University.

Brenna has always gravitated to unique stories with a strong point of view. She is specifically looking for works of adult and select YA science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romcom and gothic horror. She’s interested in crime and suspense that does not center the police, military or state intelligence agencies and Westerns from a queer and/or BIPOC POV.

She loves character-driven space operas, rare myth and fairy tale retellings, nature survival stories, epistolary novels, and heists. She also has a soft spot for stories that blend multiple genres and she is always looking for works by underrepresented groups and identities.

Aspects of a work that are sure to catch her eye include: sports, pilgrimages, bog bodies, gothic and evocative atmospheres, relationship-driven plots, a sense of adventure, and narratives that reveal a deep knowledge of a particular subject. She also loves old tropes made new again, unreliable narrators, the age of sail and power imbalances.

For nonfiction: Brenna is looking for serious, groundbreaking sociological work that holds our culture up to the magnifying glass. She also loves accounts of historical events and people that deserve to be better known, as well as unusual and influential object histories.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Michael Croy of Northstar Literary

Michael is Principal of Northstar Literary, an agency he founded in 2014. He has over 25 years of experience in publishing having worked at Bantam Doubleday Dell, Random House and Simon & Schuster in a number of sales and management roles. Michael works on a wide range of content, focusing on narrative nonfiction, pop culture, music, inspirational sports biography, and cooking. Michael also represents general fiction, suspense, mystery and crime novels.

Michael is interested in acquiring general/mainstream fiction – stories told with heart and humor that have a strong sense of place with characters you quickly cheer for (or against!). Recent fiction favorites like Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison, When All is Said by Anne Griffin or The Bear by Andrew Krivak.

On the narrative nonfiction side he is looking for thoughtful pop culture commentary, or cultural history, think Valeria Luiselli’s powerful Tell Me How It Ends , or Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties, or This Woman’s Work by Sinead Gleeson and Kim Gordon. Sports biographies that are less about sport and more about personal struggles to overcome political, cultural, or physical hurdles – think of Path Lit By Lightning: The life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss

On The Site

2025 awp conference & bookfair.

Wednesday. March 26, 2025 | 12:00 am

Los Angeles, California

International Multilingual Creative Writing Conference: New York —Extended Submission Deadline: September 15th—

The International Multilingual Creative Writing Conference is a platform to celebrate the rich diversity of human experience across cultures and a unique opportunity to foster intercultural collaboration with artists, editors, media outlets, and publishers. As a discipline in its own right, creative writing programs are now present across the Americas and Europe. Universities, NGOs, private groups, and individual practitioners contributed to this growth. However, a multilingual approach is critical to unlocking the potential of intercultural cross-pollination and collaboration between practitioners with diverse cultural backgrounds.

The City College of New York—Division of Interdisciplinary Studies—, The Americas Poetry Festival of New York, Universidad de La Rioja, and Proyecto Valle de la Lengua join forces to organize this conference.

Please note that all proposals will be peer-reviewed and are due by August 15, 2024.

Conference presenters are expected to pay conference registration fees of $150 (Regular) $75 (Students with ID), and make their own hotel accommodations.

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please feel free to email [email protected]

Conferencia Internacional Multilingüe de Escritura Creativa: Nueva YorK. —Fecha límite extendida para enviar propuestas: Septiembre 15.

La Conferencia Internacional Multilingüe de Escritura Creativa es una plataforma para celebrar la rica diversidad de la experiencia humana a través de las culturas y una oportunidad única para fomentar la colaboración intercultural con artistas, editores, medios y sellos editoriales. Como una disciplina en sí misma, los programas de escritura creativa ahora están presentes en las Américas y Europa. Universidades, ONGs, grupos privados y practicantes individuales han contribuido a este crecimiento. Sin embargo, un enfoque multilingüe es crucial para estimular el potencial polinización creativa intercultural y la colaboración entre practicantes provenientes de diversas experiencias culturales.

División de Estudios Interdisciplinarios del City College of The City University of New York, The Americas Poetry festival of New York, la Universidad de la Rioja y el Proyecto Valle de la Lengua unen fuerzas para organizar esta conferencia.

Los presentadores deberán pagar un registro de participación $150 USD (regular) $75 (Estudiantes con identificación) y también hacer sus propios arreglos para de hospedaje .

Si tiene alguna consulta o duda puede por favor escriba al siguiente email: [email protected] .

Submission of proposals:

Individual:

Proposals should include a title, an abstract of 200-250 words, and a brief biography (100-150 words). Readings, papers, performances, or presentations may be in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. The organization will group individual proposals (limited to 20 minutes) in panels of four presenters.

Proposals must be sent through the conference website—submission Deadline: August 15th, 2024.

Readings, papers, performances, or presentations will have a maximum duration of 20 minutes, and each panel will feature four presenters. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance and participation.

Proposals for panels containing four readings, papers, performances, or presentations on the same topic are also welcome. The conference will accept proposals in other languages for pre-organized panels.

Name * Prefix First Name Middle Name Last Name Suffix
Primary Phone Number * - Area Code Phone Number
Email * [email protected]
Secondary Phone Number - Area Code Phone Number
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2024 Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)

Get your writing published: march 23, 2024, the 2024 chesapeake writing workshop: march 23, 2024.

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (175 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Chesapeake Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here .

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW is an in-person event happening in Washington, DC [Arlington area] on Saturday, March 23, 2024. See you there.)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

literary agent Lori Steel (Red Fox Literary)
literary agent Dani Segelbaum (Carol Mann Agency)
literary agent Taj McCoy (Rees Agency)
literary agent Max Sinsheimer (Sinsheimer Literary)
literary agent Kirsten Neuhaus (Ultra Literary)
literary agent Michelle Jackson (LCS Literary)
literary agent Eric Smith (P.S. Literary)
literary agent Stacey Graham (3 Seas Literary)
literary agent Lane Clarke (Ultra Literary)
editorial assistant Makayla Tabron (HarperCollins)
literary agent Lauren Albury (Holloway Literary)
literary agent Kayla Lightner (Ayesha Pande Literary)
literary agent Bethany Jett (CYLE Literary)
literary agent Dean Krystek (Wordlink)
and more to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Chuck Sambuchino of Writing Day Workshops . E-mail him to register for the event at [email protected] and say you’re interested in the Chesapeake event specifically.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 23, 2024 — at the Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City, an IHG Hotel, 2650 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202. The hotel has a courtesy block of rooms for conference attendees .

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (MARCH 23, 2024):

8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.

BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30

1. Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2024 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between. Writers today have lots of choices and options, but that doesn’t mean your publishing journey is an easy path to navigate. How are traditional publishing and self-publishing changing? What kind of writer is attractive to an agent currently?

2. The Importance of Place: How Setting Unlocks Superior Storytelling . When a writer is stuck or the project feels flat, a fully realized setting can be the culprit. We’ll spend time diving into the concept of setting and how its power can unlock your story to become the standout project it deserves.

BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50

1. The Do’s and Don’ts of Querying Agents . This session will cover the ultimate “Do’s and Don’ts” of writing the perfect query letter to get you noticed by publishers and agents. The goal? A requested manuscript or proposal.

2. How to Market Yourself and Your Books: Talking Author Social Media, Blogging, and Platform . Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, everyone could use some helpful guidance on how to effectively market themselves and sell more books.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15

Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.

BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30

1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest , with participating literary agents and editors. In the vein of “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent,” this is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission.

2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal. This session is completely devoted to nonfiction that is not memoir. So if you are trying to create a nonfiction book proposal, this presentation is for you.

BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45

1. Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

2. Evergreen Keys to Writing Success. Learn 10 things you can be doing right now that will help get your book(s) published and have more control over your writing destiny.

BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00

1. How to Build a Cast of Characters . In this class, attendees will be challenged to consider their story as an emotional journey they are taking the reader on; examine the usefulness/unhelpfulness of words like hero, villain, protagonist, and antagonist; learn the VEAH system (Vehicles, Engines, Anchors, and Hazards) that will put character growth at the center of your story; and more.

2. Improving Your Craft Through Revision. This class will share guidance often used in providing critiques to help you strengthen your manuscript as a whole through layered revision. We’ll tackle topics relevant to formatting thoughts, setting and sensory details, character distinctions through expression and tone, removing filler words, and showing vs. telling.

SESSIONS END: 5:00

At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers will make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:

Lori Steel is a literary agent with Red Fox Literary. “For all projects, I seek stories with authentic, unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience. More specifically for YA, I would love to find a fresh take on fantasy tropes, contemporary stories that flip conventional scripts, unexpected historical and/or historical fantasy mash-ups that disrupt entrenched notions. I like middle grade contemporary, historical, horror, and fantasy fiction stories that demonstrate deep understanding of readers’ age, voice, and growing awareness of themselves and the world around them is paramount. For Graphic Novels, I’m looking for writer-illustrators crafting accessible contemporary and select nonfiction stories. For Picture Books, I’m eager to find writer-illustrators who craft stories with spare text and rich art, creators who play with structure, utilize collusion to engage participation, and don’t underestimate young readers. Nonfiction stories that surprise and instill a sense of wonder are always welcome. Whimsical, lyrical, and/or humorous stories that young readers will beg to read over and over again always top the list.” Learn more about Lori here.

ADDED ONLINE PITCHING : To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2024 Chesapeake Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2024 CWW on our calendar.

That event is the 2024 Online Writing Workshop of San Francisco , April 5-6, 2024, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for DC. Following the CWW conference on March 23, 2024, we will be in touch with all Chesapeake attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2024 WWSF (April 5-6) . At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

———————————–

$199 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 CWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN. Just email [email protected] and say you want to register for the Chesapeake workshop.

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing list of success stories an be seen here .)

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Chesapeake Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Fantasy (both YA and adult), fantasy romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Shauna Golden , a former agent, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
Women’s, mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller, mystery (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Michelle McGill-Vargas , a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
Middle grade, young adult; adult fiction in the areas of low fantasy, literary fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, and mainstream fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Joel Brigham , a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
More critique options forthcoming.

REGISTRATION:

Because of limited space at the Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City, the workshop can only allow 175 registrants. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] . Chuck will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Chesapeake workshop specifically.

Thank you for your interest in the Chesapeake Writing Workshop.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kayla Lightner of Ayesha Pande Literary

Kayla started her career at Liza Dawson Associates. She also managed APL’s subsidiary rights department for two years before transitioning to full-time agent. Her client list includes multi-award-winning actor, Delroy Lindo; multi-award-winning journalist and food writer, Annabelle Tometich; and Vice, Teen Vogue, and Longreads contributor, Minda Honey.

Kayla is an adventurous reader who loves stories (typically adult; though there are a select few middle-grade titles on her list) within upmarket fiction, literary fiction, and nonfiction. She’s looking for writers that can masterfully straddle the line between story-telling and teaching readers something new (about themselves, their communities, or the world we live in).

Kayla is a Georgia native and earned her B.A. in English from Vassar College. When Kayla’s not reading, she can be found writing, reminiscing on her rugby days, and trying to retain her (waning) fluency in French by watching French shows on Netflix.

I love discovering diverse and fresh new perspectives across adult literary + upmarket fiction and nonfiction. I’m particularly a fan of authors with singular voices that masterfully straddle the line between story-telling and teaching readers something new (about themselves, their communities, or the world we live in).

Within Fiction, I’m looking for…

Magical realism with southern gothic elements like Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward; books that use speculative elements as a means to examine history like These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card (no slave narratives, please.)

Book Club Fiction with an entertaining core premise and flawed characters we can’t help but root for, but still maintains sharp, incisive prose on a line-level like Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid and The Maid by Nita Prose.

Family Sagas that turn the picket white-fence narrative on its head and/or are rooted in the immigrant experience like Zadie Smith’s White Teeth ; or sit in the tensions of familial relationships (whether is be spouses, parent/child, or siblings) like American Marriage by Tayari Jones, With Teeth by Kristen Arnett, or The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

Within Nonfiction, I’m looking for…

Narrative Histories that are compelling, well-researched stories about forgotten / willfully overlooked moments in history and the ripple effects they have on our modern-day life like Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.

Deeply reported narrative nonfiction that examines race, class, current events, arts, business, and technology like Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

“Big Idea Books” that critique the different ways the internet and “internet culture” currently impact our lives, and that take pop culture seriously, like Lurking by Joanne McNeil, Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke,and Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

Platform-driven Memoirs that take me inside a previously inaccessible community, a niche sub-culture, or a unique way of life like Uncanney Valley by Anna Weir.

Practical Nonfiction that taps into gen-z’s changing attitudes around work, money, and mental health.

True Crime that provides a fresh perspective on scams and multi-level-marketing schemes

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Makayla Tabron of HarperCollins

She was formerly an intern at the agency Defiore & Co.

At the 2024 in-person CWW, Makayla is using her one-on-one attendee meetings for editorial help and guidance, not for submissions. In other words, she cannot take pitches on behalf of her imprint. However, she can use her experience and knowledge to help writers on their path. Use a 10-minute meeting with her to ask questions about writing/publishing, or present your first page or query for her quick thoughts. She welcomes all types of writers writing all types of books to consult with her.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kirsten Neuhaus of Ultra Literary

“My top nonfiction categories are memoir, business books, journalist authored issue driven or current events narratives, and parenting. On the fiction side I do occasionally represent young adult.” She represents primarily nonfiction, in the categories of: Business/Finance; Memoir; Advice/Relationships/Self-Help; Food/Beverage; Health/Medicine; Lifestyle; Culture/Pop Culture; Biography; How-To; Parenting; Science/Technology; Body, Mind & Spirit; Illustrated/Art; Reference.

Kirsten believes that books provide an incredibly powerful method to deliver important messages to readers around the world. Those messages can and do change not just the conversations we have with each other, but also with ourselves. Her list of clients includes entrepreneurs, personalities, influencers and thought leaders across a wide range of industries. Her hands on, thoughtful approach to representation begins with helping her authors develop the right book concept to best highlight their stories and goals, in addition to connecting with and enhancing their existing platforms.

Once she’s procured the best possible deal and publisher for her clients, she remains a steady presence by their side, ensuring each step of the process is handled as seamlessly and carefully as possible. This approach helps her clients have successful books the first time around, and on subsequent books as well.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Dean Krystek of Wordlink

He works on book, TV, and film projects.

After retiring from a long military career, Dean put away his uniform and decided to follow his passion for books. He is an alumnus of the University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in English. He’s a published novelist and short story writer. He currently resides in Pennsylvania with his wife Lynda.

He is seeking : Dean is looking for authors with distinctive voices whose narratives invoke a strong sense of time and place and whose stories create a memorable reading experience. He’d like to see mysteries (whodunit, cozy); sci-fi (space opera, dystopian, alternate history, time travel); psychological suspense; thrillers (looking for small town America setting vs international in scale); military fiction (character-driven pieces; favoring post-WWII, such as Vietnam).

In young adult and middle grade fiction, he would like to see mysteries, paranormal, sci-fi, coming of age, and suspense with writing that stirs the imagination and caters to the young reader’s sense of wonder and adventure.

Dean is also looking for film & television projects to develop in his areas of interest either as original works or adaptations of an author’s work (published or unpublished).

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Eric Smith of P.S. Literary

He’s worked on award-winning and New York Times bestselling titles, and began his publishing career at Quirk Books. A frequent blogger, his ramblings about books and the publishing industry regularly appear on Book Riot, Paste Magazine, and Publishing Crawl. He also occasionally writes books when he finds the time, like his latest, Don’t Read the Comments (Inkyard Press).

Eric is eagerly acquiring fiction and nonfiction projects. He’s actively seeking out new, diverse voices in young adult (particularly sci-fi and fantasy), middle grade, and literary and commercial fiction (again, loves sci-fi and fantasy, but also thrillers and mysteries). In terms of non-fiction, he’s interested in cookbooks, pop culture, humor, middle grade, essay collections, and blog-to-book ideas.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Lori Steel of Red Fox Literary

Lori began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian, and later as a freelance editor and writing instructor. She is also a writer and earned an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. As a Red Fox Literary Agent, Lori approaches her work from these diverse industry experiences and perspectives. She’s a long-time member of SCBWI and ALA, and passionately believes all readers deserve equal access to stories, no matter their age. Lori’s clients include both debut and award-winning authors, and she continues to seek diverse perspectives, literary approaches, and unique story experiences to add to her list. Lyrical language, compelling settings, and 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 their secret-agent pup sidekick, Juice.

She is seeking:

For all projects, I seek stories with authentic, unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience.

More specifically for YA, I would love to find a fresh take on fantasy tropes, contemporary stories that flip conventional scripts, unexpected historical and/or historical fantasy mash-ups that disrupt entrenched notions. I’m always on the look-out for genre-bending writing in the vein of A.S. King!

Middle Grade contemporary, historical, horror, and fantasy fiction stories that demonstrate deep understanding of readers’ age, voice, and growing awareness of themselves and the world around them is paramount.

For Graphic Novels, I’m looking for writer-illustrators crafting accessible contemporary and select nonfiction stories.

For Picture Books, I’m eager to find writer-illustrators who craft stories with spare text and rich art, creators who play with structure, utilize collusion to engage participation, and don’t underestimate young readers. Nonfiction stories that surprise and instill a sense of wonder are always welcome. Whimsical, lyrical, and/or humorous stories that young readers will beg to read over and over again always top the list.

Themes/ideas/atmospheres that intrigue me:

Nonfiction picture books about ecology/environmentalism written from unusual perspectives
Regional setting/voices
Found families
Endearing meet-cute stories
Musical motifs
Verse, multiple POV and/or interpolated/mixed media novels
Setting as character and/or antagonist
In all seriousness: Stories that are important and extend the conversation.

I’m NOT the right agent for:

YA Nonfiction
Hard sci-fi
Didactic, overly sentimental, and message-driven books
Stand-alone board books, early readers, and chapter books
Boarding school settings
Vampires, werewolves, zombies
Stories devoid of hope
Rhyming PBs in the vein of Seuss or Silverstein

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Lauren Albury of Holloway Literary

Literary fiction
Historical fiction
Book club/Women’s
Upmarket fiction

Wishlist specifics:

Caribbean stories and voices
Southern settings
Romantic themes
Rich immersive settings like Where the Crawdads Sing and lyrical prose like All the Light We Cannot See

Not a good fit for:

Political or pandemic themes
Sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/magical realism
Please no ghosts or aliens or torture

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Max Sinsheimer of Sinsheimer Literary

I represent a wide range of adult nonfiction, with a particular interest in popular science, true crime, history, food and cookery, travel/adventure, and social issues. I love when the author has a personal angle into a larger societal story, as in Disposable City, which is about Miami’s sea level rise crisis, but begins with the author’s decision to buy a home in the city he grew up in, only to realize that the properties he’s viewing would literally be under water within a 30-year mortgage term.

I’m also on the lookout for great place-specific narratives; two examples from my list would be the sake travelogue Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake, which won a James Beard Award last year, and Mars on Earth (forthcoming 2024), where the author goes on a 1,200-mile journey deep into the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, searching for a deeper understanding of his partner and his adoptive homeland. Finally, I’m keen to work with more investigative journalists like Steve Hendricks, who tenaciously researched the suspicious death of the American Indian activist Anna Mae Aquash in The Unquiet Grave , going so far as to sue the FBI for unseen documents over a period of years.

Prior to founding my agency I managed Oxford University Press’s influential food and drink Companion series, multi-authored, subject-defining works that included The Oxford Companion to Beer (2011), The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015), Savoring Gotham (2015), The Oxford Companion to Cheese (2016), and The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (2021). The series has won or been nominated for James Beard, IACP, Gourmand, and other food writing awards. While I enjoyed my time at OUP immensely, I wanted to represent my authors’ interests more completely. Since founding my agency in 2016, I can!

I have a BA in English lit from Middlebury College and an MA in liberal studies from Duke University. I live with my fiancé in Washington, D.C., and travel back and forth to NYC often to meet with editors and visit family. In my free time I play an unhealthy amount of online chess.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Michelle Jackson of LCS Literary

An educator for over 20 years, Michelle is also a published author, writing professionally as Michelle Lindo-Rice for Mira and Harlequin Special Edition and Zoey Marie Jackson for Harlequin Love Inspired. She has earned educational degrees from New York University, SUNY at StonyBrook, Teachers College Columbia University and Argosy University.

“I represent books that evoke heartfelt emotions and fervent conversations among its readers. My mission is to mentor and develop authors, particularly those from underrepresented communities, and help them build a brand of quality and authentic reads. I am actively building my list and I’m looking for authors with stories that leave me feeling all the feels. I want books that make my heart squeeze, make me ugly cry, have my heart pound or make me laugh until I cry. I love love love romance and feel-good stories that make my heart sigh with contentment at the end. I am seeking books from all genres that still have an underlying message of hope and joy. I do enjoy twisty reads that keep me guessing and that makes my eyes burn at night. I am also a lover of stories involving great friendships and those that explore family dynamics in new ways.

“Give me a great premise, a twist on an old tale and some great descriptive writing. I want to feel as if I am living the story right up until the end.”

Adult Fiction wishlist: commercial, historical, humor, new adult, romance, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, women’s fiction.

Adult fiction sub-genres of interest to Michelle: contemporary romance, multicultural, psychological thrillers, romantic comedy, romantic suspense.

Young Adult Fiction: contemporary, historical, Christian, romance

Middle Grade: contemporary, mystery, magical realism

Children’s picture books: author/illustrators, nonfiction

Nonfiction: biography, true crime, self-Help, relationships, cookbooks, narrative, spirituality

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Creative writing graduate student and professors present at International Hemingway Conference

This summer, creative writing graduate student Kira Compton, along with Boise State professors Clyde Moneyhun, Stacey Guill, and Edward “Mac” Test, presented at the 20th International Hemingway Conference in Spain. Their talk, “An Angry Sound Against Injustice: Martha Gellhorn’s Activist Engagement,” focused on Hemingway’s third wife and her political activism as a writer.

The inspiration to apply to the 20th International Hemingway Conference began in September, 2023, when Compton and other Boise State creative writing graduate students attended the Community Library’s Ernest Hemingway Seminar in Ketchum, Idaho. This experience led Compton, a third-year student in the creative writing MFA Program, to apply for the conference.”I think this will be most helpful for the critical component of my academic life going forward,” Compton said. “I hadn’t been to a literary conference quite like this, and it was so inspiring to meet other passionate theorists and writers.”

Learn more about the Boise State Creative Writing MFA Program here.

You can read more about the Hemingway Conference here.

Things To Do | Writers conference comes to CNU in September

Things To Do

Subscriber only.

Christopher Newport University’s annual Writers Conference is scheduled for Sept. 14 and will feature a variety of experts on writing and publishing.

With the theme “Virginia is for Writers,” the conference will include award-winning fantasy author Leslye Penelope as the keynote speaker. Penelope, who lives in Maryland, will also teach two workshop sessions — “Worldbuilding for Any Genre” and “The Second Draft & Beyond: Strategies for Revising Your Novel.”

The daylong program will be held on campus at the Freeman Center. General registration is $150; military/60 years or older is $90; and full-time non-CNU students are $60. CNU students can attend for free.

For more information, visit cnu.edu/writers .

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Engl 501 (01) - introduction to creative nonfiction, intro to creative nonfiction, times & locations.

Start Date	End Date	Days	Time	Location
8/26/2024	12/9/2024	TR	9:40am - 11:00am	HS 336

Fall 2024 Detailed Description: Writing for Digital Media

Focused on creative uses of multimedia in composition, this course will cover traditional nonfiction elements such as sensory details, narrative, and expressing the human condition, while also including visual, audio, and electronic text to engage readers. Like an artist’s paintbrush, the computer can be a creative tool in the writing process. Exploring methods, forms, and functions of works of both print and digital nonfiction will provide students with context and the foundational skills to express themselves through multimedia writing projects such as video, Google Maps, and the web. Writers will become composers, telling their stories with digital media.

This section of the course will provide an overview to the Digital Humanities, in theory and practice. We will look at a broad spectrum of DH projects using various platforms, analyze literature through information visualization, participate in real-world digital museum curation, and discover web platforms and design strategies to collect and showcase work. Students will develop an understanding of Digital Humanities and how they can integrate digital methods into their field and utilize digital practices for a deeper understanding of the humanities.

This section of ENGL 501 satisfies the 500-level Introductory Course requirement for ENGL:TBD majors.

‘It was like we were garbage’: Stanford to ‘cycle out’ creative writing lecturers

Photo of the front of Main Quad, which holds Margaret Jacks Hall at Building 460

One creative writing lecturer requested anonymity due to fears of professional retaliation. Pseudonyms and gender neutral pronouns were used to protect sources’ identities and improve readability.

Many of Stanford’s creative writing lecturers will be phased out over the next two years, as the University restores the Jones Lectureship’s term limit as part of the restructuring of the Creative Writing Program.

The restructuring, executed under the recommendation of a working group formed after the lecturers secured pay raises last September, was announced in a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21 by Humanities and Sciences dean Debra Satz, Humanities and Arts senior associate dean Gabriella Safran and Creative Writing Program co-director Nicholas Jenkins. The working group was composed of creative writing faculty members but no Jones Lecturers.

The Jones Lectureship came with a four-year cap that only began to be enforced on fellows hired after 2019, but over the course of the years, some lecturers have stayed longer than the terms of the program. With the restoration of the original term-limited appointments, however, all current Jones Lecturers — including those hired prior to 2019 — will be let go within the next two years.

Some lecturers have already been affected; for instance, Rose Whitmore was dismissed in 2023 after winning that year’s Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize.

For Casey, a lecturer who requested the use of a pseudonym due to fear of professional retaliation, the Wednesday meeting felt cold and awkward.

“It was like we were garbage,” Casey said. “They didn’t even acknowledge how difficult this news would be, and when they did give us time to ask questions, the way they fielded the questions, particularly [Jenkins], it was just very cold and very dismissive.”

Safran disagreed with Casey’s characterization in a statement on behalf of the Creative Writing Program and the School of Humanities and Sciences. The Daily also reached out to the University for comment but has not obtained a response.

During the Wednesday meeting, the deans told the lecturers that they would be “cycled out.” They clarified that it meant the lecturers’ jobs would be “terminated,” Jones Lecturer Tom Kealey told The Daily. Some lecturers will be teaching for an additional year, while others will be teaching for two more years. Kealey called the situation a “future fire.”

“We were brought in to discuss the ‘restructuring’ of the overall program, and then we were all fired,” Kealey said. One lecturer even told him the meeting felt like the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones.

Five minutes after the meeting, an email from Christina Ablaza, the administrative director of the Creative Writing Program, informed the lecturers that they could sign up for one-on-one meetings to discuss their individual situations.

Lecturers to be affected by the decision were frustrated that they had no say in the phase-out. But Satz and Safran do not have voting power in the working group either — only the faculty members do. The faculty members made the decision “to fire all 23 of their junior colleagues” in what Kealey called a “secret meeting.”

“I got the impression that the deans themselves were confused as to why the professors had voted to fire them,” Kealey said.

Kealey believed that 10 out of all the creative writing faculty members on the working group only taught 13 undergraduate classes last year, while the same number of Jones Lecturers would have taught 50 classes. Lecturers also advise about 90% of students in the Creative Writing Program and 50% of students in Department of English, he estimated.

Many students expressed concerns that they will lose a strong community of creative writing peers and classes. They are also confused as to what the program will look like in the future.

Students are receiving information from each other, lecturers, a recently created Instagram page called “ripstanfordcw” (which stands for rest in peace, Stanford creative writing) and even from Fizz, an anonymous social media platform. The confusion comes a week before course enrollment is set to begin on Sept. 5.

Students have tried to voice their displeasure with the current decision. A petition , started by Kyle Wang ’22 M.A. ‘23, has received over 600 signatures from students and alumni. He began the petition after talking to some of his friends about the positive impact many of the Jones Lecturers have had on their lives. Other community membes tried to write emails to University administrators.

In an online announcement published on Wednesday, Aug. 28, the Creative Writing Program states that Stanford will increase “the number of creative writing classes to better meet high student demand as well as ensuring competitive compensation for both the lecturers and fellows.” According to the statement, more details will be released in the fall.

“I know they said that they were having meetings and they’re reworking [the program], but it’s not very transparent,” said English major Skya Theobald ’25.

Mia Grace Davis ’27, a prospective English major, wanted to take “English 190E: Novel Writing Intensive,” a class known for its popularity and limited enrollment, in the fall. Now she is not even sure if it will be offered in the future.

For Davis, the main appeal of Stanford had always been its Creative Writing Program, but “it’s kind of falling apart as we’re watching it,” she said.

To students who have taken numerous creative writing classes like Theobald, it doesn’t make sense why lecturers are being cycled out when the program wants to meet the growing demand for creative writing.

Prospective English major Annabelle Wang ’27 said what’s happening has even made her reconsider her course of study.

“It definitely makes the English major less desirable,” she said of the phase-out. “I think for students and the student experience, it’s going to be a really big loss. A lot of community is going to be lost.”

Theobald also expressed concerns the variety of creative writing classes will be reduced. A lot of them such as “English 190G: The Graphic Novel” and “English 190E: Novel Writing Intensive” are rarely offered at other universities, but incoming freshmen now may not have the same opportunities to explore those classes. For instance, specialized classes like “The Graphic Novel” may not be offered again if the lecturers who teach them are let go, Kealey said.

Students felt that the Jones Lecturers have shaped the way they view their own writing. Lydia Wang ’27 had often struggled to understand the value of her writing, but her lecturers were the ones to help her realize there is a place in the world for what she creates.

“That’s the type of impact that really changes people, and when people change, they can change the world as well,” she said. “So I really hope that Stanford learns to value the humanities, and especially creative writing, because we’re creating change, and we’re creating something for ourselves.”

Some lecturers remain hopeful that the restructuring, which is ongoing, will be reconsidered.

“I may be naive, but I still believe in Stanford. I think Stanford is much better than this,” Kealey said. “I think as light is shed on this, enough people are going to say, ‘This doesn’t make our university better. It makes our university much worse.’”

Judy N. Liu '26 is the Academics desk editor for News and staff writer at The Daily.

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2024 Conference

What Engineers Can Learn from Wendell Berry

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Danielle S. Wyenberg , Dordt University Follow

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Born in 1934, Wendell Berry is a well-known poet, novelist, and essayist from rural Henry County, Kentucky. Berry moved away from his family’s farm as a young man and experienced success in his writing and teaching career, until, in 1965, he gave up a prestigious position at New York University to return to and work the farm. He is a farmer as well as an accomplished author, having written well over fifty publications including books of poems, volumes of essays, series of novels, and collections of short stories. His work has earned many prestigious awards, including the National Humanities Medal (National Endowment for the Humanities, 2010), the Poets’ Prize (Nicholas Roerich Museum, 2000), and The Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership in Church and Society (Virginia Theological Seminary, 2014).

The major themes woven throughout Berry’s writings include the importance of physical place, community, human flourishing, and appropriate scale, all vital considerations to those working to develop creation from a Christian perspective. Berry is well-known for choosing to live a more traditional life, intentionally forgoing many modern conveniences. Throughout his work, Berry also shines a light on the past, discussing how our culture moved from primarily agrarian to a post-industrial revolution society, giving valuable context to our work and lives. Berry is perhaps most recognized for emphasizing humanity’s connection to the land, focusing on direct stewardship and responsibility for creation. His agrarian worldview often underscores humanity in terms of creaturely life, respecting limits and celebrating life in community.

In his essays, Berry uses prose to champion strong communities and generational wisdom, and to critique what he calls modern, mechanized life. Berry also uses his writings to answer the historical questions of what happened , such as: What happened to rural communities? What happened to small farms and local economies? What happened to the agrarian-centric cultural mindset? Berry often explains how economic and political developments impacted the real people living and working in rural areas. Through the lens of someone who values place, community, and appropriate technology, we can learn about and consider the impact of major forces like the Industrial Revolution, World War II, and even something as nebulous as widespread adoption of the tractor. Along with Berry, we can also ponder the effects of cultural changes, such as what it means for our society to compensate work with an hourly wage, how the normalization of debt and financing impacted work and communities, and the real costs and benefits of consolidating schools.

In his novels and short stories, Berry writes of a community located in the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. The most powerful stories are written from the perspective of an elderly main character, looking back at his or her lifetime and giving account, with wisdom and perspective sprinkled throughout. This narrative device is an effective method of reminding readers of the changes that can and will happen throughout a lifetime: circumstances will not always stay the same, people will move in and out of our lives, and we ourselves will change as we age and grow and live through all the stages of life. In this way, Berry’s work can widen the context to include not only a physical place but also the span of an entire lifetime, and help us to remember the big picture: our stories begin and end, interwoven with the stories of others and nestled inside God’s grand story of redemption.

In his poetry, Berry writes beautifully along his common themes of people, land, and community. In a well-loved series of poems, Berry utilizes a character referred to as the “mad farmer.” The narrative of the mad farmer is that in a society that is frantically chasing wealth and power and motivated by greed, someone that is heartily sane will appear to be the insane one, or “mad.” In Berry’s famous poem, Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front , he begins by critiquing the modern mindset, then calls readers to action through seemingly contradictory directives. He says, “So, friends, every day do something that won’t compute,” then gives examples such as: “Work for nothing.” “Ask the questions that have no answers.” “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.” And then, his resolute closing instruction: “Practice resurrection.” [1]

This manifesto with its ridiculous advice reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:18, where Paul writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” To those chasing the temporary satisfaction of quick profits, material goods, or collections of personal experiences, the greatest commandment directing us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and then the second: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” might seem like nothing but foolishness, but as Christians, we know our satisfaction comes from work well done in service to God.

It may seem contradictory to look to someone who is known to eschew modern conveniences as inspiration for engineers, but Wendell Berry provides a thought-provoking perspective that is beneficial for all people to engage, perhaps especially Christians, and perhaps even more especially those Christians who are actively working to develop creation through the art of engineering. Christian engineers are called to act as God’s agents of restoration, working to cultivate and keep creation, design holistically, and nurture a practice of responsible engineering [2]. By reading the words of Wendell Berry, we can be better prepared to recognize – and even appreciate – limits, standards, and boundaries, better understand what it means to be a steward of creation, and widen the context of our work and lives.

Perhaps we can be emboldened by Berry’s fictional mad farmer and become mad engineers , wholeheartedly working to both cultivate and keep creation, even if we appear foolish. Our manifesto, then, as inspired by Berry’s work, might include directives such as: recognize and respect limits, count the intangible costs and benefits, love your place, and, along with the mad farmers, practice resurrection.

In this paper, I will reflect on the main themes of Berry’s writings as summarized in the mad engineer directives, discuss how they may be helpful to Christian engineers as we strive to serve responsibly and faithfully, and give examples of application in case studies along the way.

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NeurIPS Creative AI Track: Ambiguity

Fencing Hallucination (2023), by Weihao Qiu

Following last year’s incredible success, we are thrilled to announce the NeurIPS 2024 Creative AI track. We invite research papers and artworks that showcase innovative approaches of artificial intelligence and machine learning in art, design, and creativity.

Focused on the theme of Ambiguity, this year’s track seeks to highlight the multifaceted and complex challenges brought forth by application of AI to both promote and challenge human creativity. We welcome submissions that: question the use of private and public data; consider new forms of authorship and ownership; challenge notions of ‘real’ and ‘non-real’, as well as human and machine agency; and provide a path forward for redefining and nurturing human creativity in this new age of generative computing.

We particularly encourage works that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries to propose new forms of creativity and human experience. Submissions must present original work that has not been published or is not currently being reviewed elsewhere.

Important Dates:

August 16: Submission Deadline, for both Papers & Artworks
October 17: Decision
October 30: Final Camera-Ready Submission

Call for Papers and Artworks

Papers (posters).

We invite submissions for research papers that propose original ideas or novel uses of AI and ML for creativity. The topics of research papers are not restricted to the theme of ambiguity. Please note that this track will not be part of the NeurIPS conference proceedings. If you wish to publish in the NeurIPS proceedings please submit your paper directly to the main track.

To submit: We invite authors to submit their papers. We expect papers to be 2-6 pages without including references . The formatting instructions and templates will become available soon. The submission portal will open sometime in July.

We invite the submission of creative work that showcases innovative use of AI and ML. We highly encourage the authors to focus on the theme of Ambiguity. We invite submissions in all areas of creativity including visual art, music, performing art, film, design, architecture, and more in the format of video recording .

NeurIPS is a prestigious AI/ML conference that tens of thousands researchers from academia and industry attend every year. Selected works at the Creative AI track will be presented on large display screens at the conference and the authors will have the opportunity to interact with the NeurIPS research community to germinate more collaborative ideas.

To submit: We invite authors to submit their original work. An artwork submission requires the following:

Description of the work and the roles of AI and ML
Description on how the theme of Ambiguity is addressed
Biography of all authors including relevant prior works
Thumbnail image of the work (<100MB)
3-min video preview of the work (<100MB)

Single-blind review policy

The names of the authors should be included in the submission.

Conference policy

If a work is accepted at least one author must purchase a Conference & Tutorials registration and attend in person . For pricing visit the pricing page . For registration information visit the registration page . The location of the conference is Vancouver and the authors are responsible for their travel arrangements and expenses. The conference does not provide travel funding.

For updates, please check https://neurips-creative-ai.github.io/2024/ regularly. To stay up-to-date with all future announcements, please join our mailing list . You can also follow the @ML4CDWorkshop twitter. For other inquiries, please contact [email protected] and/or [email protected] .

Jean Oh / roBot Intelligence Group / Carnegie Mellon University
Marcelo Coelho / Design Intelligence Lab / MIT
Yingtao Tian / Google DeepMind
Lia Coleman / Carnegie Mellon University
Peter Schaldenbrand / roBot Intelligence Group / Carnegie Mellon University

NeurIPS Creative AI Track | Substack The official mailing list for the NeurIPS Creative AI Track.

Machine Learning for Creativity and Design (@ML4CDworkshop) on X The official Twitter for the NeurIPS Workshop on Machine Learning for Creativity and Design

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ENGL 501 (01)
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Born in 1934, Wendell Berry is a well-known poet, novelist, and essayist from rural Henry County, Kentucky. Berry moved away from his family's farm as a young man and experienced success in his writing and teaching career, until, in 1965, he gave up a prestigious position at New York University to return to and work the farm. He is a farmer as well as an accomplished author, having written ...
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The location of the conference is Vancouver and the authors are responsible for their travel arrangements and expenses. The conference does not provide travel funding. Contact. For updates, please check https://neurips-creative-ai.github.io/2024/ regularly. To stay up-to-date with all future announcements, please join our mailing list.