Category Archives: Writing Conferences & Getaways

The Manuscript Academy

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the-manuscript-academy

The creator of Manuscript Wish List, Jessica Sinsheimer, now brings her adoring fans The Manuscript Academy. How amazeballs is this? The website proclaims it had the writer’s need, comfort, and budget in mind when creating the academy. And oh, how true! A writer can watch classes, panels, and ask questions in the forums from the coziness of their home. Hooray, no traveling!

Faculty includes:

  • Laura Barbiea: Social media manager at Alloy Entertainment, a publishing arm of Warner Brothers Entertainment. Actress.
  • Regina Brooks: Founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency LLC.
  • Linda Camacho: Literary agent at Prospect Agency.
  • Jalissa Corrie: Marketing & Publicity Assistant at LEE & LOW BOOKS.
  • Melissa Edwards: Literary agent at Stonesong.
  • Julie Falatko: Author of Snappsy the Alligator (Viking 2016) and other books.
  • Erica Finkel: Works at Abrams Books from picture books to young adult novels.
  • Ali Fisher: Editor at Tor/Forge Books in the children’s and young adult division.
  • Monica Odom: Literary agent at Bradford Literary Agency.
  • Megha Parekh: Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group.
  • Adriann Ranta Zurhellen: Literary agent at Foundry Literary + Media.
  • Chuck Sambuchino: Writer’s Digest Books edits the Guide to Literary Agents and managed the Guide to Literary Agents Blog. He is also an author of humor books.
  • Katharine Sands: Literary agent at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency.
  • Amanda Shih: Assistant Editor at TarcherPerigee.
  • Jessica Sinsheimer: Associate Agent at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency and  known for #MSWL, ManuscriptWistList.com, #PubTalkTV
  • Stephanie Stein: Associate Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books.
  • Roseanne Wells: Literary agent at The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.

With that kind of line-up, how can you NOT sign up for this? For the Children’s conference: PB to YA starting November 5, 2016 the cost will be $179. Some of the things the academy promises is:

  •  Priority booking of one-on-one meetings
  • Submit your first page for a chance to be read to our panel
  • Craft and business classes
  • Forums and networking
  • Live literary events
  • Everything you’d learn at a conference–without leaving home

To learn about other conferences or to learn how to register, go to The Manuscript Academy.

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

San Francisco, CA & Washington, DC Workshops on the Same Day?

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Well you can’t be in both places at the same time, unless you have a time machine. And as writers go, you just might. Either way, I’ve listed the information below for both workshops on September 10, 2016. And excitingly, there are still seats available and some agents are still open for pitch sessions.

San Francisco, CA

This special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop is held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Francisco Airport. This year’s faculty so far includes:

Washington, DC (Chesapeake Writing Workshop)

This special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, at the Hilton Arlington. (I’m not clear on which one, so call before booking.) This years faculty currently includes:

Have a great day!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

The 2016 Sacramento Writing Workshop

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Philadephia Writing Workshop

The Sacramento Writing Workshop is fast approaching! The good news? It looks like there are still spots opened to pitch and agent. Yippee! This is a full-day “How to Get Published” writers conference on Sept. 9, 2016 at the Courtyard Sacramento Midtown. 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. This year’s faculty so far includes:

Seats are limited to 100 and the gap is closing. If you’re in the area and want to spend a day with writerly folks and learn a thing or two, hurry and sign up.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

MidAmeriCon II: THE 74th WORLDCON

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MidAmeriCon II

Kansas City, MO will be hosting the 74th World Science Fiction Convention (MidAmericCon II) at the Kansas City Convention Center Wed to Sun, August 17-21, 2016. You can meet some of your favorite authors, illustrators, and more at this fantastic event. Even more exciting, George R. R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, will be participating. The list is too long to name everyone, but you can view those attending here. Hurry and get signed up!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Writer’s Digest Annual Conference 2016 In New York

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Writers Digest Conference

The Writer’s Digest Conference will be held in New York August 12-14, 2016 at the New York Hilton Midtown. The program is designed to give you a balanced education in both the craft and the business of being a writer—all in an encouraging, inspiring environment. Customize your experience by mixing-and-matching sessions among these core tracks: Craft, Getting Published, The Business of Being an Author, Platform & Promotion and Genre Studies. And this is the cool place where Pitchslam happens!

Agents/Editors in attendance will be:

Marilyn Allen Allen O’Shea Literary 
Kurestin Armada P.S. Literary
Noah Ballard Curtis Brown, Ltd
Danielle Burby HSG Agency
Tara Carberry Trident Media Group
Kirsten Carleton Prospect Agency
Marisa Corvisiero Corvisiero Literary Agency
Kaylee Davis Dee Mura Literary
Stephanie Delman Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc.
Elise Erickson Harold Ober Associates
Diana Finch Diana Finch Literary Agency
Heather Flaherty The Bent Agency
Caitie Flum Liza Dawson Associates
Roz Foster Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Connor Goldsmith Fuse Literary
Mark Gottlieb Trident Media Group
Shannon Hassan Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Mike Hoogland Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
Andy Kifer The Gernert Co.
Peter Knapp New Leaf Literary
Caitlin McDonald Donald Maass Literary Agency
Kate McKean Howard Morhaim Literary
Penny Moore (FinePrint Literary-website encountering errors but they’re legit)
Dee Mura Dee Mura Literary
Kimiko Nakamura Dee Mura Literary
Beth Phelan The Bent Agency
Tanusri Prasanna HSG Agency
Rita Rosenkranz Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency
Eric Ruben Eric Ruben
Katharine Sands Sarah Jane Freymann Literary
Lydia Shamah Carol Mann Agency
Alec Shane Writers House
Katie Shea Boutilier Donald Maass Literary Agency
Anjali Singh Pande Literary
Marlene Stringer Stringer Literary
Jaida Temperly New Leaf Literary
Stacy Testa Writers House
John Willig Literary Services
Christine Witthohn Book Cents Literary
Seats are limited so be sure and book right away. As always, good luck!
P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Colorado Writing Workshop

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The Colorado Writing Workshop is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, July 30, 2016, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver-Thornton. 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. They’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. And of course, their are pitch and critique opportunities!

Here are some of the agents participating:

  • literary agent Carlie Webber (CK Webber Associates)
  • literary agent Dawn Frederick (Red Sofa Literary)
  • literary agent Alex Barba (Inklings Literary)
  • literary agent Lisa Abellera (Kimberley Cameron Literary)
  • literary scout Angie Hodapp (Nelson Literary)
  • literary agent Greg Johnson (Wordserve Literary)
  • literary agent Becky LeJeune (Bond Literary)
  • literary agent Samantha Fountain (Corvisiero Literary)
  • literary agent Laura Zats (Red Sofa Literary)
  • and possibly more to come.

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Avalon Writer’s Retreat hosted by Kathleen Temean

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Avalon, NJ

It’s summertime! Who’s up for a writer’s retreat on the beach in Avalon, New Jersey? Kathleen Temean is hosting this fantastic event where writer’s can stay in a house she’s rented on the beach to work on their manuscripts. Even more perfect is that literary agents will be attending to give full  and partial manuscript feedback! She has two sessions arranged:

First Session (Sept. 25-Sept28) has these participating agents:

Agent Kurestin Armada from PS Literary. She is actively acquiring Upmarket and Commercial Fiction, Magic Realism, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alternative History, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ (any genre), select Young Adult and Middle Grade, Graphic Novels, Mystery (including mystery with elements of SF/F), and Romance.

Second Agent – waiting for confirmation – Building list for Picture books, MG and YA.

Second Session (Sept. 29-Oct. 2) has these participating agents:

Agent Scott Treimel from the Scott Treimel Agency and Jaida Temperly from New Leaf Literary.

Mkay, so this session is already full. But Kathleen will allow you to get on a waiting list if someone has to cancel their spot. What? A waiting list for the agency that represents Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series. Who wouldn’t put their name on the list!

As always, good luck and have a great retreat!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA Fiction

 

 

Midwest Writers Workshop

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Midwest Writers Group

This workshop will be held July 21-23, 2016 at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. MWW states the mission is to give all writers the opportunity to improve their craft, to associate with highly credentialed professionals, and to network with other writers.

They have more than 45 different instructional sessions with top quality faculty during their three-day program on everything from fiction to nonfiction, marketing, and ways to get your creative juices flowing. Thursday focuses on genre-specific intensive sessions. Friday and Saturday are packed with sessions on the craft of writing and the business of writing.

Some of the faculty includes agents:

Rachel Ekstrom – Irene Goodman Literary Agency
Molly Jaffa – Folio Literary Management
Lauren MacLeod – The Strothman Agency
Jim McCarthy – Vice President, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
Uwe Stender – TriadaUS Literary Agency
Brent Taylor – TriadaUS Literary Agency

And editors:

April Osborn – Associate Editor at St. Martin’s Press
Liz Pelletier – Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of Entangled

There are even opportunities for pitching and manuscript evaluations, along with query critiques. Think about it, three days socializing with writerly people! What’s not to love!

As always, good luck and happy learning!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

The 2016 Tennessee Writing Workshop

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Tennessee Workshop

The Tennessee Writing Workshop  will take place July 23, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee and is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course the event, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (130 total). Some of the agents participating are:

  • literary agent Cate Hart (Corvisiero Literary)
  • literary agent Julie Gwinn (The Seymour Agency)
  • literary agent Tricia Skinner (Fuse Literary)
  • acquiring editor Laura Apperson (St. Martin’s)
  • literary agent Eric Smith (P.S. Literary)
  • literary agent Marisa Corvisiero (Corvisiero Literary)
  • literary agent Victoria Lea (Aponte Literary)
  • and more to come.

So hurry if you want to attend, especially if you want to pitch to an agent!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction

Writer’s Digest Annual Conference

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Writers Digest Conference

The Writer’s Digest Annual Conference is August 12-14, 2016 at New York Hilton Midtown. There are some great agents participating in the workshop and the PitchSlam event. For a complete list of agents, go here. They have an early bird special that ends on April 1, 2016. So if you’re planning to go, now is the time to register. I mean, who doesn’t want to join in the PitchSlam fun!

Happy learning and good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.