The 2016 Chicago Writing Workshop

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Chicago Writing Workshop

Per the Chicago Writing Workshop website, this writing event (May 14, 2016) 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). They will inform everyone directly on the website when seats are closed.

Here are a few of this years faculty that will be in attendance:

  • literary agent Gordon Warnock (Fuse Literary)
  • literary agent Chip MacGregor (MacGregor Literary)
  • literary agent Nicole Resciniti (The Seymour Agency)
  • literary agent Regina Brooks (Serendipity Literary)
  • literary agent Adam Chromy (Movable Type Literary)
  • literary agent Dawn Frederick (Red Sofa Literary)
  • literary agent Veronica Park (Corvisiero Literary)
  • literary agent John Willig (Literary Services)
  • literary agent Gemma Cooper (The Bent Agency)
  • literary agent Marcy Posner (Folio Literary)
  • literary agent Eric Smith (P.S. Literary)
  • literary agent Alice Speilburg (Speilburg Literary)
  • acquiring editor Laura Apperson (St. Martin’s Press)
  • literary agent Rachel Burkot (Holloway Literary)
  • literary agent Abby Saul (Browne & Miller Literary)
  • literary agent Susan Hawk (The Bent Agency)
  • literary agent Thomas Flannery Jr. (AFI Vigliano)
  • literary agent Jennie Goloboy (Red Sofa Literary)
  • literary agent Samantha Fountain (Corvisiero Literary)
  • and more to come.

 

Since the seats are limited, don’t delay in registering. I’m signed up to go to this one, so if your attending, I’ll see you there!!!

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

 

HarperCollins Publishers Submissions

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Let me state for the record that I’m a firm believer in agents first and let them submit to publishers. But, there are some who want to take charge of their own careers. And kudos to you for having the guts! You’ve written a manuscript and polished it over and over and over again. (And I hope this includes several critique partners feedback and/or hiring a professional editor.) But now that you’re ready to send it out, I’ve got news for you. Did you know that HarperCollins Publishers Australia takes open submissions on Wednesdays?

WednesdayPost_Logo

Oh YES, you read that right! It’s part of their The Wednesday Post program. Click the link to go to the webpage for descriptions of what they’re looking for and a submission form (note the form will not be active if it is not Wednesday). Keep in mind they are ahead of us by several hours, so know the time zone! What you need to submit:

  •  A synopsis of your work.
  •  The first 50 pages or first three chapters of your manuscript.
  •  A short note about yourself.

As always, good luck!

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

Write Club 2016

Literary

WC16

So where has this contest been hiding? There are only six more days left to enter and it sounds like it’ll be fun! The winner gets to be in a final round with agents as well as winning a trip to the sponsors conference DFW Writer’s Conference. You’ll need your first 500 words of your completed and UNPUBLISHED manuscript to enter before the deadline of February 26, 2016. Be aware you need to think of a penname because this contest is anonymous to the judges. Only the wife of the host DL Hammons will know the true identities of the masterminds behind the words. Click DL’s link for rules and guidelines for submitting and to see the list of judges and agents participating.

As Always, good luck.

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

The Philadelphia Writing Workshop

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Philadephia Writing Workshop

Writing workshops are great to get professional advise on writing, marketing, and how to land an agent. The Philadelphia Writing Workshop will be held on April 9, 2016.  This year’s faculty so far includes literary agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin (Trident Media Group); literary agent Maria Lamba (Jennifer De Chiara Literary); literary agent Mackenzie Brady (New Leaf Literary); Adriana Dominguez (Full Circle Literary); literary agent Jordy Albert (Booker Albert Literary Agency); literary agent Eric Smith (P.S. Literary); and hopefully more editors & agents to be announced soon. Also, the presenter will be author/editor Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.

As always, book your seat right away because seats are limited.

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

No #Adpit Today!

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Twitter Logo

Just a quick note to writers who might’ve thought #Adpit would be today, the date got moved by the host to April 1, 2016. I’ll blog later and remind everyone. But on the bright side, you’ve longer to hone your pitches!

Have a great writing day!

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

Pitch Madness – Mario Kart Edition

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Pitch Madness-Mario Kart Edition

It’s time for another Pitch Madness event brought to you by author Brenda Drake. The contest is for completed manuscripts only, so please don’t submit your current WIP. Since this is a blog contest, here is how it works. You’ll submit a 35 word pitch and the first 250 words of you manuscript via email. Hosts and co-hosts will select the 60 finalists to move into the agent round. They’ll accept MG, YA, NA, and adult fiction. (Sorry, no non-fiction allowed.)

The submission window will open at 12:01 AM EST on February 26, 2016 and close at 11:59 PM EST. Participating agents will be announced on Brenda’s blog on February 17th, so watch her site for updates and submission guidelines.

Pikes Peak Writers Conference

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Pikes Peak Writers Conference

Pikes Peak Writers Conference is an opportunity to get literary advise from a professional in the business or get invaluable feedback on your manuscript. The conference will be held April 15-17, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Keynote speakers will be Kevin J. Anderson, Rachel Caine, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeff Lindsay, and Wendy Corsi Staub. Acquiring agents and editors will be Annie Berger (Harper Collins), Caitlin Dareff (St. Martin’s Press), Melissa L. Edwards (The Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency), Linda Epstein (The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency), Angie Hodapp (Nelson Literary Agency), Jennifer Letwack (Thomas Dunne Books), Renee Nyen (KT Literary Agency), Steve Saffel (Titan Books), Alec Shane (Writers House), Elaine Spencer (The Knight Agency),  Suzie Townsend (New Leaf Literary).

As always, don’t wait to register because seats fill up fast!

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

Self-Published Book Awards via Writer’s Digest

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WD Self-Published Award

Self-published writers are often left out in the cold, struggling to market and promote there books. But every so often, there is an event to help them get noticed. The Published Book Awards via Writer’s Digest is such an event. Here is what is up for grabs:

  • $8,000 in cash
  • A feature article about you and your book for the March/April 2017 issue of Writer’s Digest
  • A press release from Writer’s Digest, to be sent, along with a copy of your book, to 10 different major publishing review houses
  • A paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference!
  • A guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review, courtesy of Brian Jud & Book Marketing Works, LLC.
  • Guaranteed acceptance in a special sales catalog, providing the Grand Prize Winner with national representation through 60,000 salespeople selling to non-bookstore markets, courtesy of Brian Jud & Book Marketing Works, LLC.
  • Three hours of consultation on business modeling and marketing with Antoinette Kuritz of Strategies Literary Development ($750 vale).
  • A copy of The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors and Writers and consultation with Book Shepherd Judith Briles (valued at $500), courtesy of Brian Jud & Book Marketing Works, LLC.
  • Four (4) hours of consulting from Ellen Reid, CEO of the Reid Creative Group and President of Ellen Reid’s Book Shepherding.
  • A 30-minute telephone consultation about book marketing and promotion with Scott Lorenze, Westwind Communications.
  • A one-year membership to Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the largest not-for-profit trade association representing nearly 3,000 independent book publishers, courtesy of IBPA.

There are additional prized for other winners in each category. Be sure and check out the guidelines for submissions. Deadline is April 1, 2016.

As always, good luck.

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

 

Twitter Pitch Contest for Picture Books

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#PBPitch

Hurray, a twitter pitch contest for picture books only! You read that correctly, PICTURE BOOKS ONLY. Use the twitter hashtag #PBPitch on February 11, 2016. If you are an illustrator, you can attach an image to the pitch. And please note you can only pitch twice: once before 2pm and once after. (I’m sorry but the host hasn’t specified if this is EST, or another.) For complete guidelines, check out the PBPitch blog.

Check out the agents and editors that will be participating!

As always, good luck!

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

 

#PitMatch + #MSWL Twitter Matchup

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PitMatch

If you have a completed manuscript, there is a new contest for you! Author Brenda Drake has teamed up with the creator of Manuscript Wishlist and literary agent Jessica Sinsheimer from Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. This is another twitter event, so you need to have your 140 character pitch ready, including the #PitMatch hashtag. The event is only three hours on February 11, 2016 EST, between 1pm-4pm. The goal is for Brenda and Jessica to match up pitches with the right agent.

The good news is everyone could be a possible winner with a good match! For complete details on how it’s going to work, go here.

As always, good luck!

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