Guide to Literary Agents

Want to Know More About Blogging and Gaining an Audience? Jane Friedman Explains How on Sept. 16
Posted by Chuck

Ever had any of these questions?

Should you blog?
If so, what should you blog about?
How do you start a blog?
Can you post work online on a blog without endangering its prospects with agents and editors?
How does a fiction writer gain an audience through their blog?
How can a blogger increase traffic and gain a platform?
How can a blog help me get a book deal?

These are the kinds of questions Jane Friedman will be answering in her webinar, "Build Your Author Platform Through Blogging," on Sept. 16, 2010.

Here's the gist. Jane Friedman, former publisher of Writer's Digest and current e-media college professor, knows a lot about blogging and how to use a blog. (In fact, her writing blog called "There Are No Rules" has won some awards!) She's laying out all she knows to writers at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. The webinar lasts 75 minutes. (Sign up here.)

What you'll learn:

How to develop strategic content for your blog that will benefit your career as an author
When and how to post your work-in-progress on your blog or site
When and how fiction writers should blog
What kinds of blogs attract the attention of editors and agents
5 ways to grow your blog traffic—and how to know when your blog has a visitor count worth talking about
The consistent habits and methods of successful bloggers
The essential metrics for analyzing your blog's traffic, and how to improve your blog based on visitor data
The best blogging platforms to use, and what features really matter

Thursday, September 02, 2010 10:22:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, August 30, 2010

Agent Mary Kole is Teaching a Webinar on How to Get Your Kids/Teen Fiction Published
Posted by Chuck

Very cool news! Agent Mary Kole is teaching a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010. You may know Mary Kole as the founder of the ever-so-awesome KidLit Blog, and as an agent for the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, one of the biggest & best kids agencies in the country.

The webinar is called Publish Your Children's, Tween, or Teen Fiction in Today's Market: How to hook an agent with your 'Once upon a time...' and make your own fairy tale. Sign up here!

4 Reasons to

Attend Mary's Webinar

1. A critique of your work! All registrants are invited to submit 1-2 pages of their work, double-spaced (500 words or fewer) of your middle-grade or young adult prose, OR the first 300 words of your picture book following the event. All submissions are guaranteed a critique by Mary.

2. Mary's instruction. Her KidLit blog on kids writing is one of the most popular agent blogs on the Internet for a reason: Mary knows her stuff and love the children's writing scene. What you'll learn in this session:

The essential elements of books written for younger children, tweens, and teens
How your kid reader thinks about fiction and what they want
What agents and editors look for in terms of pitch, writing, and book premise
How to make your hook absolutely irresistible
What separates an aspiring writer from a contracted author in this field

Sign up here for the webinar!

3. You can ask Mary questions. She'll be taking questions in real time from the audience, so you can ask questions specific to your circumstances and project. If you've always wanted to ask a pro something, now's the time.

4. Get your work in front of the eyes of an agent. You already know all attendees are guaranteed a quick critique of their first pages. But keep in mind if Mary happens to love what she reads, she'll request more pages and keep reading your book. And that, my friends, is a wonderful way to jump the slush pile.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Writers who are actively querying agents and publishers with their children's books
Writers who aren't sure about where their writing fits into the children's market
Writers who have always wanted to try writing a children's book, whether for publication or as a keepsake
Writers who want to improve their pitches and hooks
Writers who want to take the next step toward publication in the children's market

Children's Writing | Webinars

Monday, August 30, 2010 1:02:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Join Me For ''How to Land a Literary Agent'' on Aug. 26
Posted by Chuck

You hear me talk a lot on this blog about the writers' conferences I attend and the presentations I give on agents and pitching. Well, if you've ever wanted to attend such a conference but can't because of money or proximity issues, here is your chance to listen in and ask questions from your computer at home!

I'm teaching a webinar at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, August 26, 2010 on "How to Land a Literary Agent."

Some praise from past attendees:

"Thank you so much for putting the time and
effort into the agent workshop today Your answers
(to my questions and those of others) were
valuable and most appreciated. It was great to
hear you speak on such an important topic."
- John Backman

"Thank you so much for the information shared
in your webinar. The information provided will be
invaluable in my search for a literary agent."
- Paula Lieberman

"Just wanted to thank you, using the tips
I learned in your webinar, I started
resubmitting my query. I just got my first
request for chapters, and it was to the first
agent I queried. I'm ecstatic. Thank you!"
- Lea McFalls Zeqiri

Here's the Gist:

You've finished your masterpiece. It's as good as you hoped it would be—but you're struggling with the next step: finding a literary agent. This next step involves queries, synopses, selling your idea and much more. It's a completely different monster than actually sitting down to write.

If you're looking for guidance in the agent-hunting process or have questions that need answering, sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, August 26, 2010. There's a reason that "How to Land a Literary Agent" is WD's most popular webinar. It's because the online session crams tons of info into 90 minutes. Subjects I'll be talking about include, but are not limited to: queries, pitching, proposals, synopses, conferences, avoiding scammers, where to find agents, self-publishing, and how to target the best reps for you. Some questions we'll address include:

What's the best way to begin your query letter?
How long should a synopsis be?
Do fiction writers need a platform?
What personal information should you include in the query?
Can you send your work to multiple agents at the same agency?
How exactly do you follow up with an agent regarding a submission?
Should you copyright your work to protect it?
Will an agent take on a self-published work?

After editing the Guide to Literary Agents for four years and attending conferences all over the country, I've learned all the ins and outs of how to snag a rep who can sell your work. If you sign up for this webinar, I can pass on what I've learned to you.

Also, attendees are free to ask as many questions as they like. Go on - hit me with your best shot! I'll be answering questions live in real time, and I will address all questions afterward and e-mail you the answers. No question will go unanswered—guaranteed. Also, attendees will be able to access and "rewatch" the entire presentation (so you don't have to take notes!).

Webinars

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 9:53:38 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

August 12: Agent Rachelle Gardner Will Critique Your Query Letter and Share Tips on How to Write a Dynamite Pitch
Posted by Chuck

Agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve Literary (famous for her super blog on publishing) is teaching a new webinar: "Novel/Memoir Pitches and Queries (Critique Series)" on Thursday, August 12, 2010.

4 Reasons to
Attend Her Webinar:

1) Get a professional critique from an agent. Every webinar attendee gets thoughts on their query from Rachelle! Heck, if she loves your query, she may just request pages.

2) Top instruction on how to compose a killer query. Rachelle is extremely respected in the published industry, and she is passing on her top tips on getting your fiction and memoir published.

3) Your questions answered. Rachelle is not only teaching, but she will be answering questions from the audience, as well. Every writer's work is different, so if you new answers to a few personal questions, go ahead and ask them. No question goes unanswered.

4) A personal call with Rachelle to talk. Five attendees will be chosen at random to win a 20-minute personal phone call from Rachelle!

DETAILS

It all goes down at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, and lasts 90 minutes. Attendees will have access to the presentation for one year, so if you have to leave in the middle, you can catch the rest later. (If you have questions about the program, contact writingwebinars@fwmedia.com.)

GET YOUR FICTION OR MEMOIR READ!

"Novel/Memoir Pitches and Queries (Critique Series)" is an intensive webinar for writers of fiction and memoir. If you're writing a novel or life story, it takes a stunning query to grab an agent's attention from the slush pile. You've got less than a minute to capture their attention and make them request more material. Plenty of writers can write but have trouble putting together a concise and compelling query, and that's what this webinar is all about.

What attendees will learn:

How to draw an agent into your story through your pitch paragraph, where you summarize your story in several lines.
What goes into a killer query—from making a connection to an agent, to drafting an exciting description of the work that will leave agents wanting more.
The importance of a one-sentence tagline that gets a reader excited about your book.
How agents and editors quickly look over a project and decide if it has the necessary elements to make them request more.
What goes at the end of a query letter—i.e., how to handle listing your writing accomplishments and credits, whether you have impressive things to say, or this is your first writing endeavor of any kind.

ABOUT RACHELLE:

Let's cut right to the chase: Rachelle knows her stuff. Her publishing blog has been on the Writer's Digest 101 Best Sites every single year that her site's been in existence. If memory serves, she mentioned that about 450,000 people visited her site last year to learn from her. What does it all mean? Rachelle knows how to communicate ideas and tips that writers can take away.

She is an agent with Wordserve Literary Group. She's looking at all genres of adult fiction except fantasy, sci-fi, and erotica, and prefers stories with strong characters and page-turning plots. Currently her favorite genres are contemporary women's fiction, historical romance, and romantic suspense. In nonfiction, she's looking for authors with strong messages (for either a Christian audience or the general market) and significant marketing platforms.

Sign up for the webinar here!

Webinars

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 6:18:05 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Let Me Critique Your Synopsis: Webinar This Thursday, July 8
Posted by Chuck

Those pesky synopses for novels and memoirs are very tricky to do. Questions abound. How long should they be? Which characters should you mention? Should you have plenty of detail or just sparse mentions? If these questions are crossing your mind, you've come to the right place.

I'm teaching a webinar this Thursday, July 8, called "Critique Series: Novel Synopses" where you can get your synopsis critiqued!

DETAILS

The webinar happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, July 8, 2010, and lasts for 75 minutes. Sign up here.

YOUR CRITIQUE

All registered attendees are invited to submit a 1-page synopsis for critique. Every writer who registers is guaranteed one critique. The page can be single-spaced or you can submit two pages double-spaced (which adds up to the same length). If you don't want your synopsis shared, say so and I will not share it.

4 Reasons to Attend

Plenty of agents are still requesting synopses with their queries, and you have to be ready to submit whatever an agent asks for.
Synopses used to be quite lengthy (and therefore easier to do), but nowadays agents want them short and sweet. I'll show you some basic tricks to cut down length.
With the critique, you'll get another opinion on your writing and the layout and structure of your story.
You can ask questions in real time. If you have questions specific to you, we'll address them live!

Who should attend? Writers of novels, kids novels and memoir. If you're writing any of those categories, you will need a synopsis to submit to agents. Sign up for the webinar here!

If you're confused as to what a synopsis
should look like, seek out the formatting
guidebook Formatting & Submitting
Your Manuscript, 3rd. Ed.

Synopsis Writing | Webinars

Wednesday, July 07, 2010 9:20:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Agent Sharlene Martin is Teaching ''10 Secrets to a Winning Book Proposal''
Posted by Chuck

More very cool news: Literary agent Sharlene Martin—a nonfiction book expert whose clients have been featured on the "Today" show," "Oprah," The View," and just about everything else—is teaching a webinar on the 10 Secrets to a Winning Book Proposal. (Sign up here.)

It all goes down at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, June 17, 2010, and lasts 90 minutes.

If you write nonfiction, here are
four reasons to attend:

1. Sharlene's track record is massively impressive. Sharlene has represented a wide range of books that reach the New York Times bestseller list and the international literary market. Her nonfiction clients are all over the media! She knows how to sell and promote a book.

2. Ask questions. Ask Sharlene questions relevant to your own situation. No question goes unanswered. Get some personal attention.

3. Co-host Anthony Flacco. Sharlene is co-hosting the webinar with author Anthony Flacco, whose most recent true crime book, The Road Out of Hell, is out now. You get the wisdom of two nonfiction experts for the price of one!

4. Free PDF download. After the webinar is over, you will not only be able to access it for one year online (and re-watch the presentation), you will also receive a free PDF download. It's more instruction from Sharlene on composing a killer book proposal. (Sign up here.)

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Every year, qualified writers with worthy books find themselves left by the wayside because they neglect the vital step of creating an effective book proposal before submitting their work. The principals in this workshop are designed to empower every writer who employs them with the ability to leave fantasies of success behind in favor of securing a real-world publishing contract from a mainstream publishing house. (Sign up here.) What you'll learn:

The Title Page – It's no mere detail; we need to get it right from the beginning!
The Table Of Contents – Mistakes here are an invitation to confusion.
The Overview or Summary – Most important for grabbing an editor's attention.
About The Author – It can be hard to talk about yourself. Here's how?
Photo Insert – Know your Jpegs.
Book Comparisons – Lazy work here can lose you a publishing contract.
Your Marketing and Promotion Plan – Showing that you have the "legs" to run with this book.
Chapter Outlines – How to best display your ability to structure out ideas.
Sample Chapters – Show that YOU are the one to write this book.
Write, Rinse, Repeat – Writer's block? What writer's block?

Who should attend? Writers of nonfiction books in any category, including memoir. It is aimed at individuals who have no interest in making excuses for failure, writers dedicated to the proposition that they have a worthy story to tell and valuable information to convey. When you employ the principals presented here, you will create real results that meet your goals.
Sign up here!

If you're writing nonfiction or memoir and want to sell your proposal, sign up for Sharlene's webinar.

Check out Sharlene and Anthony's resource
for writers: Publish Your Nonfiction Book.

Nonfiction | Webinars

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 9:57:45 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, May 24, 2010

May 27: Agent Rachelle Gardner Teaches You How to Sell Your Fiction or Memoir
Posted by Chuck

Agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve Literary (famous for her super blog on publishing) is teaching a webinar: "Sell Your Stuff: How To Get Your Novel or Memoir Published" this Thursday, May 27.

4 Reasons to
Attend Her Webinar:

1) Top instruction. Rachelle is extremely respected in the published industry, and she is passing on her top tips on getting your fiction and memoir published.

2) Free query critique. Every webinar attendee gets thoughts on their query from Rachelle! Heck, if she loves your query, she may just request pages.

3) Your questions answered. Rachelle is not only teaching, but she will be answering questions from the audience, as well.

4) A personal call with Rachelle to talk. Five attendees will be chosen at random to win a 20-minute personal phone call from Rachelle! Wow!

DETAILS

It all goes down at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, May 27, 2010, and lasts 90 minutes. Attendees will have access to the presentation for one year, so if you have to leave in the middle, you can catch the rest later. (If you have questions about the program, contact writingwebinars@fwmedia.com.)

SELL YOUR FICTION OR MEMOIR!

"Sell Your Stuff" is an intensive webinar for writers of fiction and memoir. If you're writing a novel or life story, it takes a stunning package to see a book all the way to publication. You have to become more than just a writer—you have to sell your stuff to agents and editors. That's the part most writers have trouble understanding, and that's what this webinar is all about.

What attendees will learn:

How to draw an agent into your story in just a few words—whether it's your query, verbal pitch or the first page of your manuscript.
What goes into a killer query—from making a connection to an agent, to drafting an exciting pitch that will leave agents wanting more.
The importance of a one-sentence tagline that gets a reader excited about your book.
What agents look for on that all-important Page 1.
How to plan and prepare a verbal pitch of your book so you can meet with agents at writers conferences.
What goes into a complete proposal for fiction—and how to know all the tools at your disposal.
How agents and editors quickly look over a project and decide if it has the necessary elements to make them request more.
How to get your book published!

Webinars

Monday, May 24, 2010 9:55:27 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

How To Make Money Writing Articles For Magazines and Websites
Posted by Chuck

I know this blog is mostly about agents and book stuff, but one area of writing I've always been active in is article writing. If you've never tried to sell articles or columns, you should. It's a great way to make money, get publication credits, and build your platform. That's why WD Managing Editor Zachary Petit and I are teaching the awesome webinar "Sell Freelance Articles: How to Write for Magazines, Newspapers and Websites" on Thursday, March 20.

DETAILS

It all goes down at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, May 20, 2010. The webinar lasts 90 minutes, and you will have access to the archived recording for a whole year, so you don't need to take notes during the live presentation unless you want to.

Besides getting access to the presentation and learning the keys to article writing, attendees are invited to: 1) submit an article query for a critique!, and also 2) ask as many questions as you want! No question goes unanswered.

WHAT ATTENDEES WILL LEARN

This webinar will discuss all aspects of freelancing—from how to gather ideas to catching an editor's eye to crafting winning queries. The presentation will examine actual magazine queries and examine what elements work when trying to rope in assignments. What you'll learn:

How to find article ideas and analyze the topics of expertise you already possess
How to identify appropriate markets for your ideas
How to compose a query that hooks editors
How to repackage and resell articles
How payment works, what warning signs to watch out for, and how to get assignments coming your way from editors.

INSTRUCTORS

Over the years, I've had 600 articles published in magazines, newspapers, books, and online. I've written for publications such as Cincinnati Magazine, New Mexico Magazine, Pennsylvania Magazine and Watercolor Artist. Meanwhile, co-pilot Zachary Petit is the managing editor of Writer's Digest magazine and a freelance writer. Since getting his start as an intern at National Geographic, he has worked as a news and features reporter and has penned hundreds of articles for different publications.

So: Want to get small stuff published and make a little money? Sign up for the presentation!

Magazine Writing | Webinars

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:30:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

I am Critiquing Queries and Pitches!
Posted by Chuck

If you dread writing a query letter or composing a pitch for your book, perhaps all you need is a little feedback and instruction. That's why I'm running a webinar called "Novel Queries & Pitches: Critique Series." Here's the deal: The key to catching an agent's eye is a compelling query and pitch, so all registrants are invited to submit a hook (200 words or fewer) in advance of the event. All submitted hooks are guaranteed a critique! You can retool your query before sending it out to more agents.

DETAILS

It all goes down at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, May 6, 2010. The session lasts 90 minutes. If you sign up but cannot make the entire webcast, no worries—because it will all be online and archived for you to watch over and over again for one year.

WHY SIGN UP?

Successfully pitching an agent or editor on your book concept takes brevity and power. Whether you're pitching at a live event, or in the context of a query letter, two essentials must guide you: protagonist & problem. What you'll learn:

5 essential elements of every query, and how to order them
3 components of a compelling novel hook
Common mistakes and red flags that appear in typical queries
Why a shorter letter is more likely to succeed
What to put in your bio even if you have no credits

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Writers who are actively querying agents and publishers
Writers whose query letters always get rejected (or never get a response)
Writers who will be pitching their concept at a conference

I hope to "see" you on May 6! Sign up here.

Pitching | Queries and Synopses and Proposals | Webinars

Wednesday, May 05, 2010 9:58:06 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

How to Market and Sell Your Books
Posted by Chuck

I have some exciting news regarding WD's webinars. Agent Chip MacGregor, founder of MacGregor Literary, is teaching a new, amazing class called "Marketing for Authors." Chip, who runs a popular agent blog, is very wise when it comes to marketing both fiction and nonfiction. We are fortunate to have him aboard for this course, and I, for one, will be attending this webinar and yoking his knowledge.

This is a unique business-oriented webinar for authors who have self-published books out, authors who have traditional published books out, and authors who have books coming out soon. Chip will be presenting and also answering questions from writers.

DETAILS

It's a 90-minute webinar. It goes down at 1 p.m., EST Thursday, April 8. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 1 year. In other words, if something happens and you cannot attend it live, you can watch it later.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

These days most publishing houses expect their authors to handle the vast majority of the marketing effort for their books. Since most authors are trained writers but not trained publicists, it can be a bit daunting. The goal of this webinar will be to break the marketing process down into clear, doable steps. We'll explore how to create and begin implementing your own, personalized marketing plan to make your book stand out in a crowded marketplace. What you'll learn:

The basics of marketing in the new economy
What an author "brand" is, and how to establish and use it
Five things you can do to become your publisher's favorite author
What to expect your publisher to do (and what not to expect)
The keys to great marketing copy
How to get maximum impact out of social media

ABOUT CHIP

Chip MacGregor has been in publishing for almost three decades. He has represented hundreds of titles, his authors have won numerous awards, and the books he's represented have hit every major bestseller list, including #1 on the New York Times list.

Questions? Contact writingwebinars@fwmedia.com. Sign up here!

Marketing and Sales | Webinars

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 3:01:36 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Agent Rachelle Gardner's Teaching a Webinar!
Posted by Chuck

Exciting news. Literary agent Rachelle Gardner (well known for her super-awesome and popular publishing blog) will be teaching an online webinar on Thursday, March 11, on "How Do Agents and Editors Decide?" It's a 90-minute online class guaranteed to be an info-filled bonanza of advice and tips for both fiction and nonfiction writers.

How to capture your book in a compelling hook that will draw the attention of agents and editors.
How to determine if your rejections are less about your project and more about the marketplace.
What is meant by the "competitive advantage" and how to know if you have it.
How to make your writing shine—taking an idea and fleshing it out with voice, narrative, point-of-view, and structure.
How to develop an attractive writer platform—connecting with other writers and individuals while making yourself a visible authority on a subject.
How agents and editors quickly look over a project and decide if it has the necessary elements to make them request more.
How to get your book published!

ASK QUESTIONS!

One of the best parts about webinars is that you get to interact and ask questions to the presenter. Rachelle will address writer questions in real time. If she can't get around to all questions during the seminar, she'll address them afterward and e-mail you the answers! No question goes unanswered, so sign up for "How Do Agents and Editors Decide?" today!

Want more on this subject?

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Webinars

Sunday, March 07, 2010 11:26:12 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Monday, December 14, 2009

Join Me for 'How to Land a Literary Agent'
Posted by Chuck

I'm teaching a webinar at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, Dec. 17 on "How to Land a Literary Agent."

Some praise from past attendees:

"Just a quick thank you for your presentation
on 'How to Find a Literary Agent'. Good information."
- Jennifer J. (Attended Oct. 8 webinar)

"Thank you so much for the information shared
in your webinar. The information provided will be
invaluable in my search for a literary agent."
- Paula Lieberman (Attended Oct. 8th webinar)

Here's the Gist:

You've finished your masterpiece. It's as good as you hoped it would be—but you're dreading the next step: finding a literary agent. This next step involves queries, synopses, selling your idea and much more. It's a completely different monster than actually sitting down to write.

If you're looking for guidance in the agent-hunting process or have questions that need answering, sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Dec. 17. There's a reason that "How to Land a Literary Agent" is WD's most popular webinar. It's because the online session crams tons of info into 90 minutes. Subjects I'll be talking about include, but are not limited to: queries, pitching, proposals, synopses, conferences, avoiding scammers, where to find agents, self-publishing, and how to target the best reps for you.

Do you know how to begin a query letter to an agent? I'll show you. Do you wonder about contacting multiple agents at the same time? We'll discuss that. Are you curious about how to protect yourself and your ideas from scammers and rip-off artists? We'll address that, too—and more. After editing the Guide to Literary Agents for three years and attending writers' conferences all over the country, I've learned all the ins and outs of how to snag a rep who can sell your work. If you sign up for this webinar , I can pass on what I've learned to you.

Webinars

Monday, December 14, 2009 2:44:09 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Sign Up For My Webinar: 'How to Land a Literary Agent'
Posted by Chuck

I'm teaching a webinar at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, Oct. 8 on "How to Land a Literary Agent."

Here's the gist:

You've finished your masterpiece. It's as good as you hoped it would be - but you're dreading the next step: finding a literary agent. This next step involves queries, synopses, selling your idea and much more. It's a completely different monster than actually sitting down to write.

If you're looking for guidance in the agent-hunting process or have questions that need answering, sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," at 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8. There's a reason that "How to Land a Literary Agent" is WD's most popular webinar. It's because the online session crams tons of info into 90 minutes. Subjects I'll be talking about include, but are not limited to: queries, pitching, proposals, synopses, conferences, avoiding scammers, where to find agents, self-publishing, and how to pick the best one for you.

Do you know how to begin a query letter to an agent? I'll show you. Do you wonder about contacting multiple agents at the same time? We'll discuss that. Are you curious about how to protect yourself and your ideas from scammers and rip-off artists? We'll address that, too - and more. After editing the Guide to Literary Agents for three years and attending writers' conferences all over the country, I've learned all the ins and outs of how to snag a rep who can sell your work. If you sign up for this webinar, I can pass on what I've learned to you.

Also, attendees are free to ask as many questions as they like. Go on - hit me with your best shot! I'll be answering questions live in real time, and I will address all questions afterward and e-mail you the answers.

Webinars

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 11:46:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Monday, July 13, 2009

New WD Writing Prompts Blog! (and a Cool Webinar Coming Up)
Posted by Chuck

Zac Petit, my coworker and all-around awesome guy, has started a brand new blog dedicated to writing prompts. He will be posting prompts three times a week and the best writer response this week will collect several writing books as a prize. Sounds pretty sweet - check it out!

Query Letter, Anyone?

Also, my coworkers Jane Friedman and Alice Pope are leading a new webinar called Extreme Makeover: The Query Letter - How to Write a Book Query Letter That Gets a Response. It all goes down at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, July 23. All attendees will be invited to submit a one-page book query letter for potential critique in this hands-on session.

Attendees will get to see how average query letters can be transformed into strong and persuasive letters. Sign up for the webinar here!

Contests | Webinars

Monday, July 13, 2009 10:33:13 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Around the WD Properties: 7-7-09
Posted by Chuck

Here is a look at things going on
around the Writer's Digest world
and more.

Call for Submissions!

The editorial staff of Writer's Digest Market Books is now open to queries for the 2010 editions of Photographer's Market, Songwriter's Market and Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market (which will be published in October 2009).

These books, similar to Writer's Market, offer craft- and business-related articles for photographers, songwriters and artists as well as interviews with both newer and more experienced professionals in these areas. (Refer to past editions for examples.) If you have an idea for an article or interview, e-mail your query to alice.pope@fwmedia.com.

Short Short Story Competition

The 10th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition is accepting entries! We're looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant ... but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer. But don't be too long about it—the deadline is December 1, 2009.

The Grand-Prize winner will receive $3,000 (that's $2—or more—per word).
For guidelines, prizes and to enter online, click here.

Sign Up for My Magazine Freelancing Webinar!

Editor's note: I did the webinar yesterday with Zac and everything went very well. Keep your eyes on www.writersdigest.com/webinars to see the next time we teach the class

I am teaching a webinar on Freelancing this Thursday at 1 p.m. It's all about the basics of freelancing for magazines, newspapers and online. We'll talk about everything - how to come with ideas, how to compose a query, how to resell old pieces, how to pitch a market correctly - all that stuff. Freelancing should not be underestimated. You bring in more money, you build your platform, you build your credentials and you make sure you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.
And as if the webinar wasn't awesome enough already, I will be joined by Writer's Digest managing editor Zac Petit, who will chime in with some great advice. Every question asked will be answered, either live during the seminar or afterward. Sign up today!

Around the Properties | Contests | Nonfiction | Webinars

Tuesday, July 07, 2009 4:56:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Friday, May 29, 2009

Page 2 News: A Smattering of Info
Posted by Chuck

Here are some news bits
that are cool but didn't
necessitate their own post:

Come to the Wyoming Writers' Conference!
I'll be teaching and meeting with writers this weekend (June 5-7) at this conference, held in the scenic Mountain West. Check this website to learn all the details. Literary agent Meredith Kaffel will be there taking pitches and the location seems like an amazing place to relax and recharge your writing batteries.

I'm Teaching a Webinar on Writing for Magazines
Actually, I'm co-instructing it with Writer's Digest Editor Jessica Strawser. And together, we shall tackle the ins and outs of how to start your writing career in the freelance world. We're so far ahead of schedule telling you about this that there isn't even a link yet. But what you can do is check back periodically on the WD Webinars page here and see if it's listed yet. It will be on Thursday, July 9, and you can access our presentation from anywhere. You will be invited to submit a query letter and we will critique 15 of these at random during the live event. We will also take questions!

Pitch Fest
On June 13-14, the Great American Pitch Fest will be going down in Los Angeles. If you've got a TV or screenplay idea, this will be the Mecca of people who want to hear what you've got. Best of all, WD contributing blogger Chad Gervich will be there teaching. See his blog post here about the whole thing.

Screenwriting and Script Agents | Webinars | Writers' Conferences

Friday, May 29, 2009 3:56:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

I'm Teaching a Webinar: 'How to Land a Literary Agent'
Posted by Chuck

If you're on the hunt for a literary agent and want to take an online class to get your questions answered, here is your opportunity!

I will be teaching a webinar titled "How to Land a Literary Agent" on Thursday, May 14. You just log on to a Web site, listen in on my presentation, and ask questions as we go along. Ask as many questions as you want! Even if we run out of time, I will still address all questions afterward and then e-mail you the answers so we can stay in touch.

This is my second agent workshop, and the first one was a big hit. Just this past weekend when I was in Vegas, and met a nice gentleman who said he listened in on this same webinar back in February - saying it was a big help to him.

In this webinar, I will be explaining all kinds of things, such as:
       - What agents do for writers
       - How to protect yourself from online scammers
       - What makes up a successful query, synopsis, and book proposal
       - How to break down a query letter
       - How to research agents and identify your best options
       - And plenty of other ins & outs of submissions, from querying multiple agents at once, to electronic submissions, to meeting agents in person at conferences. Everything is up for discussion.

The class will be helpful and a lot of fun. I hope to "see" you there! Sign up by clicking on this link.

Webinars

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1:15:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

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