Class Descriptions

Note: Sessions 1 & 2 (Friday Intensive Workshops) are optional, pre-conference sessions. Please see the registration fees page for more information.

Friday Morning (9:00 AM - Noon)

  1. BUY THIS BOOK: Jeff Kleinman
  2. FROM QUERY TO PUBLICATION: WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING TO PUBLISH: Rachelle Gardner
  3. TOP O' THE HEAP: GETTING YOUR SUBMISSION NOTICED: Maryglenn McCombs
  4. SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF: REVISING YOUR NOVEL: D. Ann Love
  5. MYSTERY SOLVED: HOW TO GET AN AGENT: Anna Webman
  6. WHOSE GLASSES AM I WEARING: POINT OF VIEW AND ITS EFFECT ON STORY AND READER: Therese Fowler
  7. LET'S ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES: AN INTENSIVE LOOK AT TWO OF YOUR PAGES: Suzie Townsend
  8. THE BASICS OF NOVEL WRITING: POINT OF VIEW & PERSPECTIVE: James O. Born
  9. STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH: A BOOKSELLER'S PERSPECTIVE: Jill Hendrix

Friday Afternoon (1:30 - 4:30 PM)

  1. FROM A JACK TO A KING: EDITING YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR SUBMISSION SUCCESS: Carrie McCullough
  2. S IS FOR SALE: AND INSIDER'S LOOK AT PICTURE BOOKS, MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION: D. Ann Love
  3. USING TELEVISION TECHNIQUES TO WRITE A KILLER NOVEL: Hank Phillippi Ryan
  4. FIRST LINES, FIRST PARAGRAPHS, FIRST PAGES: HOW TO CREATE A TERIFFIC OPENING: Rachelle Gardner
  5. CREATING A BLUEPRINT: WORLD-BUILDING IN FANTASY FICTION: Roseann Wells
  6. MASTER OF YOUR DOMAIN: WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTION: Dan Poynter
  7. FROM A SPARK TO A FLAME: PUTTING INSPIRATION TO WORK IN MEANINGFUL STORYBUILDING: Therese Fowler
  8. QUERY ME THIS - WRITING A SUCCESSFUL QUERY LETTER: Suzie Townsend

Saturday Morning (9:00 - 10:15 AM)

  1. BOOK PROMOTION: FOR WRITERS, INTROVERTS & OTHER RELUCTANT MARKETERS: Dan Poynter
  2. SUBMISSION SUCCESS WITH AN INDEPENDENT PRESS: Maryglenn McCombs
  3. SLUSH FEST: YOUNG ADULT & CHILDRENS TITLES: Susan Hawk & Josh Adams
  4. HEADSPACE & HEARTSPACE: WRITING IS NOT A BUSINESS, PUBLISHING IS NOT AN ART: Joshilyn Jackson
  5. CAREER SWAP: HOW YOUR "REAL JOB" CAN HELP YOUR WRITING ONE: Hank Phillippi Ryan
  6. LEGAL ISSUES EVERY WRITER SHOULD KNOW: Jeff Kleinman
  7. DOUBLE DUTCH: THE UPS AND DOWNS OF WRITING IN TWO GENRES: Eric Raab and Jim O. Born

Saturday Late Morning (10:30 - 11:45 AM)

  1. SLUSH FEST: LITERARY & WOMEN'S FICTION: Irene Goodman & Caitlin Alexander
    **Bring your first two pages on a transparency and one paper copy for the reader. First fifteen to twenty copies will be accepted at the door.
  2. SECRETS TO NON-FICTION PROPOSALS: Jeff Kleinman
  3. CRAFTING A WINNING SYNOPSIS: Daniela Rapp
  4. PLAY BY THE (GRAMMAR) RULES - AND WHEN NOT TO: Roseanne Wells
  5. COMMON THREADS: WHAT DEFINES WOMEN'S FICTION: Therese Fowler
  6. TRUE BLUE: CRAFTING NOVELS FOR ALL AGES: D. Anne Love
  7. LONG ROAD TO A SMALL PROVINCE: CRAFTING A SUCCINCT, SELLING SYNOPSIS: Suzie Townsend
  8. BIG BROTHER OR THE BUTLER: DISTINGUISHING MYSTERY FROM THRILLER: Richard Morris

Saturday Afternoon (1:30 - 2:45 PM)

  1. SLUSH FEST: SCI-FI & FANTASY: Richard Morris & Eric Raab
    **Bring your first two pages copied onto a transparency and one paper copy for the reader. First fifteen to twenty copies will be accepted.
  2. CRAFTING COMPELLING MYSTERY AND SUSPENCE: Daniela Rapp
  3. LOVE MY LIFE, BUT WILL EVERYONE ELSE: HOW TO CRAFT A COMPELLING MEMOIR: Wendy Sherman
  4. PANEL: WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? WHY AUTHORS, EDITORS AND AGENT ATTEND CONFERENCES: Maryglenn McCombs, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Michelle Howry
  5. A PERFECT WORLD: CRAFTING A COHESIVE FANTASY WORLD: TBA
  6. CHILDREN ARE A HANDFUL: THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT MARKETS: Josh Adams
  7. A PERFECT WORLD: CRAFTING A COHESIVE FANTASY WORLD: James O. Born
  8. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU POST: SOCIAL NETWORKING DOs AND DON'Ts: Suzie Townsend

Saturday Late Afternoon (3:00 - 4:15 PM)

  1. WRITING YOUR NON-FICTION BOOK: CONVERTING YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH INTO THE WRITTEN WORD: Dan Poynter
  2. TORTUOUS TWO: QUERY LETTERS AND SYNOPSES: Irene Goodman
  3. TIPS AND TRENDS FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT MARKETS: D. Anne Love
  4. SLUSH FEST: NON-FICTION: Diana Fox & Michelle Howry
    **Bring your first two pages copied onto a transparency and one paper copy for the reader. First fifteen to twenty copies will be accepted at the door.
  5. PANEL: THE BEAUTY OF VOICE: DISCOVERY OF MULTI-CULTURAL VOICES IN ALL WRITING: Daniela Rapp and Jill Marr
  6. SHE SAID, SHE SAID: THE DUELING PERSPECTIVES OF AGENT VS. AUTHOR: Wendy Sherman & Therese Fowler

Sunday Morning (9:30 - 10:45 AM)

  1. SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK: AN INTRO TO WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING: Dan Poynter
  2. AGENTS' PANEL: WHAT GETS OUR ATTENTION: Susan Hawk, Irene Goodman, Anna Webman
  3. SLUSH FEST: MYSTERY & ROMANCE: Diana Fox & Daniela Rapp
  4. THE POLISHED (AND SELLING) QUERY: Roseanne Wells
  5. THE NON-FICTION NO HITTER: PERFECTING YOUR PITCH: Michelle Howry
  6. THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BUCKET: IDENTIFYING AND AVOIDING HOLES IN YOUR IMAGINARY WORLD: Eric Raab

Please note: Although unlikely, workshops may be cancelled or substituted without notice.