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How do you hook an agent right away, keep them hooked, and make the most of your new publishing relationship? In this Boot Camp starting Oct. 1, 2014, “How to Find and Keep a Literary Agent,” you’ll learn how to get a literary agent’s attention through a great submission, and also how to navigate the process of working successfully with an agent. You’ll also work with an agent online to review and refine your all-important query letter and the first five pages of your novel. As always, seats in the boot camp are limited, and many WD camps sell out — so consider signing up sooner rather than later.

This Boot Camp will cover a range of important questions:

– What keeps an agent reading? What makes writing jump off the page?
– What are the most common Chapter 1 mistakes that make them stop reviewing your submission?
– What are the steps you need to give your query and manuscript the best possible shot?
– What are the turn-ons and turn-offs when it comes to queries?
– How do agents make judgment calls?
– And much more.

With real-life examples of queries that do and don’t work, you will learn how you can refine your own query letter and get an agent to request your novel.The world of literary agencies can be an intimidating place. You’ll be lead through the inner-workings of finding the perfect literary agent, working with an agent and how to get the most out of your relationship. See what a day in the life of an agent looks like, and get tips about how to find your perfect author-agent match that will result in a successful partnership.

The best part is that you’ll be working directly with a knowledgeable and experienced agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work.

Here’s how it works:

On October 1, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by agents at the Dijkstra Literary Agency. It will explain the submission process of submitting to an agent, what they find appealing in a query letter and what an author-agent relationship looks like from the inside. You will also be notified by email which agent you’ll be working with Monday afternoon.

From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (PT) on October 2, instructors will be available to answer questions and provide additional feedback via the Writer’s Digest University message boards. Only registered students can access these boards. You’ll also be able to ask question of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers.

After listening to the presentation and participating in the discussion sessions, you’ll be able to revise your query & first 5 double-spaced pages as necessary. Then, you’ll email those pages directly to Jill Marr, Elise Capron, Thao Le, Jessica Watterson, or Roz Foster, by the end of the day on Thursday. They will spend 10 days reviewing their assigned critiques and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t.

Please note that any one of the instructing agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

In addition to feedback from instructing agents, attendees will also receive:

– Download of “An Agent’s Tips on Story Structures that Sell,” an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst
1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

PLEASE NOTE: No Additional discounts are available. All sales are final. If you have a preferred agent you would like to work with, please notify WDU after registering.

RECAP ON DATES:

Wednesday, October 1 – Access to Tutorial
Thursday, October 2 – Blackboard Discussion 10 am to 1 pm (PT)
Friday, October 3 – Materials due to agents
Monday, October 13 – All critiqued materials due back to attendees

About the Instructors:

ELISE CAPRON is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She also manages the SDLA office and works closely with Sandra Dijkstra on author development and management. She is most interested in serious, character-driven literary fiction and well-written narrative non-fiction (particularly serious history with a good story).A graduate of Emerson College, Elise holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing, and served on the editorial staff of the Emerson Review for several years. She interned at Harcourt and the Dijkstra Agency before joining the agency full-time in late 2003.Elise is interested in fiction that has unforgettable writing, a terrific narrative voice/tone, and memorable characters. She loves novels with an unusual or eccentric edge and is drawn to stories she has never heard before. She aims to work with writers who are getting their work published regularly in magazines and who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience. Some of Elise’s recent and soon-to-be-published fiction titles include Tiphanie Yanique’s Land of Love and Drowning (Riverhead) and How to Escape from a Leper Colony (Graywolf); Rachel Toor’s On The Road to Find Out (FSG); Jonathon Keats’ The Book of the Unknown (Random House); Rikki Ducornet’s Netsuke (Coffee House Press); Maureen McHugh’s After the Apocalypse (Small Beer Press), which was picked as a “Top 10 Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly; Ali Liebegott’s The IHOP Papers (Carroll & Graf); Peter Plate’s Soon the Rest Will Fall (Seven Stories Press); and more.

On the non-fiction front, Elise is looking for fascinating true stories told in a compelling way. Currently, Elise is especially interested in working with up-and-coming scholars (particularly historians) who are looking to transition from the academic market to a trade readership. Some of Elise’s recent and soon-to-be-published non-fiction titles include Jack Shuler’s The Thirteenth Turn: A History of the Noose (Public Affairs) and Blood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town (University of South Carolina Press); Leo Braudy’s Haunted; Jane Vandenburgh’s The Wrong Dog Dream: A True Romance (Counterpoint); Jonathon Keats’ Forged: Why Fakes Are the Great Art of Our Age (Oxford University Press); Cynthia Barnett’s Blue Is the New Green: An American Water Ethic (Beacon); Billy Smith’s Ship of Death: The Voyage That Changed the Atlantic World (Yale); and more.

Please note that Elise is specifically not interested in: fantasy, young-adult/middle-grade, picture books, romance, sci-fi, business books, cookbooks, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, or self-help. And while she is interested in narrative non-fiction, please note that she takes on very little memoir.

JILL MARR is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.She graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and a minor in History. She has a strong Internet and media background and nearly 15 years of publishing experience. She wrote features and ads for Pages, the literary magazine for people who love books, and continues to write book ads for publishing houses, magazine pieces, and promotional features for television.After writing ad copy and features for published books for years, she knows how to find the “hook” and sell it.

Jill is interested in commercial fiction, with an emphasis on mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense and horror, women’s commercial fiction and historical fiction. She is also looking for non-fiction by authors who are getting their work published regularly and who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience. Jill is looking for non-fiction projects in the areas of history, sports, politics, current events, self-help, cookbooks, memoir, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music.

Some of Jill’s recent and soon-to-be-published non-fiction includes the Travel Channel’s Nick Groff’s Chasing Spirits (NAL); Maybe We’ll Have You Back (Skyhorse) by actor Fred Stoller; Get Over It (Seal Press) by Christina Pesoli; Doulas A. Wissing’s Funding Our Enemy (Prometheus Books); Why We Love Serial Killers (Skyhorse) by Scott Bonn; America’s Greatest “Failing” School (Nation Books) by journalist Kristina Rizga; Don’t Lick the Minivan (Skyhorse) by Leanne Shirtliffe; William Jones’ More Than the Dream: The Untold Story of the March on Washington (Norton); Rocking the Pink (Seal Press) by singer-songwriter Laura Roppé; Stop Reading Baby Books (Skyhorse) by JJ Keith; Drunks: America’s Search for Sobriety by Christopher Finan; and Argyle Armada: Life with America’s Top Pro Cycling Team (VeloPress) by Mark Johnson.

Some of Jill’s new and upcoming fiction includes Bloodman andAmerican Woman (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Pobi; Reckless Disregard (Seven Stories Press) by Robert Rotstein; Three Souls(HarperCollins) by Janie Chang; Madam (Plume) by Cari Lynne and Kellie Martin; The Cordell Logan thriller series (The Permanent Press) by David Freed; Benefit of the Doubt (Tor/Forge) by Neal Griffin;Garbo’s Last Stand (Entranced) by Jon Miller; The Crossroads thriller series (Thomas & Mercer) by Eyre Price; The Dog Year (Berkley) by Ann Garvin; The Change Your Name Store (Sky Pony Press) by Leanne Shirliffe; and the Jaden Terrell series that includes the Shamus Award nominee Racing the Devil and A Cup Full of Midnight (The Permanent Press).

Please note that Jill is specifically not interested in: YA, children’s books, sci-fi, romance or anything involving unicorns.

ROZ FOSTER is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She works from New York. She has a B.A. in English Literature from UC San Diego, studied philosophy for a year at the University of Sheffield, U.K., and earned her M.A. in English, with an emphasis in composition & rhetoric and creative writing, from Portland State University. At PSU, she taught writing in exchange for tuition. She’s been learning French since 2009.Roz spent over five years as a qualitative researcher in high-tech consumer products marketing. In 2008, she co-founded a web design company for which she provided non-profit organizations with audience-focused market research, project planning, and digital design. She joined SDLA in 2013.

Roz is interested in non-fiction in the areas of cultural studies, sociology, business, history, politics, current affairs, science and design. She looks for driven, narrative storytelling and sharp concepts that have the potential to transcend their primary audience. She’s also interested in literary and commercial fiction, literary YA with crossover potential for the adult market, and literary sci-fi. In fiction, she looks for a resonant, lively voice; rich, irresistible language; characters with compelling development arcs; and a mastery of dramatic structure. Across the board, she’s looking for books that make her feel like the author is tuned into a rising revolution — cultural, political, literary, or whatnot — that’s about to burst on the scene.

Please note that Roz is specifically not interested in: sports, cookbooks, screenplays, poetry, romance, fantasy, or children’s books.

THAO LE handles finances and selected contracts at the Dijkstra Agency. She is also an agent. Thao is looking to acquire adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, New Adult, YA and Middle Grade. She enjoys both gritty, dark narratives and fantastically quirky stories. She is also looking for light-hearted, funny, and moving contemporary YAs with a raw, authentic teen voice. She’s particularly drawn to memorable characters, smart-mouthed dialogue, strong plots, and tight writing. Her favorite books are ones that reimagine familiar tales and tropes in a completely fresh new way and she has a soft spot for multicultural stories and lush settings. Recent sales include: Katherine Harbour’s fantasy, THORN JACK (Harper Voyager), Lisa Freeman’s surf YA, HONEY GIRL (Sky Pony Press), IPPY Award Winning S.K. Falls’ NA (Forever Yours), and James Kendley’s paranormal thriller, THE DROWNING GOD (Harper Voyager Impulse). Thao is NOT looking for: Biographies, business books, cook books, memoirs, picture books, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, self-help, short stories, travel books.

JESSICA WATTERSON graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in Sociocultural Anthropology and English. Jessica has made books a serious part of her life for many years. Jessica is most interested in all subgenres of adult and new adult romance, and women’s fiction. She is looking for heartfelt and unique romance that will instantly draw a reader in and keep them hooked.

New Adult (books with protagonists ages 18-25) has swiftly become the hottest thing in both self-publishing and traditional publishing. New authors are making astonishing strides in this category and making great deals with the big traditional houses. Recent success stories include Molly McAdams, whose book Taking Chances has sold more than 200,000 copies so far.

The rise of New Adult has introduced questions, such as: Is it a genre? Does it need to have sex scenes? How do you define it? Should you self-publish it? How do you know if an agent wants NA? How is it different from YA? Despite all the questions, New Adult manuscripts have been selling remarkably well, no matter how it is published. The readers want it, it is here to stay, and we are among many agencies actively looking for it.

In this live 90-minute webinar — titled “How to Write and Sell New Adult” —  Literary agent Gordon Warnock will help you understand New Adult fully from all aspects of the business, whether you need to know the rules of the category, how to pitch it to agents, or how authors are hitting the bestselling lists with modern marketing techniques. Plus, as a bonus, Warnock will critique 1,000 words of your manuscript! It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, September 18, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

Click Here to Register

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• What makes a story New Adult
• How NA is different from YA
• What’s hot and what’s next
• Characters, settings, and themes that work well for NA
• How to tell if an agent wants New Adult
• How to brand yourself for long-term success
• What you need to do online to sell more books

Click Here to Register

INSTRUCTOR

Gordon Warnock is a founding partner at Foreword Literary, serving as a literary agent and editorial director of the Fast Foreword digital publishing program. He brings years of experience as a senior agent, marketing director, editor for independent publishers, consultant, and author coach. He frequently teaches workshops and gives keynote speeches at conferences and MFA programs nationwide. His NA books include A Real Emotional Girl by Tanya Chernov and Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories by MariNaomi. You can find him on Twitter @gordonwarnock.

Click Here to Register

HOW THE CRITIQUE WORKS

All registrants are invited to submit the first 1,000 words of their manuscript for critique. All submissions will receive a written critique by Gordon Warnock. Gordon reserves the right to request more writing from attendees by e-mail following the event, if he deems the writing excellent.

Please Note: Even if you can’t attend the live webinar, registering for this live version will enable you to receive the On Demand webinar and a personal critique of your material. Purchasing the On Demand version after the live event will not include a critique.

Click Here to Register

When your submission materials arrive in an agent’s inbox, they land among hundreds of others. At that point, one of two things will happen. Either the agent will like the submission and request more materials, or they will reply with a rejection. Authors who get rejected tend to fall in one of two categories when submitting materials: they try too hard, or not enough. This Writer’s Digest Boot Camp, which starts on Sept. 22, 2014, is designed to help you streamline your submission materials to stand out in a good way.

Attendees will learn how to write a dynamite query letter, tackle a one-page synopsis. The instructing literary agents of Kimberley Cameron & Associates will also explain the importance of author platform in addition to basic etiquette in dealing with an agent and manuscript basics. Lastly, all attendees will have an opportunity to interact one-on-one with an agent and submit the first ten double-spaced pages of their manuscript and a query letter for valuable feedback provided by successful literary agents. Note that there are limited seats for the event, and WD boot camps frequently sell out, so sign up sooner rather than later.

Here’s how it works:

On September 22, 2014 you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by literary agents Kimberley Cameron and Elizabeth Kracht. This tutorial will provide nuts & bolts advice on how to help you streamline your submission materials.

After listening to the presentation, attendees will spend the next two days revising materials as necessary. Following the tutorial, writers will have two days in which to log onto the blackboard and ask your assigned agent critiquer questions related to revising your materials. The agents will be available on the Blackboard discussion boards from 1-3 p.m. (PT) on both Tuesday, September 23 and Wednesday, September 24. By end of day (11:59 p.m., PT) on Thursday, September 25, attendees will submit up the first 10 double-spaced pages of their manuscript and a query letter for review to their assigned agents.

The agents will spend one week reviewing all assigned pages, provide relevant feedback and offer suggestions to help attendees improve upon them. The agents reserve the right to request more materials if they feel a strong connection to the work and want to read more.

(Sign up for the September 2014 boot camp here.)

The agents at Kimberley Cameron & Associates are allowing all attendees to individually choose exactly what they want to receive instructor feedback on. You are able to submit the first ten pages (double spaced) of your manuscript and a query letter for review by the agents.

If there are questions about how to submit work for critique, please ask them during the boot camp’s multiple Blackboard Q&A sessions, and either an agent or WD staffer can help you with an answer. Please note that agents cannot edit materials a second time, so please do not send your revisions back to them for a second review, unless they have specifically requested more work from you in an effort to consider your book for representation.

RECAP ON DATES:

Monday, September 22: Online Tutorial
Tuesday, September 23: Agent Blackboard Q&A 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PT)
Wednesday, September 24: Agent Blackboard Q&A 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PT)
Thursday, September 25: Submit Ten Double-Spaced Pages by EOD (11:59 pm PT)
Thursday, October 2: Agent Critiques Due

Only registered students can access the discussion boards. You’ll also be able to ask questions of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers.

Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

(Sign up for the September 2014 boot camp here.)

In addition to feedback from agents, attendees will also receive:

– Download of “Everything You Need to Know About Literary Agents,” an on-demand webinar by WD editor Chuck Sambuchino
– 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

Please note that all attendees should have ten double-spaced pages of the beginning of their manuscripts finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event. If you are submitting fiction, please send in a one-page query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript (double spaced). If you are submitting non-fiction, please send in a one-page query letter and ten pages (double spaced) of the same chapter text. If attendees have a preferred agent they want to work with, please notify the assigning WD editor. Though not guaranteed, we will try to link attendees with a preferred agent if they have one. Also, please note that no Additional discounts are available. All sales are final.

About the Agents:

KIMBERLEY CAMERON
Kimberley was educated at Marlborough School for Girls in Los Angeles, Humboldt State University, and Mount St. Mary’s College. She began her literary career as an agent trainee at the Marjel de Lauer Agency in association with Jay Garon in New York and worked for several years at MGM developing books for motion pictures. She was the co-founder of Knightsbridge Publishing Company with offices in New York and Los Angeles. In 1993 Kimberley became partners with Dorris Halsey of The Reece Halsey Agency, founded in 1957. Among its clients have been Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner, Upton Sinclair, and Henry Miller. She opened Reece Halsey North in 1995 and Reece Halsey Paris in 2006. In 2009 the agency became Kimberley Cameron & Associates. Kimberley resides and works from Tiburon, California and Paris, France, with many visits to New York to make the rounds of editorial offices. She is looking for exceptional writing in any field, particularly writing that touches the heart, and makes us feel something. She’s been successful with many different genres, and especially loves the thrill of securing representation for debut authors. She represents both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, with the exception of romance, children’s books and screenplays.

ELIZABETH KRACHT
Elizabeth Kracht 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 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 and researching the potential market for new books. Elizabeth’s eclectic life experience drives her interests. She appreciates writing that has depth, an introspective voice or that offers wisdom for contemporary living. Having lived in cities such as New York, San Francisco and San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is compelled by urban and multicultural themes and loves settings that are characters unto themselves. In fiction, she represents literary, commercial, women’s, thrillers, mysteries, and YA with crossover appeal. She is intrigued by untrustworthy narrators, tragic tales of class and circumstance, and identifies with flawed yet sterling characters. In nonfiction, she particularly loves memoir and other narrative nonfiction projects that contribute to the well-being of the self or others in addition to niche projects that fill holes in the market, offer a fresh approach, or make her laugh. She also has a soft spot for nonfiction heroic pet stories.

AMY CLOUGHLEY
Amy Cloughley came to Kimberley Cameron & Associates with a background in editing, writing, and marketing. She seeks authors with unique, clear voices who put forth smart, tightly-written prose. As a new agent, she is now actively building her client list with both debut and veteran writers. She enjoys literary and upmarket fiction of all types in addition to commercial—including well-researched historical and well-told women’s fiction. She also loves a page-turning mystery, suspense, or thriller with sharp wit and unexpected twists and turns. She has a soft spot for distinctive, strong, contemporary characters set in small towns. Amy always looks for an unexpected story arc, a suitable pace, and a compelling protagonist. She is interested in narrative nonfiction when the plot and characters are immersed in a culture, lifestyle, discipline, or industry. She will also consider a travel or adventure memoir. Amy has studied creative writing, journalism, and literature and holds a B.S. in magazine journalism. She worked in editorial and marketing roles in magazine publishing and corporate business before shifting her professional focus to her lifelong love of books. She leverages her background in both words and business to benefit her clients.

MARY C. MOORE
Mary C. Moore started her career in publishing as a writer. She graduated from Mills College with an MFA in Creative Writing. After freelancing for two years as an editor and writer in non-literary sectors, she began an internship with Kimberley Cameron & Associates with the desire to learn more about the literary business for her own writing. During the internship she discovered a passion for helping others develop their manuscripts. Now she balances three jobs: writer, editor, and agent, and finds that the experience in each helps and supports the other. She is looking for unusual fantasy, grounded science-fiction, and atypical romance. Strong female characters and unique cultures especially catch her eye. Although she will not consider most non-fiction, stories about traditional dance or pagan culture may interest her. Above all, she is looking for writing that sweeps her away.

(Sign up for the September 2014 boot camp here.)

If you want to find success as an author — whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing — you must make an effort to connect with other people. That’s the whole point of social sites like Twitter and Facebook — to connect with readers and writers. But fundamentally more important than social media is simply having a (free) comprehensive author website. That’s why we’ve enlisted eMedia professor and guru Jane Friedman to teach the webinar “Create an Author Website in 24 Hours or Less” at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, September 11, 2014. The intensive class lasts two hours.

Speaking from an editor’s perspective, I can tell you that having a simple, neat website is absolutely essential. You must have something show up when people Google you or try to connect with you. All webinar attendees get to ask Jane as many questions as she wants, and no question goes unanswered.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

It’s indisputable: All authors must have their own website. It’s critical for effective marketing (online AND offline), as well as long-term career growth. Even unpublished authors can benefit greatly from establishing a starter site. Why? You work through the learning curve, you build online awareness, you make contacts in the writing and media world, and more opportunities open up to you.

This intensive webinar focuses on the simplest, most robust, and FREE tools to get a site up and running in a day or less—often in one evening! You don’t have to know any code, understand any technical jargon, or have previous experience with websites or blogs. You also don’t need to own your own domain or have hosting, although advice will be given on those issues.

While several different site-building options will be discussed, this session offers a step-by-step tutorial on setting up a site using WordPress—a best-in-class system that underpins 1 one of every 6 websites on the internet. WordPress is free to use, open source, and continually improving. Sign up for the webinar here.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• 5 simple services that help you create a codeless website, for free, in an hour or less (plus what services to avoid)
• Absolute must-have elements for every author site, even if you’re unpublished
• The difference between a blog and a website, and whether or not you need a blog
• How to get started with WordPress, either at WordPress.com or on your own domain
• What WordPress themes are best to use, plus what premium themes you might consider investing in
• Basic and free WordPress plug-ins that you need, plus how to extend the functionality of your site with more advanced plug-ins
• How to add multimedia to your site (audio, video, photos, etc)
• How to integrate social media sharing tools onto your site
• What site upgrades or additional features you might want that necessitate further investment
• An easy-to-understand explanation of domains and hosting (but you don¹t need to own a domain or have hosting to get started!)
• Common mistakes and pitfalls of websites and blogs
• When you should hire a professional designer or site developer, and how much you can expect to spend
• All these points and more will be answered in this nuts-and-bolts webinar about creating a model author website.  Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Jane Friedman is the former web editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review, where she oversees all online content, website development, and technical maintenance. She is also the sole developer and designer of her own website, JaneFriedman.com, which has won numerous awards and enjoys 50,000 unique visitors per month. Jane’s expertise on technology and publishing has been featured on NPR, PBS, and Publishers Weekly, and her social media presence is often cited as a model to follow in the writing community. Before joining VQR, Jane was the publisher of Writer’s Digest and spent two years as a full-time professor of e-media at the University of Cincinnati.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

1. Writers who want to establish a new website from scratch.
2. Writers who want to learn how to use WordPress to build a new website.
3. Writers who have tried to use WordPress but need a tutorial.
4. Writers who want to transition from a blog-only site, such as Blogspot or Tumblr, to a full-featured, long-term site on WordPress

 Sign up for the webinar here.

Full disclosure: I am not only a Children’s Librarian who advocates for inclusive programs and services for children with varying abilities, but I am also the parent of a child with a life-limiting genetic syndrome that causes significant developmental delays.  I am motivated to a great extent by my daughter to ensure that libraries across the country have the tools and training needed to create and/or improve their offerings for people with disabilities. It is my goal to have her enjoy visiting the library as much as I did as a child.

Many libraries today are addressing the needs of children with special needs to ensure inclusion in story time programs and successful visits for materials and other resources.  Sensory story times are the most popular offerings, but even a classic story time structure with simple modifications can be offered to include children with special needs.  If you are just getting started with creating inclusive story times and need some basic information to get the ball rolling, there is a great webinar offered through Infopeople that was put together by staff from the Contra Costa County Library (CA) titled, Inclusive Library Programs for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The webinar is fully archived with access to the presentation materials including slides, handouts, and the Q & A Chat with the live participants.  This webinar includes great information on creating inclusive programming for all ages as well as a segment focusing on Inclusive Story Time.

One of the resources suggested in the webinar to help you design appropriate content and develop a better understanding and awareness of the disabilities of children in your community is to connect with parents and professionals.  Communication with parents can be twofold.  It will provide insight into what parents feel are the needed adaptations and/or accommodations for their children to participate in a library story time, as well as create a channel for promoting your inclusive programming within the community.  Parents of children with special needs seek each other out and build strong networks of their own.  Getting the word out through these networks to promote your inclusive programs will help garner the participation and support you’ll need to make your program successful.

I have found many great resources for aiding youth librarians in educating themselves on getting started with programs and services to people with special needs.  One of the common concerns among staff is having the knowledge and understanding for working with children with disabilities.  I wasn’t prepared to be the mother to a child with significant health issues and developmental delays, but the more I worked with my daughter and cared for her, the more I have learned.  This will be true of working with children with special needs in the library.  You will learn more as you do more.  You’ll be thrilled to see how happy parents and local professionals will be to help teach you what you need to know.  Below is a list of several of the online resources I have recently found that can help you prepare for creating an inclusive environment for children of all abilities.

Professional Development:

Info People Webinar (Archived from August 2013), Inclusive Library Programs for People with Intellectual Disabilities

https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=55

Charlotte Mecklenburg County Library (Online Learning Archive)

http://www.cmlibrary.org/Programs/Special_Needs/

Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies: Library Accessibility – What you need to know

http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaprotools/accessibilitytipsheets

SNAILS – Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services, a professional network of librarians in Illinois working towards increasing and improving inclusive services

http://snailsgroup.blogspot.com/

Resources and Examples:

Brooklyn Public Library – The Child’s Place, Information on programs for children with and without disabilities. Also check out their pamphlet about “Universal Design”.

http://www.bklynlibrary.org/only-bpl/childs-place

Skokie (IL) Public Library Resource List; a comprehensive list of print materials for adults and children

http://www.skokielibrary.info/s_kids/kd_COI/COI_bib.pdf

Center for Early Literacy Learning, resources for adapting activities during story time

http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pg_tier2.php

 ***************************************

Bethany Lafferty is the Assistant Branch Manager/Youth Services Department Head at Henderson Libraries – Green Valley Branch in Henderson, Nevada.  She can be followed on Twitter with the handle @balaff1.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

A strong, compelling synopsis serves as a vital sales tool at every stage of your career. Whether you are a new writer starting to submit to agents or a multi-published author proposing a project to your editor, you need to be able to write a synopsis that meets your needs. That means not only writing an interesting synopsis that shows off your project to its best advantage, but tailoring it to suit different purposes. A synopsis written from a completed manuscript differs from one written as part of a proposal.

In this live 90-minute webinar — titled “Conquer the Dreaded Synopsis: Construct Your Ultimate Sales Tool” —  literary agent Nephele Tempest will show you how to tackle the task head on, and to generate the right synopsis for your project—and your audience. Shake off your fear and frustration and master the art of writing the synopsis. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, August 21, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Break down your plot into manageable parts
• Emphasize the most important details of your project
• Build interest in your story while remaining concise
• Maintain a tone consistent with your manuscript
• Produce a synopsis for a project that is incomplete
• Adapt the length of your synopsis depending on its intended use

INSTRUCTOR

Nephele Tempest joined The Knight Agency in January, 2005, opening the Los Angeles office. She comes from a diverse publishing and finance background, having worked in the editorial department at Simon and Schuster, as a financial advisor at Dean Witter, in the marketing and communications departments of several major New York investment firms, and as a freelance writer. Her experiences in sales, marketing, and writing provide her with insights into multiple aspects of the publishing industry. Nephele belongs to the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). She continues to actively build her client list, and is currently seeking works in the following genres: literary/commercial fiction, women’s fiction, science fiction, fantasy, single-title romance, historical fiction, young adult and middle grade fiction.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Writers who have no idea how to start writing a synopsis
• Writers whose existing synopsis sounds dull and lifeless in comparison to their novel
• Writers who cannot find a way to cut their synopsis down to an appropriate length
• Writers who cannot get past the query stage when submitting to agents
• Writers interested in selling work based on several opening chapters and a synopsis

HOW DOES THE CRITIQUE WORK?

All registrants are invited to submit their revised synopsis. All submitted synopses are guaranteed a written critique by literary agent Nephele Tempest. Nephele reserves the right to request to see a partial or full manuscript by e-mail following the event, if the project interests her. Instructions on how to submit your work are sent after you have purchased the webinar and officially register in Go-to-Webinar. When you have registered in GTW, you will receive a confirmation email from [email protected], which contains the information you need to access the live webinar AND the Critique Submission Instructions.

Sign up now!

As many writers know, agents and editors won’t give your work more than ten pages or so to make an impact. If you haven’t got them hooked by then, it’s a safe bet you won’t be asked for more material. Make sure you’ve got the kind of opening they’re looking for! In this invaluable weekend event, you’ll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You’ll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you’ll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work.

It’s all part of the recurring popular Agent One-on-One Boot Camp called “Your First 10 Pages.” Sign up by the end of the day, August 22, 2014. It’s taught by the agents at Talcott Notch Literary.

Here’s how it works:

On Friday morning, August 22, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by agent and editor Paula Munier. It will help you clarify what you should be looking for in your work. You will also be notified by email which agent you’ll be working with on Friday. (All times noted are Eastern Time).

After listening to the presentation, you’ll spend Friday evening revising your first ten pages as necessary, given the guidelines provided in the presentation, and you’ll email those pages directly to Paula or one of four additional agents from Talcott Notch Literary, including Gina Panettieri, Rachael Dugas, and Jessica Negron, by Saturday morning at 10:00 AM (ET). They will spend all day Saturday reviewing their assigned pages and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

All pages with notes will be returned to participants by 11:00 AM (ET) Sunday morning. Throughout the day on Sunday, you’ll work to revise your pages based on the agent’s specific feedback. From 1:00 to 4:00 PM, Paula, Gina, Rachael, Jessica, and Sara will be available to answer questions and provide additional feedback via the Writer’s Digest University message boards. Only registered students can access these boards. You’ll also be able to ask question of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers.

By 10:00 PM (ET) Sunday night, you’ll return your final revised pages to your assigned agent for review. They will spend the next week reading the revised submissions assigned to them, and will provide a final brief one-or-two sentence critique of your progress no later than August 31. Please note that any one of them may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

*Please note that all attendees should have the first 10 pages of their novel finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

In addition to feedback from Paula, Gina, Rachael, or Jessica, attendees will also receive:

– A download of “An Agent’s Tips on Story Structures that Sell,” an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst
– 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

All sales are final. No additional discounts can be applied.

About the Agents:

Gina Panettieri is President of Talcott Notch Literary Services, and has worked as an agent for more than 20 years. She currently represents a full range of adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis in fiction on YA, MG, mystery, fantasy, women’s fiction, horror and paranormal. In nonfiction, she is particularly seeking memoir, business, cooking, health and fitness, pop science, medicine, true crime and current events. Some of her clients include Nancy Holzner, author of the new Deadtown urban fantasy series from Berkley/Ace Science Fiction, Annabella Bloom, author of the Wild and Wanton edition romance hybrid classics Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights (Adams Media), Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of the bestselling and multi-award winning adoption book, The Connected Child (McGraw-Hill), and author and media personality, Dr. Seth Meyers. She currently represents an eclectic range of writers, encompassing everyone from a former head of Security and Intelligence for NATO Europe, to CEOs of major corporations and Deans of major medical schools, to stay-at-home writer moms and amazingly talented teens. Gina speaks at many conferences and writing events throughout the country on the subjects of securing an agent and getting published. Her agency website is talcottnotch.net

Paula Munier, Senior Literary Agent & Content Strategist at Talcott Notch Literary, has broad experience creating and marketing exceptional content in all formats across all markets for such media giants as Disney, Gannett, Greenspun Media Group, and Quayside. She began her career as a journalist, and along the way added editor, acquisitions specialist, digital content manager, and publishing executive to her repertoire. Before joining Talcott Notch, she served as the Director of Innovation and Acquisitions for Adams Media, a division of F&W Media, where she headed up the acquisitions team responsible for creating, curating, and producing both fiction and nonfiction for print, ebook, eshort, and direct-to-ebook formats. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

Although she represents all kinds of projects, right now she’s looking for crime fiction, women’s fiction, romance, New Adult, YA, and middle grade fiction, as well as nonfiction in the areas of pop culture, health & wellness, cooking, self-help, pop psych, New Age, inspirational, technology, science, and writing. As a new agent she’s making her first deals now, including the New Adult trilogy, The Registry by Shannon Stoker, which sold for six figures to HarperCollins. She’s also just sold mystery, thriller, and self-help. Paula is very involved with the mystery community, having served four terms as President of the New England chapter of Mystery Writers of America as well as on the MWA board. (She’s currently VP of that organization.) She’s also served as both co-chair and Agents and Editors chair on the New England Crime Bake committee for seven years and counting. And she’s an active member of Sisters in Crime.

Jessica Negron has experience working for a diverse range of publishers and publications in both an editorial and design capacity, and she is now a Junior Agent with Talcott Notch, taking on a select batch of clients. She’s interested in all kinds of YA and Adult fiction, but leans toward science fiction and fantasy (and all sub-genres), romance (the steamier, the better), and thrillers.

Rachael Dugas joined Talcott Notch Literary in 2011. During her tenure as associate agent, Rachael has judged contests and attended conferences in New York and beyond, working with groups such as Writer’s Digest, ASJA, YA Lit Chat, the National Publicity Summit, and the Hampton Roads Writers. Recent sales include titles in young adult and romance to imprints at Hachette, Perseus, and Month 9 Books. Rachael is a former Sourcebooks editorial intern and a proud Ithaca College graduate. She welcomes fiction submissions in the following categories: YA, MG, women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romance, historical fiction, and general commercial fiction. Her non-fiction wishlist includes memoir with an amazing voice and cookbooks or performing arts-related books with outstanding platforms.

Sign up for the boot camp here.

Middle Grade books are generally defined as being books for children aged 8-12…. and at the moment, these books are hot-hot-hot. From the commercial successes of titles like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and Rick Riordan’s LIGHTNING THIEF saga, to more “literary” award-winning fare, it seems most publishers are seeking the next great Middle Grade success story. But middle grade is also a tough category to write for. Much of what appears in the slush pile is cheesy or derivative, or just lacks “spark.” So what makes a great Middle Grade novel? What is selling? What are agents and editors looking for? And how can you make your book stand out and shine?

In this live webinar, “Writing and Selling Middle Grade Fiction,” instructor and literary agent Jennifer Laughran (of Andrea Brown Literary) will talk about what’s happening in the exciting Middle Grade market, as well as examine some recently published titles to see what they got right. She’ll also talk revision tips and tricks to help you take your work-in-progress to the next level. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Aug 14, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit EITHER the query letter OR the first 500 words of their complete / work-in-progress middle grade novel for critique. All submissions are guaranteed a written critique by literary agent Jennifer Laughran. Jennifer reserves the right to request more writing from attendees by e-mail following the event, if she deems the writing excellent.

Please Note: Even if you can’t attend the live webinar, registering for this live version will enable you to receive the On Demand webinar and a personal critique of your material. Purchasing the On Demand version after the live event will not include a critique.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

– What’s selling in Middle Grade… and what just isn’t.
– The all-important “Hook”, and what “High Concept” looks like
– Finding the elusive Middle Grade Voice
– Common mistakes of Middle Grade submissions
– Overused beginnings and clichés that can drag down a work
– How to polish your work and stand out from the slush pile
– What “core curriculum” guidelines for schools might mean for your book. Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Jennifer Laughran is a senior agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, the oldest children’s-only agency in the US. Before she joined the agency in 2008, she spent about a decade as a children’s book buyer and event coordinator for various successful bookstores. Her many years of experience in the children’s book field have made her one of the top kid’s book agents working today. She reps picture books through YA, but has a particular love for Middle Grade novels — the warmer and funnier the better. Clients include Daniel Pinkwater, Kate Messner, Jo Whittemore, Linda Urban, and many debut authors whose names you’ll know soon!

Sign up for the webinar here.

The plot of your book is the underlying structure of its story—the specific order and selection of events that reveal information about the characters and their circumstances to create emotional effects and thematic resonance for the reader. But how do you know you’re choosing the right events for your story, whether they’re in the right order, or if they achieve the ends you have in mind?

In this live 90-minute webinar — titled “How to Plot and Structure Your Novel: Learn Important Principles, Patterns, and Practical Revision Techniques” — editor Cheryl Klein will guide you through the principles that underlie traditional narrative plotting—a framework on which you can build all sorts of variations. You’ll learn about the three main types of plot and how to braid them for maximum narrative efficiency and elegance. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, August 7, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• The three types of plot and four elements of plot structure
• What kind of plot you have and why that matters
• Ways to establish and raise the stakes of your story
• How to make every subplot contribute to the whole effect of the book
• Tips for balancing character development and forward plot momentum
• Practical techniques for tracking the progress of a plot in your book

INSTRUCTOR

Cheryl Klein is the executive editor at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, where she edits and publishes picture books, novels, and nonfiction for children, young adults, and discerning grown-ups. She has been featured in Time and Entertainment Weekly for her work on the Harry Potter series. Her book, Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults, was published in March 2011. Please visit her website at cherylklein.com or follow her on Twitter at @chavelaque.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Writers interested in improving their plotting techniques
• Writers whose manuscripts have been called “thin” or “slice-of-life”
• Writers struggling with narrative tension or character development
• Writers who want the ideas and emotions in their novels to be supported by the book’s plot structure

Teens are discriminating readers with a lot of demands on their time, so what can you do to ensure that your novel is the one they’ll all be dying to read? And does your book stand a chance at getting you an agent if it doesn’t have wizards, vampires, or a dystopian setting?

Literary agent Carlie Webber will share her ideas on what all agents want in a great YA novel, regardless of subject matter. The live webinar on July 29 will open with a presentation on what it means to write authentic YA voices, and will explain why crafting a YA voice is a different challenge from creating one for a tween or adult protagonist. After showing examples of strong voice, Carlie will show how setting, pacing, and tension all work with the voice to create a memorable novel. She’ll also talk about the elements that separate middle grade novels from YA, and YA from adult. Carlie will also address the art of writing controversial content, and the perennial question of how writers should – or shouldn’t – tackle YA literature trends.

This webinar will treat YA as an age range, not a genre, and it will include examples from contemporary and historical fiction, plus science fiction and fantasy written for ages 12-18. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Tuesday, July 29, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes. Sign up for the webinar here.

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit the first 500 words of their novel. All submissions are guaranteed a written critique by literary agent Carlie Webber. Carlie reserves the right to request more writing from attendees by e-mail following the event, if she deems the writing excellent.

Please Note: Even if you can’t attend the live webinar, registering for this live version will enable you to receive the On Demand webinar and a personal critique of your material. Purchasing the On Demand version after the live event will not include a critique.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

– The elements of crafting a memorable YA voice
– How setting and plot work to support the voice
– Why a teen protagonist’s voice will sound different than a pre-teen or adult
– How to incorporate great pacing and tension
– How to work in enough technology and slang to sound current, but not so much that your book is dated before it hits shelves
– What you can and can’t present in terms of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll
– Why writing to trends is a double-edged sword. Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Carlie Webber refused to major in English in college because no one would let her read Stephen King or R.L. Stine for class. After college, she obtained a Master of Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh and worked as a YA librarian and professional book reviewer for publications including KIRKUS REVIEWS. Wishing to explore her interest in the business side of publishing, she enrolled in the Columbia Publishing Course. After working for the Publish or Perish Agency/New England Publishing Associates and Jane Rotrosen Agency, she has established her own agency, CK Webber Associates. In addition to YA, she is seeking middle grade, mystery, thriller, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. Follow her on Twitter: @carliebeth

Sign up for the webinar here.

ALSC Online Education (image courtesy of ALSC)

The great part about a professional association is that it brings together some of the best minds of one field. We have members doing some pretty incredible things. We also have members who would love to know about those incredible things that their peers are doing.

The ALSC Education Committee is adding to ALSC’s online course and webinar offerings. If you are interested in teaching a course or webinar, please fill out an Online Education Proposal. How does it work? We’ll for starters you’ll need an idea or topic that you’d like to work with. Then we’ll ask you to provide a few things like:

• title
• description
• learning outcomes
• target audience
• course level and prerequsitites
• instructor bio

You’ll also be asked to submit a few things that will help us get to know you:

• copy of your resume
• teaching references
• course syllabus (only for online courses)

So what’s the compensation like? Online course instructors are compensated $700 for course development and 15 percent of registration fees for their first session; following sessions are compensated at 20 percent of student registration fees. Fees are $115 for ALSC members, $165 for ALA members and $185 for nonmembers. Webinar instructors are compensated $100 for webinar development and 10 percent of registration fees for each webinar presented.

To make it easier on you, we’ve provided a copy of the form below. You can fill this out right from the ALSC Blog. Please consider applying! It’s great to have options and the more proposals we get, the more quality options we can provide to members!

Proposal

Additional Information

Online Courses

The industry has exploded with new and free opportunities to help you publish your work electronically, at little or no cost to you. Learn how to get visibility for your work by using online services that make your work available on major e-reading platforms such as Kindle, Nook, and iPad.

This intensive and information-filled 90-minute webinar — titled “Do Your E-Book Right (and Start Making Money): All the 101 you need to get started in e-publishing your work.″ — gives you a tour of how these sites work and how writers are using them to move their career forward. While e-publishing doesn’t equal instant success (if you build it, they may NOT come), you’ll learn the principles behind the successful creation and distribution of an e-book. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, July 31, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• What services are available to distribute your e-book, plus what you can expect from these services, and how they turn a profit
• How to make your book available on Kindle, Nook, iPad, and most reading devices in use today
• If and when you’re endangering the future potential of your work by making it available electronically
• The technical skill required and how/when to use a professional to help you convert your work into different formats
• 3 essential factors that impact your e-book sales
• How to appropriately price your work
• Critical strategies for marketing and promoting your e-books
• How to decide when it’s time to seek traditional publishing options
• A list of trusted resources to help you after the webinar. Sign up for Jane’s webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Jane Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest, who now serves as web editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review (VQR). She spent more than a decade evaluating book proposals and manuscripts for publication, and continues to evaluate pitches through her work at VQR and at writing conferences across the country. Her blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com has more than 35,000 unique visitors every month and was named one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers in 2011/2012. Find out more at JaneFriedman.com.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

1. Anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit
2. Writers interested in self-publishing or e-publishing
3. Traditionally published authors looking to make their work available again
4. Business professionals interested in publishing and or test-marketing their content or ideas

Sign up for Jane’s webinar here.

WD’s July 2014 Agent One-on-One Boot Camp is shaping up to be an awesome opportunity for writers of children’s books. The new topic is “How to Write and Sell Great Children’s Books: From Toddler to Teen,” and this boot camp is for writers of picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels.

It all starts on July 15, 2014, and features the amazing agents at Full Circle Literary offering instruction and critiques to all attendees. Picture book writers get their entire book critiqued while MG & YA writers get a query critique and five-page critique. This is a great opportunity to get a professional’s thoughts on your work, and possibly attract the attention of an agent at the same time. There is a limited number of seats for this event (75, and it reached capacity last time it was done), and WD Boot Camps frequently sell out, so sign up quickly.

DESCRIPTION

The world of children’s books has seen more growth in the last ten years than any other category in the publishing industry. Countless articles and op-eds have analyzed the booming success of now-iconic series like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Fancy Nancy. But while critics are debating the triumph of a particular series, readers – both children and adults – are clamoring for more books that will enchant and entertain them.

But in such a competitive market, how do you make your book stand out as a quality submission? How do you walk the fine line between capturing the attention (and purchasing power) of both child and adult reader? In this Writer’s Digest Boot Camp, the agents of Full Circle Literary will teach you:

• The key elements to writing a successful children’s book, be that a picture book, young adult novel, or middle grade story
• The pitfalls to avoid when writing for kids – whether toddlers or teens
• What agents and publishers look for in submissions
• How to make your opening pages shine

You are the new generation of authors, creating that next iconic book as we speak. Let’s get to work.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here.

Here’s how it works:

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014, you will gain access to one of the following online tutorials presented by the agents at Full Circle Literary. It’s your choice.

1. How to Write Successful Picture Books (45 minutes)

2. How to Write Successful Middle Grade and Young Adult (45 minutes)

These webinars will focus on the particular challenges and lessons for each category of children’s books. While there will be some overlapping information, please choose the webinar that speaks to your chosen genre. After listening to the presentation, you’ll spend Tuesday evening revising the opening of your project as necessary.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here.

CRITIQUE

You are then invited to submit one of the following for review:

1. For picture book authors: Query letter and up to 1,000 words (i.e. recommended length of full text) of your picture book
2. For middle grade/young adult authors: Query letter and your first 5 double-spaced pages

Also on July 15, you will be notified about your assigned agent. You will submit your pages for review by EOD, July 18, attached as a Word document. The agents reading and critiquing submissions are Stefanie von Borstel, Adriana Dominguez, and Taylor Martindale.

They will spend the next few days reviewing their assigned pages and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t.The agents will return your pages with their critiques within 10 days. Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise. (Several agents have signed writers after seeing their work through boot camps and webinars.)

In addition to feedback from agents, attendees will also receive: A 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Database.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here.

About the Agents:

Stefanie von Borstel is co-founder of Full Circle Literary. Prior to agenting, she worked in editorial and marketing with Penguin and Harcourt. Stefanie represents children’s books from baby to teen, as well as select adult books. On the adult side, her focus is on family-interest, craft/design/lifestyle, and creative nonfiction. Representative clients include: Meg Mateo Ilasco, Barb Blair, Justina Blakeney, Betz White, and Kelly McCants of Modern June, among others. On the children’s side, she is especially seeking middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and is excited about the latest books from her clients Diana Lopez’s Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel, Karen Benke’s Leap Write In!, and Sarah Burningham’s Girl to Girl. For picture books/chapter books: author/illustrators, character-driven stories, unique nonfiction, stories that keep her turning the pages, and books that inspire imagination of the young and young-at-heart. Clients include: Monica Brown, Jennifer Ward, Toni Buzzeo, Carmen Tafolla, Rafael Lopez, Cindy Jenson-Elliott, and SCBWI Grand Prize Portfolio Award Winner Juana Martinez-Neal, to name a few. Stefanie is thrilled to work with clients that have a distinct style or expertise that can crossover to both the children’s and adult markets. Most of all, she loves authentic voices and viewpoints that make us look at the world and ourselves in new ways. When not reading, Stefanie is probably searching for green fig beetles or exploring tidepools with her son.

Adriana Dominguez has 15 years of experience in publishing, most recently as Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she managed the children’s division of the Latino imprint, Rayo. Prior to that, she was Children’s Reviews Editor at Criticas magazine, published by Library Journal. She has performed editorial work for many children’s and adult publishers, both on a full time basis and as a freelance consultant, on English and Spanish language books. Adriana is also a professional translator who has worked on a number of translations of award-winning and best-selling children’s books. She is a member of the Brooklyn Literary Council that organizes the Brooklyn Book Festival, and one of the founders of the Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference in New York City. Adriana joined Full Circle in 2009, and is based on the East Coast. She is interested in children’s picture books, middle grade novels, and literary young adult novels. On the adult side, she is looking for literary and women’s works of fiction that feature characters with unique voices telling unforgettable stories. In the area of non-fiction, she seeks pop culture, and how-to titles geared toward women of all ages, written by authors with rock-solid platforms. Adriana has a long trajectory of publishing underrepresented authors and illustrators, and welcomes submissions that offer diverse points of view. Her client list includes seasoned authors such as Reyna Grande, Las Comadres Para Las Americas, Tim Z. Hernandez, Lorena Siminovich, George Ancona, and Rafael Lopez, as well as newcomers such as Angela Cervantes, Michaela & Elaine DePrince, Katheryn Russell-Brown, and Lila Quintero-Weaver, among others.

Taylor Martindale is a literary agent with Full Circle Literary, actively acquiring fiction and non-fiction projects. She began agenting with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and is a graduate of The College of William and Mary, where she studied English and Hispanic Studies. Taylor is looking for young adult fiction, literary middle grade fiction, women’s fiction, and select non-fiction projects. She is interested in finding unique and unforgettable voices in contemporary, historical and/or multicultural novels. She is looking for books that demand to be read whether the stories are light-hearted or address important issues (she adores both). More than anything, Taylor is looking for character-driven stories that bring the world vividly to life and voices that refuse to be ignored. When considering non-fiction projects, Taylor uses much the same approach, and hopes to find authors with fresh ideas and perspectives, with writing that is accessible, entertaining, and compelling. When not working, Taylor can be found traveling, cooking, spending time with loved ones, or (surprise!) lost in a good book.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here!

So you want to be published? It’s been said that after the wild creative outpouring, real writing happens in the art of revision. Your best chance of attracting readers is through strong revision, or “re-seeing” of your work, to appeal to readers of all stripes. Writers who learn to love revision are more likely to write publishable work that wins readers and leads to deeper satisfaction in the writer’s craft. This live webinar, called “Revise for Publication: Revision Strategies That Will Improve Any Draft,” will help any writer with the goal of publication learn to love revision. You can learn to enjoy revision by breaking it down into simple, successful “waves,” and easy-to-use “tools” that you’ll use over and over.

By the end of this webinar you will not only have tackled revision issues within your work but will be able to embrace remaining revision with a positive attitude. The webinar happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, June 26, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit the first page of your work (300 words max) to assess whether it works or needs revision. All submissions are guaranteed a written response by Writing Coach and Author, Jordan E. Rosenfeld. Sign up for Jordan’s webinar here.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

– Four fun strategies that give each stage of revision a “personality”
– How to inventory what you have before you begin to revise
– How to allow access to your wild creativity
– Pleasurable methods for sharpening and tightening
– The difference between “tinkering” and “transforming”
– A painless plot overhaul
– How to identify what’s missing from your manuscript
– How to add page-turning tension on every page
– A final checklist on whether you’re ready to seek publication. Sign up for Jordan’s webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Jordan is a writing coach, freelance editor and author of the writing guides Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time, and, with Rebecca Lawton, Write Free: Attracting the Creative Life. She has also published two suspense novels, Forged in Grace and, under the pen name J.P. Rose: Night Oracle. Jordan is working on two forthcoming writing books from Writer’s Digest Books: A Writer’s Guide to Persistence: A Toolkit to Build & Bolster a Lasting Writing Practice (Spring: 2015), and, with Martha Alderson, Deep Scenes: Plot Your Story Scene-by-Scene Through Action, Emotion & Theme (Fall, 2015).

Visit her website: www.jordanrosenfeld.net. She leads Plot & Scene retreats with author Martha Alderson, The Plot Whisperer. http://www.Writerpath.com and will be presenting two workshops at the Writer’s Digest West Conference in Lost Angeles August 15-17, 2014.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

- Writers who are confused about where or how to revise
- Writers who are ready to revise but need support
- Writers who want to go more deeply into their work
- Writers stuck in a particular spot in their manuscripts
- Writers who want to be published in any form
- Writers who are self-publishing
- Writers who are seeking traditional publishing through an agent or publisher
- Writers who are beginning a new project
- Writers who have completed a draft
- Writers who consistently get feedback that your writing is good but are still not published
- Writers who want to put their best work forth
- Writers who want to be able to self-edit their work

Sign up for Jordan’s webinar here.

Middle grade (MG) books, intended for readers 8-12, aim to capture an audience that appreciates thrilling adventures, stories of everyday kids just like them, and everything in between. Writing an enthralling voice and selling it in just the right place and time to hook this audience, however, can be a challenge. In this live webinar, “Writing the Breakout Middle Grade Novel,” you’ll see what makes a success story in the MG market, through examples of popular books from Percy Jackson to Origami Yoda. By looking at these popular books and seeing what they do-or don’t-have in common, you’ll learn what piques the interests of middle-grade readers and the editors who work on books for them.

Drawing on her experience as both a literary agent and a librarian, Carlie Webber (CK Webber Associates) will take you through a brief history of popular MG fiction, show you where the market stands right now, and how you can build a future for yourself as a writer of MG fiction. It all happens at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 29, 2014, and starts at 1 pm, EST. (Sign up here.)

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit the first 500 words of your middle grade novel for critique. All submitted openings are guaranteed a written critique by literary agent Carlie Webber.

Please Note: Even if you can’t attend the live webinar,registering for this live version will enable you to receive the On Demand webinar and a personal critique of your material. Purchasing the On Demand version after the live event will not include a critique.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

– What defines a MG novel
– What separates a MG novel from a Young Adult (YA) novel
– What elements make up a captivating MG voice
– How to build a believable MG plot
– What editors at publishing houses want to buy right now
– Why series books are popular with MG readers
– What gives a MG novel lasting power. (Sign up here.)

INSTRUCTOR

Carlie Webber refused to major in English in college because no one would let her read Stephen King or R.L. Stine for class. After college, she obtained a Master of Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh and worked as a YA librarian and professional book reviewer for publications including KIRKUS REVIEWS. Wishing to explore her interest in the business side of publishing, she enrolled in the Columbia Publishing Course. After working for the Publish or Perish Agency/New England Publishing Associates and Jane Rotrosen Agency, she has established her own agency, CK Webber Associates. She is seeking young adult, middle grade, mystery, thriller, suspense, science fiction, and contemporary fantasy. Follow her on Twitter: @carliebeth.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

– Writers who are interested in learning more about MG fiction
– Writers who think they want to write a MG novel
– Writers who want to know more about the present state of the MG market
– Writers who want to learn the elements of a successful MG novel
– Writers looking for suggestions on how to target MG readers
– Writers who have written or are writing a novel for young people and want to know more about the division between MG and Young Adult
– Writers who want to know more about today’s tween audience

Sign up for the webinar here!

During this all-new June 2014 boot camp (starts June 18) called “Your Submission Tools: How to Write Excellent Queries, Opening Pages, and Synopses,” literary agents will show you how to put together the best query letter, opening pages, and synopsis to hook the attention of agents and editors. As you learn what makes up an amazing submission package, 5 literary agents from Corvisiero Literary will tell you what agents look for when reviewing your work.

They will help each and every boot camp attendee draft and perfect your query letter, your book synopsis, and the first two pages of your book. Every participating writer will not only learn how to properly prepare a captivating submission package that will show results, they will also receive a critique with customized tips and suggestions from a literary agent. Seating is limited, and WD boot camps frequently sell out, so sign up today.

This program will show you how to do the following:

• What information should be included in your query letter.
• How to avoid vague language that will sink your submission.
• How to boil down your entire book into 1-2 paragraphs.
• How to understand the differences between pitching fiction/memoir (where the story is key) vs. pitching nonfiction (where concept and platform are key).
• How to draft an effective synopsis.
• How to properly introduce your story’s main characters and, if necessary, the story world.
• How to pull agents in and get them interested in your main character(s) – and their journey.
• How to understand clear core points in your story that are mandatory to present your story.
• How to give visual snapshots of your book.
• How to apply the golden rule of pitching: Show, don’t tell.
• How to identify the most exciting elements that illustrate your work.
• How to build in a cliffhanger – leaving the ending to your story unclear, with agents wanting more.
• How to eliminate commonly used yet ineffective cliches in pitches, such as rhetorical questions.
• How to deliver enough of the flavor of the book to wet the reader’s appetite for more and how to keep the momentum going.
• How to make your query letter (or in-person pitch) entice an agent/editor to request your full manuscript!

By the end of this Agent One-on-One program, you will be chock-full of actionable wisdom. You will take away well drafted materials that will get you noticed. The critiques will cut through the mystery of attracting an agent or editor to say YES, and you’ll have a clear path on what to do next. Sign up for the boot camp here.

Here’s how it works:

On June 18, 2014, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by literary agents from the Corvisiero Literary Agency. This tutorial will provide nuts & bolts advice on how to help you prepare your query, your synopsis and get your first two pages ready for review.

After listening to the presentation, attendees will spend the next two days revising materials as necessary. Following the tutorial, writers will have two days in which to log onto the blackboard and ask your assigned agent critiquers questions related to revising your materials. The agents will be available on the blackboard from 1-3 p.m. (ET) on both Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20. No later than Saturday, June 21, attendees will submit their completed pitch & pages for feedback directly to the boot camp literary agents.

The agents will spend up to 10 days reviewing all assigned pitches and provide feedback to help attendees. (The agents reserve the right to request more materials if they feel a strong connection to the work and want to read more; note that multiple agents have signed writers before from WD boot camps.) No later than July 1st, agents will send their feedback to writer attendees.

Only registered students can access the blackboards. You’ll also be able to ask questions of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers. Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

About the instructors

Marisa Corvisiero: Marisa is the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency. She is a literary agent there and continues to practice law in New York City specializing in Corporate, Intellectual Property and Publishing and Trust & Estates. She loves Romance novels for most ages (above 17) as well as Thrillers, Adventure, Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. She love mixed genres and will read anything that is unique and well written. She also reads a lot of non fiction in selective topics such as Business, Science, Self-Improvement and Spiritual. Cookbooks and books about pretty things with awesome pictures welcome.

Saritza Hernandez: Saritza is the Sr. Literary Agent at the Corvisiero Literary Agency and is known as the first literary agent to represent authors in the digital publishing landscape. While continuing to seek traditional publishers for her authors, Saritza is the leading literary agent in digital publishing deals. An avid coffee-drinker with a Kindle book obsession, she enjoys a steaming cup of strong Cuban coffee every morning while reading an erotic contemporary romance or action-packed science fiction adventure. A strong advocate of the GLBT community, she enjoys fresh voices in Young Adult and New Adult genre fiction.

Sarah Negovetich: Sarah Negovetich is fully aware that no one knows how to pronounce her last name, and she’s okay with that.  Her favorite writing is YA, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty, it’s accurate if not exactly motivational. Sarah’s background is in Marketing. FYI, your high school algebra teacher was right when they told you every job uses math. She uses her experience to assist Corvisiero authors with platform building and book promotion

Ella Kennen: Ella Kennen has a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She is a nomad courtesy of the US Air Force. She’s lived here, there, and everywhere and done this, that and the other. She’s always on the lookout for new things – in the real world or on the page.An experienced editor who came to Corvisiero from a publishing house, Ella loves working one-on-one with writers to help mold their manuscripts into the best possible stories. When she’s not busy interning, she works at Rate Your Story, a service that helps writers make sure they’ll stand out of the slush pile before they submit. She also teaches drama and creative writing to school-aged kids.

Cate Hart: Cate is all about guilty pleasures. She loves salted caramel mochas, Justin Timberlake, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, and Steampunk. As a native Nashvillian, Cate’s biggest guilty pleasure is watching Nashville. When she’s reading, Cate looks for character-driven stories, a distinguished voice, and intriguing plots. She loves characters that surprise her, like the pirate with a heart of gold, and plots that keep her guessing until the very last page. When she’s not reading queries, Cate works with clients to build their platform, works on PR projects to help promote clients’ books, and reads manuscripts with an editorial eye.

Sign up for the boot camp here.

No matter your schedule, ALSC has a professional development opportunity for you. This summer has online courses, webinars and new webcasts, there are a variety of formats to meet the needs of all learners.

Online courses
ALSC is offering three great online courses for summer 2014. Each courses will run between four and six weeks and will be taught in an online learning community using Moodle. All courses are offered asynchronously (self-directed) meaning you won’t need to logon at a specific time. Courses start Monday, July 14, 2014.

Children’s Graphic Novels 101: Selection, Evaluation and Programming for Children
6 weeks, July 14 – August 22, 2014

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
4 weeks, July 14 – August 10, 2014, CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs

Storytime Tools
4 weeks, July 14 – August 10, 2014, CEU Certified Course, 2 CEUs

Webinars
This summer, explore the practical applications of the Common Core in our new webinar, C is for Common Core and Collection Development. For more information on these webinars, please visit the ALSC webinar site.
Below is a calendar of upcoming webinars:

September

C is for Common Core and Collection Development
Tues., Sept. 9, 2014: 2-3pm Central

October

C is for Common Core and Collection Development
Wed., Oct. 1, 2014, 6-7pm Central

C is for Common Core and Collection Development
Thurs., Oct. 16, 2014, 3-4pm Central

C is for Common Core and Collection Development
Tues., Oct. 28, 2014: 11am -12pm Central

Archived Webinars
Missed a webinar you wanted to attend? Don’t worry! ALSC presents archived versions of webinars, which are offered at a discounted price. Archived webinars cost only $25. Please note that recorded versions are not available until all of the live sessions of that webinar have taken place.

ALSC Online Education Proposals
Have an idea for an ALSC webinar or online course? The ALSC Education Committee is adding to ALSC’s online course and webinar offerings. If you are interested in teaching a course or webinar, please fill out the online education proposal form found at ALSC’s website.

New Adult fiction (novels featuring protagonists ages 18-25) has swiftly become the hottest thing in both self-publishing and traditional publishing. New authors are making astonishing strides in this category and making great deals with the big traditional houses. Recent success stories include Molly McAdams, whose new adult book Taking Chances has sold more than 200,000 copies so far. And then there’s Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster, a new adult novel that caught the attention of Warner Brothers and had its film rights optioned. Other bestselling NA novelists include Coleen Hoover, Cora Carmack and Tamara Webber.

In this new boot camp starting May 8 (sign up here), the agents at Foreword Literary will help you understand New Adult fully from all aspects of the business. Whether you need to know the rules of the category, how to pitch it to agents, or how authors are hitting the bestselling lists with modern marketing techniques, Foreword has the answers for you.

The rise of New Adult has introduced questions, such as: How many agents are seeking it? How do you define it? How is it different from YA? Despite all the questions around this growing genre, New Adult manuscripts have been selling remarkably well, no matter how it is published. The readers want it, it is here to stay, and Foreword is among many agencies actively looking for it.

Once you register for this May 8 One-on-One Agent Boot Camp, you’ll be assigned your own personal agent for the event. He or she will review the first 1,200 words and 1-page synopsis of your work-in-progress. You’ll get personalized feedback on the quality of your writing, as well as insights into how to generate the most revenue in today’s market. At the end of the boot camp, you’ll have a greater understanding of which publishing options to pursue and how to make the most of them.

Here’s how it works:

On Thursday, May 8, you’ll gain access to a special one-hour presentation by agents Gordon Warnock, Laurie McLean, and Pam van Hylckama Vlieg. Together, they’ll explore the New Adult category and teach you how to reach key readers and bloggers, and how to market your title. You’ll also receive an email detailing your assigned agent for the boot camp.

Each New Adult agent brings something unique to the table: Pam is also a popular book blogger (Bookalicious.org) and will explain how blogging and using social media will help you expand readership. Laurie was also a 20-year high-tech marketing CEO before becoming an agent and will discuss how branding is essential to every writer. Gordon has edited and sold New Adult memoir and will explain the rules and the tropes to make sure you manuscript will sing to the readers.

On Friday, May 9, from 2-4 PM Eastern time (11-1 PM Pacific), your assigned agent will be available to answer questions in an exclusive discussion session for boot camp participants.

By 10 a.m., Sunday, May 11, you will submit the first 1,200 words and synopsis of your book for review. The presenters will carefully read your materials and will return their feedback no later than end of day, May 21.

*Please note that all attendees should have the first 1,200 words and synopsis of their piece finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event.

RECAP ON DATES:

Thursday, May 8: Online Tutorial

Friday, May 9: Agent Blackboard Q&A 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Sunday, May 11: Submit Materials for Critique

Wednesday, May 21: Agent Critiques Due

Only registered students can access the blackboards. You’ll also be able to ask questions of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers. Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

In addition to feedback from agents, attendees will also receive: 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

If attendees have a preferred agent, they want to work with, please notify WD. Though not guaranteed, we will try to link attendees with a preferred agent if they have one. Sign up for the boot camp here.

ABOUT THE AGENTS:

Laurie McLean spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity agency and 8 years as an agent then senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco, plus completed three manuscripts, before forming Foreword Literary with Gordon and Pam. At Foreword, Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror, etc.) plus middle-grade, young adult and new adult fiction. She does not handle non-fiction, or commercial, literary or women’s fiction, nor does she handle children’s picture books or graphic novels. For more on Laurie, check out her blog at agentsavant.com, follow her on Twitter @agentsavant, and visit her Facebook page at Facebook.com/laurie.mclean.

Gordon Warnock brings years of experience as a senior literary agent, marketing director and editor for independent publishers, freelance publishing consultant, and college-level writing tutor to Foreword Literary. He frequently teaches workshops and gives keynote speeches at conferences and MFA programs nationwide. He is an honors graduate of CSUS with a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing. With a zest for fresh, new voices and a deep love of the classics, Gordon actively seeks out both the timely and the timeless. In that spirit, he establishes involved, long-term working relationships with talented and dedicated authors of many genres. While he does seek out a small amount of quality fiction, Gordon primarily seeks non-fiction in the following areas: Memoir (Adult, New Adult, YA, Graphic), Cookbooks and Food Studies, Political and Current Events, Pop-Science, Pop-Culture, Self-Help, How-To, Humor, Pets, and Business. You can find him on Twitter @gordonwarnock.

Pam van Hylckama Vlieg started her literary career as assistant to Laurie McLean in early 2012. Within three months Pam was promoted to Associate Agent at Larsen Pomada. After selling twenty-one books in her first year of agenting, Pam was promoted to Agent. When Laurie mentioned creating Foreword, Pam jumped at the chance to follow her mentor and create a new agency together. Pam blogs at Bookalicio.us, Bookalicious.org, and Brazen Reads. She partners her blogs with her local bookseller Hicklebee’s where magic happens daily. Pam grew up on a sleepy little Podunk town in Virginia. She’s lived in the UK, several US states, and now resides in the Bay Area of California. She has two kids, three dogs, two hedgehogs, but only one husband. You can find her mostly on Twitter where she wastes copious amounts of time. Pam seeks both fiction and non-fiction (specific genres are listed at the Foreword Literary website).

Sign up for the New Adult Boot Camp here.

What celebration are children’s librarians across the United State getting ready for on April 30th that involves families, fun, food and of course, books? Although every day is an opportunity to celebrate the joy of reading, El día de los niños/ El día de los libros (Children’s Day/ Book Day), founded in 1996 by Latino children’s author Pat Mora, “Día” is a wonderful way for libraries to reach out to their community and emphasize the importance of advocating literacy to children of all backgrounds. In addition, Día connects them to different cultures through books, craft activities and recipes.

 Your celebration can be as small as promotingDía at a storytime with a bookmark making craft or as large as an evening event with a special guest such as an author or storyteller. To get started with some excellent ideas, check out the Día Facebook page or the Día Pinterest account.Register your program on the Día Registry and receive special bookmarks, stickers, and posters. Don’t forget about the wonderful Día Family Book Club Toolkit available for free download! A special bonus offered this month only to help you prepare and incorporate Día into your library programming are the four free webinars offered through ALSC. What are you planning for Día?

______________________________________________________

Debra S. Gold is blogging on behalf of the Public Awareness Committee and has been a Children’s Librarian for Cuyahoga County Public Library (Cleveland, Ohio)  for the past thirty years.  She served on the Newbery Committee in 1996, the Caldecott Committee in 2004, and the Coretta Scott Book Award Committee in 2011 and 2012.

The idea’s the thing. If you build your story around a unique and compelling idea, your odds of selling it increase dramatically. Often, a perfectly good project will go unsold because the premise on which it is based is too predictable, commonplace, or over-published. Whether you’re writing a novel or a short story, a screenplay or a memoir, you need to find a way to set your story apart from the competition — and the competition is tougher than ever in today’s marketplace.

But in this one-of-a-kind boot camp — “The High Concept Novel: How to Create a Premise that Sells Boot Camp”

 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARNSign up for the boot camp here

Here’s how it works:RECAP ON DATES:registered students

Please note that any one of the agent may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

In addition to feedback from agent, attendees will also receive:About the Agent Sign up for the one-on-one Agent Boot Camp here.

In this live webinar, agents Irene Goodman and Rachel Ekstrom will share both time-tested trade secrets and cutting edge ideas that will help you cross the finish line from hopeful writer to published author. You’ll be provided with an insider’s view into the publishing process, including tips and strategies for getting your book noticed by hungry young agents, experienced agents, and publishers alike. You’ll also learn how they make their decisions about which authors to work with and who to publish.

This is a chance to get a rare glimpse into the minds of two agents-one who has closed hundreds of book deals, and one who stands on the edge of the new frontier. And as part of this new webinar, titled “An Agent’s Secrets to Selling Your First Novel,”

 

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTORSSign up for the webinar here

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?Sign up for the webinar here!

In this live webinar, literary agents Kate McKean and Jim McCarthy invite you to peek behind the curtain and watch exactly what happens when an agent considers your query. Working from the submissions they receive (all queries will be made anonymous), participants will have the chance to read along with them as they decide whether to stop reading or carry on. You’ll see the exact moment in query letters that each perks up or passes. Think of it like American Idol: Query Edition. Along the way, you’ll garner helpful tips on what to avoid as you write your own query, how to stand out from the pack (in a good way), and what goes on in an agent’s mind as they consider your material.

It’s called “What an Agent Really Thinks While Reading Queries: A Live Query-A-Thon,”

 

ABOUT THE CRITIQUESign up for the webinar here

HOW CAN I GET MY QUERY CRITIQUED DURING THE WEBINAR?WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTORSWHO SHOULD ATTEND? Sign up for the webinar here.

How do you hook an agent right away, keep them hooked, and make the most of your new publishing relationship? In this all-new March 2014 Boot Camp, “How to Find and Keep a Literary Agent,”

• What keeps an agent reading? What makes writing jump off the page?
• What are the most common Chapter 1 mistakes that make them stop reviewing your submission?
• What are the steps you need to give your query and manuscript the best possible shot?
• What are the turn-ons and turn-offs when it comes to queries?
• How do agents make judgment calls?
• And much more. Sign up for the boot camp here

With real-life examples of queries that do and don’t work, you will learn how you can refine your own query letter and get an agent to request your novel.

The world of literary agencies can be an intimidating place. You’ll be lead through the inner-workings of finding the perfect literary agent, working with an agent and how to get the most out of your relationship. See what a day in the life of an agent looks like, and get tips about how to find your perfect author-agent match that will result in a successful partnership.

The best part is that you’ll be working directly with a knowledgeable and experienced agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work. Sign up for the boot camp here

Here’s how it works:Recap on Dates:About the Instructors:Sign up for the boot camp here!

Are you thinking about writing a picture book and don’t know where to start? Have you written several but haven’t been able to interest agents or editors? In this new live webinar on Feb. 27, 2014 called “How to Write a Picture Book That Sells,”

Literary Agent Jennifer De Chiara has more than fifteen years’ experience working with picture book authors – helping them create story ideas, editing their manuscripts, and selling their work to major publishers. She’ll share with you the tips and tricks of her trade to help you become a published picture book author, whether you only have a story idea you’ve always wanted to develop or a finished manuscript you don’t quite know what to do with or have had trouble selling to a publisher. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes. All attendees get a full picture book critique. Don’t forget that at least 4 agents who have taught WD webinars have signed clients afterward from the event.

 

ABOUT THE CRITIQUEWHAT YOU’LL LEARN:Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTORSign up for the webinar here.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?Sign up for the webinar here

You have on more week to register for ALSC’s tween webinar. Between Storytime and the Prom: Tween Programming Fills the Gap presented by Amanda Moss Struckmeyer takes place on Monday, November 4 at 2pm Central. In this webinar, attendees will learn key qualities and features of high-quality ‘tween programs.

Amanda Moss Struckmeyer is the Head of Youth Services at the Middleton Public Library in Middleton, Wisconsin, where she has developed an ever-evolving buffet of programs for tweens.

ALSC personal members pay only $45! For more information on Between Storytime and the Prom: Tween Programming Fills the Gapfees and dates, please check out the ALSC site.

Questions? Please contact ALSC Membership/Marketing Specialist, Dan Rude, [email protected] or 800-545-2433 ext 2164. For more information about ALSC webinars, please visit ALSC webinar page.