Writer's Digest University

Here are details of upcoming courses at Writer's Digest University:

. Refine Your Opening Pages and Get Published!  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 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. Here's how it works: On Thursday morning, December 5, you will gain online 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 the start date, 12/5, by 5 pm ET. While we accept agent requests, we cannot guarantee that you'll be assigned to that agent. All agents have the ability to provide feedback in all genres. Students may take Thursday and Friday to revise their pages, which are due to be sent to their assigned agent no later than 10:00 am (ET) on Saturday morning, December 7, 2019. (The word count of submissions is strictly limited to 2500 words and it should be submitted in the body of their email, not as attachments). All pages with notes will be returned to participants by 10:00 AM (ET) Sunday morning (December 8th). You'll work to revise your pages based on the agent's specific feedback. On Sunday, December 8th from 1 pm - 4 pm ET, Talcott Notch will host an online discussion board. This is your golden opportunity to ask your burning questions about craft and improving your writing, as well as industry topics like trends, markets, working with agents and more. Keep in mind, this is a lively, fast-paced learning environment which will give you an immense opportunity to learn not only from your faculty but from the other participants' questions, so please pose questions which won't require your instructor to stop the discussion to reread your boot camp submission in the middle of the Q&A, but otherwise, consider the faculty your treasure trove of industry secrets at your disposal! By 11:59 PM (ET) Sunday night on December 8th, you'll return your final revised pages to your assigned agent for review. Agents 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 Tuesday, December 17. Any one of them may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise. *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. In addition to feedback, attendees will have access to "The 3 Missing Pieces of Stunning Story Structure," an on-demand webinar by K.M. Weiland. December 5 - December 8, 2019 $199.99 LEARN MORE About the Agents: Gina Panettieri Gina Panettieri is President of Talcott Notch Literary Services, and has worked as an agent for 25 years. She currently represents a full range of adult and children's fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis in fiction on YA, MG, mystery, women's fiction, historical fiction, and book club fiction. In nonfiction, she is particularly seeking memoir, cooking, health and fitness, pop science, medicine, true crime, military history, and current events. Paula Munier 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. Tia Mele Despite being an avid reader, writer, and book-lover, Tia ended up in school for Music Business. She soon realized that her favorite class was actually the English GenEd she was taking. It only made sense to switch gears, so she transferred to the University of Connecticut and completed a B.A. in English. After finishing her undergraduate studies, she went on to earn an M.A. in English and Creative Writing. Tia started interning with Talcott Notch during her last semester at UConn, and she so excited to be starting her career there as a junior agent! LEARN MORE | Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301

A Special Offer from our Trusted Partner In celebration of NaNoWriMo’s writing challenge and writers everywhere... Use Promo Code NANO2020 before March 31, 2020, for free title upload on print books, ebooks, or both! *Code must be applied at time of upload in all capital letters, no spaces. You don't have to participate in National Novel Writing Month to use the promo code—all books are welcome! Looking for more writing inspiration? Get writing tips, motivation, and resources straight to your inbox when you sign up for IngramSpark's 30-Day Writing Challenge! © 2019 IngramSpark by Ingram Content Group  |  14 Ingram Blvd., La Vergne, TN 37086 | Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301

Wow Agents with Your Middle-Grade Novel Middle grade is one of the most popular and fastest-growing categories in the publishing industry. For many, middle grade stories are not one's that are easy to forget, as they stick with us for decades after we have read them. If you are looking to master the middle grade genre, prepare your middle grade manuscript, and entice a literary agent, then this live webinar is for you. The presentation includes Q&A with literary agent Maria Vicente, a critique of your query letter and the first 1,000 words or your manuscript All registrants are invited to submit your query letter and the first 1000 words of your manuscript for critique. Please wait until after the live webinar date to submit your critique material. This allows you to make changes to your opening chapter based on the presentation and will ensure you receive the most helpful critique possible. All submitted query letters and first 1000 words are guaranteed a written critique by Literary Agent Maria Vicente. Maria reserves the right to request more writing from attendees by e-mail following the event, if she deems the query excellent. What the current middle-grade market looks like in publishing What the middle-grade audience is looking for in a book How to craft a successful query letter for your middle-grade project And much more... Middle-grade writers Writers interested in writing unique, adventurous worlds for children Writers who want a professional critique of a query letter and writing sample Writer's Digest Exclusive Live Webinar Tuesday November 26, 2019 at 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST LEARN MORE Instructor: Maria Vicente Maria Vicente is a literary agent at the P.S. Literary Agency. She is a creative and editorial agent, providing support to her clients through all stages of the writing and publication process. Maria is dedicated to managing authors' literary brands for the duration of their careers. She specializes in picture books, middle grade, and young adult.  Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301

A Special Offer from our Trusted Partner Should your book be adapted to film? This year’s jury specializes in evaluating books for Hollywood. We’d love to read your work. Judges from: The Gersh Agency, 3 Arts Entertainment and United Talent Agency. Win $1,000 + introductions to Hollywood agents and producers! This unique literary competition seeks book manuscripts with cinematic adaptation potential. Is your book especially suited for adaptation to film or TV? Our jury is looking for books (published or not published) that would be great for film and/or television. Final Deadline is November 30th. Click here to learn more. Meet the 2019 Jury Hannah Vaughn, The Gersh Agency Book to Film/TV and Publishing Coordinator at The Gersh Agency. The Gersh Agency’s book department represents a range of writers, including best-selling and prize-winning novelists, prominent journalists, academics, self-help authors, and historians. Vaughn also focuses on developing, packaging, and selling material for feature and television. Rachel Kim, 3 Arts Entertainment Specializing in book-to-film rights and literary intellectual property, Rachel Kim is an agent at 3 Arts Entertainment. She represents titles in adult literary fiction and narrative non-fiction. She has special interest in stories that speak to underrepresented and marginalized voices and explore cultural identity. 3 Arts Entertainment is the management and production company behind some of Hollywood’s top talent and productions, including TV shows such as King of the Hill, Parks and Recreation, The Mindy Project, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, American Vandal as well as blockbuster and dramatic films The Matrix, Edge of Tomorrow, Unbroken and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. Meredith Miller, United Talent Agency Meredith is a literary agent at United Talent Agency, one of the entertainment industry’s top agencies representing such stars as Don Cheadle, Edward Norton, and M. Night Shyamalan. Do any of your short stories have cinematic potential? Our jury is looking for short stories (not scripts) with special cinematic potential. Judges from: Granta Magazine, Kenyon Review, The Hudson Review, Tin House and more. Whether you’re writing flash fiction or a novella, we want to read your story! The grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and personal introductions to literary agents, managers, producers and publishers. The top 5 finalists will be shared with our network of over 60 literary and entertainment industry professionals. Final Deadline is November 30th. Click here to learn more. You are currently subscribed as kl.naylor@btinternet.com Update Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301