Conferences
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Twice a year New York Writers Workshop offers three-day Pitch Conferences for writers of fiction. Participants refine pitches for their proposals or manuscripts, then meet with and pitch to three different editors from major New York publishing houses (Bantam Dell, Berkley Publishing Group, Dutton, Random House, Rodale, St. Martin’s Press, and others). |
Conference Info
DATE:
November 9-11, 2012
PLACE:
Ripley-Grier Studios (NY Spaces)
520 Eighth Ave (36th/37th), 16th Fl
COST:
$425 for 3-day Fiction Pitch Conference,
including Agents Panel
FICTION PITCH CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE
November 9, 10 & 11, 2012
Day 1 – Friday, November 9
9:30 am – 4:00 pm Participants workshop their pitches with a workshop leader from New York Writers Workshop. Each participant reads his/her synopsis. The NYWW instructor provides guidance in revision for clarity, concision, and impact. The instructor also discusses, as appropriate, the realities of the publishing market. The rest of the group participates, as appropriate, and learns from each example.
Day 2 – Saturday, November 10
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Literary Agents Panel: Literary agents discuss the current market for fiction: commercial, genre and literary. Is it possible, in this economic climate, to sell fiction? What are the current trends? How to query an agent? What do agents look for? What are the publishers looking for? How to market oneself? Q&A session follows the panel discussion.
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm Participants make two pitches to editors. The first pitch is “public,” meaning participants pitch to an editor in the presence of their group. A short Q&A session with the editor follows. The second pitch is private, one-on-one with an editor, with an NYWW instructor present.
Day 3 – Sunday, November 11
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Each participant makes one private pitch to an editor, again with an NYWW instructor present. The day wraps with a group conference with an NYWW instructor.
Your Homework Assignment
Before arriving at the conference, your “homework assignment” is to prepare a draft of your pitch. It should include a succinct summary of the major plot line and describe what makes your book distinctive. Be aware of other comparable books—even if you don’t include this information in the initial draft of your pitch, your group leader might suggest you add it or an editor might ask you about this. If your background is relevant to the story, include that. Remember that the purpose of the pitch is to persuade the editors that this is a book they should publish.
The pitches will be made orally, so you might want to practice saying yours out loud. You’ll be able to read your pitch from your computer or a piece of paper when you meet the editors, so you don’t have to worry about memorizing. We suggest aiming for two minutes at the most; the pitches usually end up taking one to two minutes by the end of Friday’s workshop. There’s no need to send us your pitch in advance—just have it with you when you arrive. If your book is aimed at the adult market, there’s no need to bring any parts of the book that are already written.
When You Arrive
We’ll be meeting at Ripley-Grier Studios, on the 16th floor of 520 Eighth Avenue, between 36th and 37thStreets.
Dress is casual—whatever you’re comfortable wearing.
Many people bring their laptops and use them to revise their pitches during the conference. There’s free wi-fi at Ripley-Grier, and there’s a Staples nearby (and sometimes a working printer at Ripley-Grier) if you want to print out your revisions.
There’s a snack bar right on the 16th floor at Ripley-Grier and also one in the building lobby where you can purchase snacks, sandwiches, and drinks. There is nothing scheduled after 4:00 on Friday, but many people use some of the time to revise their pitches for Saturday’s presentations.
The Plan
On Friday: After people sign in, there will be short introductory remarks, and you’ll be assigned to a group and a group leader. From 10:00 till around 4:00, with a break for lunch, you and the other members of your group will work on your pitches. In true workshop fashion, you’ll be able to learn from the leader’s and other participants’ feedback on your pitch as well as everyone else’s.
On Saturday: The Agents Panel will meet from 10:00 until 12:00. Saturday’s session of the conference itself will start at 1:15 and last until around 5:00. There will be two parts. First, everyone in your group will pitch to an editor in front of everyone else so, again, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences as well as your own. Then there will be private, one-on-one pitches with a different editor (not totally private—your group leader will probably attend). You’ll have some free time while others are doing their one-on-one pitches. (Ripley-Grier is a fun place to hang out, as many theater groups and dance companies rehearse there.)
On Sunday: Sunday’s session starts at 10:00 and runs no later than 12:30. The format is similar to the second part of Saturday afternoon, where everyone makes a one-on-one pitch to a third editor. There will be a wrap-up with your group leader at the end of the session.
Workshop Leaders
Workshop leaders, editors, and members of the Agents Panel will be announced closer to the date of the conference.
How to Apply
If you’d like to attend a conference, send an email following these five steps:
- Subject: Fiction Conference
- A brief description of the project (up to 100 words)
- What you do for a living
- Contact information (mail address, phone)
- Send the email to Charles Salzberg charles@ducts.org
We’ll get back to you within ten days to let you know if your application has been accepted and, if so, where you should send your check.
Note: Please do NOT contact the JCC–while they handle registration for our writing classes, they are not involved with the conferences.
The following books were sold
as a result of the conference!
“My novel, Act of Grace, will be published Feb 2011 by independent publisher Plenary Publishing. It is thanks in part to your excellent advice both in the individual consultation you provided (some of the best money I ever spent) and from doing the pitch sessions in New York that I was able to achieve this opportunity.”
Karen Simpson, from note to Tim Tomlinson, leader of her Fiction Pitch Conference group. The book was published in March of 20 11 and is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
What people are saying …
Fiction Pitch Conference Attendees
“The best conference I’ve ever attended.”
“The conference met and surpassed expectations”.
“I needed to be able to locate the “gold nugget” in my manuscript and you helped me find that.”
“Loved the format. Very comfortable from the start.”
 |
Twice a year New York Writers Workshop offers three-day Pitch Conferences for writers of non-fiction.Participants refine pitches for their proposals or manuscripts, then meet with and pitch to three different editors from major New York publishing houses (Bantam Dell, Berkley Publishing Group, Dutton, Random House, Rodale, St. Martin’s Press, and others). |
Conference Info
DATE:
October 12-14, 2012PLACE:
Ripley-Grier Studios (NY Spaces),
520 Eighth Ave (36th/37th), 16th Fl
COST:
Cost $425 for 3 day Non Fiction Pitch Conference,
including Agents Panel
SCHEDULE
Day 1 – Friday
9:30 am – 4:00 pm Participants workshop their pitches with a workshop leader from New York Writers Workshop. Each participant reads his/her synopsis. The NYWW instructor provides guidance in revision for clarity, concision, and impact. The instructor also discusses, as appropriate, the realities of the publishing market. The rest of the group participates, as appropriate, and learns from each example.
Day 2 – Saturday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Literary Agents Panel: Literary agents discuss the current market for non-fiction books. What is required in this economic climate, to sell memoirs, how-to books and other types of non-fiction? What are the current trends? How to query an agent? What do agents look for? What are the publishers looking for? How to market oneself? Q&A session follows the panel discussion.
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm Participants make two pitches to editors. The first pitch is “public,” meaning participants pitch to an editor in the presence of their group. A short Q&A session with the editor follows. The second pitch is private, one-on-one with an editor, with an NYWW instructor present.
Day 3 – Sunday
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Each participant makes one private pitch to an editor, again with an NYWW instructor present. The day wraps with a group conference with an NYWW instructor.
Your Homework Assignment
When You Arrive
We’ll be meeting at Ripley-Grier Studios, on the 16th floor of 520 Eighth Avenue, between 36th and 37thStreets.
Dress is casual—whatever you’re comfortable wearing.
Many people bring their laptops and use them to revise their pitches during the conference. There’s free wi-fi at Ripley-Grier, and there’s a Staples nearby (and sometimes a working printer at Ripley-Grier) if you want to print out your revisions.
There’s a snack bar right on the 16th floor at Ripley-Grier and also one in the building lobby where you can purchase snacks, sandwiches, and drinks. There is nothing scheduled after 4:00 on Friday, but many people use some of the time to revise their pitches for Saturday’s presentations.
The Plan
On Friday: After people sign in, there will be short introductory remarks, and you’ll be assigned to a group and a group leader. From 10:00 till around 4:00, with a break for lunch, you and the other members of your group will work on your pitches. In true workshop fashion, you’ll be able to learn from the leader’s and other participants’ feedback on your pitch as well as everyone else’s.
On Saturday: The Agents Panel will meet from 10:00 until 12:00. Saturday’s session of the conference itself will start at 1:15 and last until around 5:00. There will be two parts. First, everyone in your group will pitch to an editor in front of everyone else so, again, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences as well as your own. Then there will be private, one-on-one pitches with a different editor (not totally private—your group leader will probably attend). You’ll have some free time while others are doing their one-on-one pitches. (Ripley-Grier is a fun place to hang out, as many theater groups and dance companies rehearse there.)
On Sunday: Sunday’s session starts at 10:00 and runs no later than 12:30. The format is similar to the second part of Saturday afternoon, where everyone makes a one-on-one pitch to a third editor. There will be a wrap-up with your group leader at the end of the session.
Workshop Leaders
Workshop leaders, editors, and members of the Agents Panel will be announced closer to the date of the conference.
How to Apply
If you’d like to attend a conference, send an email following these five steps:
- Subject: Non-Fiction Conference
- A brief description of the project (up to 100 words)
- What you do for a living
- Contact information (mail address, phone)
- Send the email to Charles Salzberg charles@ducts.org
We’ll get back to you within ten days to let you know if your application has been accepted and, if so, where you should send your check.
Note: Please do NOT contact the JCC–while they handle registration for our writing classes, they are not involved with the conferences.
The following books were sold
as a result of the conference!
“The Non-Fiction Pitch Conference was an invaluable experience. It provided me with the tools and support I needed to get published. I can’t thank the folks who put it together enough.”
John Monahan, whose book, They Called Me Mad: Genius, Madness, and the Scientists Who Pushed the Outer Limits of Knowledge, was presented at the New York Writers Workshop Non-Fiction Pitch Conference and, as a result, was published by Berkley Books in December 2010.
“Working with the fabulous super-star editor and author Sally Koslow has been a dream come true! I would have NEVER landed a book deal without the workshop in general and Sally in particular. Sally lent me her expertise, talent and insider knowledge of the publishing world in my relentless pursuit of realizing my potential as a published author.”
Lisa Baron, whose book, “Life of the Party: A Political Press Tart Bares All”, was bought and published by Citadel in 2011.
“I had a good idea for a book on juvenile justice and a ready-made platform, but my proposal lacked focus and clarity. Richard Goodman’s keen analysis and the suggestions of the fine students in the class sharpened my thoughts. I sold the proposal to Kaplan Publishing Company for a nice advance.”
.Judge Irene Sullivan, whose book, “Raised by the Courts: One Judge’s Insight into Juvenile Justice”, was published by Kaplan Publishing in November 2010.
What people are saying …
Non-Fiction Pitch Conference Attendees
“The opportunity to pitch our work to editors of major publishing houses was a once in a lifetime experience. Just terrific!”
“The conference was well worth the time and money. It was a fabulous experience.”
“I received great advice regarding my pitch. It was condensed but said much more.”
“I needed to be able to locate the “gold nugget” in my manuscript and you helped me find that.”
AGENTS
Participants in the Agents Panel will be drawn from this group:
- WILLIAM CALLAHAN William Callahan, an agent at Inkwell Management, attended Fordham University and the University of Iowa. He has edited and published a zine of short fiction, edited crosswords, and is the writer for, and co-founder of, the New York-based Three Sciences Productions, a theatre group whose plays have been performed at the Ontological-Hysteric Theatre, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and The Tank, among others. He is interested in a similarly wide range of fiction and non-fiction. He is also very interested in innovative presentations and formats for books. He would like to represent a cookbook of recipes you can execute in your bedroom.
- RICHARD FLOREST Richard Florest develops and represents fiction and nonfiction writers for Rob Weisbach Creative Management, and provides editorial and digital expertise for company clients. Richard was most recently the Director of Acquisitions at Open Road Integrated Media, where his ebook projects included the works of literary icon Hubert Selby, Jr. and New York Times bestselling horror writer Robert R. McCammon. He previously held editorial positions at Putnam, Miramax Books, and The Weinstein Company, where he published critically acclaimed and bestselling fiction and nonfiction including Tan Twan Eng’s Man Booker Prize-nominee The Gift of Rain, Sergei Lukyanenko’s internationally bestselling Night Watch series, and Tom Folsom’s New York Times bestseller The Mad Ones.
In nonfiction, his interests include narrative history, current affairs, science, sports, popular culture, travel, adventure, cooking and food, and memoir. He enjoys fiction of all kinds, provided the story is set in a deeply imagined world.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Richard now lives in New York with his wife, the television executive Megan Lawrence. He is a graduate of Saint Anselm College.
- SCOTT GOULD Scott Gould is a literary agent at RLR Associates Ltd. in Manhattan, a boutique agency founded nearly 30 years ago, where he oversees all book development within the firm. Scott began his career in the editorial department of Playboy Magazine and later in publicity at Tor/Forge. At RLR, he represents both commercial and literary fiction, as well as general audience nonfiction. Scott is a graduate of New York University, where he received a BA in English and American Literature.
EDITORS
Editors for each conference will be drawn from this group:
IBRAHIM AHMAD Ibrahim Ahmad has worked in various capacities for Akashic Books since 2000, where he is now senior editor. He resides in Brooklyn, New York.
ADRIENNE AVILA Adrienne Avila is an Editor at Berkley, a division of Penguin, where she acquires a range of nonfiction. She acquires in the areas of memoir, women’s issues, lifestyle, business, wellness, self-help, how-to. Recent non-fiction titles include the New York Times Bestseller and Wall Street Journal Bestseller WILL WORK FROM HOME by Tory Johnson and Robyn Spizman, 365 NIGHTS by Charla Muller with Betsy Thorpe, and the essay anthology IT’S A WONDERFUL LIE: 26 Truths About Life in Your Twenties. She is also interested in multicultural fiction and quirky women’s fiction, and acquired and edited award winning Lorraine Lopez’s THE GIFTED GABALDON SISTERS, a [Border's] National Latino Book Club pick.
MOLLY BOYLE Molly Boyle is an assistant editor at Bantam Dell, where she works with Kate Miciak on a list of authors that include New York Times bestsellers Lee Child, Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter. She acquires commercial fiction and mysteries, particularly for women, as well as memoir, narrative, and pop culture nonfiction, and has a particular fondness for offbeat and dark edges. She began her publishing career at NAL/Penguin.
KERRI BUCKLEY Kerri Buckley is an editor with the Random House Publishing Group, acquiring both fiction and nonfiction for several imprints at this time. Recently released and forthcoming fiction includes LOOK AT THE BIRDIE: UNPUBLISHED SHORT FICTION by Kurt Vonnegut, HOW HIGH THE MOON by Sandra Kring, HOLLY AND HOMICIDE by Leslie Caine and DELTA GIRLS by Gayle Brandeis. On the nonfiction side, look for JUST LIKE SOMEONE WITHOUT MENTAL ILLNESS ONLY MORE SO, a memoir by Dr. Mark Vonnegut and YOU ARE WHAT YOU SPEAK: GRAMMAR GROUCHES AND THE POLITICS OF LANGUAGE by Economist staffer Robert Lane Green.
TOM COLGAN Tom Colgan is an Executive Editor at the Penguin Book Group. He has been a publishing professional for 24 years and has edited both fiction and nonfiction. Authors he has worked with include Tom Clancy, Ed McBain, Clive Cussler, and Nevada Barr. He’s been the editor of New York Times Bestsellers such as Tom Clancy’s Airborne, and Last Man Down by FDNY Capt. Rich Picciotto.
CHELSEA EBERLY Chelsea Eberly is an assistant editor with Random House Books for Young Readers. She acquires the full spectrum of children’s books—picture books, middle grade, and YA. Current projects include the picture book It’s Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher; Brian Falkner’s YA action thrillers, The Project and The Assault; and Elsie Chapman’s high-concept dystopian YA about a society where people have an Alt—or doppelganger—who they must face and kill before they can be considered an adult, tentatively titled The Assignment. She’s had the pleasure of working with New York Times bestselling authors Mary Pope Osborne and Tamora Pierce. She’s on the lookout for projects with great voice and an unusual twist.
CLAIRE EVANS Claire Evans is an editorial assistant at Dial Books for Young Readers, where she works with Kathy Dawson and Jess Garrison on a list of authors who write for YA (like Franny Billingsley and Kristin Cashore), middle grade (authors such as Gennifer Choldenko and Jacqueline West), and who write and illustrate picture books (Joe Berger and Kevin Sherry). She is on the look out for middle grade and young adult fiction, especially action or sports stories with strong characters. She also likes character-driven tales in the edgy fantasy and magical realism genres—anything that puts a new and surprising twist on things.
SHAUNA FAY Shauna Fay is Assistant Editor, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group. Shauna works on everything from picture books to young adult novels. She edited the 2010 Children’s Choice Book Award winner, Little Pink Pup by Johanna Kerby, and the 2010 IRA Children’s Book Award winner, Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton, as well as the upcoming debut novel, The Vindico by Wesley King. While open to books for all ages, she is particularly interested in middle grade fiction with a strong voice (magical realism always welcome!), historical fiction with a commercial hook, and young, funny/quirky picture books.
KELLI FILLINGIM Kelli Fillingim is an Associate Editor at the Random House Publishing Group. She acquires and edits a wide variety of women’s fiction, historical fiction, general fiction, mystery and literary suspense. Some of her authors include Elizabeth Joy Arnold, Molly Shapiro, Laura Andersen and Edgar award nominated, Frank Tallis.
ALEXIS GARGAGLIANO Alexis Gargagliano, an editor at Scribner, began her publishing career in the marketing department of Simon & Schuster. After working in the Knopf editorial department she joined Scribner, where she had the opportunity to work with Nan Graham on such books as The Glass Castle,Brick Lane, Eat the Document and Living History by Hillary Clinton. Her current list includes Matt Bondurant, Staceyann Chin, Adam Gollner, Mira Kamdar, Robin Romm, Joanna Smith Rakoff and Jennifer Gilmore, whose first novel, Golden Country, was a New York Times Notable Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times First Book Prize.
SARA GOODMAN Sara Goodman has been acquiring young adult for St. Martin’s Press for the last four years. She loves gritty, contemporary young adult novels with strong female characters and anything with high stakes, a fast pace, and a plot driven storyline.
MICHAEL HOMLER Michael Homler is an Editor at St. Martin’s Press. He acquires in a wide range of areas which include general and literary fiction, mystery/thrillers, graphic novels, narrative nonfiction and biography. He has worked on such books as the NBCC winning biography JAMES TIPTREE JR. by Julie Phillips, THE FAULT TREE by Louise Ure, Lee Child’s anthology KILLER YEAR, the Edgar-nominated PYRES by Derek Nikitas, and Don Mattingly’s HITTING IS SIMPLE by Don Mattingly and Jim Rosenthal.
BRONWEN HRUSKA Bronwen Hruska is the Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Soho Press, an independent publisher of literary fiction. Founded twenty-four years ago, Soho has launched the careers of authors including Edwidge Danticat, Garth Stein, Stephen Fry, Dan Fesperman, Jacqueline Winspear, Cara Black and Robert Hellenga. Soho publishes between 60 and 80 titles a year under three imprints—Soho, Soho Crime and Soho Constable—and specializes in literary fiction and memoir, and mystery series set overseas.
DANA ISAACSON Dana Edwin Isaacson is a Senior Editor with the Random House Publishing Group, where he edits both fiction and non-fiction. He has worked as an abridger, a writer and a literary agent. He has also been an editor at ReganBooks, St. Martin’s Press and Pocket Books. Recent non-fiction titles he has worked on include NOBODIES: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy by John Bowe, WRESTLING WITH GRAVY: A Life, with Food by Jonathan Reynolds, and THE DEVIL’S GENTLEMAN: Power, Privilege and the Trial that Ushered in the Twentieth Century by Harold Schechter.
LYSSA KEUSCH Lyssa Keusch is an Executive Editor at Morrow/Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, where she primarily acquires a range of commercial fiction, including thrillers and suspense, as well as women’s fiction. Among her authors in the thriller/suspense genre are New York Times bestsellers James Rollins (THE DOOMSDAY KEY), JA Jance (QUEEN OF THE NIGHT) and International Thriller Writers award winner Jamie Freveletti (RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL). In the romance genre, Lyssa works with #1 New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn (TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOU) and New York Times bestsellers Elizabeth Boyle (MAD ABOUT THE DUKE) and Samantha James (THE SECRET PASSION OF SIMON BLACKWELL). Among her commercial women’s fiction authors are Jean Reynolds Page (THE SPACE BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER) and Jessica Jiji (SWEET DATES IN BASRA).
Lyssa also acquires selected non-fiction, with interest in memoir and narrative nonfiction with a commercial slant. Her most recent titles are SELF-COMPASSION: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind by Kristin Neff, PhD and REAL FOOD FOR HEALTHY KIDS by Tanya Wenman Steele and Tracey Seaman. Other titles include NOT FADE AWAY: A Short Life Well Lived by Laurence Shames and Peter Barton and LOVE & MADNESS: The Murder of Martha Ray, Mistress of the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. Lyssa is also currently in the process of developing a popular science book with biologist Daniel Riskin, PhD for acquisition.
KRISTA MARINO Krista Marino is an Executive Editor at Delacorte Press (Random House Children’s Books) where she acquires and edits Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Authors she works with include Frank Portman, Michael Scott, Carrie Ryan, James Dashner, Matt de la Peña, and Jennifer Donnelly.
SAMANTHA MARTIN Samantha Martin acquires fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and select parenting titles for Scribner. The fiction she has published includesModel Home by Eric Puchner, Alex Award winner and bestseller The God of Animals and Boys and Girls Like You and Me: Stories by Aryn Kyle,Lost by Alice Lichtenstein, and The Cure for Grief by Nellie Hermann. Current and upcoming nonfiction includes Henry’s Demons by NBCC finalist Patrick Cockburn and Henry Cockburn, Amen, Amen, Amen by Abby Sher, The Last of the Tribe by Monte Reel, The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch, Animal Investigators by Laurel Neme, Hippocrates’ Shadow by Dr. David Newman, The Blessing of a B Minus by New York Times bestselling author Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., Lost at School by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D., and Eat, Sleep, Poop by Dr. Scott W. Cohen.
MATT MARTZ Matt Martz began his publishing career in 2004 and joined St. Martin’s Press’editorial staff in 2006. His list is split evenly between crime fiction and narrative nonfiction. His tastes in crime fiction run from explosive thrillers to cozies and all points in between, and they are published under the Minotaur Books imprint. Alongside of commercial fiction, he also publishes narrative non-fiction for St. Martin’s in the categories of current affairs, politics, business, and history.
LEAH MILLER Leah Miller is an editor at Free Press. With a specialty in narrative non-fiction and memoir, her list includes bestselling memoir The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok, Sybil Exposed by Debbie Nathan, and the upcoming Crazy River by Richard Grant. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars program, Miller interned with Oxford University Press and worked at Sterling Lord Literistic in both domestic agenting and foreign rights. Among the authors with whom she has worked are Peter Bergen, Annie Murphy Paul, Julia Scheeres, Mikal Gilmore, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
DAVID MOLDAWER David Moldawer is an associate editor at St. Martin’s Press, where he acquires and edits nonfiction books. His titles include RULE THE WEB by Mark Frauenfelder, THE MAD FISHERMAN by Charlie Moore with Charles Salzberg, THE INDIE BAND SURVIVAL GUIDE by Jason Feehan and Randy Chertkow of the band Beatnik Turtle, and LAWYER BOY, a memoir of law school by Rick Lax. David lives in New York City.
LEIS PEDERSON Leis Pederson is currently an Associate Editor with the Berkley Publishing Group. She acquires commercial fiction, including romance, erotic romance, urban fantasy, women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers and general fiction. Her titles include AND FALLING, FLY by Skyler White, DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER by Eileen Rendahl, THE SILVER BEAR by Derek Haas, TOWN IN A BLUEBERRY JAM by B. B. Haywood and INSIDE OUT by Lauren Dane.
BRANT RUMBLE Brant Rumble is a Senior Editor at Scribner. His list includes Esquire columnist Chuck Klosterman, ESPN.com’s Rob Neyer, and nationally syndicated ¡Ask a Mexican! columnist Gustavo Arellano. Brant’s recent titles include Benjamin Nugent’s American Nerd: The Story of My People and Daniel Radosh’s Rapture Ready!: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture. Brant acquires and edits a variety of narrative nonfiction, memoir, and literary fiction; usual subjects include pop culture, subcultures, music, and sports. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.
SARA SARGENT As an Assistant Editor at Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, Sara Sargent acquires picture books through YA and has worked with New York Times bestselling authors Candace Bushnell, Mo Willems and Doreen Cronin as well as many exciting debut authors. She is particularly interested in middle grade and YA fiction in the following genres: horror, psychological thriller, contemporary realism, and light fantasy. Her favorite books include 13 Reasons Why, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Wither, and Before I Fall. You can find Sara on Twitter @Sara_Sargent.
EMILY SEIFE Emily Seife is an associate editor at Scholastic Press. She is looking for middle grade fiction with an authentic voice and a good hook. Previously she was at Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, where she worked with many talented authors and illustrators, including Polly Horvath, Laurel Snyder, and Red Nose Studio.
DENISE SILVESTRO Denise Silvestro, a graduate of New York University, has been in the publishing industry for seventeen years and is currently Executive Editor at the Berkley Publishing Group. Although she acquires both fiction and nonfiction, 90% of her list is nonfiction. She works within all genres, including narrative nonfiction, memoir, self-help/motivational, personal finance, health/well-being, and spirituality. She has worked with bestselling authors such as Don Piper, psychic-medium John Edward, minister T. D. Jakes, and financial expert Julie Stav.
YANIV SOHA Yaniv Soha has been working in book publishing for nine years, at both literary agencies and book publishers. He is an associate editor at St. Martin’s Press, where he publishes in the areas of narrative nonfiction, pop culture, humor, and popular psychology. He has published books by Pulitzer-winning reporters, film producers, rock journalists, professors, and stand-up comedians. He is also the fiction and prose editor of 2 Bridges Review, the literary/arts journal of CUNY City Tech.
HILARY TEEMAN Hilary Rubin Teeman joined St. Martin’s Press as an Associate Editor in May 2006. Prior to that, she spent three years at Trident Media Group, where she represented her own list of authors and handled audio rights for the company. At St. Martin’s Press, Hilary is looking to acquire commercial and literary women’s fiction, historical fiction and romantic suspense, as well as memoirs, pop-culture, sociology, and prescriptive non-fiction titles.
ALISON WEISS Alison Weiss has been with Egmont USA for nearly four years, almost since the company’s start. As an assistant editor, she focuses mainly on middle grade and young adult fiction. In addition to assisting on projects from Egmont’s stable of talented authors, including Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers, Tony Abbott, and Myra McEntire, she’s worked with Lindsay Eland (A Summer of Sunday’s), Mike A. Lancaster (Human.4; The Future We Left Behind), Kristina McBride (One Moment), Lynn Kiele Bonasia (Countess Nobody), Aimee Ferris (Will Work for Prom Dress), Glenn Dakin (The Candle Man series), Kristin Clark Venuti (The Butler Gets a Break), Ali Sparkes (Frozen in Time), and Kate le Vann (Things I Know About Love).
Alison is Egmont’s resident Twitter correspondent (@EgmontUSA) and hosts monthly Q&A sessions with teen writers at www.writeonteens.blogspot.com
Egmont USA is part of the Egmont Group, an international media company in more than thirty-five countries. Egmont USA’s first list came out in Fall 2008, and the company has since grown into a publisher of diverse commercial children’s and young adult fiction with an emphasis on quality, innovation, and author care.
JULIE WILL Julie Will is a Senior Editor at Rodale. She acquires and edits in the categories of health & wellness, science, psychology, self-help, mind/body, relationship, and memoir. Her authors include former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler, Discovery Channel host and conservationist Jeff Corwin, journalist Julia Savacool, and Men’s Health sex columnist Debby Herbenick. She also oversees the best-selling Intellectual Devotional and Biggest Loser franchises.
Workshop Leaders
Workshop Leaders will be drawn from the following:
JUNE CLARK June Rifkin Clark is a partner in Get There Media, Inc., a promotion and brand development company, providing strategic guidance to writers, experts, and businesses, by building platforms, creating awareness, and providing PR outreach to consumers and the media.For over 20 years, June worked in marketing and promotion, retained by numerous agencies to write and develop promotional materials for companies like Food Network, Bravo, A&E, NBC, AOL, eBay and Kraft Foods, many of which won PMA and Reggie Awards. June also worked in cable TV at Showtime, Group W Cable, and as head of her own agency, Concepts. She is the recipient of a Cable ACE/Emmy award.After receiving her MA in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College, June became a literary agent at the Peter Rubie Literary Agency in New York (now FinePrint Literary Management), specializing in nonfiction books. Clients include floral designer Michael George, Forbidden Broadway creator Gerard Alessandrini, Cosmopolitan’s “Bedside Astrologer” Hazel Dixon-Cooper, I Love Lucy writer Madelyn Pugh Davis, Soupy Sales, and The Friars Club. She is still an Agent-at-Large at FinePrint to serve her long-term clients.A published author and playwright, June wrote (and co-wrote) four books, several plays, and has given workshops on topical issues on writing and publishing.For more information, visit www.juneclark.com.
ALLISON ESTES Allison Estes grew up in Oxford, Mississippi, playing on Faulkner’s grave. She has written fifteen middle grade and young adult novels, including the Short Stirrup Club series (Simon and Schuster.) Her most recent book is Paw & Order: Dramatic Investigations by an Animal Cop on the Beat (adult nonfiction, April 2008.)
Allison has been teaching children and adults in various venues for more than twenty years. She has a daughter in college and a 5-year-old son, and when she isn’t busy writing, editing and parenting, now that the grave of a famous author is not readily accessible, she plays softball as much as possible.
Visit Allison’s web site at www.allisonestes.com.
DOUG GARR Doug Garr has 40 years experience as a journalist, editor, author, and speechwriter. His most recent work is Between Heaven and Earth: An Adventure in Free Fall, (Greenpoint Press. 2009) a memoir of his years as a skydiver. Also published that year was Stuffed: An Insider’s Look at Who’s (Really) Making America Fat (Ecco, 2009), co-author with Henry J. Cardello. He is the author or co-author of five other books, including IBM Redux: Lou Gerstner and the Business Turnaround of the Decade, (HarperBusiness, 1999). He has ghostwritten seven other books. His work has appeared in several national magazines, and he has published essays in Newsweek, The East Hampton Star and the Op-Ed Page of The New York Times.
RICHARD GOODMAN Richard Goodman is the author of The Soul of Creative Writing and French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France. He has written on a variety of subjects for many national publications, including the New York Times, Harvard Review, Creative Nonfiction, the AWP Writer’s Chronicle, Commonweal, Vanity Fair, Saveur, Ascent, French Review and The Michigan Quarterly Review. He wrote the introduction for Travelers’ Tales Provence and is featured in Best Travel Writing 2008 from Travelers’ Tales. He created, wrote and narrated a six-part series about New York City for Public Radio in Virginia. He teaches creative nonfiction at Spalding University’s Brief Residency MFA in Writing program in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, and an extensive sampling of Richard Goodman’s writing, please go to his homepage.
LAURENCE KLAVAN Laurence Klavan wrote the mystery novels, The Cutting Room and The Shooting Script, which were published over the past few years by Ballantine Books. He won the Edgar Award for the novel, Mrs. White, written under a pseudonym. His graphic novels, Germantown and The Fielding Course, co-written with Susan Kim, will soon be published by First Second Books. His work has been published or is forthcoming in such print and online journals as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Playgirl, The Alaska Quarterly, The Literary Review, Conjunctions, Louisville Review, Cafe Irreal, SN Review, Foliate Oak, Brink, Conte, Sliptongue, and Killing the Buddha. He received two Drama Desk nominations for the book and lyrics to Bed and Sofa, the musical produced by the Vineyard Theater in New York. His one-act, The Summer Sublet, produced in the Ensemble Studio Theater Marathon in New York, is included in Best American Short Plays 2000-2001.
SALLY KOSLOW Sally Koslow, former editor-in-chief of McCall’s and Lifetime, is the author of Slouching Toward Adulthood: Observations from the Not-So-Empty Nest, which Viking will publish in June as well as three recent novels: The Late, Lamented Molly Marx (chosen by Target as a Book Pick,) Little Pink Slips and the With Friends like These. Her articles and essays appear frequently in magazines and online venues including More, Real Simple, O the Oprah Magazine, Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and Readers’ Digest.as well as the anthologies DIRT and Wedding Cake for Breakfast. She teaches at the Writing Institute of Sarah Lawrence College. Sally invites you to visit www.sallykoslow.com, like her Facebook FanPage for Slouching Toward Adulthood and follow her on Twitter: @sallykoslow
JENNY MILCHMAN Jenny Milchman is a literary suspense writer whose debut novel just sold to Ballantine. COVER OF SNOW will be published in early 2013. Her short fiction has appeared on Amazon bestseller lists, and another story is forthcoming in an anthology called ADIRONDACK MYSTERIES II. Jenny teaches courses on polishing, pitching, and publishing your work for New York Writers Workshop. She co-hosts the series Writing Matters, which draws speakers from both coasts to events held at a local independent bookstore. Last year she founded Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which was celebrated in 30 states, Canada, England, and this year spread to Australia. Jenny welcomes authors in the Made It Moments forum on her blog. Please look for her athttp://jennymilchman.com.
CHARLES SALZBERG Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Esquire, New York Magazine, GQ, Elle, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times Arts and Leisure, The New York Times Book Review, and various other publications. He is the author of From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, An Oral History of the NBA, andOn A Clear Day They Could See Seventh Place, Baseball’s 10 Worst Teams of the Century (with George Robinson) and co-author of My Zany Life and Times, by Soupy Sales, and The Mad Fisherman, with Charlie Moore.
He has been a visiting professor of magazine journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and now teaches at the Writer’s Voice and the New York Writers Workshop, where he is a Founding Member. He was cited by New York Magazine as one of New York’s Great Teachers. His novel, Swann’s Last Song, was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel. The sequel, Swann Dives In, will be published next Fall, and a Swann short story will be featured in Long Island Noir, to be published next spring. Please visit CharlesSalzberg.com and HenrySwann.com.
RACHEL SHERMAN Rachel Sherman is the author of the The First Hurt (Open City Books, 2006), a book of short stories. The First Hurt was a finalist for The 2006 International Frank O’Connor Short Story Award, short-listed for the 2007 Story Award, and was chosen as one of the 25 Books to Remember from 2006 by the New York Public Library. Her fiction has appeared in McSweeney’s, Open City, Post Road, Conjunctions, n+1, and Story Quarterly, and in the book Full Frontal Fiction: The Best of Nerve Anthology(Three Rivers Press, 2001), among other publications. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and teaches creative writing at Rutgers University. Her forthcoming novel, Shooting the Gap, will be published in Spring 2009 by Macadam/Cage.
ALIX STRAUSS Alix Strauss is a media savvy social satirist who has been a featured lifestyle trend writer on national morning shows and talk shows including ABC, CBS, CNN and most recently, VH1. Her articles cover a range of topics, from beauty and food trends to celebrity interviews, appearing in an array of publications and newspapers such as: The New York Times, The New York Post, and Daily News, as well as national magazines: Time Magazine, Town & Country Travel, Travel & Leisure Golf, Marie Claire, Self, Men’s Health and Outside, among others. Alix has been writing about lifestyle trends for the past two years covering such topics as: High-end invites, A-list parties, Goodie bags, Diva Diets, Slumber parties, Must-have-beauty-products and Trailer-trash treats. Her collection of shorts, THE JOY OF FUNERALS, was published by St. Martin’s Press in both hard and soft cover. The Joy of Funeralswill be heading to the big screen with Stockard Channing attached to direct. Alix will write the screenplay as well. Currently, she is working on a novel.
The Joy of Funerals is the recent winner of the Ingram Award, and was named Best Debut Novel by The New York Resident. In addition, Alix’s work has been anthologized, and her short fiction has appeared in the Hampton Shorts Literary Journal, the Idaho Review, Quality Women’s Fiction, The Blue Moon Café III, and A Kudzu Christmas. Her short story, Shrinking Away, won the David Dornstein Creative Writing Award. She is the recipient of several awards and fellowships: The Wesleyan Writers Conference, Skidmore College Writer’s Institute, Sarah Lawrence Summer and Squaw Valley’s Screenwriters’ Summer program.
Alix has spoken at numerous conferences and panels including: The Southern Festival of Books, The Northwest Bookfest, The New England’s Writer’s Conference, Wesleyan Writer’s conference, The 92nd Street Y, NYU, Center For Communications, Mediabistro, Columbia University, among others. She hosted a monthly event at Makor called Word of Mouth Thursdays, readings of personal essays, works in-progress and novel excerpts. For more information, visit her website.
TIM TOMLINSON Tim Tomlinson’s fiction has appeared in many venues, including The Missouri Review, The Gettysburg Review, Libido, Hampton Shorts, Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art, and The North American Review. Recent stories can be found online at Pifand Del Sol Review. He has published haiku in Black Bough, Modern Haiku, Parnassus Literary Journal, Potpourri, and Time Haiku. His articles on travel, scuba diving, and the arts have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, Musician, Downtown Express and Spa Magazine.
He has taught fiction and screenwriting workshops in the Philippines and Thailand. He consults with television and screenwriters for the Media Development Authority in Singapore. He is fiction editor of the webzine ducts.org. At NYU he teaches courses on writing and contemporary culture.
Twice a year New York Writers Workshop offers three-day Pitch Conferences for writers of non-fiction. Participants refine pitches for their proposals or manuscripts, then meet with and pitch to three different editors from major New York publishing houses (Bantam Dell, Berkley Publishing Group, Dutton, Random House, Rodale, St. Martin’s Press, and others).
Before the conference begins, participants prepare drafts of their pitches that can be presented orally in about three minutes. The draft should include the book’s premise and hook, and the writer’s platform.
Day 1:
Participants workshop their pitches with a workshop leader from New York Writers Workshop. Each participant reads his/her synopsis. The NYWW instructor provides guidance in revision for clarity, concision, and impact. The instructor also discusses, as appropriate, the realities of the publishing market. The rest of the group participates, as appropriate, and learns from each example.
Day Two:
Participants make two pitches to editors today. The first pitch is “public,” meaning participants pitch to an editor in the presence of their group. The public session is followed by a short Q&A with the editor. The second pitch is private, one-on-one with an editor, with an NYWW instructor present. Each pitch lasts approximately five minutes.
Day Three:
Today each participant makes one private pitch to an editor, again with an NYWW instructor present. The day wraps with a group conference with an NYWW instructor.
Conference times:
Friday: 9:30 to 4:00
Saturday: Optional Agents Panel 10:00 to 12:00; Conference 1:30 to 5:00
Sunday: 10:00 to 12:30
Non-Fiction Agents Panel
Day Two: Morning (Optional)
Additional $25 Fee
Three literary agents discuss the current market for non-fiction books. What is required, in this economic climate, to sell memoirs, how-to books, and other types of non-fiction? What are the current trends? How to query an agent? What do agents look for? What are the publishers looking for? How to market oneself? Q&A session follows the panel discussion.
Workshop Leaders and Editors
Click here to see New York Writers Workshop members who serve as conference leaders.
Click here to see editors who participate in our conferences.
Participating Agents
Click here to see a list of participating agents.
How to Apply
If you’d like to attend the workshop, prepare an email with the following information: brief description of the project (up to 100 words); what you do for a living; and contact information (mail address, phone). Send it to Charles Salzberg charles@ducts.org. Note in the subject line of your email whether you are applying for the Fiction or Non-Fiction conference. We’ll get back to you within ten days to let you know if your application has been accepted and, if so, where you should send your check. Note: please do not contact the JCC–while they handle registration for our writing classes, they are not involved with the conferences.
