2014 MWG Conference Notes

2014-04-16T09:05:00.001-05:00

President's Contest winners 2014:

Walter Williams Major Work Award:

First place - Carolyn Mulford, Show Me the Murder
Second place - Leslie A. Lindsay, Speaking of Apraxia
Third place - Scott Miller, Counterfeit

"Show-Me" Best Book Award:

First place - Bill Hopkins, River Mourn
Second place - Chris Bostic, Fugitives from Northwoods
Third place - Ellen Gray Massey, Papa's Gold
Honorable mention - Carolyn Mulford, Show Me the Deadly Deer

Best Magazine Article Award:

First place - Diana West, "Hideout Heaven"
Second place - Marti Attoun, "Little Free Libraries"
Third Place - Lynn Cassity, "Finding Family in TWA Skyliner Magazine"
Honorable mention - Kyle Kapper, "A Mint Jewel Ups the Stage"

Congratulations to all entrants and winners!

Meet Us in St. Louis for the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference this Weekend

2014-04-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Missouri Writers' Guild will host its 99th annual writing conference this weekend in downtown St. Louis. Special guests are Chuck Sambuchino, Mary Buckham, Margie Lawson, Matthew Frederick, and multiple agents, like Sorche Fairbanks, and editors like Danita Allen Wood.

Check out the 2014 MWG conference faculty >>>>

The event starts Friday after lunch and run through Sunday afternoon. Full conference registration is still available online only until Saturday morning.

Even if you can't dedicate the entire weekend to the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference, its possible to still attend bits and pieces of the conference without paying the full rate. You don't have to attend the entire conference to attend Show Me Awards Banquet and the Sunday Masters classes. Tickets to those portions of the conference are sold separately.

Show Me Awards Banquet

CHUCK SAMBUCHINO, an editor for Writer’s Digest Books, a bestselling humor book writer, and a freelance editor, will give the keynote speech at the Show Me Awards Saturday Night Banquet. He works for Writer’s Digest Books and edits the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS as well as the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the biggest blogs in publishing.

Saturday Night, Mr. Sambuchino's keynote is titled, ‘How to Get Published: Professional Writing Practices & What Editors Want.’ Banquet tickets are $40 for conference attendees and $45 for anyone else.

Banquet registration can be done through the registration page, by just selecting the banquet option.

Master Classes

Master Classes, scheduled 9 a.m. to Noon on Sunday, are available for a separate fee of $50.They offer a more in-depth study with conference faculty in a smaller class room setting. Class size is limited.

Class options are as follows:

Mary Buckham, Super Power Openings

Learn how to make your opening as strong as possible. Includes characterization (where and how you need to engage a reader with your character and how to do that); hooks (more detail than the one hour workshop; raising story questions and why this matters; Scene and Sequels; and Pacing in an opening. By learning what makes a powerful opening, a writer can expand those techniques throughout their manuscript.

Sorche Fairbank, How to Query/Pitch/Describe/Summarize/Talk About your Book

Sometimes it feels easier to write a book than it is to effectively and confidently pitch, summarize, or talk about one. This interactive intensive session will cover how to talk (and write) about your book in one sentence, in one paragraph, and in one page. We'll go over uses for each, from logline/elevator pitches to the query synopsis and for DIY authors, book jacket descriptions, press releases, Amazon descriptions, and more.

Margie Lawson, The EDITS System: Putting Power on the Page
The EDITS System is a tool created for writers to analyze scene components. It’s the ultimate show-don’t-tell power tool. It shows writers what’s working, what’s not working, what’s missing. Writers learn how to take a scene from the POV character’s head, to the reader’s heart.

Gina Panettieri, Brilliant Beginnings
Whether you're asked to include them with your query, or they're simply the first thing an editor or agent sees when opening your submission, your opening ten pages can make or break your submission. Most editors state they make a decision to keep reading, or not, within the first few pages of a manuscript. Make yours the very best they can be. This workshop will focus on the key elements you need to demonstrate in these opening pages, and what fatal errors you absolutely must avoid. The class will discuss winning opening lines/paragraphs, hooking the reader, pace, action, dialogue, setting the scene, making characters memorable quickly and leaving the reader wanting more.

Ken Sherman, What It Is to Be a Writer
We'll discuss your writing work habits, how you deal with yourself from day to day, how you interface with other writers who you meet in networking situations like at this conference, how you approach an agent at a party, a conference, or via an e-mail, how you make a commitment to yourself and to your book, and how you work with your agent from the time you agree to work with each other, as your agent submits you to publishers. Sometimes there's rejection, which needs to be identified in terms of the whys, and how, if necessary, you face rejection head on. This will be a seminar for open discussion, and we'll all learn from each other as personal journeys are discussed.

Matthew Frederick, What’s the Big—or Little—Idea?
Successful nonfiction books—memoirs, travelogues, cookbooks, self-help manuals, humor books, and all the rest—are rarely published as initially conceived. Typically, the core concept must be revised, revamped, and re-centered many times before an inspired idea is found to propel the project forward. This workshop will introduce numerous strategies to help you discover, broaden, narrow, heighten, deepen, and redefine the core concept for your nonfiction project. Whether you are just beginning or are feeling mired in a long-term effort, you will leave this session with a fresh perspective on it. Bring to the workshop a project title/subtitle, one-sentence “tagline,” 200-word synopsis (such as might appear on a book jacket), outline, and any other working material.

Learn more on the Missouri Writers Guild Conference Website >>>

It's Not Too Late To Register for the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference

2014-04-07T22:24:00.003-05:00

Late registration open through Saturday

Late registration is available for the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference this weekend at the Ramada Plaza Hotel Downtown St. Louis Convention Center. All late registrations must be completed online and paid via Paypal between now and Friday. Or, paid by cash or check at the conference.

Late registration costs:

$190 for Missouri Writers' Guild Members
$200 Chapter Members
$220 Non-Members

Registration includes all Friday and Saturday activities EXCEPT individual agent pitch sessions, the Saturday Night Banquet and Sunday Master Classes. Agent pitch sessions will only be available as space allows, for example if there are cancellations, and are not guaranteed.

Click here to register online >>>

Regular Registration Ends Today for 2014 Missouri Writers' Guild Conference

2014-03-31T10:22:00.001-05:00

Registration for the "Fifty Shades of Writing" Conference, organized by the Missouri Writers Guild, ends today at 9:00 CST. The 99th annual conference will take place Friday, April 11 through Saturday, April 13, 2014 at the Ramada Plaza St. Louis Convention Center in downtown St. Louis.

The writing conference features 3 days packed with opportunities for writers to mingle with literary agents, editors and publishers along with fellow writers. Attendees, regardless of skill level, can expect to learn from expert writers, publishers and editors about the ins and outs of publishing during workshop sessions, panel discussions and master classes.

It costs $165 for MWG members, $175 for Chapter members and $195 for General Public. After today at 9 p.m. CST, late registration prices take effect. Registration information and payment through PayPal is available here.

Registration costs include access to the early-arrival seminar April 11 and two days of panel discussions, break-out workshops, and pitch sessions in addition to scheduled networking times and a Saturday luncheon with keynote speaker USA Today Bestselling Author Mary Buckham.

Attendees can also meet one-on-one with their choice of literary agents, magazine editors or book editors in an opportunity to pitch their completed manuscripts.

Agents and editors planning to participate in the pitch sessions include: Literary and Film Agent Ken Sherman, of Ken Sherman & Associates; Literary Agent Laura Biagi, of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency Inc.; Literary agent Sorche Fairbank, of Fairbank Literary Representation; Literary Agent Gina Panettieri, Talcott Notch Literary Services; Editor Danita Allen Wood, of Missouri Life Magazine; Editor Kristina Blank Makansi of Blank Slate Press; and Acquisitions Editor Claire Applewhite of Smoking Gun Publishing.

Tickets for the Saturday night Show Me Awards Banquet with keynote speaker Chuck Sambuchino, Writer’s Digest Book Editor, can be purchased for an additional $40 to conference attendees and $45 to the general public. Also, 3-hour Master Writing Classes on Sunday morning are available for $50. Master classes offer writers opportunities to work closely with conference faculty in a classroom environment.

Additional information regarding speakers, classes or registration can be found on the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference website.

Literary Agent Gina Panettieri Answers Representation Questions for Authors

2014-03-25T09:24:00.002-05:00

Panettieri will take pitches, present a workshop session and a master class during the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference

Gina Panettieri is the president of Talcott Notch Literary Services, LLC, located in Milford, CT, with a satellite office outside Boston. She is a 25-year industry veteran who has worked as an agent, author, and freelance editor. Two of her more recognizable sales—BROKEN, and its sequel, TAINTED, by A.E. Rought—have been optioned by ABC Family for development as a series. Another DEAD JED by Scott Craven, was optioned by Nickelodeon for development as a movie.

Gina loves all genres of literature, from history to travel. To see the many other genres she and her agents are looking for, visit her website here.

While at the ‘Fifty Shades of Writing’ conference, Ms. Panettieri will take pitches on a first come, first serve basis throughout the day on Saturday. Also, she will be leading a breakout session entitled, “Dialogue: Using it to Your Advantage." Attendees at this session will learn how to enhance characterization, keep the pace crisp, add humor or suspense, among other things. For more details click on the link above.

Additionally, she’ll present a Sunday master class entitled, “Brilliant Beginnings.” This three-hour class will focus on the key elements you need to demonstrate in your opening pages, and the errors you absolutely must avoid.

Brian: Ms. Panettieri, thank you so much for joining our ‘Fifty Shades of Writing’ conference. When reading your bio, I see that you and I have a lot in common: books are a huge part of our lives. What was it that led you to a career as an agent, rather than taking the path like many of us book lovers, as a writer?

Gina Panettieri: I actually began as a writer. I married young and had children while still in college (I attended Long Island University at Southampton and then University of Virginia) and needed whatever income I could muster for both going to school full-time and raising three children. So I wrote whatever I could that would pay the bills and for the rent and the diapers with everything from investigative journalism to writing stories for the confession magazines.

It was only after having an agent of my own and learning about that end of the industry, and being asked by other writers who were part of a Saturday morning critique group that met in my living room to help them find publishers and negotiate their contracts that I realized I really enjoyed this side of the table very much indeed. It was a short hop from there to putting out my own shingle.

Brian: Many agents are only interested in very specific genres, but you seem to be open to just about anything. Is there any type of manuscript that you just won’t touch?

Gina: I don’t work with picture books or poetry. Past that, I’m a true omnivore and represent really a full range of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children.

Brian: I see on your website that you have a link entitled, “Rights Offerings.” Can you tell us how listings like this are used by agencies to benefit the clients?

Gina: In creating rights offerings, agents are letting editors, scouts or sub-rights managers know about projects we have to offer. We’re often contacted by a scout for a film producer, or a translation rights manager, or perhaps even an American book editor right here who has been on our site and noticed one of our listings. We often also list our rights offerings at Publishersmarketplace for the same reason. The rights offerings helps expand our projects visibility.

Brian: In your breakout session, you plan to focus on dialogue. What can dialogue do for a manuscript that other ‘Show Don’t Tell’ techniques can’t?

Gina: Consider some of your favorite lines from novels. What did they do to really help heighten characterization that nothing else could have? Why do we sometimes use lines of dialogue from movies or books to sum up who we are, how we feel, what our world view is? Dialogue can be used to explore relationships between characters in different and often more economical ways. For instance, we certainly know how a long-married couple speaks as opposed to people on a first date, and we can tell from their dialogue what that relationship is like. While I think other techniques can be employed to also do so, dialogue can convey backstory, heighten tension, create conflict, tighten your pace, and of course, add humor!

Brian: When an author signs with your agency, what can they expect from you as an agent, and what do you expect from your authors?

Gina: I’m a pretty hands-on agent. I don’t just sign books and forward them as is and hope for the best. I work with the client on developing the book to its full potential. I will discuss my plans with you concerning your book. It’s a partnership and I want your input, too. I want to know what your hopes and aspirations are and we’ll discuss new work and how to develop your long-term goals.

I expect the author to always keep me informed about the progress of any books under contract and to let me know in advance of any problems. Likewise, let me know when good things happen! I can fight your dragons and be your biggest fan, but I have to know what’s going on. Talk to me about new WIPs and talk to me about your social media. Authors can make some very serious social media blunders, both before and after being accepted by a publisher. Letting an agent give you advice and guide you can avoid a lot of those pitfalls.

Brian: When working with your clients, I see that you and your agents not only offer direction to their career path, but also assist with book proposals and establishing the author’s platform. Can you share with us some of the definitive ways you assist your clients in these areas?

Gina: As I mentioned above, we do like to dig into books and help develop them, so expect to do some editing when you work with me or another of the agents here. Depending on what you write, we may get you involved with shaping the direction and focus of your nonfiction book to make it more appealing.

With platform, we direct our authors to become involved with networks that will help get them out in front of journalists and television producers and bookers and help them cross-pollinate their efforts with other, higher-visibility writers to create multi-author platforms to benefit everyone. We encourage out-of-the-box thinking in book promotion and author promotion to draw readers and fans to author pages, to build real cohesive, supportive communities rather than simply people skimming looking for ‘gimmes’, freebies that require no real involvement. Those are fun, too, of course, but shouldn’t be your exclusive draw. You want your readers to keep coming back, and to really engage with you and your material. We have a few new tools in the kit that we’re debuting in 2014 that are only available to our writers, so I can’t discuss them here just now, but you’ll start to see the effects as the year goes by.

Brian: I see that your agency works with new, unpublished authors! That’s great for many writers who are yet to be published. What advice would you offer any first-time author before they submit a manuscript to your agency?

Gina: Polish your prose. Put the manuscript through a copyedit. Don’t send first drafts. It makes a seriously negative first impression if the author hasn’t taken the time to send me her very best. I know writers are excited to get their work out there, especially if they have requests for books. But take the time and make sure it’s ready, even if you need to delay forwarding your work.

Brian: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions, Ms. Panettieri. We look forward to meeting and working with you at the conference!

To attend the MWG “Fifty Shades of Writing” annual conference in St. Louis and pitch to Gina, be sure to register by March 31. Agent pitch sessions are included in the regular registration rates, but are assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Click here to register for the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference.

Interviewed by Brian Katcher, author of Playing with Matches, winner of the 2010-2011 North Carolina Young Adult Book Award; and Almost Perfect, winner of the 2011 Stonewall Young Adult Book Award. His newest book, Everyone Dies in the End: A Romantic Comedy will be out March 2014. Visit him on the web at www.briankatcher.com.

Nonfiction Writing According to Bestselling Author Matthew Frederick

2014-03-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Missouri Writers' Guild is pleased to welcome Matthew Frederick as a speaker during the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference in St. Louis, April 11-13.

Matthew Frederick is an architect, urban designer, and bestselling author. He scouts nonfiction book projects for Fairbank Literary Representation and coaches authors on developing their nonfiction concepts.

Mr. Frederick was an architecture columnist before authoring the bestselling 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School (MIT Press, 2007). Since then, he has developed the 101 Things I Learned book series for which he serves as editor, co-author, and illustrator. The series now has over 500,000 books in print, including titles in Business, Culinary, Fashion, Film, Law and Engineering School (Grand Central/ Hachette), and has been translated into fifteen languages.

At the 2014 Missouri Writers’ Guild Fifty Shades of Writing’ Conference, Mr. Frederick will provide one-on-one Pitch-Practice at the Friday pre-conference and will lead two other sessions. On Saturday, his breakout session, “The Four Ps of Nonfiction—Platform, Prose, Proposal and Purpose,” will provide an overview of the unique needs of nonfiction and equip students with tools to tackle the genre. And on Sunday, his 3-hour Master Class, “What’s the Big—or Little—Idea?” will help attendees discover, broaden, narrow, heighten, and deepen their nonfiction concepts. Attendees should bring a project to the session a title/subtitle, a one-sentence “tagline,” and if possible, a 200-word synopsis.

Brian: Mr. Frederick, thank you so much for joining us at our ‘Fifty Shades of Writing’ conference. Can you tell us a little about how you became an expert in a variety of disciplines?

Matthew: Architecture school taught me a lot about problem solving and conceptual thinking, and I think this has translated well to other disciplines. I don’t think you can create a coherent piece of architecture or writing without a willingness to patiently investigate and try out a lot of things that aren’t going to work. And a successful book, like successful work of architecture, has to have a strong concept that unifies the various details. Without a clear concept, whether one is writing a quiet literary memoir or a D-I-Y on cleaning your cat, one’s writing will feel randomized and the reader will lose interest.

Brian: How did you go from being an architect to a bestselling nonfiction writer? Was your book accepted immediately? Or did it have to go through many adaptations and revisions before coming up with your final idea?

Matthew: In 2005, my architecture practice was struggling. My partner, who is a literary agent, saw a handout I had prepared for an architecture design class I had taught. It was called something like “24 Lessons from Architecture 101.” She saw a book in it, which I already had thought about. I made up a dummy, and then another, and we put together a proposal for 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School.

We first proposed the book to some trade presses, but realized pretty quickly it would be a better fit at a university press. This was initially disappointing, because it felt like we were limiting the book’s success. But MIT Press, the first university press we went to, knows how to sell books like this in high numbers. When the book was eventually published, it was surprisingly close to what I had envisioned.

Brian: Are the other titles of your 101 Things I Learned book series the same type of books, i.e., does each have a different audience, vision, and content?

Matthew: Each book—Fashion, Film, Culinary, and so on—has the same format: 101 short, illustrated lessons. Each is aimed at the beginning college student in that field of study, although all the titles are purchased very often by general readers or gift buyers because the books are attractive and fun to read.

In doing each book, I work with an expert in the field. Our first job is to identify the difficulties faced by the beginning college student. What doesn’t the curriculum make clear? What is the emotional or intellectual burden placed on the student?

Architecture students, for example, are asked to design large buildings or college campuses without being taught how to do it. As they “learn by doing,” they are critiqued on all they are doing wrong, which is pretty much everything!

Each thing the student learns seems to be undone or mitigated or qualified by the next thing. Very little stands still. It’s enormously frustrating. This is why I came up with the format of “lesson chunks.” I wanted to offer clear lessons that would hold fairly still while context and confusion swirl around the student.

With the other books, we aim to identify the source of the student’s confusion or pain. Law school, for example, is similar to architecture in that there’s a ton to learn, everything intersects with everything else, very little stands still, everything is contextual. But engineering is kind of the opposite. There’s very little context; almost everything is specific and abstract—vectors, forces, math, physics, and so on. So we wrote many of the lessons in the Engineering book backward from how they are taught in engineering school: we introduce the context first.

A lesson on harmonic resonance, for example, begins, “Soldiers should not march across a bridge.” From there we “back” into the engineering lesson: all objects tend to vibrate when subject to impact. Had we not done that, we’d have been repeating what an ordinary, boring textbook already does.

Brian: You have said that nonfiction books are rarely published as initially conceived. What, in your opinion, is the biggest preventable mistake nonfiction writers make?

Matthew: The biggest mistake nonfiction writers make, whether they’re writing a memoir, how-to guide, cookbook, travelogue, or anything else, is not approaching their project conceptually.

Writers typically start a writing project from somewhere inside it… we’re motivated by a compelling personal experience or an internal desire to argue a position or share our knowledge. But somewhere in the writing process, a writer has to step outside his or her book, look at it objectively, and shape it as a unified whole.

This is hard to do. It requires us to consider that what the book needs to be might be very different from what we thought it would be. It means recognizing that a lot of our pet ideas don’t belong in the book, because they don’t contribute to its wholeness.

Brian: You’ll be helping attendees with Pitch Practice. How can your emphasis on concept help one pitch a book to an editor or agent?

Matthew: Probably everyone who has tried to pitch a book has found themselves getting bogged down in details—intricacies of plot and character, he-said-she-said, logistical points of argument, and so on. Our listeners can get bored pretty quickly, particularly if they’ve been listening to the same thing all day.

Let me give some examples of how to get past this. Someone proposed a golf instruction book to me. Like most golf instruction, it was all over the place: hold your head still…keep your arm straight…no, that’s too straight… take the club back… that’s too fast… shift your weight… not that much… hold on, your thumb is in the wrong place… and so on. The writer’s working title, “Better Golf, NOW!” demonstrated the project’s lack of focus. It offered nothing specific, and the caps lock and exclamation point didn’t hide that reality.

But the writer did have a core idea buried in there: he felt at heart, there are only four ways to screw up your golf swing, and therefore four ways to fix it. With that, I could imagine a concept for the entire book: a cover divided graphically in four sections, an introduction laying out the four problems and corresponding fixes, a four-section organization of the interior content, and so on. Everything that didn’t fit that concept could be left out. And the title? How about: Four Ways to Suck at Golf and Four Ways to Get Better. Aren’t you more likely to notice that on a bookstore shelf?

You can use similar, if more subtle, techniques with works of a more literary nature. I coached a woman writing a memoir about her experiences raising a son after her husband was killed in battle. It was difficult and traumatic for both of them. OK, there might be a story there, but what’s the concept? How could she project to an editor or agent that she had an overall grasp on her story, that she could see it as a conceptual whole, that she wasn’t tied up in a tale of woe?

What if she pitched the story like this: “One morning twenty years ago, four men ruined my life: two in uniform who came to my front door, one who never came home again, and the man-to-be I was holding in my arms.” Here, the writer is showing a capacity to understand her own story from the outside, which is where others will see it from. She’s showing she can grasp it as a whole. She’s created a container for her listener to keep track of the details. And if she forgets some of them, it won’t really matter because the concept came across clearly.

Brian: When presenting your “The Four Ps of Nonfiction” workshops and discussing Platform, Prose, Proposal, and Purpose, if there is only one important aspect writers should take away from this presentation, what would you say that would be?

Matthew: I’ll go with “Purpose.” Figuring out one’s true purpose in writing a book is a slippery, difficult thing. You can work on a book for years before coming to terms with why you are doing it. And when you do figure it out, you and your book are likely to undergo fundamental change. I might argue that a writer has to undergo this realignment while writing… it is what brings the writing alive.

Brian: Is there a particular bit of advice you’d like to offer to nonfiction writers—something they could take to the bank?

Matthew: A book isn’t what a writer has to say. It’s not the one-directional outpouring of one’s knowledge or feelings onto the page. It’s the intersection of what a writer has say with what the reader needs or wants to hear. A good writer works from both perspectives to determine what belongs on the page and how his or her message is best presented.

Brian: Mr. Frederick, thank you so much for your time. We are delighted to have you share your knowledge and experience with us at our Fifty Shades of Writing conference.

Click here to register for the conference. Regular rates last through March 31.

If you’ve already registered, don’t forget to book your hotel room by March 17 to receive the discounted rate. In addition, all conference attendees and guild members are eligible to enter the conference contests. Postmark deadline is March 15, so hurry and get those entries in.

Here are the contests guidelines >>>

Interview by Brian Katcher, author of Playing with Matches, winner of the 2010-2011 North Carolina. Young Adult Book Award; and Almost Perfect, winner of the 2011 Stonewall Young Adult Book Award. His newest book, Everyone Dies in the End: A Romantic Comedy will be out March 2014. Visit him on the web at www.briankatcher.com.

What Literary Agents Do to Help Authors

2014-03-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

Laura Biagi, literary agent with Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, previews her workshop session, “What an Agency Brings to the Table” for the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference

Laura Biagi is an agent with the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. She specializes in adult literary fiction and young readers' books. She also handles the sale rights for Australia and New Zealand for the agency. In addition, she’s an author and the recipient of a Kentucky Emerging Artist Award for fiction writing.

Biagi will listen to individual pitches and will lead two breakout sessions.

In the workshop, “What an Agency Brings to the Table,” Biagi will present exactly what a literary agency does. Additional topics covered will be on agent negotiation and contracts, editing a manuscript before submitting, as well as communications between author and editor.

Attendees in her second workshop, “How to Write a Stand-Out Query” will learn to shape their plot description and the elements for a stand-out query, so that their writing changes from “ho-hum” to “WOW!

For more on both workshops, check out the conference website here.

Throughout the day on Saturday, Biagi will also be available for one-on-one agent pitch sessions. These are on a first come, first serve basis, so sign up sooner rather than later!

Brian: Ms. Biagi, thank you so much for joining our faculty at our upcoming ‘Fifty Shades of Writing’ conference.

So I’ve got this great book, I know it’s going to be a best seller. I want to send it straight to a publisher. They’ll love it. So why should I bother with an agent? I mean, won’t you just take 15% of my royalties? What’s in it for me? What do agents do, exactly?

Laura Biagi: The better question is “what do agents not do?”

First of all, it's our business to know which publishers and editors to send your books to so you're being paired with the best potential matches for publication. We network frequently with editors and intimately understand their literary tastes. We use this knowledge to secure deals with publishing houses, and then we negotiate those deals and contracts so they're as strong as possible for you.

But even that is only a small slice of what we do. We also edit manuscripts prior to submissions and read new drafts as you revise. We help you plan what to write next and how to build your career. We sell international, film, audio, and other subsidiary rights to your books. We're there for you when your editor gets back to you with a cover you may hate or flap copy that isn't right or marketing and publicity plans that are less than inspiring. We'll fight in your corner for you so your opinions are heard and so your book can get the best cover, flap copy, marketing and publicity plans, etc. possible.

I'll be talking more about this topic at my break-out session, “What an Agency Brings to the Table.” So for more specifics and insider details, be sure to sign up!

Brian: So, with regard to the infamous query letter, could you give us one or two pointers as how to write a query that will 100% guarantee that an agent will be interested? No pressure, here, of course!

Laura: Well, the unfortunate truth is there's really no 100% guarantee. Every agent has his/her own tastes. Certain manuscripts are better suited to certain agents and not to others.

For me, though, the three things that help garner my interest are 1) writing that is strong and vivid and reveals an authoritative command of prose; 2) characters who intrigue me and whose emotional complexity is readily apparent in your description; and 3) a plot that I can tell is going to go somewhere interesting, unexpected, and un-cliched.

To learn more specifically about what my tastes are, visit my agency's submission guidelines here and click through to my name: http://jvnla.com/submissions.html.

Brian: Speaking as someone who is very familiar with the agent rejection letter, could you provide a brief walk through of the submission process at JVNLA—from query letter to the slush pile (or acceptance)? And, what is the usual time frame authors should expect a response from an agency after submitting a manuscript?

Laura: Each agency varies a little, but for us, we request that all queries come through our website at http://jvnla.com/submissions.html. Unfortunately we can only respond to those queries that interest us, but we do read every query. If we are interested, we will contact the author directly via email to request the first three chapters of his/her manuscript. Typically, we try to respond to queries within 6-8 weeks, but sometimes we are faster than this or a little behind.

Chapters typically take about 3 weeks for us to respond to. If I love what I've seen, I'll then request the full manuscript. Full manuscripts typically take about 8 weeks for us to respond to. After that point, I may get back to the author with revision feedback, or I may go ahead and take the author on!

Brian: I always have to ask this: What’s the craziest/most cringe-worthy query you’ve ever received? Is there anything that author could have/should have done prior to submitting the query?

Laura: Well, one particularly memorable query was for a picture book meant to be read to dogs. It was written from the dog's perspective and primed with words that dogs would supposedly recognize. Essentially, the story (because of course I read it!) was of a dog going for a walk in the park and going to the bathroom everywhere. I don't know that anything could have helped prior to that submission! But I would say it could make for a very fun book if the author were to revise it so it was written for kids instead of dogs!

More seriously, though, sometimes authors write about plot in their queries but give no sense of their characters. Or vice versa. Both are critical in a good book, though, so authors should make sure their queries includes both.

Brian: There’s nothing more hopeful or exciting for a new writer (or any writer, for that matter) with a book to pitch. Unfortunately, there are disreputable people in the publishing industry who’d be glad to take advantage of them. What are some red flags aspiring authors should take notice of when dealing with agents, editors, and publishers? Are there sources to assist writers in finding out about who or what to stay away from when searching for a book publisher?

Laura: One major red flag would be agents who charge you a fee. Agents should only take the standard commission on sales as payment for their services. Members of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) are held to certain ethical standards like this. You can search the AAR's website (http://aaronline.org/) to learn more about those standards. If you find that an agent is a member of the AAR, then you'll know for sure he/she is in good standing—though there are plenty of good agents who aren't AAR members. I'm sure associations like the Missouri Writers' Guild help members identify read flags, too.

Brian: I notice that you’re not only an agent, but a writer. Please tell us a little about your own work, and how you went from a writer to an agent?

Laura: My love for reading and writing prompted me to major in creative writing in college. Once there, I enjoyed workshopping fiction pieces so much that I set out to find a career where I could do something like that for a living. As an agent I love that I'm able to help my authors edit their manuscripts. I always try to think of a manuscript from the writers' perspective, and I enjoy helping my authors brainstorm solutions to their characters, plots, themes, and anything and everything else.

I personally like to write adult literary fiction on all topics, especially involving magical realism, absurdism, and/or social issues. This also means that adult literary fiction involving these is right up my alley, so I'm always looking for submissions involving them!

Brian: You are in charge of procuring Australian and New Zealand rights for your agency. What exactly does this entail when procuring foreign rights for an author? How important are these rights to an author and why?

Laura: First off, we try to retain foreign rights when we make a deal because we have a very active foreign rights department and we can make quite strong deals in this arena. If we have foreign rights for a book, we will try to sell it into as many countries as possible. Selling these rights are important because we want to get your book read by as many people as possible! We have co-agents in most countries who work with us to get these foreign rights sold. Jennifer Weltz at JVNLA coordinates with them and spearheads those efforts.

I focus on Australia and New Zealand, where I submit directly to the publishing houses and editors who would be best suited to a particular project. It's very fun to learn about the types of books that are of particular interest in these countries! Books we've recently sold here include Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche; Otis Dooda: Strange but True by Ellen Potter; and a forthcoming, hilarious spoof on the urban farming movement by Antonia Murphy.

Brian: If the beginning pages of a manuscript don’t hook you right away, do you keep reading further in hopes it will get better? Or does it go straight to the slush pile?

Laura: I do look very closely at the beginning pages of a manuscript. I can tell a lot from the first pages, and so I use that information to make informed decisions. Given agents' limited time to review the hundreds of queries that come in each week, we have to do this. Ultimately, if you're a strong writer, your writing will be just as strong on page 1 as it is on page 200. What I see more often than a manuscript that doesn't intrigue me initially but becomes better is a manuscript where it's clear a lot of time was spent workshopping the first pages and, in exchange, the rest of the book was neglected. After the first pages, the rest of the manuscript falls flat. You need a good balance.

Brian: Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Biagi. We look forward to seeing you in person at the conference.

If you would like to pitch Ms. Biagi in person or attend her workshop sessions, be sure to sign up soon. Agent pitch assignments are assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Click here to register for the Fifty Shades of Writing Conference. Regular registration ends March 31 at 9 p.m. CST.

MWG Writing Contests Deadline Extended to March 15

2014-02-28T10:07:00.000-06:00

The 2014 MWG conference committee has decided to extend the deadline for the Sponsor and Chapter contests until March 15, 2014.

So, whether you write short stories in YA, Sci/Fi, fantasy, humor, or on any topic, put the finishing touches on your manuscript and send it in! Or pen an inspirational essay or turn our judges on their ear with a flash fiction story.

Chapter Contests:

1. Flash Fiction (Sponsored by Saturday Writers) Max 500 words

2. Inspirational Essay (Sponsored by: Saturday Writers) Max 2500 words

3. Young Adult (YA) Short Story (Sponsored by Southeast Missouri Writers’ Guild) 2,500 words or less

4. Short Story (Sponsored by Southeast Missouri Writers’ Guild) Max 2000 words

5. Free Verse Poem (Sponsored by St. Louis Writers Guild)

Sponsor Contests:

1. Humorous Short Story (Sponsored by Joanna Dale) 1,000 –2,000 words.

2. Science Fiction and Fantasy Bonanza Short Story Contest (Sponsored by Walrus Publishing) 1,000-6,000 words.

Here's our previous post on the judges >>>

For complete contest listings, judges, and rules go to: http://missouriwriters guild.org/2014AnnualContest Rules.pdf and www.missouriwritersguild.org and click on the 2014 conference link.

WRITE! And see you there!

—Submitted by Donna Essner, MWG Secretary

Authors learn how to “sit down & pitch” at free St. Louis Writers' Guild workshop

2014-02-27T15:30:00.000-06:00

Once you’ve written a book, getting the attention of an agent or publisher isn’t always easy. Learn how to promote yourself and your writing at the St. Louis Writers Guild’s second annual “Sit Down and Pitch” workshop from 10 a.m. to noon, March 1, at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Rd. in Kirkwood, Mo.

“Pitching to an agent or publisher might be the scariest thing a writer has to do,” said Brad Cook, St. Louis Writers Guild president. “This workshop is free and open to all. We invite everyone who is planning to attend the Missouri Writers Guild (MWG) conference in April or other writing conference this year.”

Brad will offer tips for delivering an effective five-minute pitch, then writers will get a chance try their pitches within small breakout groups of other authors.

“Even if you don’t have a pitch when you arrive, you’ll have one by the time you leave,” he said.

Then you’ll be ready to pitch to real agents and publishers at the 2014 MWG Conference, Fifty Shades of Writing, April 11-13, in St. Louis. For more conference information and registration, visit www.missouriwritersguild.org.

Learn more about the St. Louis Writers Guild, a MWG chapter, at www.stlouiswritersguild.org.

Missouri Writers' Guild Conference Nets Record-Breaking Early Registration Numbers

2014-02-25T09:41:00.000-06:00

Regular registration lasts through March 31

SAINT LOUIS – The 99^th Annual Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference has broken its previous early bird registration record. Currently, approximately 80 writers from throughout the country are registered to attend the “Fifty Shades of Writing” conference. The event will take place Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13, 2014, in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Registration remains open through March 31.

“Writers looking for an affordable conference that’s centrally located, need look no further,” said Conference Chair Lisa Miller. “The MWG board has worked hard picking our speakers and agents and the early numbers prove we have put together a stellar line-up that appeals to writers of all skill levels.”

Conference events include:

“Pitch Perfect” welcome session by Writer’s Digest Book Editor Chuck Sambuchino

Individual 5-7 minute agent and editor pitch appointments

16+ Saturday breakout sessions on topics like query letters, revision, editing and more

Friday early bird arrival session presented by Literary Agent Sorche Fairbank

An expanded “Agents & Editors Read the Slush Pile” Session

Open mic, sponsored by the St. Louis Writers’ Guild

And much, much more.

Everyone who registers by March 31 for the “Fifty Shades of Writing” Conference is guaranteed at least one pitch appointment with an agent or editor. The pitch appointments are times reserved for writers to present their work to agents or editors who might offer representation.

Miller, owner of Walrus Publishing, encouraged those who have not yet registered to do so as soon as possible, as the conference committee assigns the agent/editor pitch appointments on a first-registered, first served basis.

“The sooner you register, the more likely you will receive your top choice,” Miller said. “It’s still not too late to register and receive a pitch appointment.”

It is recommended attendees only pitch completed projects and manuscripts. Each agent or editor accepts different types of projects, so attendees are encouraged to research each beforehand to ensure their project is a good fit for that agent or editor.

Agents and editors planning to participate in the pitch sessions include: Literary and Film Agent Ken Sherman, of Ken Sherman & Associates; Literary Agent Laura Biagi, of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency Inc.; Literary agent Sorche Fairbank, of Fairbank Literary Representation; Literary Agent Gina Panettieri, Talcott Notch Literary Services; Editor Danita Allen Wood, of Missouri Life Magazine; Editor Kristina Blank Makansi of Blank Slate Press; and Acquisitions Editor Claire Applewhite of Smoking Gun Publishing.

“The pitch appointments are one of the most popular events at the conference,” Miller said. “Several attendees have found their agent or publisher, including our current guild president Steve Wiegenstein, from pitching during past MWG Conferences. I hope we’ll have more similar success stories from this year.”

Regular registration rates lasts through March 31. It costs $165 for MWG members, $175 for chapter members and $195 for the general public. On April 1, late registration prices take effect. Walk-in registrations are also accepted on conference weekend.

Learn more about the conference and how to register >>>

About the Missouri Writers Guild
Established in 1915, the Missouri Writers' Guild is a statewide, non-profit organization for professional writers in all genres. The Guild has 17 chapters throughout Missouri that provide regular opportunities to network with other writers, authors, and publishers and to learn more about the craft of writing. Learn more at www.missouriwritersguild.org.

Introducing the Judges for the MWG Writing Contests

2014-02-21T14:41:00.002-06:00

Tick Tock. Tick Tock....Watch the Date! Watch the Clock! MWG Writing Contests Deadline Approaches

Time groweth short to send in your entries to the 2014 MWG Conference Contests! The postmark deadline is a little more than a week away—Saturday, March 1, 2014. But there's still time to enter.

This year, there are several Chapter and Sponsor contest options—the Short Story (open topic), the Humorous Short Story, YA Short Story, and the Sci Fi Short Story contests. Additionally, a Flash Fiction contest, as well as an Inspirational Essay and Free Verse Poetry contest are open for submissions. And you don’t have to be present at the conference banquet to win! If you’re a MWG member, you don’t have to go to the conference at all to enter.

All submission guidelines can be found at http://missouriwritersguild.org.

So, don’t delay! Polish your story, essay, or poem and send it in. Why not try more than one? Or all?! The distinguished panel of contest judges are waiting in the wings to read your submissions.

DISTINGUISHED PANEL OF CONTEST JUDGES

The conference committee now would like to take this opportunity to introduce some of the distinguished panel of judges who have volunteered their time and expertise to judge all contest submissions this year. Kudos and thanks to each and every one of you!

Drum roll, please!

Laura Biagi, an agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc (JVLNA) will not only be judging the Short Story contest, she will be attending the 2014 MWG conference to present a workshop, sit on the Slush Pile Panel, and take pitches from writers during the conference. Ms. Biagi graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in creative writing and anthropology. Her interests are many. Of particular interest to her are dynamic characters, vivid writing, complex narrative arcs, and psychological twists. Learn more about Biagi and her ‘wish list’ at JVLNA.

Dr. Christie Hodgen has graciously accepted to judge the Humorous Short Story contest this year. She is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Among other notable successes, Dr. Hodgen is the author or Elegies for the Brokenhearted, Hello, I Must Be Going, and A Jewelers Eye for Flaw: Stories. Awards include two Pushcart Prizes and a Guggenheim Fellowship in Fiction. Read more on Dr. Hodgen and her books at W.W. Norton & Company.

Winnie Sullivan, Founder and Executive Director of PenUltimate Press, an independent non-profit literary press, will judge the Young Adult Short Story contest—the first MWG contest in this genre. Ms. Sullivan has worked in the field of publishing since 1988, and has held positions in print and broadcast journalism. Since founding PenUltimate Press, she has overseen the publication of several works of nonfiction and poetry. Visit her FB page here.

George Sirois, author of Excelsior, a self-published YA/Science Fiction novel will judge the Sci Fi Short Story contest. His novel was named “Top Pick” by Night Owl Reviews, and was a quarter-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Thereafter, the novel was acquired by Rocking Horse Publishing. Two sequels to Excelsior are planned. For more on Sirois, visit his website: http://www.georgesirois.com.

Remember, contests are open to everyone who attends the “Fifty Shades of Writing” Conference AND Missouri Writers’ Guild members. The top three winners in each category will win cash prizes.

Click here to register for the conference >>>

Click here to view submission guidelines for the conference contests>>>

MWG 2014 Conference Volunteer Opportunities

2014-02-18T13:34:00.001-06:00

The Missouri Writers’ Guild is a non-profit organization and is run on a volunteer basis. While board members do much to organize the conference throughout the year, more help is needed during the conference weekend.

The "Fifty Shades of Writing" Conference takes place Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13. Volunteers are needed for Friday and Saturday.

MWG volunteers, while receiving the added bonus of receiving additional face time with our conference faculty, help keep the conference costs low. Please consider supporting the board's continued efforts to offer attendees a first-class conference line-up and activities at an affordable rate by volunteering for the below jobs.

Contacts for Volunteering:

Please contact these persons directly to volunteer in that area. More information for each volunteer opportunity can be found by reading below.

Registration – Brain Katcher
Shepherds – Brad Cook
Pitch Sessions – Brain Katcher
Basket Wars – Sarah Whitney
Writing Contests – Donna Essner

Registration:

We need kind, patient people to man/woman our registration table throughout the conference.
Registration will open on Friday afternoon at 1pm and continue through Saturday afternoon. Our goal is to have enough volunteers so that no one spends more than an hour or two throughout the conference working at the registration table.
If you could volunteer an hour to help, please contact Brain Katcher.

Shepherds:
In order to make sure our Speakers and Faculty are at the appropriate place at the correct time we pair each of them up with one volunteer – known as Shepherds. Shepherding is the best gig (next to being MWG President) for getting to know the speakers one-on-one.
If you would like to do this, contact Brad Cook.

Pitch Sessions:

One of the best perks about attending the MWG Conference is the chance to have a personal, one-on-one conversation with an agent, editor or publisher. In order for this to run smoothly we need a dedicated crew of people to keep the appointments on time.
If you could volunteer an hour to help please contact Brain Katcher.

Basket Wars:

Click HERE for all information about the Basket Wars. All writing organizations are eligible to enter Basket Wars this year. That means, in addition to chapters, entries are accepted from critique groups, book stores, other writing groups and businesses. The only requirement is that if you win, the prize money must be used for a writing related purpose – such as bringing in a speaker for a meeting, defraying the costs of a writing retreat, or covering expenses for a writing workshop.
If you plan to compete in Basket Wars, please e-mail Sarah Whitney.

Registration for the conference ends on March 31 at 9 p.m. CST. Click here to register now >>>>

Literary Agent Sorche Fairbank Tackles Rejection During Breakout Session At Upcoming Missouri Writers' Guild Conference

2014-01-13T13:47:00.001-06:00

The most frustrating hurdle for many new writers is how does one impress a literary agent? How can a writer make their query letter stand out among the hundreds of others? How do you get your foot in the door without being pushy?

Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank, literary agent and founder of Fairbank Literary Representation, has helped authors see their work in print for more than twelve years. She’s also well known for being one of the most easy going and approachable agents in the world of publishing.

During the Missouri Writers’ Guild conference, Fairbank will be taking pitch appointments on Saturday, April 12. Remember, this is on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. See the Fairbank website to see which type of manuscripts she is currently accepting.

On Friday, April 11, Fairbank will present the Early Arrival Seminar “How To Talk to an Agent, and Other *Important* Conference Topics.” This informal pre-conference talk will cover topics from the best way to pitch, how to get the most out of the conference, to what NOT to do under any circumstances.

On Saturday, Fairbank presents the breakout session “Rejection, Rejection: Why It’s Happening To You, and How To Avoid It.” Attendees will dig into the murky world of rejection. Learn what some standard rejection phrasing means (i.e., agent-speak), and why so many rejections are simply a form letter. Attendees will find out if they are guilty of one or more of the top twenty reasons for rejection, and participate in a frank discussion about second chances with agents and publishers. Fairbank will offer suggestions as to when to listen to advice and when to chalk things up to subjective difference, and how best to turn that “No” into a “Yes,” or at least a “Please send me more.”

Fairbank will also present the “Agent on the Spot Q&A Session.” She will address the most common questions asked about agents and agenting, as well as the ever-changing state of publishing and getting one’s work noticed. Attendees may send Fairbank questions in advance to: QUESTIONS@fairbankliterary.com. Limit questions to no more than 70 words, and one question per e-mail. There will also be ample opportunity to ask questions during this enlightening breakout session.

Finally, Fairbank will teach a Masters class on Sunday, April 13, entitled “How to Query/Pitch/Describe/Summarize/Talk About your Book.” This interactive, intensive session will cover how to talk (and write) about your book in one sentence, in one paragraph, and in one page. Fairbank will go over uses for each, from logline/elevator pitches to the query synopsis. And for DIY authors, book jacket descriptions, press releases, Amazon descriptions, and more.

A complete description of Fairbank’s workshops can be found on the MWG web site.

Brian: First, Sorche, I’d like to thank you for taking the time for being a guest on our 2014 MWG Conference blog. We are obviously very excited to have you as part of our faculty at our “Fifty Shades of Writing” conference. Welcome.

Sorche: Thanks for the welcome. I’m excited about this conference already!

Brian: Rejection. Every author knows it well, so I predict your breakout session on this very topic will be popular. In part, I see you’ll be covering the top twenty reasons for rejection. Without giving away the ending, could you tell us one of the big time errors new writers make when approaching an agent?

Sorche: I have a simple answer to this question – the work isn’t ready yet for prime time. These days with the allure of quick DIY publishing, the value of process seems to have taken a backseat, and authors, even those who hope to be published traditionally, frequently are over-eager to declare their work finished long before it is.

Brian: We all know what it’s like to send that envelope or e-mail containing all our hopes and dreams. So what’s it like on the other end? Could you briefly describe what happens when you receive a new manuscript?

Sorche: It can differ from agency to agency, but in a nutshell:

Query arrives, usually with the first few pages, by mail or email.
Intern(s) have the first look through and sort out the ones that clearly aren’t what we rep (screenplays, poetry, picture books. . .). They read and sort the rest, with their quick comments on the envelope for me to see.
I read all submissions, whenever I have time set aside. (nights/weekends/ on the train).
The majority are a pass for me – either they just didn’t grab me, or, wait for it, they didn’t feel ready. Those folks get rejection letters or emails. The ones that felt worthy of a longer look, I request a much longer sample, and synopsis.
When those partials arrive, steps two through four are more or less repeated. Intern(s) take a first read and give their notes, then I read. Very few make it all the way to a request for a full, I’m afraid. If I finish the sample and I’m not crazed with needing to see the rest, and worried that my fine agent colleagues will beat me to the punch, then it’s likely a pass. In total, I sign on 4 to 8 new authors in a given year. I’m always looking for that next new AMAZING author, but I am also fiercely protective of my time and roster.

Brian: Rejection, rejection. You can tell so little from a form letter, and some agents don’t even bother sending rejections anymore. What’s the next step for an author? Is it possible to resubmit to an agent who’s already told you no?

Sorche: If you steel yourself to the worst thing that will happen – another no – then yes, it’s possible to resubmit. It all depends on the agent, whether or not he/she will take a second or fourth look at something. All the more reason to make sure your work is truly ready to send out – things I’ll be covering in the rejection and the query/talk about your book class.

Brian: I notice that a handful of your many publishing credits are with university presses. What can you tell us about working with these publishers? Would you recommend them to authors looking for a home for their book?

Sorche: These were all very specific cases – in one instance, I sold an author’s commercial work, but he also had three other book projects, all academic, so I helped him place and negotiate those contracts.

In a few other cases, we turned to the university presses after trying the commercial houses –and in one of those cases the book went on to be an international bestseller, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Extremely unusual for a university press.

I never take on a new client/work if it feels like a university press book from the get-go (i.e. not a commercial book), as it’s just not financially viable. That said, it’s potentially a terrific option for authors to consider for certain kinds of books. Know your audience. Get to know the lists and backlists before querying publishers directly. And know that university presses are exacting, and expect a lot from the author and the work.

Brian: While it’s conventional wisdom to never submit an unfinished fiction book, I understand that’s not necessarily true for nonfiction. At what point can you contact an agent with an unfinished nonfiction project? How much do you like to see completed in advance?

Sorche: Nonfiction is often sold on proposal and sample chapters/pages. You’ll need an airtight proposal, and I suggest doing that before doing too much of the writing. Each should inform the other. I love and recommend Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato’s book, Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published. In fact, I assign it to all our serious narrative nonfiction authors. When I request a nonfiction work, I ask for proposal and up to three sample chapters for evaluation. The proposal includes a pretty thorough outline, so that I can get a real feel for the shape of the book as finished.

Memoir is held more to fiction rules than nonfiction. Most sell on complete manuscript, though I have sold a fair number on outline and samples. The bigger and clearer the hook, the better your chance at it selling on proposal and chapters. The biggest thing to remember about memoir is that it’s not an account of what happened, it’s the story of what happened, which means we generally need to see the beginning, middle, and end. The arc and the reader reward matter greatly.

Brian: You seem to have a very good reputation among people you’ve worked with, and have been described as both professional and approachable. However, we all know that not all agents are upstanding business people. Speaking as a guy who once nearly dumped two hundred bucks on a scam artist, it pays to be cautious before signing anything. What do hopeful writers need to be wary of when considering signing with an agent?

Sorche: In this day and age, the internet is your friend. You can pretty quickly separate scam from legit, and there are so many websites to aid you in your search, from Writer Beware to aaronline.org. I’ll have a handout at the conference that lists a few of these.

But the most important thing to look for with an agent is the agent’s sales track record. If the agent is brand new, you’re taking a leap of faith, mitigated somewhat if the agent is with a larger established agency.

Brian: We all know the life of a literary agent is glamorous and wild. Could you share one of your most exciting stories/accomplishments as an agent?

Sorche: If by glamorous you mean running around a gray and icy New York City hoping to find a hardware store open in the early hours to buy a roll of special carpenter’s tape that a cookbook author needed within the hour for her appearance on a NY morning television show, then yes, pile on the excitement.

Or maybe it means the untold hours of unpaid editing work on nights and weekends, or having to drop everything to rush down to the city to convince the president and publisher not to cancel a big book just because an event happened across the world that changed the crux of it. (The book was saved and we crashed it to have it released early with the new information in it)

Or perhaps the heady glamour is captured in the time that I went in for a meeting with an executive editor of Harper Collins to discuss an author’s debut work, and I was ushered into a large conference room instead of his office. There must have been 16 or 18 seats around the large table and steadily more people trickled in and introduced themselves as we waited for the editor. As each new person from sales, marketing, and publicity came in, I was more and more impressed by how seriously they were taking this new work. That all came crashing down of course, when it became apparent that someone had mixed up time and room for the agent repping The Bee Gees.

Glamorous, no. Fulfilling, entertaining, and the best job in the world, yes.

Brian: If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer, what would that be?

Sorche: Respect that strong writing is something you work toward. Nowhere else in the arts is so much emphasis placed by the artist on a single debut work. You wouldn’t expect to paint one painting and have it hung in a museum, or write your first song and expect it to win a Grammy. Your worth as a writer should never be wrapped up in an early single work. Keep writing. Keep reading.

Thank you very much for your time, Sorche. We look forward to seeing you at the conference.

If you are thinking about attending the MWG “Fifty Shades of Writing” annual conference in St. Louis to pitch to Sorche, be sure to register soon. Agent pitch assignments are given on a first come, first served basis.

Click here to register today.

Missouri Writers’ Guild President’s Contests Open for Submission

2014-01-06T18:13:00.002-06:00

Some of the most coveted awards by Missouri Writers’ Guild members are the President’s contests awards, which will again be awarded at the 2014 MWG conference to be held April 11-13, 2014 at the St. Louis Ramada Inn/Downtown St. Louis.

Now is the time to enter. All entries to the MWG President’s contests for the 2014 MWG conference will be accepted from January 1 to January 31, 2014 only. So, get those entries submitted.

The MWG conference committee and MWG board members would like to thank each of the sponsors for sponsoring the 2014 President’s contests! Below is a listing of each category and its sponsor.

Walter Williams Major Work Award
Sponsored by Missouri Center for the Book
This should be a major work whether in book form or in some other form of publication, a work considered to be worthy of special recognition because of the research or high literary quality involved in its creation. This award is open to any type of publication or production, including fiction, nonfiction, scripts, poetry (as in a poetry collection in a book), books and anthologies (if sole author or editor). Please note that self-published works are not eligible for this category.

Best Newspaper Article or Column
Sponsored by Missouri Press Association

Best Magazine Article
Sponsored by Missouri Life Magazine

Best Anthology
Sponsored by Blank Slate Press

Best Poem
Sponsored by Mozark Press

“Show Me” Best Book Award
Sponsored by Blank Slate Press
Book-length works of fiction, including juvenile, or nonfiction, as well as books of poetry are accepted.

Awards

The Walter Williams awards are as follows: first place receives $100, second place $50, and third place $25. Honorable mentions may be named at the discretion of the judges. First place will also receive a plaque.

Awards for Best Newspaper Article, Magazine Article, Anthology and Best Poem are: First place receives $50, second place receives $25, and third place receives $15. Honorable mentions may be named at the discretion of the judges.

If there are fewer than six entries in any category, except for the Walter Williams Award, no
prizes will be given in that category unless in the judges’ opinion, the work submitted is of such quality as to merit recognition. Similarly, the Walter Williams Award may be withheld if in the opinion of the judges, no material of sufficient literary merit is submitted.

How to Submit

President's contests are open only to Guild members whose dues are paid in full.
Entry fee per category is $10.
Only one entry per category please.
Submissions must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 2014.

All entries for any of the President’s contests should be mailed to:

Missouri Writers’ Guild President’s Contest
c/o Steve Wiegenstein, President
4700 Roemer Rd.
Columbia, MO 65202

Please include sufficient postage!

For the complete contest rules and submission guidelines, visit the MWG conference contest website. Also, for any further questions, please contact Steve Wiegenstein at mwgpres@gmail.com. Put MWG Contest in the subject line of the email.

And last but not least, check out the Chapter and Sponsor contests that are open for submissions until March 1, 2014!

Early Bird Registration Ends Dec. 31. Register Today & Lock in Savings!

2013-12-30T12:40:00.002-06:00

Early Bird Registration for the 99^th Annual “Fifty Shades of Writing” Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference ends tomorrow! Hurry to take advantage of discounted registration rates just for registering early!

The conference will take place April 11-13, 2014 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel St. Louis Downtown Convention Center.

“This year’s conference reflects the many ‘shades of writing’ through our conference line-up, which addresses topics like non-fiction, query letters, agent etiquette, mystery writing, character building and more,” said 2014 Conference Chair Lisa Miller who is also the owner of St. Louis-based Walrus Publishing, Inc. “Regardless of whether they’re published or not, conference attendees will have an opportunity to network with writing professionals from around the country who can help them reach their writing goals.”

Early Bird Registration ends tomorrow at 9 p.m. Register now!

Early Bird Registration rates are:

$135 for MWG members
$145 for chapter members
$165 for the general public.

Those who register early will experience a savings of $30 and get a whole lot more in return. For the above low rates, conference attendees can attend a jam-packed 2-day intensive writing conference that includes the following activities to help them reach their writing goals.

Friday Conference Activities

- Early arrival 2-hour session called, "How to talk to an agent and other important conference topics" presented by Literary Agent Sorche Fairbank.

- Agents Read the Slush Pile session, where attendees may submit the beginning pages of their manuscripts for the agents to read and provide feedback.

- Night Cap Sessions: An informal time when conference faculty and attendees break into smaller groups for more intimate discussions on a variety of writing and publishing related topics.

- Open Mic, hosted by the St. Louis Writers' Guild

- Book store and author signing times for Faculty and MWG Members.

Saturday Conference Activities

- Welcoming Session called, "Pitch Perfect" by Writer's Digest Editor Chuck Sambuchino after conference faculty introductions.

- A selection of 16 breakout sessions to choose from throughout the day. Topics include query letters, dealing with rejection, building your freelance portfolio, moving your book to the silver screen, deep editing techniques, developing active settings and more. Full descriptions are on the breakout sessions page on the MWG conference website.

- Individual Pitch Sessions with Agents & Editors. All conference attendees receive scheduled, individual face time with agents and editors during Saturday to pitch their manuscripts. Pitch assignments are made on a first-come, first-serve basis according to the attendee's order of registration. Another good reason to register early! Additional information about Pitch Appointments is on the Agent & Editor Pitch Page.

- Lunch is included with your registration. In addition, Best-selling Author Mary Buckham will give this year's Luncheon Keynote Speech.

- Regular conference activities conclude with networking time at 9th Street Restaurant & Lounge.

Matthew Frederick

Chuck Sambuchino

All of the above activities are what's included with the conference registration fee, which starts at $135.

Register early and save $30. In addition, anyone who registers early will be entered into a raffle to win a free practice pitch session with literary scout and author Matthew Frederick.

You could also win a chance to purchase a query letter critique and one-on-one review session with Writer's Digest Book Editor Chuck Sambuchino. Mr. Sambuchino has limited his query letter critique sessions to 10.

Be sure to register by Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. to get your chance to win one of these great opportunities in addition to the benefits provided by this year's "50 Shades of Writing" Conference.

Click here to register via Paypal >>>

Click here to register by mail (PDF) >>>

Hurry and act now. Prices increase on Jan. 1 to:

$165 for MWG members
$175 for Chapter Members
$195 for the general public

Register today and reserve your spot at one of the biggest writing conferences in the Midwest at a great price!

Sign Me Up for the 2014 "50 Shades of Writing" Missouri Writers' Guild Conference >>>

Danita Allen Wood, of Missouri Life, to Present at MWG "Fifty Shades of Writing" Conference

2013-12-23T10:11:00.002-06:00

Danita Allen Wood and her husband, Greg, revived Missouri Life magazine in 1999.

Missouri Life was recently named Magazine of the Year by the International Regional Magazine Association for the second time. Missouri Life Inc. also publishes Missouri Business, a magazine for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as books and other custom projects. She was also founding editor-in-chief of Country America, which grew to one million paid subscribers, which ranked the magazine at Number 76 of the Top 100 magazines by circulation. Wood also taught journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, holding the Meredith Chair until 2005.

Wood will present the breakout session How to Pitch Nonfiction to a Magazine. This session will walk you through pitching your story to a magazine, large or small, and touch on topics from getting through the gatekeepers to the best ways to pitch, to the working relationship with an editor and handling revisions.

Wood will also be available for pitch appointments on Saturday. Remember, this is on a first come, first served situation, so be sure to register early!

Brian: Ms. Wood, welcome. It’s so nice to have a successful Missourian publisher at our special Fifty Shades of Writing Conference.

So, I’ve read that you and your husband revived Missouri Life. I understand you did this when you realized Missouri didn’t have its own state magazine. Why did you feel this was something the state needed?

Danita Allen Wood: I don’t recall whether I thought the state needed the magazine. Rather, I think it was a case of me thinking, “Oh, this would be fun!” I liked making magazines, and I thought I could do it. I thought telling the stories of Missouri’s fascinating people, places, and past would be great fun, and I suppose on some level, I thought it would be a worthwhile thing to do.

Brian: Starting a publication from scratch seems pretty daunting. Also, we know the publishing industry can be brutal. With that in mind, could you take us through your journey in establishing the magazine, and perhaps share what obstacles you encountered? Considering that “hindsight is 20/20,” is there any advice you could share with other entrepreneurial spirits who might also want to take the plunge and launch their own magazine?

Danita: DON’T DO IT! ARE YOU CRAZY? Just kidding, although there were definitely times I might have thought that. It IS daunting. The statistics are not in our favor. Only about 30 percent of new magazines started are still around for a first birthday, and much, much fewer for their fifth birthday. We’re about to have our 15^th birthday. That said, let me hasten to add that there was a magazine started in 1973 called Missouri Life. It had a wonderful reputation under the founding editor Bill Nunn. But then it changed hands many times and the name had changed, too. It was almost defunct (probably fewer than 500 paying subscribers) when we took it over. So technically, we “relaunched” a magazine. But it was exactly like a start-up.

Brian: I gave up on being published in a magazine when MAD said I just couldn’t write to their standards. Since you will be presenting a session at the conference on “Pitching to Nonfiction Magazines,” could you give us a tip or two—just to whet our appetites—as to what you look for when a writer pitches an article idea to you?

Danita: Amaze and surprise me with what I don’t know about Missouri, (because that’s what we like to do for our readers) or give me fresh, creative ways to approach stories on topics worth covering again.

Brian: You spent many years exiled in Iowa. What brought you back to the more civilized state to the south? Was it to bring Missouri Life back to life? Or did it evolve from another avenue you wanted to pursue?

Danita: I wanted my children to get to know their grandparents, and in my career at Meredith, I felt I was on the road too much. I actually moved back to take the Meredith Chair at the School of Journalism and to teach. I just couldn’t keep myself out of the magazine business, apparently, and Missouri Life is the result.

Brian: Missouri is often considered a ‘flyover’ state, one which many coast-dwellers only see from the window of an airplane, and often wonder, ‘Why would anyone want to live there?!’ Missourians know we have much to offer! What is one of the things that would you say to someone from one of the ‘lesser’ 49 states who has never visited Missouri?

Danita: It’s a Wonderful Missouri Life! Where else do the eastern hardwood forests turn into the western plains and prairies? The northern glaciers rolled down to the Missouri River, and then the Ozark Mountains bumped up below? You simply have to read the magazine to discover all the wonders.

Brian: One last question: Is it Missouree or Missourah?

Danita: Mi-zoor-uh!

Thank you very much for your time, Danita. We look forward to seeing you at the conference.

If you are thinking about attending the “Fifty Shades of Writing” annual conference to hear Danita speak, be sure to register by Dec. 31 to get the early bird discounts. In addition, early bird registrants can enter Chuck Sambuchino's query letter raffle and Matthew Frederick's pitch practice raffle.

Click here to register for the Missouri Writers' Guild conference today.

Everything You Need to Know About Chuck Sambuchino

2013-12-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Conference Interview by MWG Board Member & Author Brian Katcher.

CHUCK SAMBUCHINO is an editor for Writer’s Digest Books, a bestselling humor book writer, and a freelance editor. He works for Writer’s Digest Books and edits the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS as well as the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the biggest blogs in publishing.

And can you believe he’s coming to the Missouri Writer’s Guild conference in April 2014? I mean, like in person? And if you register by Dec. 31—wait for it—you’ll have a chance to talk to Mr. Samcuchino one on one!

Saturday Night, Mr. Sambuchino will be giving the keynote address: ‘How to Get Published: Professional Writing Practices & What Editors Want.’ That kind of says it all, doesn’t it?

Finally, he’ll be running the following workshops:

Everything You Need to Know About Agents - Chuck Sambuchino

This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with agents. After quickly going over what an agent is and what agents do for writers, we will discuss resources for finding agents, how to ID the best agents for you, query letter writing, as well as the most important things to do and not to do when dealing with representatives. This topic often leads to a lot of Q&A. Handouts provided. This session targets fiction, children’s and nonfiction writers.

Building Your Freelance Portfolio (Writing for Magazines and Newspapers 101) - Chuck Sambuchino

This presentation studies the basics of freelancing—how to write articles for magazines, newspapers and websites. It targets writers new to this arena. It shows how to identify markets, realize your own specialties, structure a magazine query, come up with ideas, resell ideas, and more.

Brian: Mr. Sambuchino, thank you so much for agreeing to answer our questions. Quite frankly, I’m a little bit in awe of you.

Well, I have to ask, how does one go about becoming an editor for one of the most powerful resources for aspiring authors? I assume those stories of pacts with the devil are nothing but rumors.

Chuck: Don't be so quick to ignore those stories. Such a pact worked for gunslinger Johnny Ringo, ya know.

As for WD, I just started at the bottom. Simple as that. I began at the lowest editorial position for Writer's Digest magazine, opening letters and handling contests. They gave me more responsibility as time went on. Then when the in-house opening came about for the editor of Guide to Literary Agents, I applied and got the job. In my 6 years editing GLA, its presence online has really grown through blogging and guest blogging and social media.

Brian: The Guide to Literary Agents is possibly the most influential publication in this market. I remember working my way through the 2006 version. I’m sure it’s still stained with my tears from all the ‘Xs’ marked next to the agents who rejected my submissions. (Sniff.) Could you explain for writers who may not be familiar with this publication, some of the information contained therein and how it actually helps writers?

Chuck: The easiest way to describe GLA is "a yellow pages of literary agents." It's a huge database of agents—who they are, what they want, how to submit to them, books they've sold. Once writers finish their book, getting a literary agent is an important next step, if they want to get the book traditionally published and see it in bookstores. That's where GLA comes in. Besides info on more than 1,000 agents, there are also about 100 pages of upfront instructional information on need-to-know topics such as writing a query letter, synopses, book proposals, the craft of writing, and much more.

Plus, I created the GLA Blog to supplement the book and stay abreast of the most recent changes in the agenting world.

Brian: Finding a literary agent can be a hit and miss proposition. Would you mind to offer a bit of advice on how to approach and select a literary agent?

Chuck: When you're first creating your list of possible agents, it's important to cast a wide net and create a large list for yourself. Once the list is created, you can start to create tiers, and learn more about each agent by researching them online. There will be "ideal" agents for your book judging on their background, their likes, and their past book sales.

In terms of how to approach them, I could speak a ton on that, and it would take me hours. But I will say this: When querying agents, I would suggest starting with no more than 6-8 submissions. This is because you want to gauge how your work is doing. If you're only submitting to, say, 7 at a time, and you hit 15-20 total with no requests for more, then that's bad. You need to overhaul your query letter and first pages before moving on.

Again, this is a big question you're asking, but I will cover all of this in my agent session at the conference.

Brian: Every editor I’ve talked to has had a hilarious ‘For the love of God, don’t do this!’ story about someone who submitted a manuscript to them. Do you have one of those memorable submissions?

Chuck: Ha. Not really. It's because I'm not an agent and don't get flooded with submissions every day. But one of the best stories I ever heard was about a fisherman up in Maine who wrote a young adult novel. He queried an agent via snail mail, and along with a hard copy of his manuscript, he sent an agent a full crate of lobsters from Maine.

Well, once the lobsters arrived on the west coast, guess how they were looking? Quite dead. Regarding such stories: Because of so many resources and online blogs, and how-to posts everywhere on queries and etiquette, I believe these types of gimmicks are slowly going away. Slowly.

Brian: In addition to being an editor, speaker, and instructor, you also write. Can you tell us a little about writing your humorous fiction books How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack and Red Dog, Blue Dog: When Pooches Get Political? a.) How did you come up with ideas for your books? b.) How long did it take you to write each book? c.) How many revisions were needed before each was ready to be published?

Chuck: Gnomes: I was in the middle of writing and I randomly thought of the movie The Full Monty, which is a 1997 UK comedy. There is a scene with a garden gnome in it that has very little to do with the actual movie, but I was thinking about this scene and cracking up. But the more I thought about actual garden gnomes, I couldn't believe people actually owned these things. I started to get creeped out, thinking perhaps they were watching me at that very minute. Then I realized that if gnomes scared me, certainly they scared others, as well. That was the genesis of the idea.

Once my agent got me the book deal, it took me 2-3 months to write that book. And there were no major drafts of it, but my Ten Speed Press editor and I did do some tweaking—especially trimming—over the editing months.

Red Dog: My wife and I were actually out to dinner, and she could see that I was stressed out because I didn't have any new humor book concepts. So she suggested we brainstorm over dinner, and during that brainstorm it was she who suggested combining my love of dogs and my love of politics. That was it. I didn't have much time to write that book, either—maybe 3-4 months—and it was difficult to collect so many photos from kind people, and get all those image release forms.

Brian: In addition to their dreams of seeing their book in print, writers also may envision the possibility of optioning their book for movie rights and seeing it come alive on the big screen. This dream came to life for you when your 2010 novel, How to Survive A Garden Gnome Attack, was optioned for film rights.

Can you lead us through the process of having your book optioned? Did director Robert Zemeckis and/or Sony Pictures contact your agent, Sorche Fairbank? Or did she pitch the book to them? Also, when can we expect to see the movie?

Chuck: While there are upsides to self-publishing, this right here—the GNOME book getting optioned—illustrates one of the major, major upsides of traditional publishing. If you have a literary agent, that agent likely has co-agents in Hollywood who try to sell the film rights to books.

My agent had such a Hollywood partner, and passed my book to him. As typical, he started to send it out to producers to drum up interest. Somewhere in the middle of this process, Robert Zemeckis and his people from his production company, Imagemovers, contacted my book-to-film agent in L.A. and expressed interest in buying the rights.

You must understand this process went completely around me. I was just sitting on the couch when this happened. That is the beauty of having good agents working for you.

In terms of when the movie will come to life, that is not easy to tell. It's moving forward, but it all depends on getting the right script and right people attached to it. So once that happens, Sony could greenlight it. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed over here.

Brian: Is there anything else you’d like to share? Final advice for writers, or future projects you want to share? The floor is yours!

Chuck: I look forward to meeting everyone at the 2014 conference. If you are on the fence about attending, I highly suggest you come. Conferences are where you learn about writing, recharge your batteries, meet agents, make writing friends for life, and more. I know the literary agents in attendance, and they are all fantastic, and open to signing new clients.

In terms of personal news, I recently opened myself up to taking on freelance editing projects—queries, synopses and manuscripts. So if that is up your alley, check out my personal webpage here. Thanks, all!

Get Ready, Get Set, Write! 2014 MWG Conference Writing Contests Announced

2013-12-02T13:15:00.002-06:00

It’s almost time again—for the 2014 MWG contests, that is—so get ready, get set, write! Below are the current writing contest categories for the President’s, Chapter, and Sponsor contests. This year we have two new additions to the contests—a YA Short Story contest and a Sci Fi Short Story contest.

Also new this year is an increase in the entry fee to $10 for all contests. Along with this increase in fees is an increase in awards. Winners of the President’s contests will receive $100/$50/$25 for First, Second, and Third place, respectively. Awards for First, Second, and Third place winner for the Chapter and Sponsor contests will be $50/$25/$15.

2014 President’s Contests

1. Walter Williams Major Work Award – Sponsored by Missouri Center for the Book

2. Best Newspaper Article or Column – Sponsored by Missouri Press Association

3. Best Magazine Article – Sponsored by Missouri Life Magazine

4. Best Anthology – Sponsored by Blank Slate Press

5. Best Poem – Sponsored by Mozark Press

6. “Show Me” Best Book Award – Sponsored by Blank Slate Press

2014 MWG Chapter Contests

1. Flash Fiction – Sponsored by Saturday Writers

2. Inspirational Essay – Sponsored by Saturday Writers

3. Free Verse Poem – Sponsored by St. Louis Writer’s Guild

4. Short Story – Sponsored by Southeast Missouri Writers’ Guild

5. YA Short Story – Sponsored by Southeast Missouri Writers’ Guild (NEW CONTEST)

2014 MWG Sponsor Contests

1. Humorous Short Story – Sponsored by Jo Anna Dale

2. Sci Fi Short Story – Sponsored by Walrus Publishing (NEW CONTEST)

All contest categories will accept entries beginning January 1, 2014. The President’s contest will accept entries until January 31, 2014, and entries to the Chapter and Sponsor contests will be accepted until March 1, 2014. Also, the names and bios of each contest judge will be listed on the conference website by January 1, 2014.

And last, but not least, the conference committee is still seeking contest sponsors for several Chapter and Sponsor contests. Also, if you or your chapter is interested in sponsoring a new contest, e-mail Donna Essner at mwgsecretary@gmail.com. Write “Contest Sponsor” in subject line.

Complete contest guidelines and contest descriptions will be available on the MWG website within the next few days. So, keep your eyes peeled, your pens poised, and your fingers nimble, then get ready, get set, write!

Contact Donna with any additional contest-related questions, but first click here for additional information >>>

Submitted by Donna J. Essner | djessner-thewriteworld.blogspot.com

Register now for the 2014 MWG Conference & get the Early Bird Rate >>>

USA Today Bestselling Author Mary Buckham to Give Keynote Luncheon During MWG Conference

2013-11-20T09:30:00.001-06:00

As any writer knows, crafting a story—whether fiction or nonfiction—often takes a writer on a journey of discovery. Sometimes the road is virtual. Other times, its actual.

Mary Buckham, USA Today bestselling author of high-concept urban fantasy and romantic suspense stories, credits her many international travels and her natural curiosity to creating her highly sought-after fiction books noted for their pacing, setting details and in-depth characterizations. She also credits teaching other writers of all genres, live and online, as the reason her writing craft books have been consistent bestsellers at Amazon.

In addition to Mary’s travel and teaching, she has co-authored the Red Moon series with New York Times bestseller, Dianna Love. Currently, she is neck-deep into her Urban Fantasy series, INVISIBLE RECRUITS, about five women who combat preternatural beings fighting for world domination. And the latest of her three-book series, WRITING ACTIVE SETTING, assists thousands of writers worldwide with techniques to create super-powered manuscripts.

During the 2014 Missouri Writers’ Guild conference, Buckham will present two breakout sessions on Saturday, April 12, teach a 3-hour workshop on Sunday, April 13, and present the keynote during the Saturday luncheon.

The first of Buckham’s breakout sessions, “Analyze This: Scene Survival Test: Test Your Scene’s Strength,” will assist writers in learning the three key elements to what makes a powerful scene, what a scene MUST do, the difference between scene and sequel, and how POV impacts your scenes.

Another of Buckham’s popular workshops, “Active Settings: For All Genres and Sub-Genres,” spells out the difference between active and passive setting, as well as how setting can show conflict, emotion, and characterization, among other important aspects writers need to consider when crafting a story.

Her Sunday Master class, “Super Power Openings,” expands on developing techniques such as characterization and hooks, as well as pacing that writers can use for a powerful opening and throughout their entire manuscript.

A complete description of Buckham’s workshops can be found on the Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference web site.

Brian Katcher: First, Mary, I’d like to thank you for being a part of our faculty at our 2014 MWG Conference, We are all very excited to have you at our MWG “Fifty Shades of Writing” conference. So, “Welcome to Missouri!”

Mary Buckham: Thank you! Both for having me as a speaker at your amazing upcoming conference and for the opportunity to connect with so many writers through this blog, too!

Brian: I see that you credit your success in writing to your years of international travel. Could you give us a bit of background on how you began your writing career, as well as how your adventures helped you build your success as a USA Today bestselling author?

Mary: As for how my background helped in launching a writing career, I think writers are like sponges—nothing they see, hear, experience or learn goes to waste. It’s all grist for a story, a better understanding of a character, a motivation that can drive a plot forward. For myself, while in college I attended four different universities in four distinct locations in order to see, not only a larger world, but to understand first hand about different people and cultures and what makes them tick.

In those four years I spent time in my home state of Washington, but in a different city 300 miles away from home (Seattle). Then I went to Hawaii (eastern cultures), then Italy for a year, where I traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Then I was back in Washington, D.C., where I graduated with a degree in International Relations and a minor in Sino-Soviet History. Before settling down, I returned to England where I was married, then jumped into the most intense career I’ve ever had—raising five children while working in International Finance and Accounting as a magazine editor and contributing editor. All of which have fueled my story lines and my fascination with people and what makes us tick.

Brian: If I may lift a question from your FAQ on your website, what advice would you give the aspiring author who says, “I want my book to be on the shelf next year!” What are the magic steps to become a best-selling author right now?

Mary: LOL! My first response is there is no quick path to publication.

We hear about those whose first book is published and make millions, but the reason we hear about those books is because they are the exception, not the norm. We also don’t hear about the number of versions that book went through before it was ready for publication, or how many years were required to master the craft.

Knowing that becoming published is a process, can help us pace ourselves, accept the speed bumps that will happen, and continue to move forward. This process is not a sprint; it’s a marathon, but it is doable.

That’s the important part to remember. There are no magic steps and there is a lot of hard work, but for those who persevere, who don’t give up, and continue to write, publication is a reality.

Brian: Conventional wisdom tells us that it is the characters and the plot most readers remember about a story. However, we know there is much more to a good story than just its characters. In your three-book series, “Writing Active Setting,” it is mentioned that setting is just as important in creating a good story, and that “Ordinary Setting bogs down your story,” but “Active Setting empowers your story . . . regardless of what you write.” With that in mind, is there a bullet list for writers to follow to insure their settings go from ho-hum to Wow! And is there any one particular aspect of writing active setting that is more important than another?

Mary: Because every writer struggles with different elements of good story telling there’s no one answer for everyone. Joe may need to learn how to create deeper subtext on the page via Setting. Sue may be using chunks of narrative description that’s slowing her pacing to a snail’s pace, so she needs to learn how to interweave Setting so the reader experiences the story while flipping those pages.

A history or fantasy writer is juggling different reader expectations than say, a thriller or procedural mystery writer, yet all can benefit by understanding how to power up their stories by using Setting.

I think that’s one of the most amazing elements of teaching this particular aspect of writing craft; the fact many writers don’t realize what they are missing on the page until someone is able to point it out. Time and time again I hear writers say, ‘I had no idea how powerful Setting could be,’ and for each of them it’s a different aspect of Setting that took their story from okay to Wow!

Brian: Thank you Mary for your answers to my questions so far. Part 2 of our discussion will be posted on Monday. Be sure to subscribe to the MWG Conference Notes blog so you don't miss anything.

You can meet Mary during the upcoming Missouri Writers' Guild "Fifty Shades of Writing" Annual Conference. Click here to check out all our speaker line up. Everyone who registers between now and Dec. 31 will get the Early Bird Rate.

Interviewed by Brian Katcher, author of Playing with Matches, winner of the 2010-2011 North Carolina Young Adult Book Award; and Almost Perfect, winner of the 2011 Stonewall Young Adult Book Award. His newest book, Everyone Dies in the End: A Romantic Comedy will be out March, 2014. Visit him on the web at www.briankatcher.com

Chuck Sambuchino, Editor at Writer’s Digest Books, to Headline 2014 Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference

2013-11-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Register before Dec. 31 to Receive a Chance to Win a Query Letter Critique from Sambuchino or a 1-on-1 Practice Pitch Session from Best-Selling, Non-Fiction Author Matthew Frederick


Chuck Sambuchino Editor at Writer's Digest Books

SAINT LOUIS (Nov. 7, 2013) – Writer's Digest Books Editor Chuck Sambuchino will headline the 99^th Annual “Fifty Shades of Writing” Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference from April 11-13, 2014 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel St. Louis Downtown Convention Center. Early registration opens today and runs through Dec. 31.

Matthew Frederick
Author

Sambuchino will welcome conference attendees Saturday morning with his “Pitch Perfect” presentation geared to help attendees with their agent pitches. He will spend 20 to 40 minutes talking about what a pitch is and what not to do when sitting next to an agent. He'll also break down what does and doesn’t need to be in a pitch. In addition, he will present the keynote address during the “Annual Show Me Awards Banquet” on Saturday night. Sambuchino edits the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing.

“Writers and authors will want to secure their spot as soon as possible this year,” Miller said, “because, in addition to receiving a considerable Early Bird discount, everyone who registers early may enter a raffle for a chance to purchase one of a limited number of in-person query letter critiques from Mr. Sambuchino.”

Sambuchino has donated 10 in-person query letter critiques to the Guild, a non-profit organization. Early bird registrants may sign up for the raffle during the registration process. Ten names will be

randomly drawn in the first week of January. For a $50 tax-deductible donation to MWG, the winners

will receive one of the in-person query sessions.

In addition to Sambuchino’s sessions, Author Matthew Frederick will do 10, One-on-One Pitch Practice sessions with registrants. Early bird registrants must sign up for this session during registration as well. These sessions will take place on Friday afternoon. There is no charge for the pitch practice sessions.

The “Fifty Shades of Writing” Conference begins Friday afternoon with an early arrival session presented by Literary Agent Sorche Fairbank. Friday night sessions, include a Reading the Slush Pile agent panel, Night Cap Networking sessions and an Open Mic session, presented by The St. Louis Writers’ Guild. Friday afternoon activities will also include Sambuchino’s One-on-One Critique sessions and Matthew Frederick’s Pitch Practice sessions.

Conference breakout sessions, packed with craft-specific instruction and inspiration, begin Saturday morning. Additional activities included in the conference registration fees are agent pitch sessions on a first-registered, first-served basis and a luncheon keynote address by USA Today Best-Selling Author Mary Buckham. In-depth, 3-hour Master Classes are available on Sunday for an additional fee.

The full speaker line-up is listed below.

Early Bird Registration runs through Dec. 31. Registration fees during this period are $135 for MWG members, $145 for chapter members and $165 for the general public. Prices will increase on Jan. 1.

“The breadth of experience and insight provided by this year’s list of writing experts, agents and successful authors will once again prove that the Missouri Writers’ Conference offers, not only Midwest hospitality, but provides the best value of any writing conference anywhere,” Miller said.
Registration information and payment through PayPal is available at www.missouriwritersguild.org.

Additional opportunities include the Saturday night banquet, Sunday Master Classes and book signing events. Tickets for Saturday night’s writing awards banquet, featuring Chuck Sambuchino, can be purchased for an additional $40 for conference attendees and $45 to the general public. For an additional $50, conference attendees can register for an in-depth Master Class to be held Sunday morning.

SPEAKER LINE UP

Danita Allen Wood
Missouri Life Editor

Danita Allen Wood, Editor-in-Chief of Missouri Life Magazine

Ken Sherman, Literary Agent

Ken Sherman, President of Ken Sherman & Associates Literary Agency

Laura Biagi
Literary Agent

Laura Biagi, Agent at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency Inc.

Margie Lawson

Margie Lawson, of Lawson’s Writing Academy

Mary Buckham
Author

Mary Buckham, USA Today Best Selling Author

Sorche Fairbank
Literary Agent

Sorche Fairbank, Agent at Fairbank Literacy

Chuck Sambuchino, Editor at Writer’s Digest Books

Gina Panerttieri

Gina Panettieri, President of Talcott Notch Literary Services


Matthew Frederick Author

Matthew Frederick, Architect & Best Selling Non-Fiction Author

Additional information regarding speakers, classes or registration can be found at www.missouriwritersguild.org or http://mwgconference.blogspot.com.

Requests for additional information or questions, contact Conference Chair Lisa Miller at mwgconferenceinfo@gmail.com.

Save the Date for the 2014 Annual MWG Conference

2013-10-22T21:09:00.001-05:00

The Missouri Writers’ Guild Annual Conference will take place April 11-13, 2014, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel St Louis Downtown Convention Center. Registration information and a full speaker lineup will be announced in early November.

The Ramada Plaza Hotel St. Louis is located in the heart of St. Louis across from the America's Center and has easy access to area attractions and dining. Rooms for conference attendees will be available for a reasonably priced group rate. In addition, a special $5 parking rate for the hotel’s parking garage is included in the hotel rate or $5 for attendees all day.

Chuck Sambuchino of Writer's Digest Books will open the conference Saturday morning with his “Pitch Perfect” presentation that will help attendees with their pitches. He will spend 20-40 minutes talking about what a pitch is and what NOT to do when sitting down next to an agent. He'll also break down what needs to be in a pitch and what NOT to include. In addition, he will give the keynote address during the Show Me Awards Banquet on Saturday Night. Chuck edits the GUIDE TOLITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN'SWRITER'S & ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET. His Guideto Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Fifty Shades of Writing” and will feature an early arrival session Friday afternoon, a slush panel session Friday night and a great lineup of agents, publishers, and editors for pitch sessions on Saturday, innovative workshops throughout the day on Saturday, and some excellent, intensive master classes on Sunday.

A full speaker list will be released at www.missouriwritersguild.org on November 1. Subscribe to the MWG Conference Notes Blog to receive details as they are released.

2013 Missouri Writers' Guild Conference Photos

2013-05-03T10:12:00.001-05:00

The Annual Conference had a lovely banquet at the Sheraton Westport Chalet, with St. Louis Post-Dispatch book editor Jane Henderson as the speaker. Her talk, "No Need to Send a Condom and Other Tips on Approaching the News Media," featured a visual aid of the condom in question, along with a lot of useful information about how authors can advance their message with the media.

Thanks to Jane for her talk! Click here to view more banquet photos on the Missouri Writers' Guild Facebook Page.

Robin Tidwell, Rocking Horse Publishing, Coming to the Conference!

2013-04-22T19:44:00.005-05:00

Please help me welcome, Robin Tidwell, to our blog and April 2013 conference! Robin is the author of REDUCED and REUSED, and lives in the St. Louis area with her husband, Dennis, and their youngest son. She has a rather eclectic educational background, and finally finished her B.A. in interdisciplinary studies. She has held a plethora of jobs, appointments, and volunteer positions, and tries very hard to make it through one week at a time without a crisis. Robin and Dennis are the owners of All on the Same Page Bookstore and Rocking Horse Publishing.

MWG: Welcome, Robin, to the MWG conference blog! Why did you found Rocking Horse Publishing and when?

Robin: I self-published my first book, Reduced, in late August 2012; made a few mistakes; decided to re-do the formatting; and was working on my second book, Reused, when I thought, Hey, why not just start a publishing house? I was already doing book consulting and marketing seminars, etc., so it seemed like a natural fit, especially since we’d opened a bookstore in October 2011.

MWG: I love that--you just thought, WHY NOT START A PUBLISHING HOUSE!! What kind of submissions do you take?

Robin: Right now, we accept all types of fiction and limited nonfiction. So far we’ve done dystopian, romance, and children’s. We have two more children’s and another romance in the works--and a cookbook, humor, and two science fiction (one YA) coming up this year.

MWG: Awesome--that's a great line-up. What will you be doing at the MWG conference this weekend?

Robin: There are several sessions that I’d like to catch, and of course, I’ll be selling my books. I’m also anxious to meet authors whom I’ve only met online so far, and to see some “old” friends again. And then, too, I’ll be taking pitches for RHP.

MWG: So, you'll be around AND taking formal pitches. So, MWG conference-goers, here's a question that we should all pay attention to: What makes you love a submission? (Do you have other editors, too?)

Robin: I have to like the story, and I have to believe it’s relevant – in other words, can I sell it? After that, it has to be good writing. That’s hard to define; but as a lifelong reader and writer, I know if something is good or not. And yes, we have a fantastic editor!

MWG: On the flip side, what makes you reject a submission?

Robin: I hate rejecting any manuscript; and truthfully, I haven’t outright rejected many – but I do make notes and if I don’t think it’s quite “right,” I send it back to the author with suggestions for improvement. And I invite him to resubmit after the changes are made. Of course, when poor spelling and grammar are in the query letter itself, I hesitate to even read the manuscript; I try to send back words of encouragement, but have to be firm as well.

MWG: Yes, we are always hearing how important it is to proofread! Tell us a bit about you as an author!

Robin: I’ve done a fair amount of writing over the years, especially for online publications and websites, and have been working on my “great American novel” for a number of years. Woke up one day after an awesome dream and began writing Reduced. It took me six months, on and off, and I queried half a dozen or so agents. I got a few “no thanks” responses, and several simply didn’t bother to respond. Then I got a contract offer from a small press… I turned it down. It was a decent contract, very exciting to get that e-mail, but I realized that the things they were going to do for me weren’t enough to justify handing over most of the earnings. Besides, I’m not known for my patient nature, and waiting until just past the holiday sales for a print copy wasn’t going to work for me. I wrote Reused in about six weeks, because I was kind of procrastinating – in fact, that’s when I founded RHP, in a moment of boredom combined with a dearth of ideas for that sequel. I’ve been told it’s a little better than Reduced, but I doubt it has to do with the speed of writing! I’m currently at work on the third in the series, Recycled. It’s due out the end of May/first of June.

MWG: I love your spirit and passion! Anything else you want to add?

Robin: While I have little patience myself, I’d like to counsel authors to have at least a tiny bit of it, especially when submitting to a small press. We’re small, after all; and no, we don’t have some of the resources that the big publishers do – and that includes personnel. A month or so is not long; and if you e-mail me within a couple weeks to tell me someone else is interested and ask when I’ll be getting back to you, I’m mostly likely to wish you good luck and file your manuscript under “no.”

MWG: Thank you, Robin! We look forward to visiting with you at the conference.

Interview conducted by Margo L. Dill. To find out more about Margo and her middle-grade historical-fiction novel, FINDING MY PLACE, please visit: http://margodill.com/blog/.

If This Doesn't Pique Your Curiosity, Nothing Will . . .

2013-04-10T15:12:00.001-05:00

Jane Henderson's banquet speech for Saturday night:

"No Need To Send a Condom and Other Tips on Approaching News Media"
Some things (major and minor) a newspaper editor takes into consideration when choosing books for review.

Jane is the book editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

It's not too late to register for the conference! We are anticipating a great group of people at this year's event.

Sarah Fine, YA Author, Coming to the MWG Conference!

2013-04-08T23:07:00.001-05:00

Sarah Fine is a child psychologist and author. Her debut YA urban fantasy novel, SANCTUM, the first installment in the Guards of the Shadowlands series, was published in Fall 2012 by Amazon Children’s Publishing, and the sequel, FRACTURED, will be released in October 2013. Her YA gothic novel, FACTORY GHOST, will be published by McElderry/Simon & Schuster in summer 2014. She also co-writes (with Walter Jury) YA thrillers under the name S.E. Fine; SCAN will be published in May 2014 by Putnam/Penguin. On the web, she can be found at www.sarahfinebooks.com, on Twitter (@finesarah), and at http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/, where she blogs about psychology and YA.

MWG: Sarah, welcome to the Missouri Writers Guild conference blog. But better yet, welcome to the conference! What will you be speaking about?

Sarah: Thank you! I’ll be speaking about several things, actually. One of the sessions is about how writers can develop thinking habits that help when dealing with writer’s block and rejection, another is about writing teen characters, and then I’m offering a master class about how to “properly” traumatize characters.

MWG: I love that--properly "traumatize" characters! Who is the perfect audience for your workshop?

Sarah: I think all of them are appropriate for writers at any level of experience, because I’ll be focusing on the intersection of psychology and storytelling.

MWG: Sounds fascinating! You have great experience in the YA genre. In your opinion, what makes a great YA novel?

Sarah: A story that captures the universal experience of that time of life: the struggle to develop independence; the all-encompassing emotion; the rawness of propelling events, making decisions, and accepting major responsibility for the first time in one’s life, most likely before feeling completely ready to do that. No matter what situation or genre within YA, a great young adult story is a distillation of that life experience that resonates with teens—and with adults who remember what that was like.

MWG: What are one or two mistakes you find new writers making when writing YA?

Sarah: One would be trying to provide a life lesson or “teach” the teen reader—if that’s why you’re writing YA, you should probably stop. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a strong point of view, but the number one goal should always be to tell a good, absorbing, genuine story. And I suppose another mistake would be failing to listen to teens talk; dialogue is tricky to begin with; but if you’re an adult writing YA, you’ll do well to sit in a coffee shop or mall and just listen.

MWG: Great advice! Tell us a little about your latest YA book! Where can people find copies? Will you be selling any at the conference?

Sarah: Sanctum is the story of a girl who sneaks into hell—a dark, walled city—to rescue the soul of her best friend, a mission greatly complicated when she’s captured by the Captain of the city’s Guard. It was published in October of 2012 (Skyscape/Amazon Children’s Publishing); and the sequel, Fractured, comes out on October 29th of this year. I believe I’ll be at the author signing on Saturday with copies of Sanctum.

MWG: Terrific and sounds like a captivating plot! You also have a blog. How important is it for authors to have a blog?

Sarah: I don’t claim to be an expert in this kind of thing (though my agent, Kathleen Ortiz, certainly is), but how important it is to have a blog depends on your goal. A blog is helpful in connecting to the writing community, deriving support, and learning; but I don’t think it’s necessarily important in getting an agent or finding publishing success in the world of fiction. Most of my blog audience is other writers, not readers. However, I do think it’s crucial that authors have some kind of web presence; but these days, there are so many ways to do that—a website, Twitter, tumblr, Pinterest, Facebook, etc.. I’m most active on Twitter these days, but also have a tumblr site for my series. Authors should choose the medium(s) in which they’re most natural and comfortable, and simply interact and participate.

MWG: Thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Sarah: I’m looking forward to meeting folks at the conference!

For more information and to register for the conference (discounted price before 4/15/2013), go to: http://www.missouriwritersguild.org/Conference2013v9/index.htm

interview by Margo L. Dill, author of Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg.