One of the primary reasons we took The Writer magazine “Best Writing Conferences Across America” poll by storm–amassing more votes than any other conference in the entire country–is our focus on educational activities for writers, in addition to the opportunities to advance their writing careers.
With only six weeks before the conference, we still have opportunities for you to participate if you haven’t registered yet, or to add to your registration if you’d selected only a small number of activities originally:
- Query Letter Critique
- Author Brand Workshop
- Editor Q&A Panel
- Agent Q&A Panel
We also have waitlists available for manuscript critiques and pitches with our sixteen guest literary agents and acquisitions editors.
Join us on May 3-4 to learn much more about the business and craft of writing, network with industry professionals, and make new friends with your fellow writers.
Your Query Letter: As Important as Your Manuscript
For those new to the world of publishing, the query letter is the first thing you ever send to agents and/or to acquisitions editors working for publisher that accept unagented materials. The query letter is intended to hook these individuals’ interest so they’ll ask you to send your manuscript.
Sounds simple, right? Many authors think this one-page letter is harder to write than a 300-page book.
This is why we offer the Query Letter Critique activity at the Atlanta Writers Conference. On May 3rd, you can meet with an agent and editor who have teamed up to help you make your query letter shine and increase your chances of being asked to send your manuscript for consideration. Even if you’re not doing pitches on May 4th at the conference, you’ll derive the benefits of this activity every time you query agents and editors thereafter.
Does this activity work? At last May’s conference, 63% of the Best Pitch award winners did a query letter critique to improve their pitch materials.
We only have 2 spots left for the Query Letter Critique, so register now!
“Developing Your Author Brand” Workshop
On May 3rd, New York Times best-selling author Jenny Milchman will guide you on a two-hour journey toward discovering/improving your author brand–those qualities and details that distinguish you and your writing from all others. Even if you’re still working on your first manuscript, you need to start to figure out how to separate yourself from your contemporaries. If you are further along your writing path–whether seeking representation or already self- or traditionally published–it’s critical for you to figure out what sets you and your work apart.
Editor Q&A Panel
Eight acquisitions editors working for top publishers will answer your questions on May 3rd about what happens after you receive a book contract, how your marketing efforts can augment theirs, how they interact with literary agents, and everything else you’ve wondered about the publishing industry.
Agent Q&A Panel
On May 4th, before the manuscript critique and pitch sessions, eight literary agents will hold forth on how to get a representation contract, what agents do for their clients, how they pursue book deals for you, and answer your other questions about the partnership between you and these gatekeepers to the world of publishing.
Short Waitlists with Some Agents & Editors
You still have a chance at getting 1-2 manuscript (MS) critiques and/or 1-2 pitches with some of our guest literary agents and acquisitions editors.
Do you want to know which agents and editors who are a good fit for you have the shortest waitlists? Please contact Atlanta Writers Conference Director George Weinstein at awconference@gmail.com.