START HERE! View/Print the 2023 Conference Registration Guide
Conference Home | Speakers & Moderators | Conference Schedule | Master Classes | Agent One-on-Ones | First Pages & Query Critiques | FAQ | Sponsorship
2023 PRE-CONFERENCE MASTER CLASSES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2022 | 9 ONLINE CLASSES + 1 IN-PERSON OPTION
AVAILABLE AS A CONFERENCE ADD-ON or A LA CARTE
$50 each for JRW Members/$75 each for Non-Members
On Friday, October 6, 2022, we will offer nine online pre-conference Master Classes. Each two-hour Master Class, taught by one of our conference guest speakers, takes an in-depth look at a particular topic of interest to writers. We are offering three tracks this year: Business Tools, Craft of Writing, and Traditional Publishing. Master Classes are offered for an additional cost to the regular conference fees and are open to conference ticket holders and also as an a la carte purchase if you are not able to attend the in-person conference on October 7 and 8 in Richmond, Virginia.
Online Master Classes will be held via the Zoom platform and will offer participants an opportunity to ask questions and interact with the class instructors. Once registration closes, we will send Master Class registrants the Zoom link(s) to join the Master Classes you have signed up and paid for.
Bonus! Your Online Master Class registration/ticket will include access to the recording and chat capture following the close of your class.
NEW THIS YEAR! One IN-PERSON Master Class offering that will get you inspired in an outdoor setting (in Richmond, VA). Scroll to the bottom of the Master Class schedule for the in-person class details.
REGISTRATION
You can make your Master Class selections when you register for the main conference or separately (a la carte) using the same registration form. If you are only registering for the Master Classes, you may bypass any non-applicable questions on the registration form. Classes fill quickly, so don’t delay. You will receive a recording of any online Master Class you sign up and pay for, after the class is over, for a limited time–even if you are unable to attend in real time.
9:00 am – 11:00 am Eastern | Online Master Classes
QUERYING AN AGENT (Traditional Publishing Track)
with Literary Agent SARAH N. FISK
Sarah N. Fisk
Sarah N. Fisk is a literary agent at the Tobias Literary Agency, representing all genres in Middle Grade and Young Adult as well as adult science-fiction, fantasy, and romance. Sarah is a former mechanical engineer who made the switch to publishing in 2011. They have worked in the publishing industry as an editorial assistant, author’s assistant, publicist, and art director. Sarah is a former Pitch Wars mentor, board member, and Agent Liaison. They host the podcast Queries, Qualms, & Quirks and are one of the founding members of Disability in Publishing.
THE NON-FICTION BOOK PROPOSAL (Business Track)
with Literary Agent JENNIFER CHEN-TRAN
Nonfiction authors have the advantage of being able to pitch a book before it\’s finished, but a lot more work goes into a book proposal than into a query letter. You need to convince an agent or editor that not only do you have a unique story to tell, but that you have analyzed your target audience and know how to reach them. Literary agent Jennifer Chen Tran will walk you through the essential elements of a nonfiction book proposal, from compiling your table of contents to formulating a marketing plan. By the end of class, you\’ll have a clear understanding of what to include and what to leave out to give your work its best chance at attracting notice.
Jennifer Chen-Tran
Jennifer Chen-Tran is a literary agent at Folio Literary Management. Jennifer is passionate about nurturing and championing authors. She represents authors who write non-fiction and fiction, adult and children’s books, and loves to work with a wide range of talent. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Northeastern School of Law in Boston, MA, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis.
CREATING COMPELLING CHARACTERS (Craft Track)
with Editor/Author KJ CHARLES
Engaging, three-dimensional characters can hook your readers from the start, engage their feelings as they read, and provide that fulfilling sense of closure. In this class, editor and author KJ Charles will help you explore techniques to bring your characters to life.
- Come up with characters that work with your plot—and vice versa
- Ensure major characters are fully formed, and give minor characters the right weight and depth
- Build character growth and satisfying arcs by looking at their goals, fears, and flaws
- Use small details to create big impact
KJ Charles
KJ Charles spent twenty years as an editor in British publishing before switching tracks to become a full-time novelist, a choice she has never regretted. She writes mostly historical queer romance and fantasy, and her work has been translated into eight languages to date. She lives in London, UK, and enjoys digging out obscure historical facts about the place.
11:15 am – 1:15 pm Eastern | Online Master Classes
PERFECTING YOUR PITCH (Traditional Publishing Track)
with Literary Agent ERIC SMITH
Developing a pitch or logline for your book-length project offers multiple advantages. Not only is a compelling pitch a great way to capture an agent\’s attention at a writing conference, it can also help you identify the heart of your work. Some authors even write their pitch first as a mini outline. Literary agent Eric Smith will walk you through the basic components of a good pitch, help you distill your work to its most essential elements, and share common pitching mistakes. After this class, you\’ll no longer cringe when agents, friends, or family members you only see at the holidays ask, \”So what is your book about?\”
Eric Smith
Eric Smith is a Young Adult author and literary agent with P.S. Literary living in Philadelphia. He’s worked on award-winning and New York Times bestselling titles, and began his publishing career at Quirk Books. A frequent blogger, his ramblings about books and the publishing industry regularly appear on Book Riot, Paste Magazine, and Publishing Crawl. His latest book, Jagged Little Pill: The Novel, a collaboration with Alanis Morissette, Academy award-winner Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard, is an adaptation of the Grammy and Tony award winning musical. His upcoming books include the YA rom-com With or Without You (Inkyard Press, November 2023) and the anthology First-Year Orientation (Candlewick, April 2023) with Lauren Gibaldi.
FREELANCE 101 (Business Track)
with Editor/Freelance Writer LIZZ SCHUMER
As the journalism industry evolves, newspapers, magazines, and digital media are relying more and more on freelance writers. In fact, there has never been a better time to break into journalism as a freelancer—or to develop the skills to freelance outside the media industry. In this course, taught by a Good Housekeeping senior editor and experienced freelance writer, learn how to find fresh story ideas and pitch them in a way that will draw editors’ attention. Whether you write features, profiles, or criticism, learn the key to opening editors’ doors, getting your writing noticed, and getting paid.
Lizz Schumer
Lizz Schumer is a writer, editor, and educator from Brooklyn, NY. She is a senior editor at Good Housekeeping Magazine and teaches journalism courses at New York University School of Professional Studies and offers private coaching and editing through the New York Writing Room. She is the author of Buffalo Steel and Biography of a Body.
MEMOIR: WHO YOU ARE IS AS IMPORTANT AS HOW YOU WRITE (Craft Track)
with Award-Winning Writer/Educator SHANNON GIBNEY
You know you have a unique, personal story to tell, but how do you write and position it to attract readers? Award-winning author Shannon Gibney will help you identify what will make your book stand out in a crowded market. Why are you the person to tell this story, and why does it need to be told now? How can you choose a starting point that draws in the reader? You\’ll get tips for crafting a memoir that is both relatable and relevant and understand why who you are is as important as how you write.
Shannon Gibney
Shannon Gibney is a writer, educator, activist, and the author of See No Color (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015), and Dream Country (Dutton, 2018) young adult novels that won Minnesota Book Awards in 2016 and 2019. Gibney is faculty in English at Minneapolis College, where she teaches writing; she was recently selected as one of three Educators of the Year in the entire Minnesota State College and University system. A Bush Artist and McKnight Writing Fellow, her new novel, The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be, explores themes of transracial adoption through speculative memoir (Dutton, 2023). Gibney’s other recent publications include the picture books Sam and the Incredible African and American Food Fight (University of Minnesota Press, 2023), and Where We Come From (Lerner, 2022; coauthored), and a YA anthology of stories by adoptees about adoptees, co-edited with Nicole Chung (HarperTeen, 2023).
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern | Online Master Classes
THE AGENT/AUTHOR RELATIONSHIP (Traditional Publishing Track)
with Literary Agent BETH MARSHEA
A good literary agent will do much more than get you in the door at the right publisher, from cheerleading to helping you make long-term career decisions. But how should you look for one, and what questions should you ask when you get \”the call\”? Literary Agent Beth Marshea walks you through the ins and outs of this important professional relationship. From the querying process and signing, to selling your first book and long-term career goals, this Master Class will help you identify what you need in a literary agent, and how to build the foundation for a positive and fruitful working partnership.
Beth Marshea
Beth Marshea is the owner of Ladderbird Literary Agency. She has a BA in Literature and a Masters in Business Administration and is always looking for new and exciting ways to bring more diversity into publishing and beyond. Outside of agenting, Beth teaches writing in her local community with a focus on bringing reluctant writers and readers into the magical world of books. She relentlessly searches for more ways to encourage writers to create stories that matter! Outside of books, she loves the outdoors, all things water related, and has a strong attraction to abstract art.
SELF-PUBLISHING: IT TAKES A VILLAGE (Business Track)
with Publisher/Writing Coach KIM WELLS ELEY
Self-publishing empowers you with control and creative freedom. If you\’re motivated to bring your message into the world using self-publishing but are intimidated by the \”do-it-yourself\” aspect, it\’s time to put the team into \”self\” publishing. Kim Eley will navigate attendees through multiple options for establishing key partners to achieve self-publishing success. Topics will include the types of support available to authors, including editing, design work, publishing options, marketing and PR, choosing the best partners to work with, staying on track with your book project, and more.
Kim Wells Eley
Specializing in personal development books and thoughtful children\’s books is the mission of Kim Wells Eley’s company, KWE Publishing. As a writing coach and publisher, Kim gives clients six steps to make their books a reality. Happily married to her BFF for over twenty years, she’s a speaker, an author, a cat lover, a collector of orchids, a horror film fan, and she gets all of her news from comedy shows.
UPPING THE ANTE: EFFECTIVE USE OF CONFLICT & TENSION IN WRITING (Craft Track)
with Thriller Writer ALMA KATSU
All novels need conflict: it’s at the heart of the story itself, and it’s why the reader keeps turning the pages. Conflict is what keeps the reader asking, “What happens next?”
Infusing your story with tension doesn’t mean you need to resort to melodramatic tricks and clichés. In this class, award-winning author Alma Katsu will define what conflict is (and isn’t), as well as describe four different kinds of conflict and show how to layer them to create depth in your novel. Most importantly, it will teach you how to analyze your own writing and provide concrete techniques you can use to create more suspense and tension in your work. These techniques can be applied to all kinds of writing, not just mysteries and thrillers.
As part of the class, attendees are encouraged to submit up to three pages of their own work. A number will be selected for review with the class, to show which elements contribute to building conflict and suggest potential ways to develop more.
Alma Katsu
Alma Katsu is best known for historical fiction with a speculative element, such as The Fervor, which has been nominated for the Stoker, Locus, International Thriller Writers for best novel. Her spy thrillers draw on a long career in intelligence. Red Widow (2021) was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and nominated for ITW Best Novel. Red London recently published to excellent reviews and has been optioned for a TV series.
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern | In-Person Master Class
WRITING YOUR WAY INTO NATURE (In-Person)
with Award-Winning Author DEAN KING
Come take a walk with three nature writing pros who will offer advice on making the outdoors come alive in your work. Whether you\’re interested in changing the world with your eco fiction, adding depth to your articles, or writing convincingly about the beauty around you, this class is for you. Your guides will take you on a short tour of Robious Landing Park, discussing inspiration and specificity and giving you tips and tricks to incorporate during your in-class writing time. There will be plenty of opportunity for sharing and questions as well.
Location: Robious Landing Park, 3800 James River Road, Midlothian, VA 23113
Robious Landing Park offers 3.4 miles of hiking trails adjacent to the James River. Picnic shelters and restrooms are available on site as well.
Instructors: Dean King, Caroline Kettlewell, Logan Ward
Dean King
Dean King is an award-winning author of ten nonfiction books. He crossed the Sahara on camels and in Land Rovers while researching Skeletons on the Zahara, trekked the Long March trail in the mountains of Western China for Unbound, and was shot at while researching The Feud in Appalachia. His writing has appeared in Granta, Garden & Gun, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Travel & Leisure, New York magazine, and The New York Times. He is the chief storyteller in two History Channel documentaries and is a producer of its nonfiction series Hatfields & McCoys: White Lightning. An internationally known speaker, King has also appeared on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, ABC World News Tonight, PBS American Experience, BBC Radio, and TEDx. He is a partner of Gum Street Productions, which is currently developing a feature documentary for Netflix.