2023 First Pages and Query Letter Critiques

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A Writer’s First Page can determine whether an agent reaches out to see more, or whether a reader decides to turn the page or purchase the book.

A Query Letter can be a writer’s most impactful tool in hooking an agent to get their work out into the world.

To help writers craft their best first page, as well as a query letter that can secure an agent, we are offering two live, on-the-spot critique sessions for these important elements. For both of these sessions, we will ask you to send us your first page or query letter for a chance to hear how professionals in the publishing world react to your work. Join in on the fun! Submit your first page or query letter, and see if you’re chosen. All those in attendance will benefit from hearing the critiques, whether your entry is read aloud or not.

 

First Page Critique Session Details:

This session will be one-and-a-half hours long and has become one of the conference’s best-loved sessions. Agents and editors are swamped with submissions. How can your writing get their attention? Our critique panel of industry experts will include three literary agents and a moderator. Pre-selected first pages, from varied genres, will be read aloud anonymously, with the text displayed on-screen for those in attendance to follow along. The panel will then give on-the-spot feedback. Did the action start too early? Can the reader tell what genre or time period they’re in on page one? What elements are working? Learn from experts who can provide invaluable feedback that you can apply to your work.

First Page Critique Panelists: Literary Agents Michelle Z. Jackson, Chad Luibl, Michaela Whatnall

To be considered for the First Pages Critique, send the first page of your manuscript as an attachment in .doc, .docx, or .pdf  format to  [email protected].  Before doing so, please be sure to review and follow the submission guidelines below.

Your submission must be received by midnight Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

Submission Guidelines

  • You must be a registered conference attendee to participate. One submission per attendee.
  • Your subject line should be First Page Submission
  • Include your name in the body of the email but not in your document. Keep it simple, a message like “See attached page. <your name>” is fine.
  • There is no fee.
  • Authors must remain anonymous, so please do not include identifying information on your actual first page.
  • Submissions will be pre-selected to ensure variety. Authors will not be notified if their work will be read during the conference program.
  • Please use Arial or Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, black ink, double spaced, 22 lines/page maximum. All margins should be at least one inch.
  • Each submission should indicate the genre of the work in the upper right-hand corner of the page and the title centered. Do not include the author’s name.
  • Do NOT send more than the first page.
  • Do NOT include anything in your email that needs prompt attention, such as conference or membership questions. If you have questions, complete a Contact Us form and we’ll get back to you promptly.
  • If you are sending both query letter and first page submissions, please send two separate emails, following the directions for each.

Query Letter Critique Session Details:

Query letter feedback is one of the most requested services from our writing community, so we have developed this on-the-spot critique session in the same style as the First Page Critique, a conference favorite. This live session will be one-hour long. Query letters submitted by conference registrants will be chosen at random to receive live, on-the-spot feedback. The chosen query letters will be displayed anonymously on screen for the audience to follow along, helping you see how the panel’s advice can be applied to your own work. What key elements, like word count and genre, should always be included? What should be left out? How much and what should a writer say about themself versus their work product? How should a query letter be formatted, and how long should it be? Our panelists will address these questions, and more, as they provide valuable feedback.

Query Letter Critique Panelists: Literary Agents Christopher Combemale, Reiko Davis, and Marie Lamba

Need a jumping off point to start your query letter? Jane Friedman offers great advice HERE.

To be considered for the Query Letter Critique, send your query letter as an attachment in .doc, .docx, or .pdf  format to  [email protected].  Before doing so, please be sure to review and follow the submission guidelines below.

Your submission must be received by midnight Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

Submission Guidelines

  • You must be a registered conference attendee to participate. One submission per attendee.
  • Your subject line should be Query Letter Submission
  • Include your name in the body of the email but not in your document. Keep it simple, a message like “See attached page. <your name>” is fine.
  • There is no fee.
  • Do NOT send more than the query letter.
  • Do NOT include anything in your email that needs prompt attention, such as conference or membership questions. If you have questions, complete a Contact Us form and we’ll get back to you promptly.
  • If you are sending both query letter and first page submissions, please send two separate emails, following the directions for each.