NYC Pitch and Shop Conference and Algonkian Writer Conferences

INTERVIEW
OBSERVATIONS

"Any first time author can be made to look "fabulous" -- it's all about how an agent, author and publisher present the author. Every author has a background and a story, which can be told to the book- sellers and public in a boring way or a way that is spectacular."
  Barbara Zitwer

"If an author is a terrific writer and has a voice or perspective or style that's not been seen before, there is a far greater chance it will have a place in the literary market. Though it's true that it can be tough to get a first book published, agents and editors are always looking for the next voice or story."
  Elise Capron

"Whatever you're doing in this business, whether you're an agent, editor, or writer, it's crucially important to keep on top of what's happening in the industry. Agents and editors are much more likely to take writers seriously if they can name other writers in their genre whose work they admire ..."
  W. Gottlieb

"The truth is that most publishing professionals needn't read further than that ... Judging a book in five sentences might sound like an outrageous idea. But it's really not."
  Noah Lukeman

Writer Conferences in 2008 and 2009

NOTES: Algonkian holds a dozen or so conferences per year including the New York Pitch and Shop Conference in September, June, December, and April. Our events are now more evenly distributed between the east and west coast, including the new Fisherman's Wharf Writers Conference in San Francisco. Our Harpers Ferry location at the Hilltop Inn is history--the Inn now closed for over a year's worth of restoration. Our Seven Mountains event in the Berkshires has been replaced by our October event in SF, but we will schedule more Algonkian Park events soon.

FAQ About Algonkian: How is Algonkian Different? Which Event to Attend First--Algonkian or NYC Pitch? If I Wish to Attend, Will I Automatically Be Accepted? ...

Fisherman's Wharf Writers Conference
Aug. 6-10, 08. OPEN TO APPLICATIONS. Tuition $695

"From the Heart, but Smart - Premise, Platform, Market and Execution" beside the San Francisco Bay ... Agent sessions With Elise Capron, Michael Larsen, Elizabeth Pomada, and Sally van Haitsma.; Short Fiction Workshop, Novel Into Film; Michael Neff and Bob Bausch. Book Publicity Pros David Cole and Isabella Michon.

NYC Pitch and Shop Conference
Sept. 25-28, 08. OPEN TO APPLICATIONS. Tuition $595

Writers workshop their novel before pitching it to major publishers such as Scribners, Penguin, Random House, Holt, St. Martins, and more. See NYC Pitch and Shop NEWS for latest. Book publicity pros and top workshop leaders from Algonkian and NYWW.

Fisherman's Wharf Writers Conference
Oct. 15-19, 08. OPEN TO APPLICATIONS. Tuition $695

"From the Heart, but Smart - Premise, Platform, Market and Execution" beside the San Francisco Bay ... Agent sessions With Elise Capron, Michael Larsen, Elizabeth Pomada, and Sally van Haitsma.; Short Fiction Workshop, Novel Into Film; Michael Neff and Bob Bausch. Book Publicity Pros David Cole and Isabella Michon.

Point Loma Writers Conference
2/25 - 3/01/09. OPEN TO APPLICATIONS. Tuition $965

"From the Heart, but Smart - Premise, Platform, Market and Execution" - Agent Pitch Sessions With Elise Capron, Barbara Zitwer, Betsy Amster, Michael Neff, Kate Gale, and Sally van Haitsma. Craft workshops, short fiction workshop, novel into film.

Book Resources for Writers

Read! Read! Read! ... The worst advice a writer can get is to ignore the market, forget craft, and simply "write from the heart." Our motto: "From the Heart, but Smart." Believe it or not, most aspiring authors do little to familiarize themselves with the most recent novels in their genre. Big mistake. We always cajole our writers to stay well read, know their market inside out, especially what type of work first-time authors are getting published. Why? Because their work is a better indication of what the market is looking for. As follows:

BookSense Picks
The indie bookers include a best picks page. A must for serious writers of all genres.

ChickLitBooks.Com
A-Z, loads of reviews and much more. The place for "all things chicklit." The genre is expanding.

Historical Novel Society
Both English and American historical fiction here. Excellent starting place. Five stars.

House of Blogs - all genres
A creation of Webdelsol.Com. FIVE LIVE blogs like Maud, Powell's, Beatrice, and more, + a list of the best + a remarkable blog search engine. If you want the real dig on a new novel, the bloggers are waiting for you.

Mystery Reader.Com
No fancy cosmetics here, but MR gets the job done. Great capsules, archives, + all sub-genres. Learn from the many-stars and one-stars too.

MetaCritic Scores for Lit Books
A "scoring" site for literary commercial books. Check the scores then hit the blogs.

San Francisco Chronicle
You might not agree with all the SFC book reviews, but they won't stop coming. Good archives. All genres plus non-fiction. Worth comparing to MetaCritic and blogger reviews.

The SF Site (sci fi/fantasy)
An explosion of book reviews on the very first page. Begin your search here.

Young Adult
YALSA, yowza, the best of the year list, plus check out Reading Rants for their latest reviews by category.

NYC Pitch and Shop Conference
9/25 - 9/28/08
Writers workshop their novel and then pitch top Editors from Holt, Scribners, Viking, and more. A huge opportunity for aspiring authors.

WRITERS AND AUTHORS
TALK ABOUT
ALGONKIAN CONFERENCES

Interview with Algonkian attendee, Barbara Marquart: I also wanted to tell a story that celebrates the deep bond between mothers and daughters - the struggles we all face to transcend our circumstances, forgive each other's failures and accept each other's limitations in order to find peace.

Interview with Algonkian attendee, author Thierry Sagnier: "I was stuck, hadn't done any serious writing for months, and a friend of mine�also a writer�suggested I attend a workshop to kickstart me. So I looked on the net and found that there were quite a few places that offered what I wanted, but when I researched the Algonkian conference, I recognized the name of a reporter I really respect. He'd been there and was highly complimentary, so that sealed it for me."

Interview with Algonkian attendee, author Julie Kaewert: "Because I was changing agents, I knew it was important to learn how to package the MS effectively ... When I saw the Seven Mountains Writers Conference on the website, it looked like just the thing. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations in every way."

Interview with Algonkian attendee, author Kate Gallison: "One way to lengthen your life is to stretch it backwards, and so I read a lot of history. Early movies fascinate me. They were both like and unlike stage plays of the time, borrowing actors and melodramatic plots, but developing entirely new techniques for portraying dramatic action. "

Interview with Algonkian attendee, Candy Somoza: "The preparation work got us thinking about the book in the store, how it got there, what makes it sell. While we read works and studied the writing, we also focused on the outside, so to speak, the marketing, and that was essential to prepare us."

Interview with Algonkian attendee, Rae Bryant: "After completing the first draft of Ficklestick's , I wanted professional guidance and a community of writers to help me marinate the work. It was important to me as a first time novelist to seek feedback before finalizing the intricacies. By retaining a sense of early process malleability, I was able to really hear criticisms and then incorporate skills learned. Algonkian provided the perfect setting."