Writing Workshop of Austin

10/28/2024

Excited to announce our 2025 in-person conferences with locations across the US - and online conferences you can attend from anywhere. Join us! Details: https://www.writingdayworkshops.com/event-locations--dates.html

10/16/2024

Sharing some memories/photos of previous Austin conferences - keep an eye on our website for news about when we'll be returning! In the meantime, there are loads of virtual conferences available. https://www.writingdayworkshops.com/event-locations--dates.html

12/29/2023

Attending agents & editors at the 2024 Writing Workshop of Austin (March 1, 2024) include Monica Rodriguez (Context Literary); Mark Falkin (Falkin Literary); Carina Licon (Macmillan Children’s); Trinica Sampson-Vera (New Leaf Literary); Teffanie Thompson (Falkin Literary); and Christina Lopez (St. Martin’s Press). All are open to in-person pitch meetings.

12/29/2023

We're excited that the Writing Workshop of Austin is BACK in person on Friday, March 1, 2024. Instructive classes, agent & editor pitching, critiques, and more. Come join us! All info: https://writingworkshopofaustin.com/

02/17/2021

We don't know what 2021 will bring, and while we hope to have an in-person Austin writers conference when it's safe, please know that we have awesome *online* writers conferences happening right now -- every month between February and June 2021. All info here:

http://www.writingdayworkshops.com/event-locations--dates.html

Dates: Feb. 12-13 ... March 13 ... April 9-10 .... May 14-15 ... June 12.

Each of these online writers conferences include live Zoom classes, free additional pre-recorded sessions, optional critiques, and one-on-one virtual pitches with literary agents seeking new writers and clients right now. The hyperlink above will answer many of your questions. Thanks, everyone.

09/19/2019

We are very proud of all the writers who have signed with literary agents following our one-day writers conferences. Get to know some of our many success stories here:

https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/2016/10/01/writing-day-workshop-success-stories/

09/19/2019

Tips for pitching a literary agent at a writers conference, such as the 2019 Writing Workshop of Austin on Nov 15:

http://writingworkshopofaustin.com/

1. Try to keep your pitch to 60-90 seconds. Keeping your pitch concise and short is beneficial because 1) it shows you are in command of the story and what your book is about; and 2) it allows plenty of time for back-and-forth discussion between you and the agent. Note: If you’re writing nonfiction, and therefore have to speak plenty about yourself and your platform, then your pitch can certainly run longer.

2. Practice before you get to the event. Say your pitch out loud, and even try it out on fellow writers. Feedback from peers will help you figure out if your pitch is confusing, or missing critical elements. Remember to focus on what makes your story unique. Mystery novels, for example, all follow a similar formula — so the elements that make yours unique and interesting will need to shine during the pitch to make your book stand out.

3. Do not give away the ending. If you pick up a DVD for Die Hard, does it say “John McClane is victorious at the end”? No. Because if it did, you wouldn’t buy the movie. Pitches are designed to leave the ending unanswered, much like the back of any DVD box you read.

4. Have some questions ready. 10 minutes is plenty of time to pitch and discuss your book, so there is a good chance you will be done pitching early. At that point, you are free to ask the agent questions about writing, publishing or craft. The meeting is both a pitch session and a consultation, so feel free to ask whatever you like as long as it pertains to writing.

5. Remember to hit the big beats of a pitch. Everyone’s pitch will be different, but the main elements to hit are 1) introducing the main character(s) and telling us about them, 2) saying what goes wrong that sets the story into motion, 3) explaining how the main character sets off to make things right and solve the problem, 4) explaining the stakes — i.e., what happens if the main character fails, and 5) ending with an unclear wrap-up.

Get Your Writing Published: November 15, 2019

09/19/2019

The 2019 Writing Workshop of Austin has 4 attending literary agents who will meet with writers and take pitches. Get to know them on the website here:

http://writingworkshopofaustin.com

09/19/2019

The 2019 Writing Workshop of Austin is a one-day writers conference on Friday, November 15, 2019:

http://writingworkshopofaustin.com

This full-day “How to Get Published” writing event, put on by former team members of Writer's Digest, is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch attending literary agents (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event. Learn more and register at the website above. Learn how to get your book published!

Get Your Writing Published: November 15, 2019