POWER PITCH BLOCK: C

During each 90-minute block, attendees will have the opportunity to pitch to multiple agents and editors. Each pitch is 4 minutes.


STORY STRUCTURE
Presented by Terry Persun

Terry Persun will discuss how to use story structure for more than just your overall novel. Story structure is key for subplots as well as scenes. You will learn how to create a character arc in one scene that doesn't disrupt the main thrust of your novel's plot.


HOW TO MARKET A BOOK
Presented by Katherine Sears

This will be a true working session, and you will leave with a plan that you can execute. If you have written a book, or have one in progress, get ready to roll up your sleeves and start marketing. If you are considering writing a book and would like to try the process on for size, please have a book in mind you can use for the workshop in order to participate -- this will be an interactive session. All genres and stages are welcome. Whether traditionally or self-published, you will need to participate in your marketing efforts -- and anyone can learn to do it! We will cover: Who is your target market? (Hint: it is not “all readers on Amazon.”) Where are they? How do you interact with them? Which social media sites should you use, and how do you know which ones are right for you? What traditional marketing methods are still relevant? And how do you create an Action Plan?


THE EDITS SYSTEM (PART 2): ANALYZING SCENES IN YOUR WIP
Presented by Margie Lawson

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to analyze and strengthen their scenes. Applying the EDITS System to their scenes, they will see what scene components they have, where they are in the scene, and what needs to be added, tightened, or nixed. Analyzing the EDITS System colors and patterns in their scenes, participants will create a compelling balance of emotion, dialogue, internalization, setting, description, action, sensory detail, body language, and dialogue cues that work for their specific scene dynamics. They will learn where they have tension and micro-tension and where they need more. They will learn where they need visceral responses, how to crescendo emotion, how to hook the reader viscerally. Workshop participants are requested to bring five highlighters (Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, and Orange), a red pen, and five chapters of their WIP — double-spaced, printed, in a binder.


BOOK TRAILERS AND DIGITAL MARKETING OF YOUR BOOK
Presented by M.J. McDermott, Nicholas O'Connell, and Michael Harris

Broadcaster and author M.J. McDermott, filmmaker Michael Harris, and author/writing teacher Nicholas O'Connell will talk about the effectiveness of making a professional book trailer and other ways to market your book digitally.


WRITING THE SERIAL: A NOVEL APPROACH
Presented by Nathan Everett

There are many venues for serial writing, from blogs to television series to comic strips to newspapers to story sites. Is writing a serial right for you? How does it differ from writing a novel or memoir? Where can you distribute your serial? Can you earn anything from writing a serial? How does serial writing help your efforts in writing novels or memoirs? Learn the answers to these questions as well as how to publish, launch, make money, and manage your fan-base.


DEMYSTIFIED SERIES: SHOW DON'T TELL
Presented by Jason Black

“Show don’t tell” is the bedrock rule of narrative writing. It is the determining factor in reader engagement and the one central skill writers must master in order to succeed. But what is showing, really? How is it different from telling? When should you use each? And most importantly, how do you actually do it? This lecture will provide practical answers you can take back to your keyboard, and it will give a new perspective on how readers interact with your story and what that means for you while you’re writing.


FIND THE RIGHT CRITIQUE GROUP FOR YOU
Presented by Richard Hacker and Audra Middleton

If the goal is to be published, we shouldn’t be writing in a vacuum. It is in our best interest to get feedback along the way, and Mom may not tell us what we need to know. Critique groups offer a terrific opportunity to get the feedback and support we need from fellow writers. The problem is that the critique group experience can be unpleasant and unproductive for those who are not prepared. The goal of this presentation is to help writers get the most out of their critique group experience. Richard Hacker and Audra Middleton will discuss how to know if you’re in the right critique group, the pros and cons of face-to-face critique groups versus online groups, and the importance of clarity when it comes to your own needs.


EDITING: SO YOU THINK YOU DON'T NEED AN EDITOR?
Presented by Beth Jusino, Christy Karras, and Jim Thomsen

Do you really need an editor, or can you just get a friend to proofread your manuscript? Do you think that maybe an editor could help, but you're not sure when one would be the most useful and cost-effective? In this session, experienced editors from the Northwest Independent Editors Guild will tell you when to hire a developmental editor, copyeditor, or proofreader -- and when not to. You'll also learn what in the world the difference is between copyediting and proofreading; who the best editors are for your project and where to find them; and why your book has a better chance of success if it's been professionally edited before you send it to agents and acquisitions editors or publish on your own. We'll also give you the scoop on how to get the most out of the editors you work with.

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

POWER PITCH BLOCK: D

During each 90-minute block, attendees will have the opportunity to pitch to multiple agents and editors. Each pitch is 4 minutes.


WRITING DIALOGUE CUES LIKE A PSYCHOLOGIST
Presented by Margie Lawson

Dialogue cues share subtext. Dialogue cues are not just dialogue tags; they’re a subset of tags. They inform the reader how to interpret the dialogue. This workshop will teach writers about the six categories of dialogue cues, as well as deep editing techniques for writing fresh dialogue cues. Writers will learn how to add psychological power to cues by avoiding clichés, using amplification, writing hyphenated-run-ons, and using the dialogue cue as a stimulus and including the response. Each of the six types of dialogue cues will be supported with multiple examples from a variety of genres.


THE IMPORTANCE OF A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Presented by Julie Baroh, TBA

Local artists will discuss the importance of a book cover and artwork that captures the essence of your work. You will learn how to pick the artists that are right for your project and how this component enhances book sales, as well as helping you grow your author brand and platform. Whether you are looking to create a map reminiscent of the one in Game of Thrones, or a fantasy style that evokes the world of fairies, trolls, and goblins, these local artists will help you traverse this brave new world.


HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH
Presented by Gerri Russell

This will be a detailed "how-to" workshop vs. a "should I do it" workshop. It's not just for the unpublished people -- published authors may want to self-pub a novella, something that has been turned down by a publishing house, or maybe even their backlist of books that they own digital rights for. Gerri will discuss the HOW-TO details for the common formats used for self-publishing.


AUTHOR MAGAZINE: LIVE INTERVIEWS
Presented Bill Kenower, Deb Caletti, Bob Dugoni, TBA

Author magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Bill Kenower leads a panel of bestselling authors in a lively discussion about all things writing and publishing, as well as the unique perspective cultivated in his hundreds of interviews, daily column, and weekly radio show. Join Bill and his guests as they discuss how to lead a happy writing life.


DEMYSTIFIED SERIES: CONFLICT AND DRAMA
Presented by Jason Black

You don’t have to look through many books on narrative writing before one of them will admonish you to “keep conflict in every scene,” and that books without conflict are boring. It’s true. What is less often explained is what narrative conflict is and how it relates to the reader’s sense of drama. This lecture will explore the three principal categories of conflict, reveal the underlying nature of conflict, show how conflict gives rise to drama, and leave you with brass-tacks guidelines for using conflict to create drama in your novels.


BREAKING THE RULES
Presented by Nicole Persun

This workshop is meant to explore the rules of writing, when it’s okay to ignore them, and when it’s okay to abuse them. The discussion will cover adverbs, repetition, passive voice, POV, and much more. Although the general publishing business operates off of a “guilty until proven innocent” thought process, Nicole believes it should be the other way around.


THREE LEVELS OF CHARACTER
Presented by Terry Persun

In this session, we’ll discuss the three levels of character that you can use for each character in your book, from walk-on to main protagonist and antagonist. By working with these levels, it will be easy to know how deep you need to go with any one character without letting your reader down.

4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

TOP 25 RHETORICAL DEVICES FOR FICTION WRITERS
Presented by Margie Lawson

Learn 25 rhetorical devices -- why, how, and when to use them to add the most power to your scenes. Learn how to strengthen your writing with rhetorical device combos. Learn which rhetorical devices compress time and expand time. Learn how to use some rhetorical devices to slip multiple hits of backstory into one eloquent sentence. Learn which rhetorical devices are frequently used by New York Times bestselling authors to empower their openings and turning points.


ASSISTED SELF-PUBLISHING: WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT CAN FIT INTO YOUR PUBLISHING PLANS
Presented by April Eberhardt and Nathan Everett

If you’re contemplating self-publishing your work but realize there’s a lot you don’t know (and things you may not want to do yourself), join us for this agent-and-small-publisher dialogue focused on assisted self-publishing. This hybrid approach guides an author through the self-publishing process, including creating an individualized strategy and project plan, and identifying steps and resources available to help you get to “go.” Nathan Everett (publisher, Elder Road Books) and April Eberhardt (literary change agent and author advocate) have teamed on several projects to help authors self-publish successfully. They will share their observations and suggestions for self-publishing successfully and will offer tips on when, how, and where to seek assistance as you get ready to self-publish. You’ll discover how a team can round out your publishing efforts and head you toward success.


QUERY LETTERS: HOW TO GET AN AGENT TO BEG TO READ MORE. . .
Presented by Marilyn Allen

In this workshop we will explore what makes a winning query letter for both fiction and nonfiction titles. Agents take queries very seriously and do read them. More importantly, they actually respond to ones that interest them. We will review actual query letters to understand what effectively represents the book and catches attention. This workshop will give writers the tools to create a concise, professional, intelligent, intriguing query letter that will not only entice an agent to ask for more, but move you forward in the process of getting your book published. Marilyn Allen, founder of the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency, former publishing executive at Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Books, and coauthor of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Book Proposals and Query Letters will lead the workshop.


AUTHOR MAGAZINE
Presented by Bill Kenower

The author interview has become a staple of the publishing world. Veteran interviewer and Author magazine Editor-in-Chief Bill Kenower will teach a hands-on-class on how to interview and how to be interviewed.


‘FROM APPRENTICE TO MASTER'
Presented by Sally Harding (The Cooke Agency/Master), Rachel Letofsky (The Cooke Agency/Apprentice), Kat Richardson (Author/Master), and Joe Beernink (Author/Apprentice) 

This panel will focus on the journey to being successfully published and the steps you can expect along the way. Two authors and two agents bring their old-hand experience (Kat and Sally) and fresh eyes (Joe and Rachel) to help you navigate the terrain of the publishing world. The key lies in understanding how the publishing side of the business thinks about your work. What’s the best way to craft a pitch letter? How should I approach an agent? I’ve got an agent, now what? My agent got me a contract with a publishing house, what’s next? My agent didn’t get me a contract, what now? Bring all the “questions-you-have-always-had-but-never-wanted-to-ask”, broaden your understanding of the publishing world, and begin your transformation from apprentice to master!

NONFICTION: HOW TO WRITE AN IRRESISTIBLE NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSAL
Presented by Rita Rosenkranz

What are the key components that define a winning book proposal? What research should an author do to help make sure the project has merit? How can an author leapfrog over the competition in the category? In this especially competitive publishing climate, authors need to be savvy to manage their visibility in the marketplace. This presentation will guide the author through the basic steps for writing a proposal and making the project count.


SURVIVING REJECTION
Presented by Mandy Hubbard

So an agent threw a rejection dagger, pinning your manuscript to your broken heart, and knocking you into your bed with a bad case of Nobody Loves Me. Agent Mandy Hubbard will pick you up and dust you off with a discussion about how to cope with rejection and use the experience to improve your craft.

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

LITERARY CONTEST AWARDS CELEBRATION

(Admission by ticket only - no host bar)
Dinner followed by reception for Literary Contest First and Second Place Winners with agents and editors follows Awards Celebration. Invitation will be included in the First and Second Place Winners’ packets.